Veterars of the gay nineties will hear with real regret of the death of Louie Freear, the famous "little slavey" of those spacious days. She started her public life at the age of five in Lord George Sanger's circus, and taking to the theatre later on specialized m the down-trodden maid of all work type. This gave her her first great hit in "The Gay Pari-sienna," with the song "Sister Mary Jane's Top-note," which simply ran all through England, though, in fact, except as she sang it, it was a very ordinary piece of fustian.
Then came "A Chinese Honeymoon" for 800 consecutive performances and Louie Freear the big noise in them all. Tree engaged her to play Puck in his production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in which she showed that she had plenty of versatility. At one time she was being paid £200 a week, but few theatrical stars ever keep their money and Louie Freear was no exception. However, she married in 1912 a commercial traveller named Shepherd and ended her life comfortably enough in a modest flat in Bloomsbury. She was 63.
She was critical of the modern comedy stage—"All acrobatics and nakedness, some of the shows simply disgust me," she said, "La my time we had to attract by talent or not at all" Well, it may be remembered that in "The Gay Parisienne" the chorus appearing in' one scene as bicyclists in knickerbockers and stout stockings caused quite a sensation.
So Louis Freear's strictures are not surprising. How much we have gained. by the all round liberties of today is an interesting question. But with all their restrictions, the nineties were certainly gayer in many things than we are now. it?" You cannot nonplus urchin. "God gave it replied the infant. "Well, well," Queen Mary, rather sobered, it's very nice." the Denham film studios Queen fully that the stairs night be rather hard to climb. "I don't find it dif-cult if I'm interested," she replied and went up like a lamp-lighter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.