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with the ladies of the Metropolitan Opera House, who, gather 
ing their cloaks about them very closely and with hauteur seek 
their conveyance with dignity and speed befitting position (dis 
tinguished). My heart directed, but oh my mind poor Alice 
was so inefficient a bus-girl. I quickly hastened to the ermine 
counter, asking for those articles a modern girl needs. (Of 
course this isn’t true, I haven’t any money.) Never the less 
Alice soon gathered her cloak very closely and with hauteur, 
hastening to a cab, unobserving, sister to scions of wealth in being 
incapable of manual or mental function. 
I don’t mean this as typical since totally unlike is that little 
girl, now sixteen, destined for stardom. Altho of a family no 
one of whom were theatrical, she was blessed by a mother of 
intelligence who provided for training vocal and dancing, thus 
shielding her from the real evils of the show business which 
result from lack of equipment rendering the girls susceptible to 
dangers and damages of managers and dancing instructors too 
obsexed to be human. Knowing one thousand routines—tap, 
toe, classical, acrobatic—quick, hastening, eager, her flying feet 
had Gracie Georgia skyward tilt on stardom while others wait 
below, unrecognized. 
i.e. “Stevie”, said Joseph Conrad shyly, “I like your Gen 
eral”; even tho that author had acquired at that date legends of 
notoriety and a glow of one destined, it can now appear, to die 
young, natheless his energy remains. Tho not by necessity his 
tory, his life in excellent hands assumes the value of a “novel” 
of exceptional entertainment value. Stephen indubitably a 
dynamo peculiarly stationed in a milieu of awkward, unconti 
nental, romantic character; anxiously he sought explosions, and 
without affectation did what he needed to do. However one can 
gratifyingly hope that in time advertising will require the ser 
vices of our bright, efficient young men now engaged in social 
work for the continent here in the United States. There will 
be of course signed work for the best establishments, which can 
encourage a “style” employing a fine note of scorn which will 
recognize insufficiencies in a “culture” only appreciative, and 
prepare to exploit those constants of “energy expenditure” inde 
pendent of stabilized cultural significance. Alternatively these 
best brightest may personally display talents if the stage expands 
or movies demand. Let us pray. Nothing will be changed. 
May, 1926. 
JOHN RIORDAN