This is the “standardized text” version of the Mascot Moskovina documents. This version is presented in an easily readable and searchable format. Punctuation is modernized and inserted where needed for clarity. Abbreviations are spelled out, insertions are incorporated, and crossouts and duplicate words are deleted. First words in sentences have been capitalized; other capitalization issues have not been edited. Moskovina’s spelling is routinely irregular and creative; where it is possible to discern her meaning, spelling has been standardized.


[p. 1]
[letterhead]“GRAN HOTEL DE ROMA”
de
Ramón Casal y Cía.
CANGALLO 759
Unión Telef. 942, Avenida
BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires, 14th August. de 1917.

My dear Billie (with all due respect).
I received your dear letter today and as I have just time I am scribbling you a note. We arrived here last Friday and Saturday night we played Walpurgis night with the Opera at the Colon the largest and most beautiful theater in the whole world also last night. But we only start tomorrow at the Coliseo the 2nd theater of Buenos A, as Diaghilev who is just behind us at Montevideo Uruguay has already Booked the Colon so has got the Best of our Company this time. We came from Santiago de Chile across the Andes. For the first 6 hours one train to Los Andes a little town of about 1000 inhabitants who live right in the mountains. There we took a hotel for the night and at 7 o'clock the next morning we caught the Transandine Express and crawled up the mountains until we were some 18000 feet high where all was just voids of snow. We had very bad weather, a regular blizzard of snow. Otherwise the trip has many wonderful sights, but we saw nothing but snow swept mountains and plains up there with deep precipices below us. The storms come so badly up there that sometimes for month the whole train traffic is stopped as the storm is so severe as to sweep a man away like a scrap of paper and whole trains have been blown over. You see now is about the worst time as it is Severe Winter. Buenos Aires is lovely. It

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compares more to London than any town I have ever seen. It has squares & parks all over the place and the loveliest business streets & the most interesting stores [I?] [page torn] think it beats New York ho◊l◊ there are at least a 12 streets equal to 5th Ave. here and huge firms form London Like Harrods & Gathes & Chaves etc. are here. The hotels are very nice. Clean and good food, only they are expensive. As a matter of fact everything is very expensive here. In fact, all South America is, but at least here in this town one can buy all the things one needs for instance in Panama, Lima, & Ecuador, Silk stockings were not to be had only these poor woodsilk and they were terrible expensive. Just a moment I am going to have lunch now then I will continue.

Well I am back again eating a tangerine. Since how long has Nondas been going to school? I thought was only taug[page torn] at home. It is very nice that she mixes with other children but I can’t imagine Nondas as 5 feet tall now. And how old? I have forgotten how old and what date the wonderful day is. I have just had my birthday, the 20th on 1917 August 9th, so your eldest daughter has become extremely ancient. It is really very cold today, and it is not so much the cold that I mind for we have worse in the US, but here none of the houses have any heating appliances whatever,

[p.] 3
and when it is cold one simply has to put one’s heavy coat on and freeze. I am sorry to hear that you are so worked. Is it very hard and what are the hours? Have you really never heard any news from him and can’t you do something to make him support at least Nondas? I know you hate to even except a penny from him but you must get over your prejudice. I think the idea of keeping the p. cards till I return & send them all in a registered package is very good as really they are very careless and nearly all registered mail gets stolen and no indemnity is paid for loss. But I am very angry with you, and if I had you here I would scold you well for even suggesting the idea that you would pay for a picture. And I will never write again if you ever mention anything like that again. I finally got hold of the man who prints them and managed after ages of time to get some copies from him, one of which I sent to you from Santiago de Chile. I have some films that are very nice, but as printing is so impossible expensive here I am going to wait till I return to the states and then I will send Nondas some of the most interesting copies. From Nondas I hear that you are not feeling well and that you are leaving your work Saturday. I do hope you find something lighter. I cannot find the letter in which my Mama wrote "What a nice lady

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Mrs. Morton must be. I wish she were here. I am sure we would be very good friends." I also wish you were there, for it would be nice for you and Nondas would not be alone so much. Also if you should take ill, Mama could look after you and Nondas still have her good care. About the dancing, I really do not know what to say. The tuition is very expensive and shoes now too. I have asked Hilda for some of her old ones but she never keeps her promise, as I am sorry to say about all our girls as I suppose you have experienced. It seems to me the world is getting more advanced, but in its advancement it is getting crueler & more callous and we middle class are being crushed under the weight off experiences caused by the politicians and capitalists. Would [it] really not be possible to go into some stock Company or something and take Nondas with you? For She is old enough now. For after all, I think one can earn a little more money that way than the hourly work. Well, what can we say but hope valiantly for the best, and pray that we also may see the more lighter and cheerful side of life.

God Bless you and I hope you are better and your courage still strong. If there is anything you would care to ask of me please do so or of my Mama who is nearer and more able to reach you.

With Love and Kisses from Your old daughter Mascot

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< P.C. You wanted to know about Steffa [illegible] well I wrote all about it but I guess the letter was Lost. Just after the Hippodrome season was finished Steffa took sick and went to a private hospital and Mr. Dandre had [page torn] rheumatics & gout in Havana also in N.Y. so [he?] had to go back to N.Y. on Business and as Steffa was better he brought her back with him, but dear me [page torn] was fat as could be. And Stasia Kahn had a telegram in Havana from her h[page torn] who cried her to come to Warsaw so she left the [page torn]
[page torn] Mascot < Brought Steffa back in Panama. > >

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