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 MAURY
VISCONTI Y VELASQUEZ
SUCESORES
de Angelo Bertolotto
CASILLA CORREO 1104
TELEFONO 133
Lima-Perú

Lima, June 8th de 1917

My dear Mrs. Morton
I was so pleased to received your dear letter. I was getting worried and thought that you or Nondas were ill. Yes, Nondas suggestion to put the postcards in envelopes seems a better idea, for from what you write me some of the post cards have been lost and one letter from Panama & post card from there and Guayaquil Ecuador. This is the first letter I have received from you since I am on tour. The Broadway address has been changed from the old to 309 B'W. But makes no difference for all mail forwarded to 165 gets forwarded to 309 B'W. Mama's address is at present Mrs. Louise Frank 150 W 62nd Street, but she told me that she is going to move from there. I have not heard yet whether she has or not, but you write to the old address as I do. It will get forwarded till I am able to send you the new address. Well, I was glad to hear that you are both well, but am sorry that those troubles increase. I am so sorry that I could not get any more shoes neither from X or Butsova. Yes I forgot the snapshots. When I closed the

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letter I had left them outside. But I will not forget them this time and some p.c. Well, in Guayaquil things were pretty bad yet with the Company. First off all it is a terrible place and we are just all dead lucky none of us got yellow fever, malaria, etc. I will continue this letter as I have to rush to lunch and rehearsal so so long till later. It is now 5 o'clock and as I have just returned and have one hour before dinner I am going finish this letter to you. As I was writing before, it was just by a miracle that we all got out of Guayaquil without some sickness. As it was, all the Company had to go into quarantine for 7 days. The things from there to here took 6 days, and then we had to stop one more day in quarantine to make up the 7 days. But here in Lima it is lovely—a quaint city with the women going about in these Spanish mantillas. Some are very pretty with their hair bleached fair and their black eyes. The lower classes mostly consist of Indians. The women who sell fruits keep the Babies Slung on their shoulders like the little Papoose in North America, but they do not dress up like Indians just any old way, slop slop hat blouse & skirt

[p.] 3/
all slung on somehow. The other day we gave a big benefit performance for Pavlova. It went off with great success, but I will describe it in Nondas's letter or else I will have no more to tell here. We go to Chile from here on the 17th. You can write to Buenos Aires when you receive this letter c/o Mme Pavlova c/o. That is all that is needed for we are going to be there 2 months, so you can safely write there when you answer this letter. Tell Nondas to keep the stamp I am sending on the letters as the 10 cent ones have especial value having been government stamps before and now have been converted into ordinary stamps. Things here are impossibly expensive such as clothes and other things, but food is cheap yet one has to pay 2.50 each per day with food. We are stopping at the best hotel here. They made us a special price, the regular price being $5 per day. We are also going to receive full salary from now on for really we are doing excellent business. I heard from Mama that my Baby Walks & Talks and is a bag full of mischief, but my Stepfather loves the baby and could not be better to it if she were his own child so I do not need to worry. In fact she has reformed him and he has given up drinking, one of his bad habits, the worst for he never was very bad. And he works hard to give Baby all he can and more than she needs. I do not know whether you received the letter in which I told you that at Panama Mr. Dandre returned with Steffa who was terrible fat and has now only restarted to dance. She certainly has great personality, but I think she is not so nice a dancer as she was; she looks a bit clomby. Perhaps it will wear off though.

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I am going to finish now as I want to write a note to Nondas and a letter home. I am rather worried and wished I knew the address already, but it will be quite safe to write to the old address. Now I like your so called hum drum letters and I hope you write me many of them. Yes I will send you a program. I did not think you would be interested. The one I am sending you is of that great benefit night. I played the mother as you see by the program in Giselle. It is a very nerve racking piece of work.

I do wish things would go better, but I hear that prices of everything are impossible. If they would only stop those awful food speculators who wring the money out of the people like that. Do you remember I once said I would send Nondas a pair of milliners stockings I had? Well I found them here in my trunk. I had forgotten all about them. But if I sent to you now you would have to pay duty on them so that would be foolish, but I will send them as soon as I get back.
With All Best Wishes
and Love from your friend
Mascot

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