Letter May 27, 1920 Standardized Text
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.
[envelope]
[postmark] NEW YORK N.Y.
JUN 3 12 M 1920
Mrs. Billy Norton
1433 N. La Salle St.
Chicago Ill.
M. Moskovina
146 West 64th St. N.Y.C
[p. 1]
May 27th 1920
Dear Billie
You surely must think I have forgotten how to write. Well, first of all I put it off. I thought every day I would get a chance to sent you a new photo of Toots, but I could not take her. I thought I mentioned in my last letter that I have got pleurisy now already ten weeks, and I have [been] steadily working with it doing that hard dance and the high jump. But it continued worse & worse, so I consulted a doctor who had me X-rayed last Monday, and they found out that I have a lot of water on the pleural region and the right lung is threatened with the first stages of Consumption, on account of the constant irritation. Mama believes it was all caused by the constant [illegible] with my Partner & his rough handling. Well, this week we were to have finished as the road is preparing for the road. Sam Be[r]nard’s brother
[p.] 2/
takes his place, and various other principals have their understudies substituting them. But Tuesday night whilst my partner was neck swinging me, he stumbled & fell, of course, bringing me also to the ground & somehow I managed to get up & run up the stairs & do the jump. But when I came off I could not move and am now in bed with luckily no bones broken but severe bruises on the knees, ankles & hips, all skinned & bruised but my right knee is bruised inside on the bone and it means several days before I can get up so, for yesterday’s matinée they had to cut out the dance but they had a girl in the show for whom they got a partner and she does just a light dance—no neck breaking stuff about it. I have finished absolutely with my partner for this rough work is killing me. I can only get cured now by resting and later when I am able to get up go to the mountain for a [illegible] rest. Well, it was just as well the accident happened
[p.] 3/
for I would have only brought more danger onto myself by working. We are going to move on the 10 of June to 146 West 64th Street. You see here we live in a furnish railroad flat and there we have been able to secure a empty seven room separate rooms & private corridor, thought a friend who told us about it for it is practically impossible to get accommodation here in new york, and now we can put our own furniture down. Toots goes to dancing school but shows no talent naturally—too young and merely a Baby. The picture I enclose is an old one when she was less than three years old and now she is 4 ½. I want to start her in the Professional children’s school next September if they take her. It is so hard to write in bed but I hope you can make out what I am writing. Toots just got up from her sleep (noon) 5 p.m. I hope that tyrant of a Nondas will give me a few more weeks grace now to get a decent photo of Toots and I promise without fail to send her the first copies. How are you?
[p.] 4/
I have written four pages of “ME” and I guess you are thoroughly disgusted with it As I have been very weak and several times fainted after dancing and once right on the stage. But physically I feel much stronger, only I have constant pain on my right side front & back from my lung & since the day before my right [illegible] included, so I am Job the II. Beauo Collinette is here and thinks she will get a big thing for the Fall. She certainly is worthy of it for she is a real artist. I am going into vaudeville in Fall if I get over my trouble, then I may yet get to Chicago next year. Please write to me. Up till now I have rushed & hustled so and when I came home I could only lay down because I was too weak even to eat. Give my Love to dear Nondas & I hope You are well & happy. Love from Mama + Toots.
with Love from
Mascot
[envelope]
[postmark] NEW YORK N.Y.
JUN 3 12 M 1920
Mrs. Billy Norton
1433 N. La Salle St.
Chicago Ill.
M. Moskovina
146 West 64th St. N.Y.C
[p. 1]
May 27th 1920
Dear Billie
You surely must think I have forgotten how to write. Well, first of all I put it off. I thought every day I would get a chance to sent you a new photo of Toots, but I could not take her. I thought I mentioned in my last letter that I have got pleurisy now already ten weeks, and I have [been] steadily working with it doing that hard dance and the high jump. But it continued worse & worse, so I consulted a doctor who had me X-rayed last Monday, and they found out that I have a lot of water on the pleural region and the right lung is threatened with the first stages of Consumption, on account of the constant irritation. Mama believes it was all caused by the constant [illegible] with my Partner & his rough handling. Well, this week we were to have finished as the road is preparing for the road. Sam Be[r]nard’s brother
[p.] 2/
takes his place, and various other principals have their understudies substituting them. But Tuesday night whilst my partner was neck swinging me, he stumbled & fell, of course, bringing me also to the ground & somehow I managed to get up & run up the stairs & do the jump. But when I came off I could not move and am now in bed with luckily no bones broken but severe bruises on the knees, ankles & hips, all skinned & bruised but my right knee is bruised inside on the bone and it means several days before I can get up so, for yesterday’s matinée they had to cut out the dance but they had a girl in the show for whom they got a partner and she does just a light dance—no neck breaking stuff about it. I have finished absolutely with my partner for this rough work is killing me. I can only get cured now by resting and later when I am able to get up go to the mountain for a [illegible] rest. Well, it was just as well the accident happened
[p.] 3/
for I would have only brought more danger onto myself by working. We are going to move on the 10 of June to 146 West 64th Street. You see here we live in a furnish railroad flat and there we have been able to secure a empty seven room separate rooms & private corridor, thought a friend who told us about it for it is practically impossible to get accommodation here in new york, and now we can put our own furniture down. Toots goes to dancing school but shows no talent naturally—too young and merely a Baby. The picture I enclose is an old one when she was less than three years old and now she is 4 ½. I want to start her in the Professional children’s school next September if they take her. It is so hard to write in bed but I hope you can make out what I am writing. Toots just got up from her sleep (noon) 5 p.m. I hope that tyrant of a Nondas will give me a few more weeks grace now to get a decent photo of Toots and I promise without fail to send her the first copies. How are you?
[p.] 4/
I have written four pages of “ME” and I guess you are thoroughly disgusted with it As I have been very weak and several times fainted after dancing and once right on the stage. But physically I feel much stronger, only I have constant pain on my right side front & back from my lung & since the day before my right [illegible] included, so I am Job the II. Beauo Collinette is here and thinks she will get a big thing for the Fall. She certainly is worthy of it for she is a real artist. I am going into vaudeville in Fall if I get over my trouble, then I may yet get to Chicago next year. Please write to me. Up till now I have rushed & hustled so and when I came home I could only lay down because I was too weak even to eat. Give my Love to dear Nondas & I hope You are well & happy. Love from Mama + Toots.
with Love from
Mascot
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