====A Letter from Ella to everyone left at St. James====

Date: 1877-04-10

To everyone at St. James,

Seems the singer the Manots asked me to fill in for has a longer illness than they expected, at least nine months. They've kindly made arrangements for her to spend time with a former dancer of theirs in Baton Rouge, but in the meantime, they've offered me her job.

As you all might expect, I'm pretty excited to be surrounded by silks and dresses, costumes and instruments, music and dancin'. Beyond the entertainers in the troupe, the diners and gamblers so far have been fairly civilized gentlemen and the most fashionable of women, and from the tales I hear, I expect to meet more colorful folk as we sail up the Mississippi and Ohio.

I can't say when I might be in New Orleans next, but if anyone needs to get a hold of me, Captain Lake says they can write care of the Dixie Belle. It may not be a swift as the Pony Express, but he says they pick up mail at most spots where we'll be docking. Better yet, come see the show!

Ella