The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-28
COL. mAPLEsoN,s PAPILLoNs.
The Big Man with Black WALKERS that
Frightened Them, One and AL


1t was pouring torrents when Slgnor
Franccscos coryphees and children came drip
ping through the stage entrance Of the Academy
Of Music last night and hudded in the ante
room A moro bedraRgled set OF babies was never
seen anywhere. The ballet master himself was
calm and smiling. His handsome Italian face
betrayed no excitement as he counted the little
heads-some OF them under wet shawls. and
others still iauntlly decorated with Alpine hats
and seedy Derbys-sixteen babies In all. There
ought to be twenty-four. Had the voracious So
ciety which walks after babies on tho stage
grabbed up eight OF them
He questioned them. "Et IL alright me
dears. oh. l tinkp
One Of thom. a pert little. red-headed mink
not over seven said a big man with black
whiskers had followed her and her mother all
the way from Mott street.
Tho others said " o." and huddled up to the
benign ballet master as II to escape from the
tender mcrcies Of possible societies.
Presently ho opened the inner door. and dl:
they streamed along behind the last scene, and
crossed the stage. 9 grotesdqe bevy OF damp
little creatures. followed by half n dozen
mothers, and presenting sorry contrast to the
bright illusion on tho other side OF the scene.
for Lucia was on at this moment. and Gerster's
voice rang clear and meiiiuous above the great
orchestra.
As they gathered into the north room war
that the kids had come He guessed there
wasn't 9ny trouble" Then the little ones hud-
died again. 1t was plain to see that n vague
fear discOmforted them. Something. they did
not know what. might happen. and in all their
minds i was associated with big man and
TnE SUN reporter sat down upon the end Of
Lucreiia Boroid's banguetng table. and when
the benignHnt and fatherly ballet master told
them that II they had anything to say, the gen
tleman would heer them and put II in the paper.
him simultaneously in pOiyGlOt chorus tnAt
was without form and void.
nationalities. Annie stickey said they came to
the public school in Marion street y fetch her.
Harriet Kenny avowed. " It's meself that's not
that sounded like ie dia5ie They all pipod and
ratified together, and were extremely vIvacious
Zone At time said the reporter You,
| what's your nam9p
| julie Gllroy, sir"
| well. julie where's the rest OF you?"
They're coming. We don't 40 on till half
past ten
| Eleven O'Clock sir"
What time do you got up in tho morning ?"
| AN.-Eight o'clock
How long have you been rchearsing1 ?"
| Three weeks"
| Don't you get tiredP"
| AH-No. sir It's fun.
Oh is III Don't 1t give you pain In your
IL he. to hel
| Juie-The ideal
Well. what aro you going to be whom you
BE in the opera" said the ed.headed little
| mite. with real lyric toss Of her tri2zled hair;
| Some OF these children were quite pretty. All
| OF them were bright and loluaclous. They
were unquestionaby the offspring of poor
| parents. aud the money thay received Tor the
| nvo minutes exhibition every evening was "A
sgnor Francesca had gathered them in as
| best he could An advertisement in IHE SUN
and Herald had failed TO produce thom. 80 lac
went out and drummed them up They were
clumsy littlo haggagos when he took hold OF
| them hut lN had gent nt them for tho three
weeks. and their supple limbs took kindly 70
his, training. so thnt now they az stood
| with thor toes out. Greet and alert. They
| had come TO him every day and taken their les
son IN group from until half past 3 in the
| evening-down there In the crypt under the
foyer where the beor and w1e bHy aSw during ad9S
master stamped and snappei his fingers
At them; 1t wiz, a week before they know how
to stand properly on their feet and It took an
other wocS to make thom, move with the sinu.
Gus grace that art confcrs upon nature-al
least tho ngiure ot ballet girls But after a
whilea violin was introduced, and then tht
| wings began slowly 10 grow out OF thoir shoul'
der blades They were turning into butter
No one would have thought that the papillons
that were apLlaudcd in the ballet ever emerged
from these smouchcd littlo coeoons at the bid
When the ballet was originally put on it lasted
thlrly-hve minutes but Mr Mapicson hhl !
cut down TO twenty In order to let the children
While they were gathered round the reporter
|
! through the door. and II was presently apparent
what Interested them. for when Mile Marie
Muller. the sprite about whom So much has beel
said. came down The stairs from her dressing
room In her white satin costume OF Puck. thcl
ran to the door 10 get glimpse Of her Thii
| was the object OF their ambition.
| Mile Muller. who Will be remembered MS tn
child that four years ago nupeured at the Grant
Opera House in the Midsummer Night
Dream" is a trim little maiden now with
round. bright and pretty face. aud an eNtremel'
| graceful body. She does not look a day over l.
years old. and last night when she omerge'
from her hiding place In the bal and ran dowl
the stage. the house greeted her with lou'
burst Of applause. some Of which came from IA
little admirers thcrc in the north room. VIII
were still unattired for their parts. There wer
no papiOns in the ballet last night. TIL
, graceful elves who came in AT the last gram
pas did not appear. Some OF thnin cried. Tn
mothers said 1t was too hnd. Bat then uer
were only sixteen, and an order from Mr.. Ma
pieson kept them IN the north room; But. then
? some Of them got 10 bed an hour earlier.
, | At the stage door there fingered two agents q
. the Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty I
| Children. the rain pouring on their slouche
, hats in torrents. They looked ogre-like in III
! naring lights from the uia2ln, and very uncon
/, Portable. But about 10 o'clock MIR, Stanley NJ
Kenna sent them n couple Of tickets. and the
! | went up in the gallery out of the wee.