Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-23
little LORD FAUNTLEROY."
The Original of the Hero OF Mrs Burnett's
Popular Story.
New York Morning Journal.

! new -Grk Morning journal
"Perhaps the world may be better be-
| cause my little child was born -
\ million mother hearts all over the
| land have echoed this sweet hope which
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the
famous authorcss, has made the mother
of "Little Lord FaUntleroy'' say. Every
one on both sides of the ocean
| has read the story of the little
| lord, and many have seen the play
which is now being played to
| packed houses at the Broad
way theater The name of the real little
Lord Fauntleroy is Vivian Burnett, and
he is the younger son of Mrs. Frances
HOd@son Burnett, the lady who wrote the
story. He is now twelve years Old, and
has Il brother Lionel two years older.
These only children of the gifted author
ess have been their mothers constant
companions all their lives, and although
they are both fine, healthy, sturdy iasS.
they are different in way from ,traFd
boys. &
Their father is physician, and these
have lived most of their lives i'll Washigags'
ton. going TO the seashore for the ,SiSs
mer. When they were tiny littletS8ts
with long, golden curls, and big .Snvety
brown eyes, they used to call Their man
ma "sweet, charming maffaia;" as
they grew older they called her "sweet-
est, - and then that did not seem swess;
enough, so by mutual consent. 5fheys
changed it to "sweet dearest 7saranAs
then to "deareSt, - the name itI;
little lord calls his mamma. The uR8sf
ally clever and lOvable nature of fh&5H-
tie Vivian led his mother to patzlilIaHl q
story, and many of his bright Ea$ayss are
i'll the book. Mrs Burnett waate1he stoEys
in six weeks, and as soonsa her frieIr7s
read itIthey recognized heKhstie Vivial5as
Lord Fauntleroy, and soon it became
generally known. This little Vivian is a
child of remarkable beauty and seems to
make friends with every one HI has full
round, cherubic face, lit by great dark
brown eyes, a delicate, straight little
nose, broad white brow and sensitive,
firm little mouth and chin. Two years
ago his long golden curls fell over his
shoulders, but they are now cut off and
put away in his mothers sandal-wOod
box. He goes about with his crop of
curling, golden hair tumbled over his
fair brow and whistles and sings, laughs
and plays like any other little boy.
\ year ago last September, when Mrs.
Burnett and her two boys went to En-
gland, little Vivian became a social lion.
He was known as the ''Real Little Lord
FauntlerOy - and was invited to lunch
cons and breakfasts, where people of the
greatest note and highest social position
delighted to do him honor. His mother
feared that her little boy would be spoiled
by so many attentions, but he seemed to
go through the furnace of fiattery like
pure gold, and came away the same
charming, clever and unaffected child.
Vivian has been so closely associated
with grown people that he naturally uses
their language. He is continually find
inc new ways of closing his letters. For
q long time his letters to his mother were
signed ''Your loving son and ohedient
servant, Vivian Burnett. -
When the artist began to draw the pic
lures for Fauntleroy' Mrs. Burnett
sent him photographs of her little son land
so the beautiful pictures all through the
book are really those of Vivian Burnett,
even to the picturesque little
velvet suits and silken sashes. Mrs.
Burnett has always dressed her two boys
in picturesque fashion. They were pho
tographed together few years ago as
the princes in the tower, and the picture
was greatly admired and much sought
after Little Vivian s shoes pinched his
little toe just as the camera was put in
place, and the pathetic expression
on his face exactly suited the
hapless little prince he represented.
This dear little lad was almost a year
abroad, and during that short time he
learned to speak French fiuently, and
also to write it quite well, and also to
speak Italian so as TO be understood
His mothers companion and secretary
very lively italian lady, Taught him
both languages. He can ride, fence,
and play tennis, and owns a .pHtty
bicycle. ss.skaz s,..ssx4se "a
-s<s4 - ~
Music bsses EtsS20O at Hall s.
Heekle ssfssan Street ;.,sa4sSa' :ss
fts Holide9 5ssafsGfssS. 80
SFfe PhaEraxeS Co. are closing outzheir
stQekSsf saggist holiday goods at cot
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