St. Landry democrat., 1889-06-29
Little Lord Fauntleroy.
Rochester Democrat.

| Rochester Democrat
Little Elsie Leslie, who personates sI,it-
tie Lord Fauntleroy" in the Grammatical
story, came to visit Mrs Burnett to day
and this is report of part of the inter
| view
did Lord Fauntleroy really know
boot, black p asked Esie.
eyes ="
"Was that in New York ?"
mo, in Washington. That is where he
lives. He is my son and his real name is
Vivian"
ooh, tell me about him, do - exclaimed
the little girl
Mrs. Burnett smiled, and then, towing
with the girls bright golden hair she
asked: would you like to know how |
came to write the story of Little Lord
Fauntleroy?"
The child nodded and sat in open eyed
eagerness; and so the lady proceeded:
''Well, Elsie, | was born in England
but | have lived many years in the United
States, and my two sons are very thorough
Americans. 1t was my knowledge of Eng
fish life, combined with my appreciation
of my little boys intense democracy, that
led me to think how the little Vivian
would behave if he should find himself in
England, where the customs would be
strange to him, and where he would know
no reason for treating duke differently
from person who was not duke The
little fellow made friends with every one,
and have mn Mm sitting on the curb.
stone in his little velvet suit, talking with
three Or four small colored boys, in very
earnest manner, and then he would come
up to me and say, ooh, dearest, they are
very good boys indeed. and | like them
He made friends with a grocer in our
neighborhood, just as Cedric did with Mr..
Hobbs, but whatever his associates were
he always preserved his gentlemanliness
and refinement
"And did he ever go across Il ocean,
asked Elsie; land did he make good
friends with the sailors %
ooh, yes he went to England with me,
and the sailors took fancy to him. and he
used to carry them tobacco, and he learned
the names of all the ropes on board, and
the different parts of the ship and think
that he was really superintendent of the
machinery, for he came to me one day 2n6
said: Dearest, the engineer says that he !
couldn't run the machinery without me. >"
"And did he really call you 'dearest?"
4 90, tAoo 10 IuC way Hc Spoho W lnc.
81 should think every body would have
loved him"
"And so everybody did. Isuppose there
never was more popular little fellow;
one more lovable and loving; but you sec
his popularity did not spoil him, because
he has wonderful sturdy and indepen-
dent character. And when he was eight
years old, the age at which he is repre-.
sented in the book, he had beautiful long
curls like yours, Elsie"
And so the two talked on very much as
Little Lord Fauntleroy and his mother talk
in the book and in the play. Indeed, one
might have thought that Elsie Leslie, as
she sat there, was Little Lord Fauntleroy's
sister, she was so natural and self pos
sessed
Everybody has read ''Little Lord Faunt-
leroy" by this time. The book is to be
found in the homes of all sorts and condi-
tions of men. 1t is interesting to know
that Mr.. Gladstone bought five copies of
the book and presented them to as many
young friends. Another well known Eng
lishman is such an advocate of the book
that he bought sixty copies of it last
Christmas and distributed them broadcast
among his friends.