The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-23
TWO LIVE LITTLE LORDS.
They Draw Crowds OF Savannah
Children to See Them.


Children to See Them.
II was children's day at the theater yes
terday. The house was filed with them 4;
the parquet looked like school room, and
the dress circle front rows beamed with
bright faced boys and girls. They stood up
in the aisles, climbed into the Window.
hung. over the balcony ratings like a
cornice, and the boxes overhowed with
them. It was jus. such an audience as
Little Lord Fauatleroy would be expected
TO draw, full of noise and chatter.
There is no greater fascination than that
of children for a child actor, and little
Georgia Cooper never had a more appre-
ciative audience than she had yesterday.
Flossie Ethyl charmed everybody the night
before, but Georgia did more. She is
simply a wonder-a wee, little tot, hardly BY
a head as tall as Flossie and two years
her junior, but she is a marvel Of an act
ress Every movement was watched aud
every word spoken was listened to with at
tention by the theaterful of children, old
and Young, for gray-haired people brought
their little onas to see his young lordship.
and wept and laughed over his varying for
tunes.
AS it was the night before, the perform
ance, aside from the part of Cedric was
excellent throughout. Miss Radcliffe made
a cuhI 0cdi OoIs I1dSWl0, as
the old Earl, made it easy to understand
how he came to be known as the best of
all the Earls Of Dorincourt.
At last nights performance, which drew
the largest Saturday night audience, with
the exception of Emma Abbott's perfor-
nance of the "Mikado, /" that the theater has
held in long time. Little Flossie Ethyl
played the part of "Fauntleroy," and she
received even greater ovation than she did
the first night.
In connection with the performance of
"Little Lord Fauntleroy" it may be of in
terest to know how the story came to be
written. 1t was in the early part of 1884
that it was conceived by the mind of its
gifted author. Many of the qualities in
Vivian, the l2-year-old son OF Mrs. Bur-
nett, gave to her the idea for the story
destined to become so famous. 1T
was the little fellows intense democ-
led me to think how little Vivian would
behave if he should find himself in Eng
land, where the customs would be strange
to him and where he would know no reason
for treating a duke differently from a per-
son who was not duke. The little fellow
made friends with every one, and l have
seen him sitting on the curb-stone in his
little velvet suit, talking with three small
colored boys In very earnest manner, and
dearest, they are very good boys, indeed,
and like them.'n
The writing Of the story came easy to
Mrs. Burnett, full as it was of life and ma
ture so dear to her, and in six weeks time
it was completed. In 1855 it was first given
to the public in serial form, and the follow
ing year it was placed between covers and
brought out as q book. The story was a
success from the first, and each year it
more securely fastens itself upon the
public heart. Up to the present day
over 100000 copies of the book
have been sold in America alone, while
in Canada, England, Australia and the
countries Of Europe the story has been read
ty additional thousands. While the story
las brought widened fame and modest
fortune to the author, she is happiest in the
pleasure she has given through it to her
great circle of readers OF all her books
"Fauntleroy" is Mrs. Burnett's favorite
piece of work.
Into every line see has infused mothers
love, winding about her charming little
character those threads of affection which
give to every scene and incident touch Of
uncommon sweetness and purity. If in
little Cedric" Mrs. Burnett has created the
sweetest character in American literature,
to the American stage she has likewise con-
tributed the most endearing of all its juve-
nile heroes or herOineS