The herald., 1897-02-06
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: THE LITTLE SISIER,G|RL " :


When Eugene Field lived and wrote
in Kansas City he was not exactly what
might be called a leader in society and
perhaps it might have seemed strange
that the greatest and most representa-
tive audience that ever greeted even a
great artists appearance in this city
should appreciate as their own and all
in Warmest enthusiasm the daughter of
the poet, ''The Little Sister Grl'' of
Eugene Field. And her coming was a
triumph, all unmitigated and all un-
marred.
First, most -Paderewski looking
artist, William H. Sherwood the Amer
lean pianist, played couple of evasive
numbers, then tall young woman in
black evening costume, bearing Long
stemmed bunch of American Beauty
| roses, came forward and bowed deeply
to the great audience at the Auditorium
last night. She began the exquisite
lines of Eugene Fields poem, Child and
| Mother, and filled the great playhouse
with her fine voice before the audience
fully realized that they saw Miss Mary
French Field, the young daughter of the
poet.
Miss Field was expressive-eyed, vi
bratory voiced, gifted with repose of
manner, but yet when she had bowed
again very deeply and retired the great
audience was still uncertain. 1t was
p'iii UiieCi telll anu Whispering WUtu
DuQley w. Eaton sang limpidly the
songs of which Eugene Field wrote the
words, Swing High, Swing Low, and
kissing Time. The audience began to
feel wee bit tinge of enthusiasm and
Mr.. Sherwood's skirmishing attack and
bewildering storming of the Paganini"
Liszt La Campanella brought ringing
applause, and when Miss Field reap
peared and read Casey's Table D'Hote-
that Of wild tIot erIe :
the man-killer's lingo with deft imagery
and deep pathos-then the grand audi
ence beamed with warmth and would
not be satisfied until the tall, graceful
figure in black returned.
Mr. Eaton sang Salvi Dinora from
Faust was encored; then Mr.. Sherwood
played that fascinating barbarian
dream step, The Turkish March, from
Ruins of Athens. Again his Moments
Musicales, like his Soiree de Vienne,
won the musicians, but the explanatory
perplexities and storm of LISTS Me-
phiSto Waltz won the whole great audi
ence. Now Miss Field came forward
with flowers and books aside and gave
her audience her piece de resistance
1t was Seem Things, that remarkabl
example of bad boy patois and ideas,
that makes all admirers and condoners
of bad boys smile jubilantly. That Miss
Field intended to gloriously triumph
was evident. Her eyes shone. Her
expression and voice were just right for
this sort of reading, and nothing marred
the effect. From the very first line the
now enthusiastic audience followed her
with smiles of enthusiasm that grew in
kindly warmth. The enthusiasm of the
audience grew and grew until at the
quaint closing crouplet:
No ruther let starvation wipe me slowly
out O. sight,
Than 1 should keep a-livin' on an seem
things at night
Miss Field was greeted with a whirl-
wind of applause and encores. 1t was a
great triumph.
After Mr. Sherwood and Mrs. Ella
! Backus-Behr had played Liszt's mu-
sical setting of Lamartine's Les Preludes
the triumphant daughter of the
poet held an impromptu reception of he1
friends in the tea room.
She was quite happy, for, indeed, nc
one ever had a greater or more repre-
sentative audience from Kansas City
society, even if evening dress didn't pre-
vail.-Kansas City Star.