The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-11
WAS Yesterdays PERFORMANCE
OF "THE PIED PIPER OF
HAMELIN"
NEWS IN ST. PAUL SOCIETY
Entertainment to Be Given Next
Thursday for the Church
Home for Aged
Women.


i've little chorus girls as those that tripped
shyly, but gracefully, down to the foot
lights, made their appealing little bows
to the audience and then lost themselves
in the mazes Of a score of pretty dances,
and easily premier danseuse Of them all
was tiny seven-year-old Mary Slower #
Minneapolis. By the two booths, one at
either side of the stage, the audience
knew that the little dancers were at
tending the market feast in HamelIn.
Dainty souvenir programmes also attesteI
the fact. In the market scene there was
much to entertain the audience, which
was large and most appreciative. But 1t
was when the rats came on that things
became really and truly exciting. Re
nlarkable limitations were the thirty OF
more small boys, in their loose grey cos
tunes, Of the impertinent rodents that no
more respected the German burghers and
their wives than real live rat respects
a tiny mouse. The rats put all the mar
ket people to flight, and the shocking
state of affairs in the town Of Hamelin
was made clear to the audience. The
mayor and the council enter and the peo-
pie of pantomime express their disappro-
baton of officials who can't get them out
Of their difficulty There is an angry
populace lined up on one side, a quacking
mayor and council on the other, when
away in the distance is heard the mellow
voice of a pipe. All listen entranced,
and presently there enters a graceful
fellow, most Enthusiastically attired. In his
hand he carries a pipe, and he explains
to the people that by the magic of his
instrument he can rid their town Of rats
compensation, a thousand guilders. The
people are delighted and agree. So is the
pied piper delighted, for he dances a
very pretty dance. John Armstrong made
an ideal piper He is a slender, graceful
boy, with a perfect stage presence. He
plays his weird music and the rats fol-
low him to the river where they tumble
in and are drowned. All except the little
clown rat He 1t was who carried away
the baby and mimicked. the cook when
the latter hunted for his stolen ladle.
The part was taken by Leslie Foote.
Simultaneous were the fall of the curtain
and the disappearance of the rats, and
during the intermission one had an OPP
portunity Of visiting the prettily arrang
ed booths in the foyer and the magic
cheese, where, for or 10 cents, one could
get rat to run down and bring up a
mysterious package.
The second scene showed again the
market place, and this time all the peo-
pie were rejoicing for the rats are no.
where to be seen. The rejoicing is chang
ed to angry surprise when the piper
motif is heard outside, and presently
the piper enters to demand his guilders
He is refused and he vows revenge Once
more that magic pipe of his he blows,
and all the little boys and girls follow
gladly the gay, dancing figure, until every
child disappears among the mountains
Nc, not every one. The little lame boy
with the angelic face-in real life is Don
aid Johnson-is not able to dance as fast
as the others and Is left behind. The
curtain fell on a most affecting tableau
for the little clown rat comes out Of his
hiding place and comforts his little com
panton in misfortune. The curtain rises
again to show a tableau in which the
children are dancing gayly around the
pied piper in the beautiful land of love-
The children all did remarkably we'll
considering the very brief time they have
practiced and much credit is due Miss
Margaret McLaren Eager for her skilful
work. j. Armstrong McCree made good
mayor-artistically. AS first and second
councilman, respectively, John Bunker
and w. Lee Miller gave him good sup
port. Pretty little Genevleve Griffith. of
Minneapolis, sang a number of pretty
songs. Her Fiddle de dee" captured the
audience. Of more than amateurish ex-
cellence were the specialties of James
and Katherine De Veau, also of Mime
apolis. They danced together a German
peasant dance, and did a cake walk thar
were quite as clever as any professional
work of the kind that has been done on
the same stage. Mary Perrior as Gret-
chen and Blanche Jurk as Kathrina de-
serve special mention
Perhaps the many children in the audi
ence were as much interested in the an
nouncement of who won the prize in the
word contest as they We're in the pretty
drama. Mrs. N. P. Langford announced
the winner, Follett Bradley, of Fort
Smelling. Out of the words pied Piper OF
Hamelin, young MIR. Bradley, aged ten.
had made 1855 words However, some of
these words were obsolete and there
fore had to be thrown out; others had
double words, when those double words
were not allowable, therefore the number
OF words that were correct was AL
sBut it was a large number and won
Master Bradley the prize. Mrs Lang
ford introduced him to the audience and
presented him with the s. gold piece.
The following had boxes at yesterdays
performance: Mrs. Theodore Schur,neier
Mrs. w. F. Graves, Mrs c. 8. Mellen
Mrs. Maurice Auerbach, Mrs. Franklin
FIoete, Mrs. Horace Thompson and Mrs.
Tarbox.
The entertainment will be repeated this
afternoon and tomorrow morning.
An entertainment arranged by Miss
Zulema Fuller and Miss Harriet Hale
Church Home for Aged Women ne eIxt
Thursday evening at Seminary hall. and
the programme will consist of music
Wordless poems and statue posing from
Greek mythology The following women
are patronesses:
st. Paul-Mrs. ]. @. Adams, Mrs. F. l.
Bass, Mrs. L. NJ Benepe, Mrs. J. B.
HEoxie, Mrs; C. W. Carpenter. Mrs. E. A.
j i n
Tarbox Mrs. J. T. Averin, Mrs. Fl. r
Stevens, Mrs. NJ Auerbach, Mrs w. r
Bend, Mrs. G. r. Finch, Mrs. o. DaIryn-
pie, Mrs Herbert Davis, Mrs ]. K.
Mrs: D. E. Shuttle, Mrs. F. FIoette, Mrs
A. ]. Gillette, Mrs. w. H Vittum' Mrs
F. B. Kellogg, Mrs. Leslie Wann Mrs.
c. E. Bean, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs c. c.
Mrs. J. E. Markham.
Minneapolis-Mrs Dr. Faude, Mrs. DR..
Webb, Mrs. William Kent, Mrs B. Proc
orr Mrs. E. g. Church, Mrs. w. d. Law
renee and Mrs. B. F; aolDrook
The executive council of the Woman's
Civic league met yesterday with Mrs.
Condo Hamlin, of the Marlborough. Mrs.
man of the Seventh ward committee of
which Mrs. ]. A. Wheelock is vice pres
ident. The invitation of DR.. Ohage to
inspect the work done upon the new
will be made next Tuesday. The educa-
ton committee, whose chairman is Mrs.
Dibble, meets this morning at the Com
mercial club.
The marriage of Miss Mabel Ida Park
er, daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. L. w.
GE ShO Wholesale M asP P4css to Hnefybo ay