The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-16

readily recorded in history AS a nar- rator of these events what better histo- riaini could be obtained tiain the girl s own mother, still in the prime of life : Miss Adams professional career began when she was still a baby and is told in the following story by her mother
 Really, l may almost say that Maude's first appearance might be called an accident. Neither her father
 nor I had ever given moments con-
 sideration to her being an actress. I
 suppose if any one had suggested to me
 Maudes being an actress would have
 raised a hundred arguments and objec-
 tions against life on the stage for the
 child, for I knew how hard it was.
 had had the experience and c&uld
 speak as one having authority How queerly things come about!
 T was a member of the J. K. Emmett
 company, and we were rehearsing Fritz in San Francisco. We were hav- ing a great deal of trouble with the
 chid's part. One child would forget the
 lines, another wouldn't know its cues
 and they were afraid of the big mill-
 wheel. There were only three days be-
 fore the opening night and not child
 had been found to play the part. Mrs.
 Gertrude Hart, member of the com
 pany, said: Let Maude go on' Mr.
 Emmett heard what she said. Have
 you a little girl?' he. asked. Do let us
 have her. I happened to tell my hus-
 band that evening that they wanted a
 child to play little Fritz, and that it had
 been suggested to bring our little
 Maude. He laughed and said Non sense I don't want the child to go
 down there and make fool of herself
 We unconsciously thought our i've
 year-old was too much absorbed in her
 dinner to pay any attention to what we were talking about. Suddenly the child laid down her knife and fork and looked up at her father. Papa she said, I won't make fool of myself Her father laughed, begged the baby's pardon and consented.
 "Maude learned the part of little
 Fritz in an hour. She thought acting was great fun. In fact 1t was so much fun that she quite forgot herself and leaned out of the mill wheel and inter- rupted Mrs Hart in one of the biggest scenes.
 Aunt Gerty!' she called, Aunt l Gerty! Is it time for me to tream? | (scream)' The audience, of course, | did the screaming.
 Fritz was not her only boy part. | She was a little newsboy in play | called Streets of New York when she < was six years old She was proud of { her boys clothes and took deep inter < est in the small trousers. She watched ! me make them and offered sugges- tion that gave me a veritable start. !" Make a rip here, mamma she said, drawing her little finger along side seam, and let some red flannel poke out. That's the way I've seen ragged little boys dressed
 "A change had come over her attl- tude to boys and boys clothes the next time she was called upon to play such part. She was aboht twelve years old then and was cast for one of the Boy Blues in Little Jack Sheppard She made no objection to the part until she put on the tight blue knickerbockers We found her crying before the mirror MT. Osborne she said, I just c-can't wear those things All right, dear IylttlS 6isp 5hoh NISt Gepid ICQlSG oPT borne, soothing her. You shall have a skirt and she went on radiant and happy.
 After she made that accidental de- out in Fritz at five years she was nev- ar satisfied unless she was traeling with me and playing small parts I snew that she ought to be in school and .ried to make her see It. but l never ( ,ould She would cry so piteously ( when I was leaving her to go on tour hat often relented ut the last minute md took her with me. Child though t the was she never complained of the [ york or the hardships of the life. She I ook to the life as though she were born s 0 It. as indeed she was I
 The strange unrealities of the stage re curiously exempllfied by this one experience of my daughter and myself 1thel Brandon aAd her daughter Polly Y nd Maude and I were in the same ompany. believe we were playing q Harbor Lights. The girls were the anne age, both about eleven, I think. |, Hiss Brandon and I were east for :. oung, frivolous girls, and those two daughters of ours played the parts of Id, withered crones. The little crea- ures were made up to look wrinkled nd toothless and they bent nearly dou- le with their assumed age. They were 1eird little figures and never failed to 7in applause as soon as they came upon he stage.
 My daughter had dim comprehen- ion of the theatrical idea that it Is al- tays better to be known as Miss 'nce she heard a member of the com- any say that we looked more like sis- ers than mother and daughter. The hild studied for moment then came yer to where I was and put her hand snderly to my ear, so that no one light hear, and whispered: Mamma, adn't I better call you Annie?'
 "I never had to teach my little girl to } careful of the feelings of others If
 is true that angels whisper lessons to ibies in their cradles, am sure they ught my Maude that one. When she as between three and four years old left her with her grandmother while
 went on tour. was away for six onths, and when came back she was enjoyed to see me. But her little art was troubled for fear her grand other would feel the sadness of the saning. She cuddled in my lap and 1ny. e-I,@ I