The Washington herald., 1909-05-02
HIS LITTLE RED HEN
By MARION HILL Author of The MoLGobbn." &C.

It presupposes q decided amount OF
lOvableness-a nickname does-and peo-
pie who never achieve the indignity are
generally so cramful OF good points that
they never have room for the one neces-
sary point more-charm-
She was a dear little thing-that small
Henrie-about the incest child that a
travelling theatrical company could ever
carry around with Il and not grow an
nOyed with; because youngsters in a
troupe are generally no end OF nuis-
snce, being neither man nor woman.
neither ghost nor human" as Poe puts
It, Of the bells. but "ghouls." Henrie
was far indeed from being a ghoul.
though, 70 tel the truth, she was as IN
canny baby as ever kept grown people
guessing; and II was easy enough, from
the look Of her. 70 tell Why her father
always called her his Little Red Hen,
for she was cOpper-cOlOred as 8 cram
berry This comprehensive description
has q discouragingly ugly sound and II
fits to q T; nevertheless Henrie was as
pretty as q bronze elf. with hair exactly
the color Of g new-One cent piece. and
eyes and brows and lashes 10 match Her
father. Jack Germaine. was pleased as
peacocks about this cOloring, and used
10 dress her in bronze velvet. with fixings
in keeping-shoes. gloves. and ribbons all
OF the same hue-so that she was red
brown shine from top 10 toe, like a sprout
Of young oak in spTingtime.
She never said smart things. We
couldn't have stood that But she said
aWfully shreTd ones, or. at least
shrewd thought showed back OF the sim
PIE words, as once when she asked her
father:
Jack. why didn't you name ne Ge-
neva, after my mOtherg' The Tragedy OF
the business. all uncomprehended though
It was cast q shadow over the brilliance
OF her glintiEg eyes-thOse red-brown
eyes throw lights ike sparks.
Now. naturally II was in Jack Ger
maine's mind that he would rather see
his baby daughter dead than named after
his untamable waif OF a wife. but, Of
course, he could not voice such a senu-
ment, so Quoth cheerfully:
What's the matter with being named
after Aunt Henrietta2'
As a good many OF Us were standing
around within earshOt, Jack GermaIne
put extra heartiness into his blun, and
the child shrank sensitively. She brood
ed to herself for quite a while and then
dropped asleep in a frightening fashion
that she frightening for the reason
that she always looked as If she had
died-great brown circles underneath her
red Iashes and an odd pallOr on her tiny
face.
We all knew that there was a quirk
wrong with her heart action. it was 100
fast OF two slow OF too something; AZ any
rale. its abnormal behavior was the rea-
son why Henrie Travelled around with her
father instead Of remaining with the
Aunt Henrietta IN question. The doctor
said the child worried too much when
separated from both father and mother
ard had better be with one Of them. It
would be a clever doctor who could in
duce Geneva GeTmaine 10 saddle her ar
tistfc career with the care Of a baby, so
the charge fel 10 Jack. OF course. Jack
and Geneva were s. different companies
Theatrical agencies and managers always
carefully see to It that husbands and
wives do not travel together Even II
they had not IN this case. Geneva would
Geneva Germaine needed plenty Of room.
and got II. All that Jack needed was
home. and didn't get It. That such peO-
pie should marry each other is quite in
evitable.
It Is a wonder Jack Germaine did not
90 all 10 pieces during . season, for IN
addition TO an arduOus part and the du-
ties which fell 10 him as acting manager,
the care that he put upon his delicate
baby was exhaUsting in itself. II is a
popular wttticism that man cant take
care OF 2 child, whereas the fact is that
a man outwonans q woman III tenderness
and intelligent skill when the fztes or
dain that he shall play mother as Weu as
father. Henrie wouldn't have lasted i've
minutes II left TO the gentle mothering
OF Geneva Geneva looked the part al
right though-had eyes as velvety as
purple pansies and soft beauty OF face
that would have knocked spots out Of
Nlobe for devotional affection
Though Jack held out during a season.
HenrIe never did. dropping from day 70
day till Il was always a race for life TO
get her into the country In the summer.
What she wanted vas a woman's CON-
panionship- We had two lovely girls with
Us Essie Airly and Helen Keith. and
Henrie loved Essie, but wouldn't tolerate
Helen, which was g pity. for Helen was
the mothering kind, while Essie. thouek
sweet and winsOme, was as unmaternal
as a chickeR-you know how q hen can
stand on a chick. which sQuawks its life
away underfoot. while the hen looks kind
OF heertwru7g and miserable. but hasn't
the sense TO step OF the victim. Well,
that was Essie- She could play with a
child. work for It, feed Il, netaphorically
scratch for If, and present IT with juicy
bits. but she couldn't mother, couldn't coo
and cuddle and Groom and cure aches with
a kiss. in mystic mother fashion.
As for Helen-well, Helen and Jack
loved each other. and HenTie OWNED Il
and resented It for Geneva's sake-and
there's the thing in nutshell
Really. We haven't any private life
When We are not before the footIIghts
performing 70 an audience we are IN q
Pullman car or a hotel lobby performing, |
though unwillingly and often unwittingly.
for the delight and diversion Of a public /
which doesn't have TO pay for the privi-
lege. Our letters are handed out to US by |
the hotel clerk or the stage doorkeeper, |
or, rather. those worthless allow US 10 root |
among them. and We all know the others /
business. @If q man loves his wife and /
she doesn't write TO him, we know II: II /
he isn't Overkecn about correspondence !
and she is. We know that. too. And If /
the writer is another mans wife, or an
other wOman's husband. why. we're apt
TO hop onto a combination OF that sort I
quick as streaks.
And The things We heart We are all /
idiots together in the matter OF talking
too much. We shut door Of a room /
fancy ourselves hermeticaIy entombed. /
and proceed to exchange anguish OF Eoo-