New-York tribune., 1911-01-02
STAGE CHILDREN FEAST.
Christmas Trees, Vaudeville and
Dinner Given for Them.
FIRST COURSE ICE CREAM
Little Persons of Theatre Garry
Out Programme with Zest,
While Big Ones Look On.

Mrs. Anna V. Morrison said last night
behind the stage at the Criterion Theatre:
I'VE want 10 do all We can for the stage
children. The public and. I am afraid
some OF the actors themselves begin to
tbink that these stage children are not
children at ALL but merely precocious pup
nets. Every other sort Of child in the world
5as his pleasures planned for him, and the
stage child is due this too. And We are
goins 10 have clubs for them, and picnics
IN the country. and parties. too This is
no, charity; We want to promote sociabll-
,.y among them and give them the chance
Of child life that they should have. AS it
4. they grow up all too soon without ever
moving what childhood is
Mrs. Morrison is the secretary of the com
rnittee that gave to five hundred Of these
tinv players a vaudeville show. a dinner
and four huge Christmas trees last night.
Mrs. Taliaferro-the mother OF Edith and
Nabel-was another who helped. and the
Rev Thomas r. Sicer. Mrs. Mile Thorn.
rrancis Wilson, Joseph X. Grismer Will
lam Harris, the Rev. Percy Stickney Grant.
charles Frohrnan and Kate Douglas Wiggin
gave aid in the shape Of advice, coaching.
thestre. speeches and other things TO make
2 success OF t..
There a varied programme. Ruth
Wells. the moving picture maniac of The
Nest Egg" sang Irene Franklin's "Red
Head. Boots McKim. who was with Rob
srt billiard in a Fool There Was" sang
and danced: Gertrude Kerpin. d five-year-
od. sang I'm the Kid That opens Up and
CoseS Broadway; three miniature Rus
san dancers swung in dizzy measure
Jesse Spitzer swelled his six-year-old chest
and sang "Au That I ASK Is Love" with
The attack and abandon Of a grown-up
comic opera tenor; Harold Hexter dressed
as an absurd "BiIliken" for his sister Min
ne 20 sing a song about
There We're twenty numbers in all, in
Guiding Miss Edith LAMBERT. whose name
was not down on the programme but who
vor thunderous hsndclaps II was such
4 wet night that Gladys Hulette and Irene
Brown. the Tyltyl and Mytyl OF the New
Theatre. could not come down, but every
BODY else In Little Stageland was there
and glad OF il. too.
Master Burton James, the grave master
OF ceremonies, presented 10 each and every
performer a gold trinket. and finally Will
IAN Harris came on to say that when the
curtain rang down it would ring UP again
right away to let the kiddies get glimpse
NJ those four precious trees. And there
they were. cleaning with Colored hghts
and looking as true 70 life AS when the
red shirted lumberjack. standing knee deep
In snow, swung his siitterinG axe agains'
them in the Maine woods Five hundred
children gasped!
There was a scr7Imptious dinner served
IN the concert hall Of the New York The
atre. next door. II started with ice cream
And all the gruwn-ups had 70 be content
with looking on from the gallery. so tha'
the children could eat in peace Tor once
And after that the FIVE hundred came nj
ing hack. two by two, and passed the
Christmas trees on the stage. One OF the
very incest things about these trees was
that some sympathetic big persons had
asked the little men and little women what
-hev really wanted for presents. And so
when the packages came OF they proved
10 he OF the most varied sort, but eacn
To its recipients ecstatic satisfaction
II took about three weeks TO get every
thinz ready. and the workers did not cease
until AL hour before the performance be-
gan. But It was worth it, one of them
said later on in the evening. Stin others
who helped were DR.. Ida .. Nahm. A. n.
Palmer. Mrs s Ludlow Neidlinger, Miss
Truly Shattuck. Mrs. Jacob Lit. Mrs. Sol
smith Miss Elma Smith. Miss Laura Burt
Miss Ida Mule, Miss Amelia SummerviHe'
Mrs. j. H. Vantine, Mrs. Claude hagan
Mrs. F. D. Price, Mrs. Gordon Ritchle'
Mrs. Lyman Post and Mrs. Edwin Arden