New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-01
MRS. JULIA LYLE PLAYS
GOOD FAIRY TO CRIPPLE.
provides Music Lessons for
East Side Janitor's Little
Lame Daughter.
Hopes TO BECOME A STAR
Child Confides Her Aspirations
While Tucked in Furs Dur
ing Park Ride in Lady
Bountifuls Auto.

Bountifuls Auto.
was there ever a little princess, no
latter how good or how beautiful she
rss who had fairy godfather ard
airy godmother, too, all in the same
story?
We'll. OF course not: and that is why
,b,s real story of what happened in
. ,auitor's basement is so much more
uonderful than anything that ever
happened TO Cinderella.
Little Bertha has had two fairies, all
hsr own. That may be because fairies
sre more generous with their favors
nowadays. but it's probably because
little Bertha is a sad, pale-faced child
touched a fairy godmother's heart.
The fairy godmother heard about the
pttle withered leg and about the piano
which the first fairy had brought Ber-
,ha. so she could sit in her basement
and make music when SAT couldn't run
about with the other children, and
the fairy godmother wondered il there
wasn't something left that she could
do. 100. TO help little Bertha.
That is how the second miracle came
10 pass in the janitor's basement.
Yesterday afternoon, when it was so
warm and sunshiny that Bertha
dragged herself one step at time up
the long. dark stairway Of the apart
ment house at No. 243 East 18th street
TO sit OH the curbstone for a while, an
automobile rolled up and Bertha
dragged herself out of the way and
waited to sec where the visitor was
going. when suddenly the miracle hap
pened. The beautiful lady in the black
dress turned into a fairy gOdmother
who smiled right into Bertha's startled
blue eyes and said:
Twas Bertha's Fairy.
WHY. here is little Bertha right now.
I'm sure ii is she. Aren't YOU, dear?
And Bertha nodded a shy "Yes'm."
Then said the fairy godmother:
Thomas. tell the little girls mother
have taken her for ride and when
We get back I'm coming in to see her
about those music lessons
II you were a little lame girl from
janitors basement you might have had
rides in the crippled children's stage
from your house to the school building,
you might even have been in an auto
mobile once in your life with lot of
other children piled i'm beside you. but
you never rode in fairy coach with
flower in a vase between the windows
and a sweet voiced fairy godmother to
tuck the fur rug in about your with
cred little leg SO YOU couldn't possibly
know what that ride meant TO Bertha
up through a broad. smooth street,
past wonderful stores. TO the park.
where they drove UP close enough 10
watch the animals.
'she seemed to enjoy it," the fairy
said afterward. but I'm sure / en-
joyed il more than she did"
1t was Mrs. Julia Gertrude Lyle who
gave Bertha the ride--and is going 70
pay for those music lessons the child's
mother cannot afford. Mrs. Lyle is the
young widow of John s. Lyle, of Tena
fly, y. j., who was ninety-tUo years
old when the couple were married in
September. 1910
Mrs. Lyle explained to the reporter
1t was just six months on Sunday since
the death Of her husband, and she was
planning to do some beautiful thing In
his memory when the story Of Bertha
was recalled TO her. A fine young
boy, whose lungs were weak, was being
sent TO Bermuda az Mrs. Lyle's ex-
pense. but that wasn't enough. She
wanted to help little girl, too. and
ii is hard TO know where 10 begin in
New York So The Tribune story
pointed the way to the fulfilment Of
her plans and to little Bertha's COM
Pete happiness.
Hopes 10 Shine in Concerts.
DurtnS the automobile ride the child
lost her shyness and told her new
friend Of her love for music and her
hopes one day Of playing In o. real con-
cert. Her mother was a singer. IT
seems, and her father used TO be the
leader of an orchestra, so there Is
natural love Of music in her heart.
When they rolled luxuriously back 10
No. 243 Mrs Lyle went IN, down into
the dingy basement room, and little
Bertha played her first piece" Every
body was very happy, and if there were
few little dewy tears on the grown
ups eyes, Bertha never knew 1t. She
vas perfectly, happy, because the new
fairy had whispered 10 her that she
vas to have all the music lessons she
wanted-only she mustns practise too
hard and get sick
Then the new fairy drove away while
the whole neighborhood marvelled, and
went uptown TO see what else she could
90 10 help"
The case Of Miss Rose Livingstone,
the Chinatown missionary worker, has
attracted Mrs. Lyle's interest. and she
purposes 10 assist in the work of saw
Ing young girls from Chinatown.
1T is a duty we women owe to all
other women" she says. III We can
help, we must. Personally, can think
OF nothing which would make me so