The Washington herald., 1914-03-03
BY MARY .. MULLETT.

L M Vop3nGht, fshD
When II comes to monologues, Beatrice
Herford 10 unique. II you have never en-
| joyed the privilege OF chuckling over her
"shop Girf' or her New England Dress-
MAKER you may not realize how eagerly
hundreds OF persons look forward every
year to the brief winter season she gives.
But IL this joyous experience has really
been yours, you will agree that there's
only one Beatrice Herford In the world
more's the pity.
In private life Miss Herford Is Mrs. s,
w. Hayward. And there are other signs.
beside this possession Of q husband. to
indicate that the census would class her
under the head Of adult" But the real
truth OF the matter Is this: she is just a
little girl who has never grown up.
No child ever loved to play things
any more than Beatrice Herford does.
She writes her own monologues. as well
as gives them. But her inextinguishable
love Of play shows In both these occupa-
tions. which to most people would be
rather strenuous work.
When she gives a monologue. she ID
only indulging in what was her favorite
game when she was still child in years
as well as In spirit; the game of pre-
tending" Her girlhood was spent In Chi
cago and Boston, and there was scarcely
day that the small Beatrice did not
Cali on her mother in the character OF
one Of the neishbors or Of some family
acquaintance.
Isn't II Little Emily in "our Mutual
FRIEND who says: 81 know your tricks
and your Manners Well, that Is
Beatrice Herford's great asset. She
knows our tricks of thought. our man
ners of expression; and her wonderful
shrewdness In this particular Is because,
ever since she made those childish calls
on her mother. she has been watching the
world through her quizzically smiling
eyes.
Delicate Fun In Nonologues.
Women always have been accused of
lacking a sense of humor: probably ever
since Adam failed to see anything funny
in the episode Of the apple. But both
Miss Herford and her audiences are pret-
ty good testimony against this old theory.
For the monologues bubble over with the
most delicate fun: while her women
hearers measure up to that sevcrcst OF
all tests-the test of ones ability to see
the humor OF a joke on oneself
Miss Herford writes her monoIogues in
the summer at the Hayward country
place at Wayland. Mass. oh. that coun-
try place! 1t is there that the little girl
spirit in Beatrice Herford Is the real mis-
tress. She has all kinds of, pets there.
from ducks and DOGS TO horses and pea
cocks.
I'VE have hens too she said to me one
day, but I don't care so much about
them. Ducks are so much broader mind.
ed. don't you think SO? ] suppose it's be-
cause their sphere Is larger. They're
equally at ease in the water or on the
land.
ssporb.na III, tho ducLs bot,.r D..
cause their house is SO small ] couldn't
use II for anything else. Now. with chick
ems it's different. You're always think
ing what you could do with the poultry
sheds II 1t wasn't for. the poultry. My
country store was made out OF a bath
house and a henhouss"
= This country sfore" Is ono or Miss Her
ford's most delectable games. 1t has
two rooms; the front one being the store
proper and the back one being the par
lor'' OF the play. storekeeper. The front
room is about as big as a minute: and by
the same scale Of measurement, the back
one Is as big as forty seconds. There is
a little garden in front. with a picket
fence and a tiny walk leading up from
the gate.
Play at Old Orchard.
OF course no country store is complete
without a postoHce. so this one mas been
christened ''old Orchard, Mass" because
1t stands at the edge of the real orchard.
Visitors to the Hsywards-and there are
many distinguished ones-always find let
ters awaiting them in this little post
office: letters which have been written by
Miss Herford herself, although they pre-
tend to come from other people. both real
and imaginary.
Not far from this play store Is a little
theater. II seats only rs persons. but ii
has a stage and real scenery, painted by
the Haywards themselves. Real plays
are given here. too, though most of them