Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-04-18
JUVENILES MAKE HIT
LITTLE PEOPLE STAGE TOM
THUMBS WEDDING IN INTER-
ESTING AND ENTERTAINING
MANNER.
,By P. RI

by P. R.)
"What the parson hath stuck to-
gether, let no divorce court rip asun-
DER" declared the Parson in pronounc.
ing Tom Thumb and Jennie June man
and wife at the climax of the wedding
ceremony in the Children s Carnival,
merry musical melange in two acts,
originated by Miss Beatrice Shelton
and staged at the Grand opera house
last night by Miss Shelton and Miss
Minetta Magers, assisted by Mrs. Ralph
White and Miss Gertrude Irwin.
Salem people laughed last night rs
they have not laughed in months, for
the ''Little People" held the Stage with
all their innocent winsomeness and
grace. 1t was huge success and the
result of weeks of preparation and train
ing of the children. There were no dry
moments throughout the entire two acts.
The songs, the dances, in fact every.
thing, were given with that air of non
chalance, ease, and freedom that is
foreign even to some professional
people.
And it is the Miss Shelton primarily
that the people owe the treat given.
Although there is no attempt at what
is known as "thread of plot, the
"Childhen S Carnival" was closer to a
chapter from human life than might
be supposed. 1t took the climax If
what mny have been rough and stormy
courtship and gave The happy moment
when the girl became the wife, whea
the hero won and everybody rejoiced.
She adapted the production from various
sources and moulded the material into
the musical pageant that held the
boards.
Mrs. Ralph White drilled the girls in
the Rose Dance, The stately coloria
minuet, the Sailors Hornpipe, and the
skirt dances. Miss Mpgers was Miss
Shelton IS right hand bower and assisted
in the drilling and planning. Miss
Gertrude Irwin trained the boys and
girls who did the Virginia reel, which
was danced to that old-time tune "Pop
Goes the Weazel." All of these dances
were given with good time, They re-
ceived unstinted applause and encore
after encore.
| 1t was the Children s Hour at the
Grand and the grown-ups appreciated
it thoroughly. Everything was carried
out with a seriousness and stateliness
that showed how deeply the childish
heart loves to "pay grown up"
Diminutive ladies of the colonial age,
with powdered hair and roughed cheeks
and lips, bowed and smiled across the
footlights. Ruddy faced, noble of mien,
and gallant, the gentlemen accompanied
their ladies'
When the curtain finally rose and
showed to the packed house the riot
of colors and the ensemble of childish
faces beaming with smiles, there was
an enthusiastic round of applause. A
large portion of the wedding guests had
arrived but the prominent people had
not yet arrived. Then he ushers, anil
vigorous applauses, announced the ar
rivals as follows:
Rev. II. Z. Marshall, pastor of the
Baptist church; ex-mayor George Rod
gers and wife; DR.. and Mrs. Clay; Miss
Fern Hobbs, private secretary to Gov
ernor West; Mr.. and Mrs. Curtis Cross !;
Mr.. and Mrs A. N. Bush, Jr.; Mr.. ami
Mrs. 'Chauncy Bishop; Mr.. and Mrs. j.
j. Roberts, Mr.. and Mrs. Fredericl:
Thielsen; Mr.. and Mrs. William
Plimpton; Mrs. W. Carlton Smith; The
Chinese Ambassadors, Governor an |
Mrs. Oswald West, Mr.. and Mrs. viii
liam Burghardt, Jr., Judge Peter H.
Darcy, Mr.. and Mrs. T. B. KAY, Miss
Cornelia Marvin, Miss Swezy, Mrs. Rose
Coursen Reed, of Portland; President
and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, ex-governor
T. 7. Geer and wife, Mayor and Mrs.
b. l.. Sleeves, Judge and Mrs. Charles
L.. McNary, State Architect Knighton
and wife, Mr.. and Mrs. r. j. Hendricks,
Attorney Bingham ard wife, and Mr..
and Mrs. Graham p. Taber.
Immediately after the noted guests
had arrived, Mrs. Rose Coursen Reed
opened the wedding ceremonies by sing
ing go Promise Me" in a voice that
was as sweet as the singer was dainty
Then from the front of the house came
the briday party. Two little girls in
pink preceded. She was followed oy
a girl in blue. Mex: came four flower
girls in white. The bride was pre-.
ceded by the ring bearer.
The bridal party grouped itself
about the bishop who read take-off
on the marriage ceremony. The first
act closed with the guests filing out
after the newly-weds, who prepared
for the carnival and merrymsiing Of
the second act.
Act two opened with the entire
company ensemble. First Margaret
White and the flower girls gave a
pretty dance. Then came a duet by
f. 9. Deckebaeh and Halle Parrish
Hinges, oregon's Nightingale the
song was Mighty LAX A Rosep and
brought an encore. This was followed
by a vocal solo by Mrs. Carleton
Smith, who responded to an encore BY