The Washington herald., 1914-01-19
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M. Anna II. shreve-please notice that
..M,.sv-has broken All records for bis
| families. She has mothered some 7,so'
chfIdren ana Is stin going strong. Women
who are worrying over the cares OF 4
poIIts lltsls family Of two may well
shrsnks back appalled, ut the spectacle OF
Niee ehreve taking care Of LOO young
sters. all of thsm In the home nest this
very minute.
But Il takes more than l.seo boys.
they're all boys-to appall Mother
Shreve.. That's why she's the grandest
thing that has ever happened to Girard
College since Stephen Girard founded II
The eccentric old man called It . col
lege and left win almost ~ long a. an
English novel telling Just how It was to
be run. But this particular college
il really . home for orphan boys And.
with all his planning In the win, the
founder did not bequeath to u one Of the
best things It has had. He didn't leave
1t Miss shrsve! That was not entirely
his fault, since she hadn't been born
eighty years ago. and therefore couidn's
be bequeathed to anybody.
Maybe It was seventy years ago that
Misc Shreve nrst smiled ON world
which has been the better for her SMILES
ever since Who known or cares Just
how long 2so it was. anywayf
Certainly not she herself. forNshe SAID
recently: Tim never going to grow oldl
Ny heart ISN'T twenty"
Certainly not the thousands OF "her
boys scattered all over the country.
Some OF them are rich and powerful to-
day. But. rich or poor, every one Of them
has a heart that warns and eyes that
soften At the sight Of her or the sound
of her name.
At least. that's what happens to al Of
them that have been At Girard during
the past thirty-sfx years. Most women
would get rather tired Of small boys
altar thirty-six years Of than STRAIGHT
On end. But In Mis- shrevs's case II Just
seems to keep her hand In
AnAsal Resnisn.
They have an annual reunion at GirArd.
when the "old boys'' come back by the
hundred. That's when Mother Shreve"
10 at her best and happisst With her
own hands she stirs then the famous
ginger" which every Girard graduate
recalls ~ the cake which was the chief
glory Of his childhood days Her boys
cluster about her like bees around honey.
al of them brimming over with love and
gratitude to-in many cases-the only
mother they have ever known.
When Miss SArevs went to Girard In
Iii she found the boys dressed % much
alike that II was hard for them to tell
themselves apart. Old Stephen 04rard
had directed in his viii that the lads
should not be put into uniform Earb. But
II was easier not to cater to individual
tastes. More economical. too. perhsp2
So this wish of the founder had grad
uaIly been lost sight OF.
.
knew she wouldn't like to live with sew
eral hundred women all wearing clothes
precisely like her own And she knew
boys had Just As decided ideas and
tastes as she had. So she gave them
chance not only to be themselves. out
also to look like themselves. The Two
things aren't 30 different, anyway.
The lads are allowed even to choose
their own necktiea They have three
suit. apiece and every one OF them -
made to fit the boy that IL to wear II
Think Of the seamstresses ana Coon
and chambermaids and mattresses and
But no! don't think of them! The gay
cheerv vay in which this wonderful
woman handles such q big job might
make YOU a bit mortified over the hard'
dreary work you sometimes make Of your
own problems.
"Mother Shreve-"
she is tall. is Mother Shreve." So
tall that in any gathering her fine head,
with its thick snow-white hair, Is always
a focus for interested glances. Her eyes
are blue with a sparkle Of humor and
kindliness in them. Her lips are irm,
but you can see the laugh that always
turks in their corners She is quick as
flash at repartee. Her boys have
kept her wits sharpened.
She is a born mother. Every ooy
that has entered Girard while she mas