The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-19

all swallowed up in an earthquake today, I'd wake up tomorrow and commence to look for another set. No body can accuse me of being pessmist.' This sentence from Judy the little | 'orphint" from the John Grier Home" Of Jean Websters wonderful story Daddy Long Legs sounds the keynote not only of the play. but the character of pretty little Miss Frances Carson tthe charm | ing girl who plays the part) in real life
 Judys optimism is catching; so is little Miss Carsons.
 | Her red-gold hair. knotted loosely under tight fitting bonnet; her petite figure clothed in the smartest of tailor mades;' ethereal as a wood nymph, wisr- full as the springtime dawn, elusive as tile fragrance of arbutus, seems this at tractive little bit of humanity on whose l slender shoulders rests large part of | the weight of making Daddy Long-Legs- success-which little Miss Carson does completely.
 | This tiny mite of a girl is the spirit of youth she's the type that you'd pick for a fairy of childhood's wonderland across the white screen of the universe. l Before you know 1t. she has complete ly captivated your heart, quietly. surely, softly. as the south wind steals over pine | forests and jasmine blossoms on its jour ney from tropical realms. MT. Browning Business Man. Mrs. | F'rivol of Society," Dame Demure, and | all the 'kiddies,' l just know you'll love | this little pink and white creature when | you see her on the stage, because l just loved her off the stage; she brings | Expenditures to you when cares rest heavily upon your heart; it's little way she has-so unaffected, so unostentous the butterfiy-lilxe quality of supreme in- | Hocence; in other words, just a child, | sweet and 20 and "star. l In little Miss Carson one finds that quail l ity-for lack of which players have grown 1 famous-of being very pleased with her work and not with her herself: of find l ing happiness in having realized the hopes that others have had in her. rather than exulting over her own successes.
 Unique in the theatre where yeArs | and experience of a wide range are neces- sary usually before one reaches star dom,' one concludes that Miss Carson is unique away from the playhouse, and | she is.
 l Let's be original in this story I sug- gested 'and get away from convention alties.''
 And you are not going to ask me | l quickly.
 That's an old one," l said. | But l have to be born you know-so | l may as well tell you that Philadel- phia Is my birthplace"
 And you are terribly young I ob- served (aloud this time. Of course, I'd been thinking it all along). And where were you educated?" l "In New Jersey
 "Nationality?"
 Father an Englishman, mother an Austrian"
 l ''Vocation?"
 | Actress"
 l How long?"
 | Five years"
 Heavens. mere infant in arms when you made your debut.v
 Not old, to say the least of it, and oh, I've been so lucky!
 l Then you are upersttious-beleve in
 signs, omens, and all that sort of thing" I suggested in quick succession all these questions piled up together 'T believe a lot in luck,'' pretty little Miss Carson said ''Now, it was lucky getting this wonderful part to play in Daddy Long-Legs.' How did it happen?' I inquired. | Years ago. she told me in her naive, quiet little way, q used to act in private theatrical at school, and everybody said
 I was talented. My family supposed that some day I'd go on the stage. As soon as it was possible for me to do so, 1 went
 to Julia Sanderson, who is quite good
 friend of mine, and asked her what to
 do. She advised me not to go on the
 stage Now l thought that was foolish
 She'd made a big success and had not
 been contaminated by the dreadful, aw-
 ful, stage, so why not I? I knew she had
 worked in stock and so at once followed
 that course, not needing her advice, as
 you plainly see. To make a long story
 short, I was doing Ruth Chatterton' s
 part in The Rainbow in a stock com-
 pany when Mr. Henry Miller's atten-
 tion was directed to me and he sent for
 me. He was looking for another Judy
 The moment he saw me he said I was . the girl for the part and engaged me |. then and there. Now don't you see that , was rare piece of luck To be fea- tured by MT. Henry Miller whom I re- gard as one of the greatest managers and producers as well as one of the best actors of the day, was the greatest , piece of luck that ever happened to any
 body so I promptly accepted and |
 have been playing Judy ever since"
 And you like the part?' I asked
 How could l help it?' she returned , quickly. Judy is so human: the natural good in her disarms poignant criticism.
 Being brought up in an orphans home imagine isn't ice cream and soda, toast
 ed marshmallows and bananas and cream
 by any means. She's refreshingly human
 with her every day faults, and she's so
 genuinely like a lot of us when we were little bitties,' you just couldn't help low ! ing her"
 Here she was. this little girl of sweet . and 20, giving opinions as weighty as if she were fair and 70. "Even if she does tell little Abs now and then" the youthful star continued. she's good at heart-and never means to be wicked. Yes. love the part, and everybody who has read the book or seen E the play loves it."
 Just real little girl is little Miss Car