The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-08-21

lI'N IlldlN
or course. there were hundreds and
hundreds and hundreds 81 little moth
erleSS children who would have c'urp
to her skirts and filled mp her house
like that of the little Old woman whu
lived in the shoe hut she pas I'd 'hr
rudy checked red.hpped youngs'cr,
hy and searched only tor the wan. pale
faces Of little children who had never
romped al play but would have TO- dwell
IN shadow land all their lives and drag
their poor, crippled little bodies around
on crutches.
Only two weeks after her bountIinl
resolution the house was filled with
children-tcn little crippled children
who thought paradise had suddenly
opened up, held out its long arms and
taken them in
The months ebbcd along into year
and the little mother of her brood of
ten found that others were willing ,u
help her IN her great but bcau'iiu, task
ot raising them Other mothers sent
them clothes, farm one, for winter and
cool ones for summer. and actresses
who heard OF this little family sent
many tickets that the little ones nigh,
be taken TO the theatrr. But the sweet
est and most gracious OF them all was
Maude Adams When Peter Pan" was
playing m the town wh~c the little old
lady lived, Miss Adams not only sent
tickets but automobiles to take them to
the theatcr and back home again
The night they were sitting in the
stage boxes was in a box opposite.
and ! am quite sure that never had Mis-,
Adams played with her heart SO in her
lines as on that night when she directed
almost all Of the beautiful, bubblng
little Peter PanniSh sentiments g. those
eager eyed, trembling with-eNci,cmcnt.
little children.
| think most Of the audience watched
them through binding tears and il was
through their eyes that we all saw Peter
| Pan, and forgot We were grownupS and
not OF that group OF little children who
had lived so long IN the shadows thew
had almost forgotten the dawn until
their foster mother had found them.
When they had been little tots they
had never had fairy stories told them
as they nestled in their mothers lap
and watched her tender lips as she un
folded the dazzling yarns OF gnomc
and elves, fairy princcSScS and pirate
chiefs SO Il was all SO new IN them
so real, that often they could not help
but voice aloud their surprise. thcl
alarm and their pleasure
And then 1t came 10 the moment when
Peter Pan stepped to the iootlights and
holding out her arms, called out TO the
audience, oh say that you believe in
| fairies"
Ten funny little cracked voices. high
pitched and shrlll and determined that
Peter Pan should not be disappointed
all cried out IN one high trcmolo. I'VE
do! We do" For a moment Miss
Adams stood poised before the foot
lights, looking down upon the little
faces, so thrilled by their response and
SO touched that a lump came into her
throat, and il was several seconds be
fore she could smile, with the binding
tears streaming down her face
When the curtain fell after the last
act the little children sat rooted in the
box and refused to go.
I'VE want to- see the show again.
they Sc, up a cry why doesn't the
curtain 60 up2"
but it's over the little old lady ex
planned Peter Pan has flown back
To the meadows and hills"
And won't she never. never. never
come back any more" they all asked
III eager voices,
YES, she's coming back tomorrow"
a voice interrupted them, and. behold :,
IT was Peter Pan pccking through the
curtains, and then walking right into
the box among them /, really WASH,
Miss Adams after all--it was Peter Pan
who shook hands with them and
chuckcd them under their little chin,
and plnchcd their pallid cheeks and
rumplcd the little girls curls. and then
kissed the llt,lest OF them all good by,
and whisk She was gone. dartng
around the corner OF the box and COB
bled mp in the darkness OF the wings
Miss Adams has never appeared upon
the screen. although We are lust hungry
to see her Think how lovely she would
be IN The Little Minister "L'Aiglon,"
I