The Washington herald., 1916-01-17
LITTLE ORPHANS.

At present I am working in pic
ture called "The Founding" and
playing the part of little orphaned
girl named Molly o.
This picture was first taken in Cal
ifornis, but it was destroyed in the
fire when the Famous Players Studio
burned, so we arc taking it over, here
in New York
Mother and I spcnt day in an or
phanage with the poot little children,
and such a day it was, filled with
beautiful memories for all of US. l
wanted to study the conditions which
surround these little prisoners, and l
am so glad to say l did not find the
children unhappy, even the little
crippled ones, who dragged their pitt
full misshapen legs as they swung to
meet US on their crutches.
1--WE know you" they all screamed
in a chorus to our sstonishment, as
mother and l walked into the school
room. You're Mary Pickford of the
movies"
"They have seen you many times
and the matron bcamed upon them
with kindly eyes. Haven't you, chill
dren?"
81 amt never seen you" shrilled
the voice of one little girl "but my
log hasp .>>
This amused me so | laughed out
right, and all the children joined in
the chorus 4
A Fearful Inference.
"Yes'm," continued the little girl,
eager to explain. Il was sick and
couldn't go and Mamie took Petite.
Petite got poison and died after he
seen you, too"
l laughed again, and the children,
who have such a delicious sense of
humor, echoed it until they were
quite breathless. Poor little Petiel /
have seen some of my own perform
ances | could willingly die after, too.
1--WE never knew you were real,
shouted several of them. "We thought
you were just moving picture"
"Pm as real as you are" | answered
them, "and I'm as hungry as a bear.
Don't you think it is about time we
all had something to eat?"
That let the cat out of the bag,
and in half a second / was in the
center of swarming, eager mass OF
hungry, open-mouthed youngsters,
who scented that in the background
was treat! Surely no one could SO
empty-handed to an orphanage. il
they do, they miss a. world of fun.
We ate candy, ice cream, cakes
and nuts, and when all were satisfied,
we sent to our studio for the film OF
Cinderella" picture the children
had not seen.
! How / wished that every one !
knew could have peeked in upon us
and heard those little tads, shouting
and laughing, then pointing from
the screen to me in conscious be-
wilderment.
How did you get up thcre3" asked
one timid little girl, edging closer to
/ me.
All About the Movies.
81 will tell you all about it after
the picture is over" And l did. ] ex-
| planned to them the A B C's of the
movies, and told them of the coun-
/ tries we visited, where we met little
Esquimaux, Indian and Cuban chill
dren. Whereupon they all decided in
one breath to become actresses and
look just like Mary Pickford.
/ These little children are not un-
happy, because they live in the prom.
Use that some day beautiful moth
er will come for them and take them
away to home, cozy and aboundine
in love. The older children tell i
to the younger children and they in
turn impart it to the unhappy new
tcomers who have just seen their own
little mothers taken away from them
to go on long, long journey.
One little tubercular cripple told
me all about this mother who was to
come for her.
aShc will drive up in a big blue
automobile with stars painted all
over it." she assured me. "She won't
take Mamie, because Mamie never
learns her lessons. She won't take