The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-12-25
Pretty Paula Shay Leading Lady With "Everywoman "
and the Other DO Members OF the Big Company Join the
hr DoILY nALRYMpLE
\ NOE upon time not so very long
ago, Old Santa Claus was a-driv-

|
III ago, Old Santa Claus was a-driv-
ing his reindeer through the snow
way out in Illinois state, but Sanity was
in deep, terrible, awful trouble.
All the little fairies at his house were
kept in doors with the ''mumps" or the
"whooping cough" or the measles" or
something, and Sanity didn't know ex-
actly what to do SO he sat in state
Of profound meditation way UP on big,
high church steeple, took his field glass
from his hip pocket and began to look
over the town to see where the Little
Earth Fairies lived.
He gazed and gazed, but the snow
Hurried and the dim light of eventide
made 1t difficult for him to see where
he could find little fairy to help him
at party which he was going to give,
so after perusing the landscape he final
ly settled upon "yon little cottage" and
there he slackened his pace and stopped
only to find that chimney too small
for his portly figure so he stepped
around to the door and gave three magic
taps
Good evening"" said he, bowling with
empressment. Have you little Fairy
that you could spare, my good woman?"
Before the mother could answer a lit
tie gray-eyed beauty with wonderful
yellow hair and teeth like pearls, and
black lashes and cheeks like a little
pink rosebud, toddled toward him and
said:
Tate me, Sanity; please tate me San
I loves ~ MIA With
why exclaimed his Majesty 1.-The
very little Fairy I'm looking for. Come,
jump into my bag and let us fly away
to the Christmas tree
The little Fairy jumped in and off they
flew, over church tower over roof, and
over gable, and when they arrived at
the party Sanity opened his great bag of
''pretties and out jumped
Now, whom do you suppose?
None other than beautiful Paula Shay,
the lovely young actress who is in Biz
mingham today playing the title role of
"Everywoman," the wonderful morality
play which has made thousands better
and finer and more worth while for hav-
ing seen it.
When Santa Claus took off his mask
the real Santa Claus was found to be
the managers Of a big stock company up
in Chicago, who had had their eyes on
this pretty girl for several years, and
who finally coralled her for their very
own property and from playing every
important role from Shakespearean hero
ines down to the most enchanting in
genue parts, Paula Shay has reached
the heights, being converted from a lit
tie make-believe fairy whom the mana
gerial Santa Clauses found one cold
wintry, snowy Christmas eve to real
fairy of the stage, whom to know is to
adore.
When I dropped in to see pretty Paula
Shay on Christmas eve, what do you
suppose l found her doing?
She and the other IS members of the
big Every Woman" company, which
is the Christmas attraction at the JEFF
ferson, We're joining the Red Cross, be-
coming members of the greatest organ
ization which is doing the greatest good
to the greatest number of people of any
organization in the world today.
"Of course We are joining the Red
Cross said Miss Shay when I waited
for her to get her certificate of member
ship and then to talk with her about how
she meant to spend her Christmas holt
days so far away from home and her
loved ones-and what she was going to
do. 1--WE stage people want to do our
bit for our country, even though we are
regarded as gay and light and flippant;
we have our serious moods just as every
day people have; it isn't all grease paint
and makeup, and there are very few of
us woh haven't been touched by the
war. Brothers, fathers, husbands-oh,
dear; so many have gone over there,
and all of us are longing for them to-
day.
"All day long I've been shopping in
your nice town." Miss Shay said. i've
been buying Christmas dolls and toys
for any little orphan children I can find
whose Christmas day I can add to by
giving them something in the way of
token or remembrance. It is the only
way I can keep from being lonely on
Christmas day myself, so you see it's a
bit selfish after all.
Few people realize what an actors