The sun., 1918-12-02
WARS HEROES SEE
PLAY IN A HOSPITAL
Irene Fenwick and Company
Cheer 1900 Wounded With
"a Stitch in Time"
RELATIVES PRESENT TOO
Old Grecnhut Building Turned
Into Theatre for Victims
Of Bullet and Shell.

Heroes OF every important engage
ment OF American arms in France
heard. saw and loved Irene Fenwick G.
Co. in their play. ~ stitch in Time"
at Chateau Thlerry" hospital in the
old Greenhut building in sixth avenue
last night. There were 1900 con-
vnlescent soldiers present, also fathers,
mothers. brothers. sisters, wives and
children.
II Miss Fenwick could have heard
the homage paid her in the casual OBJ
servations OF tho soldiers her ears
what she said OF them after the per-
formance theirs would too. Incl
dentally both would get their wishes.
Nobody wanted 10 kiss her except
the whole audience. One husky
youngster wanted ito beat up that
play actor man who made the wrong
kind OF love to her" But Miss Fen
wick. or rather Phosbe-Ann Hubbard.
tho Incompatible housemaid. snubbed
him in the latest approved fashion, so
all was well.
And Miss Fenwick said that she
wanted to kiss every one of them.
They were wonderful. II was pleas
ure to play to them. q delight. And II
they ever want us to play again, all
they've got to do IL say the word. I
thought wouldn't be able TO play,
for | looked through the peephole Just
before the performance. They were
wheeling them in. Well can't de-
scribe IT. it Is something you feel
Only the Present for Them,
Perhaps .hc childlike enjoyment and
gayety OF these men who have been
confined so long in the grim realities
OF war and Its aftermath, perhaps their
v .!ole hearted relaxation bubbling
over. Rccentuatcd their misfortunes,
the fortunes OF war, as seen by others.
But not to them. Apparently they
we're forgotten---for the moment. There
were several yet too i'll TO enter spon-
tancously into the spirit OF the cvc-
ming. They leaned back In their
steamer chairs apathctic with hospital
lassitude, tolerant of everything but
enthusiastic about nothing.
Every soldier present was injured in
some degree. In the words Of them
selves. they were shot 10 pieces" but
and dim. The hospital was the pres
ert, and the show. They would take
UP the future when It became the pres
ent. Many OF them were moved from
The wards and accompanied BY RED
Cross nurses in their trim white uni
forms and caps. their red lined capes
adding u touch OF color 70 the strange
scene.
Manned as they were. they kept
dressing gowns. in uniform, In IA
tigue. their heads swathel in band
ages. arms in slings. legs in casts, and
in many cases only an empty sleeve
or a Topping brooches leg telling It's
mute st.ry---aN making up tho mill
tnry complement oe the audience.
4 Rocking Chair Accompaniment.
Manned az they were they kept
time in their own way 70 military
songs played AMI sung by Lieut..
Fiiz-Rioe OF the British army. Like
tho wind whipping back and forth over
Il Wheatfie!d they rocked. Those in
rocking chairs had n physical 40
vantage over those in straight backs.
but they swayed their bodies back
ana :orth 20 the music and enjoyed u
thorouehly.
"Fritzy Boy brought uproar.ous
applause. And n song with the catch
line Hes my pal' brought tears 20
more than one who had seen his
Buddy" fal! beside him.
One young ,ar--for he couldn't have
been more than 20--whose eyes
glistened with enjoyment and whose
quiet smile had made youthful
wrinkles about his eyes speaking OF