The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-16
BlS WOMAN
MADAM GR0gITGR
And She Remembers Crate
fully Her GirIhood Days
invest Virginia.

Madame G-ouitch. wife OF the Ser
bian minister to Switzerland. who IS 70
Eve q lecture in Fairmont Monday
evening. March IS. under the auspices
of the Womar's club, has had Vety
interesting and romantic lie wn1Gn
1ates its beginning back to the carry
TIays OF her girlhood in West virginia
according to the Clarksburg Telegram
OF Sunday ,,c.
vzorId who have not read sooner OF
later. the old fairy tales with WEI
f1I longing that they might hase
been the beautiful princess SO 70,
rnantIcally wooed and won OF e1e
brave prince overcoming eTerS 90
-+scte and danger in a series Of fascI'
mating adventures. with the princess
waiting at the end
To most Of US, however, THESE
stories have remained but Eairy tdteS
70 be read. We have been obliged 10
concern ourselves with the butcher
the baker, the candiegtick maker IN
stead Only now and then docs some
one live a really truly fairy-tale he.
Madame Slavko Grouitch, who IS
10 lecture here Thursday night next,
is one of the few. for she steps Tlght
ont of the pages Of romance sur
rounded by all the characters Win
which Grimm's Fairy Tales nave
made us so familiar. Listen, ana see
e You do not recognize the 1alFE
touch. -.
Many years ago in tiny cottage ut
tie Mabel lived with ner kind old los
far parents IN the West Virginia hills.
Like Homer, whose birthp 2H9 was
claimed by seven towns. 1ouF
towns claim the honor OF snesterlng
little Mabers childhood - ClarkSnNrs
Shinnston, Lumberport and West Tn
ion AS a matter of fact, She lived IL
each Of them in turn, none OF them
dreaming that they were helping IN the
making Of a fairy tale. IL Cl2rEspurs
Miss Anna Dunn was one OF her tes'ch'
ers. in Shinnston and Lurn5er2ort She
rode to school on horseback behind an
other girl, and was te"sed about hsf
little red cap by proud girl who wore
one of sealskin! In West Eh4"r at .ee
tender age of nine she Tas sure lne
fairy prince had come for her n th@
person of a certain rosy cheen+'o
Then at 12 eyars OF age the chubby
little baretooted country Child lcEels
even then in form and soul. getting
hack from the world like an echo the
love and service it is said she was a.
vgavs giving out. left her good OLD los
+er narents' home and went to I'VE
successively in Chicago, Baltimore ana
New York with her own father ana
stepmother.
The change from the little cottage
IN the hill village to the handsome CITY
home where every advantage OF edN,
cation, travel ard culture was hers d'a
not spoil the loving disposition ana
genius for service with whicE the 9oou
fairies had endowed her in her crac!e'
while it inspired and stimulated heE
ambition. Following always the thread
of her destiny as it had been placed III
her hands. it led her to Greece: wneFe
she finished her education in the N /
Versity Of Athens. and met for the mrs.
lime the dark-eyed foreigner VINO was
TO make such a change in her future
life.
Returning to America she led for
awhile the happy care-free HE OIL d
young girl, but, following the de%eIi
Of her father by an accident she te'
gan to support herself, teachins IA
New York, and lecturinS On Greek
art and sculpture.
Later she again went abroad, aao
being presented in court at Lond2n'
met again, and now married tce
s1dark-eyed stranger" OF her for
tune, the Serbian minister al the Court
of ST. James, His Excellency, SIavoh
Grouticn.
The cid fairy tales would stop here
with land they lived happily ever ait.
er." Doubtless this story would
have done so TOO, had it not been for
Ybis terrible war that has devastated
Serbia-but it is just here that th's
fairy tale begins to improve on the
old ones, and we began TO see why tLe
fairies at the christening brought Jus
the gifts that they did 10 the mute
BABY hidden away in the hiils-a pity
ing heart, and a passion for helpihs.
An of these gifts have been used by
Madame Grouitch without SUM o.
grudgiag for her adopted country. Es'
Decially has her heart gone cut TO
the vretched, suffering women ana
children, neglected because the sol
Cliers must come first. Giving up her
Injury she has spent her time anG
strength trying 10 help them. Four
times she has braved the dangers o.
submarines, and come to America 70
ask her own people to help them, and
never has she been Disappointed.
In recent letters to ClarisburS she
writes: "The first twelve years o.
my life made me all that ] am or
have teen, and no one who Knew
them can wonder that have devoted
whatever talents God gave NE TO
soldiers.
.Iow that the whole wosld is
thinking OF the same things as those
of IS who lived in the days after the
civil war. which are the same prob
lens now facing Serbia. I zeal that
II: wo1ld be a great satisfaction TO re
turn to the pace where I was bora
and It is therefore with greg pleas
ure that Welcome the k'rd iayfs2tiou
to pay CIarks1d;s a sit before re-
turning TO MY present horne in Swift
zerland-
"As ] write. the New York Times