The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-07
David Warfied With the Wstful Little Oliver Twst Look in His Eye TheHeart of Child and the Spirit of Peter
 Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up,- Fascinates = Dolly by His Marvellous Gift of Understanding"
By DOLLY DALRyMPLE

with a llght-hearted fate and the two combined execute as dainty an inn promptu dance of events as would take hearse
 Such moment came to mo yesterday when I had the pleasure of again meet ing David Warfield-America's most popular actor-at whose shrine art bows with empressment. and adoring humanity bestows homage that is at once flat tering and sincere.
 The daintiest things of life are not to be written in a sentence; you get them sometimes in a single word: but oh! the word is so hard to fndssand for such a word I've been searching ever since l first met David Warfield-not yesterday, but quite four years ago.
 Heart" was the word I first chose with which to describe this wonderful thought: intellect that sounded so high -browish' and intangibie-yet David Warfield is all of these; then I thought of "understandng-God gift of under standipg,' and when l mentioned it l thought he liked it; INknew he did; that was the attraction in repeating it-just to hear him say he did; for there was thrilled the ear of sensitive listener. Almost sense of envy came tiagling with it; the note that yoa hear in the voice of simon Levi of ''The Auctoneer,' of Anton von Barwig of ''The Music Mas ter" of-of-David Warfield, the mag himself. with the wistful little OliVer Twist look in his eyes, the heart of a child and the spirit of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up-the note you sometimes hear in the throat of singer the note which means the passion, the love of something, and something within you thrills In answer to it.
 You'd expect David Warfield of course to possess this marvellous gift which our friend Temple Thurston calls in his |"City of Beautiful Nonsense" God gift of understanding"-ese how could he play upon the emotions, the passions of people with his appealing character- izaton of the "The Music Master or his inimitable personification of The Auctioneer?" For like genius it is a gift and of just such nature; abso- lute simplicity is the source of 1t and it brings the reward of youth keeping the heart young, no matter the years. Experience teaches us that the world is full of evil-evil motives, evil deeds yet with Gods gift of understanding you have the heart of child, knowing nothing, yet finding the good in every thing.
 These simple things are life-a face peer ing from a window; a hand trembling at touch; sudden silence; a quaver in the n1 hide history if one but has the eyes to read.
 Such, my friends are the attributes that make up the marvellous power, the talent. the life. of David Warfield-mod- est, unpretentious-a personality that thrills humanity with it's touch-a per sonality which impels, a personality into which Is infused genius of Nhe highest type.
 David Warfield is inexpl!cabie even as is all great geniuses; he fascinates and magnetizes; he subjugates even as he challenges: there is the intellect, imper- sonal in it's aloofness, it's perspective, and its comprehension-yet more than personal in it's grasp of humanity! There is the wistfulness of the heart in the little Oliver Twist look that none can describe; it is so receptive that 1t lis almost hollow; the look of little child Who hasn't been treated exactly
 
 and loyNd; you know what I mean-elu- plicable-something, that makee him, oh, Sd different-with Gods gift |of understanding even when all these adjectives and phrases have been lavishly used, you haven't found anything to describe David Warfleld, the actor the man,
 As I sat ip the Jefferson theatre yes terday and Waited for MT. Warfield-you see I know his little ways and methods he always goes straight to- the theatre from the train to get his mail-the precious letters from the home that he loves so much-and so when he came in I was the very first to greet him. Didn't you know l would be waiting for you?,' I asked as he looked at me with a sort of quizzical expression, while his wistful eyes smiled gracious accep- tance of the implied compliment. "Just as I waited the other time?" added, and then the ice was broken and I begged for few minutes talk. Stacks of letters were handed him. 1 these he laid aside, as he chatted with mo about his revival of ''The Auctioneer and his new play which he means to put | on the boards sometime within the next year-but not until continuance next autumn for a short time of his present | play.
 1 At this I made the suggestion as t.