The sun., 1919-06-01
VANDERBILT FAIRIES
.ROMP FOR CHILDREN
Thousands of Westchester's
Poor Little Ones Guests at
Merry Party.
w. G. C. A. HAS FIELD DAY
Lecture to Parents Opens En-
tertainment Which Brings
Joy to All.

Pietro sarti, aged 7. has had grave
doubts of his Sunday school teacher
veracity ever since last winter, when
she told the class the story from the
Bible about how the whale swallowed
Jonah. Because when his brother Joe
goes hshing-a pleasure Pietro cannot
have. for how can a fellow go fishing
with one leg in an iron brace, which Ia
what the S1fant!le paralysis did to Pie
tro?-the fish Joe brings back, when he
brings any, are little things no bigger'n
your hand. Pietro never said to
teacher that fish isn't large enough to
swallow man, for he Is a good lad
and minds his mother about never con-
tradictins his elders; but he has looked
at her with his great black eyes and
wondered how she dared tell such a
whopper when she 70 always preaching
about II being wicked to tell a lie.
To-day. however. Pietro knows that II
was not a lie. Right In Frank A. Van
derlip's 'normous yard on the Hudson
River, yesterday afternoon. didn't Pietro
and thousand other Westchester
county boys and girls see a fish with a
mouth like a cave Jump out of the water
and gulp the man who was trying to
catch bin right down his throat In one
gulp? To be sure It happened in a
theatre. this tragedy did. and some fell
lows who didn't wear braces and could
run around asserted that everything In
the theatre was made out OF wood or
something and somebody behind the
screen made them 20 with wires. But
Pietro only scoffed. "Ho. wot you givin'
me7 Twas a nsh"--and dumped hap
PLY away In the wake OF 500 joyous
youngsters through a woodsy path all
ill.,.
derlip told them, maybe they would find
ONE ice cream cones.
Did they ind the ice cream cones?
Um, UNI And pretty canteen girls in
blue caps and dresses to serve them.
And a motherly lady In a lacy dress
l,cted Pietro. brace and all. upon the low
coping around the swimming pool where
the six vanderiip children take their
daily dip and let him watch his refiec-
ton In the clear water. which never
could have looked prettier than yester-
day. with a ring of little boys and girls
In their best bib and tucker leaning
over and their vari-colored reflections
laughing back at them. After such
treatment was Pietro going to doubt the
reality OF the Ssh or anything else he
saw in the theatre OF the Mariopettes7
Certainly not.
Hundreds Made Welcome.
It was a day to make children believe
In fairy happenings. One thousand wee
ones, snatched away from ''institutions''
and boarding homes for orphans and
dingy tenements in Yonkers and whisked
In automobiles to Scarborough and
turned loose for the day on the beautiful
big grounds Of Mr.. vanderlip's Beech
wood. with clowns and Tony Sargs
marionettes 10 amuse them. might ex-
pect almost anything to happen after
such a change from their daily routine.
And they were all in q mood to look for
anything marvellous-all save one small
boy who stood on the bridge over the
brook between the swimming pool and
the open air theatre and observed. sniff
fing scornfully:
ct smell skunk cabbage"
Excitement has been running high in
Westchester county over this party ever
since the Westchester County Children's
Association sent out invitations a week
ago. Mothers have been washing and iron
ing Sallys Sunday dress and Jimmies
Jumper, and not a child complained
when told In tones that were final that
the weekly bath would be taken in the
morning instead OF Just before going TO
bed. Wise older people knew that there
was solid purpose behind this party
the purpose to instruct parents how TO
make their children grow up and strong.
and second. the purpose Of interesting
the county. more ardently in the w. c.
c. a. and getting for this unique organi-
nation cooperation which shall put West
chester county boys and girls at the
very top notch OF perfection, physical
and mental.
whom the county has quite a crop, were
not excluded from the party. They got
their bids too. And they came. Edward
Hardin's small son and daughter. Rich
ard and Rosemary, were there with their
parents, and Josephine Dodge Daskam,
who Is Mrs. Seldom Baker when she isn't
writing stories for the magazines, closed
her typewriter for the afternoon and
came with her two children. Mr.. and
Mrs. Cecil Page brought their little
daughters, Lucia and Susane and Mr.
and Mrs. II. ]. Shaker came with their
daughters, Rosamond and Eleanor. Mr..
and Mrs, Walter B. SIahony. Mr.. and
Mrs. Giles Whiting, Mr.. and Mrs. w g.
Keys and Mr.. and Mrs. Rupert Hughes
were others who brought their children
70 swell the happy throng, And the six
vsnderlip children, Narcissa, Charlotte,
!, Frank, Virginia, Calvin and little John,
were all there, laughing at the MARIO
nettes and the funny health clown, Cho-
Cho,
The entertainment began with lee
| lures, when the children and the parents,
guardians. &c. were all grouped on
the sloping side of the natural amphi-
theatre where the chief doings took
place. Dan Beard and Mrs. Raymond
| Brown and some other grown folks got
up and talked at the parents and guar
dams through the children about things
to do TO keep healthy and our civic
| duty and the noble work of the West
| chester County Childrep's Association.
| 1t was, perhaps, taking advantage OF
the little ones but children are used
to being taken advantage OF and they
were very polite. even applaudinE the
lecturers OF course the fact that Dan
Beard Is Chief Boy Scout helped some.
| Fun for Youngsters.
Well. then came Tony saTgs Mario
nettes-the old music teacher at the piano
giving a music lesson, and the man dane.
ing. and the funny dog that does tricks
| and all the rest, and how the children did
| laugh It Is rarely that a large grour