The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-23
MRS. W|LKERSON|S
 ID TELL STORY OF
 THE HAPPY PIPER
To Children of the Inde- pendent Presbyterian Sun Iday Schools Member of j National Drama League
Out of your cage.

dent Presbyterian church school the boys and giris at the regular church schooi hour, will have the privilege of nearing Mrs. B. F. Wilkerson tell. in her own charming fashion. the story of The Piper''-the poor, rich piper. who cared so little for money and so much for little children, and for everybody's happiness. Just a stroller he was. whose sole busi- ness was to pipe the joy that had never been his, through the melodies that drifted from his flute into the lives Of others. And while the older people lin- eered, as older people are often prone to do in the dusty streets of Hamelln, the little children followed the Piper $ clear. tender music 'out in the fields with God
 But 1 forgot-I must not tell the pretty story Mrs. Wilkerson is going 10 do that. She knows how. Not altogether bscause she has had wide experience in dramatic work, nor because of her i'm ished study of the drama, nor even pe- cause she has the honor of being mein- ber of the National Drama League. Sns knows how to tell the story because snS has sympathy with ife-al Ite, whether it is the kind that beats ltseI out behind the dusty bars Of a cage or the kind that is young and unspoiied ana kind, running with easerness 10 the erai'a that stretch ahead. Mrs. Wllkerson uh- derstands the longing of young life TOT expression and the need of young hLe to be expressed. Lets play like," of cnlla- hood days becomes so real that us ies- sons abide through the years. ana one never grows too old to read great trut1s through wholesome motion pictures anu through dramatic are Perhaps tiits 10 one reason the drama is becoming more and more a recognized factor in the church again, for conveyance Of truths that are more indelibly impressed in thls way than by study or reading, ana oA messages as potent as those or any SEA . mon.
 Remembering that the dramas or the world, both ancient and modern. na ss 7 originated in the religious observances or naonle among whom they existed, that the drama seems to belong by right to religion. it is interesting to note the TOT lowing comment of prominent minister in a recent periodical. who afflrms'
 .erhe church has always leaned upon the dramatic impression even tnousn has frownel upon the actor proIessioh. Hunan life among other things contains sN l,a dramatic instinct We have 1t as ~nEldren and it does not die as we gro" a, The impulse to reproduce, to eA. rhress by pictures and spoken Woros tii7 rreat scenes, to make in this way the past to live again, to exhibit py Voiso and gesture by vivid movement, the s'. :. ring realities or Hie-i.s r,,- nathos. it's tragedy. This IS our cohi- mon inheritance.
 The Mediaeval church noted the fact and gave it public spectable. not only in glorious buildings, statues Pic.ules and solemn music, but also In the pray itself. The miracle plays found mo.h- ering in the church. Later cahhe .n0 Puritans with their scorcnins Genso sh;n of church dramatics, Of all ara
 t; ir fact The Protestant cburches followed the Puritan lead' and until recently maintained the re volt But now, after rediscussloh and revision of judgement in a mul- titude of religious minds' tne s,,y seems open to some large anu tha reciprocities between cnureh anu atre." "of +ha abundant material for popular pas eants and plays in the sacred npiA ;, ;n nresenting the drama or 1oo' o David and Absalom, of solomon ana tne Queen of Sheba, of Joseph aiu his brethren, of Esther, of the cn,lu Moses. of Dives and Lazarus' O. sbanherds and the Wise Men, ana oi tha aramatic beauty and power as s.tas .ns ou+ hv Professor Moulton in soloman's Song and in the Book C. 'Ruth.' .,. ,,,o
 IL is in accordance with this inc of enlightened thought that the iii- dependent Presbyterian Cnurcn bringing the drama as an educauonai feature into its church school.
 Surely no play could nave been inoIe @ appropriately selected than ne Piper," which Mrs. Wllkerson mas sen for the initiation. Though not a r,ih,;cal nlav. it is an ethical one, and will carry a beautiful message to the children that they will never IorBet. She will tell the story in simple woros' bringing the important characters ilieo inc scene, outlining the word picture SD the children may paint with tnelr active imaginations the whole, ana de- duct the moral lesson taught.
 .The Piper" is full of poetry anu children have a way of sensing the po eticaL Everywhere the pray was ,a an. some years ago, children Were ne'1 enellbound by it's performance anu 4hare were hundreds of children par ticinating. some of whom had leading parts. Written by an American won- an. "The Piper" won the Stratroro-on- Ayon nrize when 300 plays were sup mitted. It was played first at the Shakespearian festival in the otrae.oio Memorial theatre by the Benson fiay- Ners, and later was preesnted III .,,s; Work when the lovely Edith Ma'ehi- 
 When Mrs Wilkerson tells this story on next Sunday. Mir. Emil Levy VIII play the musical accompaniment at cerlaii points as a sympathetic suggestion or the magical flute upon which the Piper plays and with which he fascinates and ae- lights the children.
 The drama in the church school IS put a part of the educational programme that has been adopted by that progressive leader. MT Floyd Tillery, In the interest of the young people he understands so well and with whom he sympathizes so fully. As director of young peoples work fin the church school, MT. Tillery has adopted a four-fold programme in the in- terest of the physical, social. intellectual and sniritual well-being of the pupils. The succass of a school that carries out such a programme to influence the whole life for rood, has been marked by the Bir- ringhaul Sunday School Association in the exceptional record showing that sS per cent of the children under IS years of age of the Independent Presbyterian Church belong to the church school
 church school that in it's ministry seems to invite, as did the song of "The Piper:"
 ] sI love thy child Trust mel love them
 all.
 They are the brigh trimtacse pu.w. They are the brightest miracle know.
 Wine-grape growers of California are proceeding to cultivate their vines are though nothing happened. They