The Washington herald., 1921-06-29
Mary Pickford Aunt to 500
Orphan Girls in Los Angeles
my LIFE"
~ NARY rICkFoRD.
tcspynshs. iseI.)
tceatsausd frsn Yesterday

= 6. fl ~ = -
(centinusd from Yesterday
At this point in Mary Pickford's
narrative. as told to Hayden Talbot,
II seems desirable to digress while
Mr.. Talbot gives an account Of her
relation to 5oe orphan children who
found happiness In her bounty and
Kindness.
wss not little surprised one
day ora arriving at the Pickford
bungalow on the Brunton lot to be
met by the little lady with an apollo
getic smile and a statemnt that she
was afraid she would have to beg
on for the day. 1t was 20 unlike
her-to let anything interfere with
a promise given. But quickly she
un6eceived me.
when i made the engagement"
she said with a golden smile, Il for
got ! was giving a theater party
today. But perhaps it might anuse
you to como along"
And SO IL transpired that pres
emily I found myself outside the
Auditorium, the biggest theater in
Los Angeles. with a seating capacity
exceeding $500. where Miss Pick
ford's newest picture was being
shown.
Star Attracts Crowd.
The little star was accompanied by
her mother-it is seldom. indeed,
that the one Is ever seen in public
without the other-and by little
Mary Rupp. the 4-year-old daughter
of Lottie Pickford. Mary's sister.
Almost before the Pickford car
had stopped at the curb, passersby
had discovered the identity of the
trio in tho topueau, and had come
to an abrupt halt on the sidewalk.
craning necks and whispering ex-
citedly, Here's Mary"
BY the time Miss Pickford had as
sisted her mother and her beloved
niece to alight, the sidewalk was
jamed with a pushing mob of men
and women and children, elbowing
and jostling for a sight of the
screen idol.
I was curious to see how Miss
Pickford would behave under the
circumstances. was not disap-
pointed. Mere nearly perfect poise
and lack of affectation could not
have been evidenced by royalty
itself-accustomed to years of just
this sort Of hero-worship.
Lifts Out Little Mary.
Miss Pickford semed utterly OBJ
livious of the sensation her appear
ance was causing. At first all her
attention was centered on her
mother and little Mary. The latter
she picked up bodily and lifted out
of the car onto the sidewalk.
The child very gravely. and as
seemingly undisturbed by the
densely packed crowd of spectators
as her famous aunt. leaned over
and Strengthened out the folds of
her little coat-very methodicalfy
and then surveyed the effect with
critical eyes.
The whole crowd was composed
Of women and children.
Miss Pickford, as always, was
ahead of time. Her guests had not
vet arrived. But presently their
coming was heralded by a veritable
ear-splitting assault of motor horns.
1t was tiny Mary Rupp who gave
me the first inkling of the indentity
of Miss pickford's guests.
Here comes your orphings, Aunt
NhC
grave little tot suddenly. And for
the first time gay excitement light
ed her big gray eyes.
Guests All Girls.
And sure enough, a moment later
the "orphings" began to arrive.
There were 500 of them-all girls.
and ranging in ages from to
perhaps Is years. They came IN
what are called "ruboer-neck wss-
ons"-enormously big caravans,
each one seating fifty or more. In
each of the vehicles was a sister
in the picturesque uniform of her
order
A half dozen policeman appear
ed and cleared a way for the little
ones TO form in lines on the side
walk in front Of the theater. When
finally the last OF the ten carloads
had been deposited on the side
walk the little ones started in single
file into the lobby and past the box
once. where Miss Pickford, stand
ing behind a brass rail, could greet
them.
1T was all 1 could do" she said
later, ito keep from taking every
one of them into my arms and kiss
ing their darling faces-but there
were so many of them II wou!o
have been night before 1 could have
finished-and, of course, IT, had
kissed one of them I'd have had to
kiss them ALL"
Mary Is the Institution.
But she did speak to every last
one Of them-and a goodly number
called by name On their part, they
all knew and all addressed her as
Aunt Mary"
Miss Pickford herself seemed dis
inclined to enlighten me as to her
relationship to the orphanage, but
from one of the sisters before the
performance began, / got eye
opening Information.
why. bless her heart! said Sis
ter Cecilia. she is the Institution.
Without her / don't know what
might not have become of US. And,
mind you. II is not merely a case
of her money-although her purse
has always been wide oupen to us
and her financial support made IL
possible for us to do our work
hapnflv ana uvifhnnf -orrv Ru,