Evening star., 1936-04-18
By Marie de L. Kennedy.

ing OF this "deathleSs classic OF child
hood" in the house at 1919 I street
recently marked by bronze tablet
where Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
wrote this fascinating story.
The Washington Fauntleroy Library
Society, of which Ernest C. Rick, 1895
Massachusetts avenue southeast, a
Washington high school teacher and
personal friend Of Vivian Burnett
(New York;, son and heir of Mrs.
Burnett, who was the inspiration fol
Lord Fauntleroy," is inaugurating
the collection Of Lord Fauntleroy
memorabilia. Vivian Burnett is CO.
operating. Reginald Birch, who made
the original drawings when Lord
Fauntleroy' was first published so
years ago, and who participated in
the tablet unveiling ceremonies. is
making a set of redrawings of the
original sketches.
Nathan N. Wallack, prominent
Washington business man and book
collector, has presented an auto
graphed first edition Of Little Lord
Fauntleroy" and Mrs. Burnett's will
in which she named William Henry
Dennis of Washington, as executor.
DR.. E. G. Kimball, 1927 Park road
northwest, who taught the two Bur-
nett boys in the old Franklin School
on Thirteenth street, now occupied
by the Board of Education, is also
assisting in starting this memorial
library. He attended the unveiling OF
the tablet.
Miss Anita Schade, 1929 Rhode
Island avenue northwest, has pre-
sented the society with a photograph
of Elsie Leslie, the child actress who
in 1888 created the role of Little Lord
Fauntleroy."
THE Washington Fauntleroy Liter
ary Society at a recent meeting
decided to attend the screen version
of Little Lord Fauntleroy" and has
arranged for a childrens hour at sew
eral Of the local high schools, where
the historian of the society and others
will give talks on this classic story of
manliness and "love more powerful
than hate" and where motion pic
lures Of the unveiling of the tablet
will be shown. These programs will
be in the charge of Miss Marie Wal
colt, a dramatic teacher in the Wash
ington schools.
The character Of Little Lord Faun-
tleroy was created on the American
stage in 1888 by an exceptional child
actor, Elsie Leslie She was sug-
gested and engaged for the part BY
William Gillette, now dean of Amer
ican actors. famous as "the grand old
man of the stage" then a rising young
man of forceful dramatic possibilities
He had collaborated with Mrs. Bur-
nett in the dramatization of her story
"Esmeralda," in 1882, and had played
the role Of the burglar opposite little
Elsie Leslie in the stage version OF
another book Of Mrs. Burnett's
"Editha's Burglar" also written in
Washington.
OF ELSIE LESLIE, Mrs. Burnett
herself wrote in 1888: Il am sit
ting in my den in Washington. but
tomorrow I go to New York again,
to rehearse Fauntleroy for its pres
entation there. Its success in Boston
has been enormous. I have had be-
tween seven and eight hundred dol
lars week from it and the manager
is tearing his hair up by the roots
because he had to take it of to put
on another piece he had contracted
to produce. The child who plays il
elsie Leslie) is charming" The man.
ager mentioned was r. M. Field of the
famous old Boston Museum.
Again she wrote, to the little actress
herself:
my dear little girl: Every one is
telling me what a dear little Fauntle-
roy you make, and am looking for
ward with great pleasure to seeing you
play tomorrow night. When you see
in one of the boxes a lady in a yel-
low brocade dress, who smiles at you
and looks delighted, you will know
who it is. -. After the play I will
try to see you, to kiss you, and tel
you how pleased I am. I have nc
little girl Of my own, but have two
boys, and one of them used to be just
like Fauntleroy, and they both have
always called me Dearest That is
why I made Fauntleroy call his mother
so I know what a sweet name it is
Mr.. Gillette told me in New York
how beautifully you play. I am sure
he loves you.
"Your affectionate friend,
FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
In December, 1888, she wrote to her
small sons in Washington from New
York:
MY darling boys: I am so tired to-
day that I scarcely know what to do
but I must write you two or three lines
to tell you what grand success Faun-
tleroy is. I wish you could have
been with me to hear the people
all that big theater full of people
shout and shout, and call for your
small Mamma to come out on the
stage. I went out twice, taking Elsie
Leslie with me.
"a club of 200 gentlemen came. 1t
is called the Bachelors-and they sent
Elsie a magnificent basket of flow
ers, with a dear little canary in a
gilded cage on the top of it. Elsie
was delighted. The managers
say they never saw such a first night
in New York.
1T WAS at this time that Tommy
Russell, nephew of Annie Russell,
an old friend Of Mrs. Burnett, began
to alternate in the role Of the little
lord with Elsie Leslie. Although
about 9 years old. he was already
what was called "a seasoned actor,
having unusual ability and the dis
tinction of having played with Booth,
Modjeska and Bernhardt.
It was Tommy who introduced the
play to Washington audiences in 1890.
In The Evening Star Of March %,
1890, an advance announcement ran:
New National. Next Week. Mrs.
Frances Hodgson Burnett's Dramatic