Evening star., 1942-02-08
Youth Keeps Home Morgue for Study of
Just
| Between
Yourselves
BY PHILIP H. LOVE-
Junior Star Editor.

SuuI0I 0teI &AAsSAs
The Barry family Is very nearly
all out for dancing.
"All out" Is you know, Is . term
that has come into common use
! since the beginning Of the war.
AS applied to . nations war enort
it means that all resources-agrt-
cultural, industrial, economic and
human-are being used to the FULL
est possible extent. And, as ap-
piled to the Barry family
Well, first there's Virginia, a.. She
has been dancing since she was
years old. At present she teaches
dancing at Sacred Heart Academy
and St. AIMS School, as well as in
private classes Of her own. She Is
q graduate OF Sacred Heart.
Then there's Frank, 20, q grad
uate of st. Johns College now at
tending Columbus University. He
has been dancing since he was 10
and he and Virginia often give ball
room exhibitions together.
Next comes Dorothy. 18. Holy Cross
hCdueIIly u lduudtC wiz AA>S S
dancing since she was 5.
Then there's Mercedes, Is, known
to her schoolmates at Sacred Heart
as "Boofie." She has been dancing
since she was 4.
And, finally, there's David, IT., 10,
who has been dancing about two
years. The tap conga is his spe-
cialty. though right now he Is more
interested in gathering old news
papers to aid the national defense
program.
The dancing Barrys live at 1414
Madison street NV. They would
rather dance than do anything else
and they're not too particular
whether they do it singly. in pairs
or as a family group. With them
the dance is the thing. So much
so, in fact, that they even collect
dancing dolls.
Mercedes, or "Boof1e," is custodian
of the dolls at present. Some Of
them originally belonged to Vir-
ginia and Dorothy, but she has in
creased their number greatly since
they came under her care.
Next to dancing and ice-skating,'
Boofie says, II like my dancing dolls
better than anything. I have about
rs of them, all together. My favor
ite, think. is one that has been in
our family for more than 100 years"
Boofie. who Is in her second year
at S. H., has danced on charity
programs in every hotel and hospital
in Washington. She also has per-
formed for the various service mems
organizations, as well as for the boys
at Fort Meade, Boiling Field and
other defense centers in the Wash
ington area. She was thrilled, she
reports, to discover Mrs. Roosevelt
among those present at one OF her
shows.
For the duration Of the war"
Boofie declares; II want to devote
as much of my time as possible to
defense dancing. I dance for fun,
anyway, and not for money: so,
naturally, I'd rather contribute my
services to the cause Of national de-
fense than to anything else"
Toe. tap and character dancing
are Boofie's specialties. II like toe
best of all. though" she says.
The high light of Boofie's career
so far was a performance at the
Water Gate last season. She is a
veteran in the entertainment field,
however, having made her radio de-
but-as a singer and in dramatic
presentations-at the advanced age
Of a months. 81 couldn't dance
then" she admits, but I could talk
plainly" Since then, she has
tapped on many radio programs, in
cluding WMAL's ..Children's Frolic."
Boofe's ambition is to become a
teacher of dancing. But, first" she
points out, 81 have to get through
Sacred Heart and put in four more
years at Dunbarton College. And by
that time, I'll bet, I'll have many
more dancing dolls in my collection"
From Truesdell School comes an
other answer to the question dis
cussed in this column last week,
What does it mean to be good
Americana" This one is from Rita
Prince, IL, Of 5110 Ninth street NV.
"As I sit here trying to express my
true feeling on this subject" she
writes, 81 remember when I was
just little girl sitting on my grand
fathers knee, listening to him tell
of when he was boy, how he didn't |
always have enough food because
a certain ruler decreed 50. He said
he couldn't 60 to any church ne
wanted to, as we in America can.
He couldn't read any newspaper he
wanted to. or listen to any radio |
program. No, he could do only as his |
leader wanted him and the rest of |
the people to do.
MY grandfather knows that, to |
be good Americans, we must look
upon our laws as privileges; he |
knows because he has been through |
the hardships Of life under a die
tatorship. From 1892 to this very |
day good Americans have been |
standing up for the ideal of free
dom. So, although we girls and |
boys can't 60 on to tight, we can
help to keep up the morale of our |
people here at home, We can buy |
Defense saving stamps and We can |