THE STJXDAT OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 19. 1909.
BT RlfHARD SPILLAXB.
o
UT in Ronkonkomo, Long Island
there is a bijou farm that charms
the eye of every one who sees It.
The little farmhouse Is exquisite, and the
fields, the flower beds and the orchard
show the most painstaking care, but the
neighbors are content to admire them
from the roadway or the fence side, be
cause they respect the owner's desire for
privacy. Stray wayfarers keep away be
cause of the si?ns
NO TRESPASSING!
II. il A.
K.
that meet the eye at every turn.
The signs look formidable and -forbid
ding, but they are a never-ending source
of enjoyment to the chatelaine of the
bijou farm. She is not there often a doz
en or so times a year, perhaps and when
he comes It is by special train from New
Tork. late, very late Saturday night, and
she always loaves early on Monday even
ing, another special train taking her back
to the city. When she walks about her
bijou farm she never fails to look up at
those imposing signs and smile, for they
are big and positive, and she Is little and
demure. It delights her to think that the
person reading those signs would imagine
M. EL A. K. to be a great, do-jblWisted,
1 dogmatic man and not the shy, gentle
woman whom, the world knows as Maude
Adams, but whose real name Is Maude
Ewell Adams Klskaddcn.
This Ronkonkomo fnrm gives a fair
Index to the character of Maude Adams.
No woman of the stage ever was more
shy of publicity. No woman of the stage
ever had a larger or more devoted follow
ing. Ko woman of the stage ever was
more beloved by the public at large and
yet so little known. She Is not a great
actress America has had a good many
women of more ability if less charm or
magnetism but there certainly never was
one who made so great an appeal to wom
en and children or who knew so well the
heart of a child. This Is all the more
remarkable from the fact that her child
hood was stunted and bleak. She prac
tically was bom to the stage, making her
first appearance when she was 9 months
old and playing child parts In Utah and
California until she was old enough to
be sent to the Presbyterian School for
Ofrks In Salt Lake City. "When she was
IS years old she was back on the stage
and she has been there ever since. She
now Is 77. Never until she was 25, when
she was the most prominent actress In the
United States, did she know the Joys of
a Christmas tree. Probably there never
was a stranger celebration than that one,
for the tree was all 6he ever dreamed In
cnuduood, girlhood and young woman
hood a Christmas tree should be.
Her Three Homes.
The (Ronkonkorao farm Is only ofie of
her three homes. Up in the Cfetskills. near
Onteora Park, In a cottage on the moun
tain side, she has a retreat that Is hidden
In the forest tree tops. There ehe goes to
study her part when a new play Is to be
produced, and there she goes by special
train on Saturday night and returns on
Monday evening when she is playing In
New Tork and the weather Is hot. Her
city home is at No. 23 Bast Fortieth
street, in an American basement style
house that Is as horribly cold looking and
as barren of architectural beauty exte
riorly as any other American basement
brownstone front house in that staid and
eminently respectable part of the city.
But If the house is dull looking without,
it Is not within. Few dwellings in New
York are furnished mora beautifully or
artistically. The actress has one great
passion antiques. Rare bits of furniture,
art gems of olden days that she .has
picked up here and abroad; wonders of
the goldsmith's fashlonlngs, candlesticks
that are priceless and spinning wheels
BUDAPEST ACTRESS TO
PRODUCTIONS
X
4
r
- , if-
t ''
4
ynss FERIKE BOROS.
NKW TORK. Sept. IS. (Special.) Miss Ferlke Boros. of the National
Vurt Theater in Budapest. Hungary, arrived In New Tork a few days
aci on a unique mission. She has been sent by the directors of the
Hungarian National Company on an around - the - world trip commis
sioned to make voluminous reports to them of the different methods
pursued In staging dramatic productions In the countries she will visit.
She will also make detailed comparisons of the theatrical methods In
vogue in Hungary with those In other lands. One year is allotted for
MniP. Boro.s' stay In the United States and Canada, and "during that
time she will visit all the principal cities. She is 32 years of age and Is
socially well connected, one of her brothers being an Adjutant-General
stationed at Budapest, and another Is a prominent musician. She has
bren on the stage 1R years, and has played a thousand roles under the
Hungarian stock company system.
i i: - ; m
Wl ' i" - IIS
3 - ' ' ' ' t i till
r-s I . : '
nd spinets at which dainty ladies of cen
turies ago spent many hours, delight those
who really are appreciative. Everything
Is arranged with a fine sense of harmony.
Off to one side is a sedan chair In which,
perhaps, a princess or a duchess of Eliza
beth's time was carried about from man
sion to mansion In London town. It Is as
beautiful today as ever, but what would
the great dames of those olden days think
If they sat in its cushioned seat today and
heard voices come from miles and miles
away brought on threads of steel to speak
Into their dainty ears? une seaan cnair
of long ago is the telephone booth of this
actress of today.
Maude Adams probably has the best
speaking voice of any woman'on the
stage. She has hor rolce under abso
lute control. This no doubt Is due to
the fact that she Is a trained musician
and singer. Sometimes In the draw
ing room she plays and sings. If some
particular friend is visiting. Occasion
ally she plays her own compositions.
Her favorite among these Is "The Re
cessional." She is a devoted admirer
of Kipling and has set a good many of
his poems to music.
Upstairs there are three rooms that
are worthy of particuar notice. One
Is her mother's. The furniture in this
room Is most elaborate and costly.
The draperies are of pink silk and
cream lace. The walls, however, are
what catch the eye. They literally
are covered with pictures of Maude
Adams. There are photographs in
every stage of her career from her
babyhood up. There never was a role
in which the daughter appeared of
which the mother has not a photograph
en the wall. Then there are pictures
of her tinted, patnted and engraved.
There Is a life-sire portrait of her as
Lady Babble In "The Little Minister,"
and there Is one beautiful engraving
by Ernest Haskell.
Like a Convent Cell.
The contrast between this room and
that occupied by Maude Adams Is de-
STUDY AMERICAN STAGE
if
f, if
I
.:?
cided. One suggests the theatre; the 1
other the convent. The bed chamber
" . ,h. Um. . .0fl deal like
of Maude Adams Is a good deal like
that of a cloistered nun. rything
Is of the simplest and everything Is
snotlesslv white. The bed is a little,
single. Iron affair, like that used In
convents, and the other furnishings are
of the plainest character.. The only
articles that depart from the general
tone are the few personal mementos
that the actress treasures. Most ex
quisite and most treasured of these Is
a lazuli given to her by J. M. Barrte
with her. monogram In diamonds and
encrusted with rubles. pearls and
sapphires. On the first floor there is a
solarium, which she had built recently
and which now Is her holy of holies.
Here she has her meals served and here
she does her reading. Kvery day a
florist visits this room. The walls are
trellised and flowers are everywhere.
Winter and Summer the same tempera
ture Is maintained in this room, and
Winter and Summer the roses, violets
and other flowers bloom, but never
does she spend a Sunday in New York.
Throughout her long engagements Jn
the city It Is her Invariable custom In
the Winter to go to Sandy Girt, as she
calls her Ronkonkomo home, or, in
warm weather, to her mountain cot
tage at Onteora for the week-end.
But Mrs. Adams and Miss Adams do
not complete the ' Adams household.
There Is a little girl, Augusta, with
flaxen hair and blue eyes, that Is the
protege of the actress. When Miss
Adams was In Buffalo playing Peter
Pan, Augusta was one of the children
that saw the show. Somehow she
managed to attract the attention of
the actress, and somehow the actress
became Interested In her. The parents
of Augusta are poor, and' when the
actress offered to educate the child and
make Augusta her protege the parents
were delighted. For a time Miss Adams
placed the little German girl under the
care of Mrs. Taliaferro, but now
Augusta Is one of the Adams family.
The actress thinks the child gives
promise of unusual brightness. At
any rate, she has become much at
tached to the girl. She showed this
not long ago. In her correspondence
one day there was a letter from two
girls, one of whom. was named Augusta
Just at that time Augusta, her protege,
was away. So many persons write to
her and so many children ask for
favors that Miss Adams makes no pre
tense of answering all of them, but
when she saw the name "Angusta" to
the Joint letter she read It with added
Interest. Then she' wrote a pretty note
to the Angusta of the letter and she
sent one of her photographs, auto
graphed, but the little girl who wrote
with Augusta got neither letter nor
photograph.
If any one thinks the life of an
actress, even the wealthy, successful
Intimate Personal Story of Amer
ica's Leading Actress, Who Lives
in Nun-Like' Simplicity. A Child
of thev Footlights, Who Never
Had a Christmas Tree Until She
Was 25, Who Doesn't Care Much
for Grown People, But Who
Opens Her Heart to Children
one. Is easy. Maude Adams could give
proof to the contrary. A little . girl
tor whom the actress has affection was
woman asked
whadt a3 her ambition. "Oh.
. . .
I "I want to be a great actress. I want
to be successful, to win applauso and
have my name on people s lips.
"You don't know what It means In
toll and effort," replied the woman.
"It is a very hard life. It means work
that takes a lifetime of effort. I know
I am a good actress, but I am not a
great one. I am aftvays trying- to Im
prove, but I never expect to be per
fect." And she might have gone on and
given details of the weeks of study that
every uew part entails, of the weary,
weary weeks of rehearsal, of the diet
ing, the exercising and the multitude
of other things necessary to do. There
hardly Is a duy that she does not give
just so much time to her physical well
being. An hour on horseback Is her
general method of getting exercise.
Every day she takes dancing lessons
and every day she takes music aud
singing lessons. It matters not wheth
er rehearsals are on or how much time
she has given to study, these must not
be neglected. Sometimes the rehears
ing of a new play takes five or six or
more weeks, and the rehearsals last
six or seven hours a day. and some
times longer. Hour after hour this
scene or that scene, this act or that
act must be gone over. Every gesture.
every word, every Inflection must be
studied. When a new play Is to be put
on she usually goes to her mountain
cottage tq study her part. It Is said
that never has she appeared at rehears
als with a manuscript. She Is letter
perfect the first day of rehearsal, but
nevertheless weeks and weeks of drill
ing are necessary before a play may
be produced satisfactorily.
It is a treat to attend one of these
rehearsals. Charles FYohman is the
master of ceremonies. He Is a perfect
actor without ever having appeared
on the stage as an actor. He runs the
gamut of character, comedy and in
genue. Instructing and correcting, play
ing this part and that part with a pa
tience that knows no limit. He is
teacher, the old and the young among
the players are his pupil
"Miss Adams." he will say, "that
line should be spoken this way" and
then he will speak the line in the tone
it. should be delivered.
"Yes, Mr. Frohman," she will say.
And then she will follow his direction.,
She is deferential, almost childlike,
in her obedience. Never does she criti
cise another ' player. Never does she
make a suggestion to another member
of the company as to the playing of a
part. Frohman Is master of all.
' Never does she address him except
as "Mr. Frohman." Never does he ad
dress her except as "Miss Adams." For
nearly 20 years, from the day she first
entered his company, it has been the
same.
Kthel Barrjmore.
It is not so" with all the Frohman
stars. When Frohman instructs Ethel
Barrymore she is likely to answer,
"Now, Charles, I don't feel it that
way." ,
"Now, Ee-thel," Mr. Frohman will
say. And men he will explain why
he is right and Miss Barrymore is
wrong.
Frohman ' always pronounces Miss
Barrymore's name "Ee-thel," and they
always address each other by their
Christian, names, but then Miss Barry
more's father and mother were Froh
man stars before Miss Barrymore was
out of the nursery.
There Id no byplay, no relaxation
at the rehearsals 'of. Maude Adams'
nliv. ADiarently she pays no atten
tion to anything but her own part, but
reallv she watches keenly ana is aeep
ly Interested In everything. She never
complains of fatigue. tuay ana ui
seem to agree with her. She has a
wiry constitution and Is much stronger-
than she seems.
Never was she late at a rehearsal but
once. Generally her rehearsals aYe
called for either 11 or 12 o'clock. The
day she was late rehearsal had beea
called at 11 A. M. Prompt to the minute
every member was present except Miss
Adams. As time passed ana sne aia not
appear the other players fidgeted and
got more and more uneasy. Something
must be amiss. Something was. The
woman who had been Miss Adams' com
panion for years was dying and Miss Ad
ams was By her bedside. The actress.
In her grief over her friend, had forgot
ten that the rehearsal was on at 11 and
thought it was called for 12. . Over the
telephone Mr. Frohman learned that
Miss Adams was on her way to the.
theater and that she Imagined that 12
o'clock was the proper hour.
"Ladles and gentlemen," said Mr.
Frohman to the company, after explain
ing the situation, "please remember that
Miss Adams' rehearsal was called for 12
o'clock. She must never know It was
called for 11."
At 12 o'clock, prompt to the minute,
she arrived. Her eyes were tear stained
Through the long rehearsal she played
her part. Between the acts she paced
behind the scenes with handkerchief to
eyes.
That night her companion died.
Miss Adams does not talk much to
older people, but to children she opens
her heart. She has few intimate friends
among people of the stage. There are
three actresses Margaret Gordon, Maud
Hosford and May Galyer players of
abili
ty trat not of prominence, who are I
mojkvmmM mail' vnm v wsrtalg"
! : I
i!: ' - 74-' . ; ? j
1 - " . - ' ' A 'j J
I - ' C " ' ''! -1
! "( : f ."I
IVj - l ?
If f ' '.pi
H " ' I . I
' i
N-fiaBHBBaaMiJHHaH(HMa
SAT "Z Ar5 osvr
her .close friends, but that about com-
nlefes the list.
When she plays at matinee women and
children flock about the stage entrance
to see her after the performance, but It
is rare indeed that they are' not disap
pointed. She makes it a practice not to
leave the theater between the matinee
and the rtltrht performance. When the
curtain goes down in the afternoon she
goes to her dressing-room, and in a few
minutes Is asleep, not neing awaicenea
until time for dinner, which meal is
served in her dressing-room.
On tlie Koad.
There is a tradition in the theatrical
world that no one travels so well as
does the Maude Adams company. PrI
vate cars are the custom. The star has
her own private car and. generally, an
observation car, also. There is nothing
mean about ner, ana sne mvues ion
company to make use of the observation
car whenever the scenery is particularly
attractive. She has her own personal
manager. Samuel Meyers, who looks
after all her arrangements on the road.
He engages her rooms at hotels, sees
that everything Is comfortable for her
at the theaters, and takes care of all the
details of her business. In hotels she
never goes to the dining-room. All her
meals are served in her rooms.
Strange tributes are paid to her on the
road. Every time she goes to North
ampton. Mass.. the girls of Smith Col
lege swoop down upon the theater and
decorate her dressing-room.
So far as Is known she is a postivlst
In only two matters one is in regard to
photography. She has decided ideas on
that subject and does not take the sug
gestions of photographers. She poses as
she thinks she should be photographed,
and no matter how the man of the cam
era may iplead, she Is adamant. He must
photograph her her way or not at all.
The other Ib in regard to theatrical peo
ple. She has made it an ironclad rule
never to help the members of the profes
sion except in one way. She sends a
check to the actors' fund, but she will
take no part In the benefits that are so
numerous and make no request or sug
gestion to her manager in favor of any
player.
Women of the stage usually are ex
tremists in matters of dress. She is not.
She dresses simply but in perfect taste.
She pays a lot of money for clothes.
Every garment that Is made for her for
the stage is made In duplicate so that
there may be little trouble in case of
accident or disaster. One woman made
her clothes for many years. For this
woman Miss Adams had a deep affection.
To aid her she did a thing She never
did before or since. She asked her mana
ger to put the woman's name upon the
programme. The advertisement brought
good deal or business to the dress-
maker, but, unfortunately, the woman
could not hold it. Competent he was to
a high degree, but she had a weakness
that made it difficult for her to keep her
engagements. She struggled against this
weakness, but it was difficult, Indeed, for
her to overcome her craving for drink.
One by one her customers dropped off.
Only Miss Adams remained.
One season. Just before tl actress was
going on the road, the dressmaker called
upon her. heartbroken.
"You are going away." she said, "and
when you are gone I shall have lost my
last moral prop."
"No." said Miss Adams, "I'll be with
you. every day. But you must, do your
part to fight against this evil."
The day after Miss Adams left New
York a florist called at the home of the
dressmaker and left a great bunch of '
violets. Every day thereafter through
the long season on the road the florist
left a bunch of the player's favorite flow
ers at the dressmaker's home. And
when the actre.- returned to the city
the first perron she called to see was the
woman of the needle.
Santa Clans. .
To the members of her company, and
particularly the children, she is the wim
ple, sweet woman she appears to the pub-
lie mind. Usually Christmas finds the
company on tfie road. For a month be
fore Christmas she strives, without let-
ting the children know her design, to
learn what they have set their hearts .
on having Santa Claus bring them. And
Santa Claus never falls. One season
there were 10 children in the company.
Ten Christmas trees, cut from the fields
of Sandy Girt farm, and cut according ;
to the size of the children, and dressed. ,
by Miss Adams, were In the childrens' ;
dressing rooms after the performance.
And every child's heart was made glad i
by getting from Santa Claus exactly
what the little one had hoped and longedl .
for. Queer things those children fancied. ;
One. who had a habit of biting her nails. .
wished for a manicure set. She had no .
nails left to operate on, but Santa Claus
did not fall her. One wished a toy that
no toy .shop in New York bad In stock,
but, by special order, Santa Claus had
one made to gladden the childish heart.
The woman who never had a Christmas
tree until .she was 25 knew the sorrows
.that childhood knows when Santa Claus
forgets.
Once when one of the girls of her com
pany was leaving the stage to be married
Miss Adams decided to make a wedding
present to her. Her first idea was to fit
the bride's house out with a complete
outfit of embroidered linen. Then she
changed her mind. The linen would wear
out In two or three years. So she fur
nished the bridal dress, and rarely has
bride had a more beautiful or costly one,
and she gave a silver service that would
last for all time, and with the silver
service went a mahogany tray with silver
railing.
In "Quality Street" she wore an antique
necklace of rare design and exquisite
make. On the closing night of the play
the company gathered about the star,
and one of the .members, on behalf of
all, presented to her a token . of their
love and esteem. Her leading man was
Sidney Brough. an English actor, who
with his wife had come to this country
to support her in this one play. They
gave to her a painting on sheepskin of
herself as Phoebe Throssel. As the
actress looked at the painting of herself
her hands went to the necklace. She
took It off and put it In Mrs. Brough's
hand. "This is for little '"Genie." she
said. " 'Genie is the Broughs' little
girl.
There is nothing theatrical about Maude
Adams. A thousand persons might meet
her In the street and not one would think
of her as an actress. She rarely walk?
about. To and from the theater she al
ways travels In a cab. She Is intensely
American. Everything she wears must
be of American make. Nwer did she
wear hat or gown made in Paris. She
would rather have the applause nd the
love of children than of grown ups. Once
during the height of the run of "Peter
Pan," when seats could not be had for
love or money, a woman friend who has
two children and whose means are limit
ed, wrote to her asking If, later on, when
tlie rush was not so great and the oppor.
trinity offered, two seats could be spared
she would be overjoyed to have the chil
dren see the play.
By the next mall three tickets came
from Miss Adams. With It was a note
asking that the children read the ac
companying story of Peter Pan, ex
planatory of the play, before going to the
theater.
The children and the mother saw the
play and after the performance Mr. Myers
was waiting for them at the door.
Miss Adams asks if you will please
have the children write to her their opin
ion of the play." he said.
Strange woman. Those wno know ner
best say she is Petpr Pan to the life, a
child that never grew up. When she goes
abroad she lives in a convent near Paris.
That she is a woman of high ideals and
tries to live up to them there Is no doubt.
While not a Roman Catholic, she goes to
mass. (Copyright, 1909, by Richard Spll-
lane.)