LONDON
July 13, 1897.
[DEAR MOTHER:]
Today Barrie gave a copyright performance of "The Little
Minister" which Maude Adams is to play in the States. It was
advertised by a single bill in front of the Haymarket Theater
and the price of admission was five guineas. We took in
fifteen guineas, the audience being Charley Frohman, Lady
Craig and a man. Cyril Maude played the hero and Brandon
Thomas and Barrie the two low comedy parts — two Scotchmen of
Thrums. I started to play one of them, but as I insisted on
making it an aged negro with songs, Barrie and Frohman got
discouraged and let me play the villain, Lord Rintoul, in
which character I was great. Maude played his part in five
different ways and dialects so as to see which he liked best,
he said. It was a bit confusing. Then one of the actors went
up in the gallery and pretended to be a journalist critic who
had sneaked in, and he abused the play and the actors with the
exception of the man who played Whamond (himself) whom he said
he thought showed great promise. Maude pretended not to know
who he was and it fooled everybody. Mrs. Barrie played the
gipsy and danced most of the time, which she said was her
conception of the part as it was in the book. Her husband
explained that this was a
play, not a book, but she did not care and danced on and off.
She played my daughter, and I had a great scene in which I
cursed her, which got rounds of applause. Lady Lewis's
daughters in beautiful Paquin dresses played Scotch lassies,
and giggled in all the sad parts, and one actress who had made
a great success as one of the "Two Vagabonds" made everybody
weep by really trying to act. At one time there were five men
on the stage all talking Scotch dialect and imitating Irving
at the same time. It was a truly remarkable performance.
Ethel Barrymore goes back on Saturday with Drew to play a
French maid in "A Marriage of Convenience." She is announced
to be engaged to Hope, I see by the papers. They are not
engaged, of course, but the papers love to make matches. Look
for me as sailing either on the 31st on the
St. Louis or a
week later. With lots and lots of love.
DICK.
In the late summer Richard returned to Marion and from
there went to New York. However, at this time, the lure of
England was very strong with my brother, and early December
found him back in London.
