NEW YORK, 1893.
[DEAR MOTHER:]
I got your nice letter and one from Dad. Both calling me
many adjectives pleasing to hear although they do not happen
to fit. So you are in a third edition are you? These
young
writers are crowding me to the wall. I feel thrills of pride
when I see us sitting cheek by jowl on the news-stands.
Lots of love. DICK.
In February, 1894, Richard was forced by a severe attack
of sciatica to give up temporarily the gayeties of New York
and for a cure he naturally chose our home in Philadelphia,
where he remained for many weeks. Although unable to leave
his bed, he continued to do a considerable amount of work,
including the novelette "The Princess Aline," in the writing
of which I believe my brother took more pleasure than in that
of any story or novel he ever wrote. The future Empress of
Russia was the heroine of the tale, and that she eventually
read the story and was apparently delighted with it caused
Richard much human happiness.
