adventures and letters-第34章

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；　and　went　off　into　a　fit；　and　the　company　was　delighted　as　John　would　have　been　had　he　been　quite　sure　we　were　not　going　on　the　stage　or　into　a　box。　　We　left　them　after　we　had　had　a　drink；　although　the　company　besought　us　to　stay　and　protect　them；　and　got　a　supper　ready　in　Russell's　rooms；　at　which　Helen；　Ethel　Barrymore；　John　and　Mrs。　Drew；　Maude　Adams　and　Griscom　were　present。

DICK。


NEW　YORK；　November；　1895。　DEAR　MOTHER：

The　china　cups　have　arrived　all　right　and　are　a　beautiful　addition　to　my　collection　and　to　my　room；　in　which　Daphne　still　holds　first　place。

What　do　you　think　Sir　Henry　sent　me？　　The　medal　and　his　little　black　pipe　in　a　green　velvet　box　about　as　big　as　two　bricks　laid　side　by　side　with　a　heavy　glass　top　with　bevelled　edges　and　the　medal　and　pipe　lying　on　a　white　satin　bed；　bound　down　with　silverand　a　large　gold　plate　with　the　inscription　〃To　Richard　Harding　Davis　with　the　warmest　greetings　from　Gregory　Brewster1895〃　You　have　no　idea　how　pretty　it　is；　Bailey；　Banks　and　Biddle　made　it　It　is　just　like　him　to　do　anything　so　sweet　and　thoughtful　and　it　has　attracted　so　many　people　that　I　have　had　it　locked　up　No　Burden　jewel　robbers　here　My　friend；　the　Russian　O　lady　still　pursues　me　and　as　she　has　no　sense　of　humor　and　takes　everything　seriously；　she　frightens　me　I　am　afraid　she　will　move　in　at　any　moment　She　has　asked　me　to　spend　the　summer　with　her　at　Paris　and　Monte　Carlo；　and　at　her　country　place　in　Norfolk　and　bombards　me　with　invitations　to　suppers　and　things　in　the　meantime。　　She　has　just　sent　me　a　picture　of　herself　two　feet　by　three；　with　writing　all　over　it　and　at　any　moment；　I　expect　her　to　ring　the　bell　and　order　her　trunks　taken　up　stairs　I　am　too　attractive　Last　night　I　dined　with　Helen　and　Maude　Adams；　who　is　staying　with　her。　　I　want　them　to　board　me　too。　　Maude　sang　for　us　after　dinner　and　then　went　off　to　see　Yvette　Guilbert　at　a　〃sacred　concert〃　to　study　her　methods。　　I　went　to　N's　box　to　hear　Melba　and　we　chatted　to　the　accompaniment　of　Melba；　Nordica　and　Plancon　in　a　triothe　Ogre；　wore　fur；　pearls；　white　satin　and　violets。　　It　was　a　pink　silk　box。　　Then　I　went　down　to　a　reception　at　Mrs。　De　Koven's　and　found　it　was　a　play。　　Everybody　was　seated　already　so　I　squatted　down　on　the　floor　in　front　of　Mrs。　De　Koven　and　a　tall　woman　in　a　brocade　gown　cut　like　a　Japanese　woman's　It　was　very　dark　where　the　audience　was；　so　I　could　not　see　her　face　but　when　the　pantomime　was　over　I　looked　up　and　saw　it　was　Yvette　Guilbert。　　So　I　grabbed　Mrs。　De　Koven　and　told　her　to　present　me　and　Guilbert　said　in　English　〃It　is　not　comfortable　on　the　floor　is　it？〃　and　I　said；　〃I　have　been　at　your　feet　for　three　years　now；　so　I　am　quite　used　to　it〃for　which　I　was　much　applauded　Afterwards　I　told　some　one　to　tell　her　in　French　that　I　had　written　a　book　about　Paris　and　about　her　and　that　I　was　going　to　mark　it　and　send　it　and　before　the　woman　could　translate；　Guilbert　said；　〃No；　send　me　the　Van　Bippere　book〃　So　we　asked　her　what　she　meant　and　she　said；　〃　M。　Bourget　told　me　to　meet　you　and　to　read　your　Van　Bippere　Book；　you　are　Mr。　Davis；　are　you　not？〃　So　after　that　I　owned　the　place　and　refused　to　meet　Mrs。　Vanderbilt。

Yvette　has　offered　to　teach　me　French；　so　I　guess　I　won't　go　to　Somerset's　wedding；　unless　O　scares　me　out　of　the　country。　　I　got　my　2；000　check　and　have　paid　all　my　debts。　　They　were　not　a　third　as　much　as　I　thought　they　were；　so　that's　all　right。

Do　come　over　mother；　as　soon　as　you　can　and　we　will　meet　at　Jersey　City；　and　have　a　nice　lunch　and　a　good　talk。　　Give　my　bestest　love　to　Dad　and　Nora。　　How　would　she　like　Yvette　for　a　sister…in…law？　　John　Hare　has　sent　me　seats　for　to　night　He　is　very　nice　I　have　begun　the　story　of　the　〃Servants'　Ball〃　and　got　well　into　it。

and　lots　of　love。

DICK。



The　following　letter　was　written　to　me　at　Florence。　　The　novel　referred　to　was　〃Soldiers　of　Fortune；〃　which　eventually　proved　the　most　successful　book；　commercially；　my　brother　ever　wrote。　　Mrs。　Hicks；　to　whom　Richard　frequently　refers；　is　the　well…known　English　actress　Ellaline　Terriss；　the　wife　of　Seymour　Hicks。　　Somerset　is　Somers　Somerset；　the　son　of　Lady　Henry　Somerset；　and　the　Frohman　referred　to　is　Daniel　Frohman；　who　was　the　manager　of　the　old　Lyceum　Theatre。

Early　in　November；　William　R。　Hearst　asked　my　brother　to　write　a　description　of　the　Yale…Princeton　football　game　for　The　Journal。　　Richard　did　not　want　to　write　the　〃story〃　and　by　way　of　a　polite　refusal　said　he　could　not　undertake　it　for　less　than　500。00。　　Greatly　to　his　surprise　Hearst　promptly　accepted　the　offer。　　At　the　time；　I　imagine　this　was　by　far　the　largest　sum　ever　paid　a　writer　for　reporting　a　single　event。


December　31st；　1895。　New　York。　The　Players。

New　Year's　Eve。　DEAR　CHAS：

I　am　not　much　of　a　letter　writer　these　days；　but　I　have　finished　the　novel　and　that　must　make　up　for　it。　　It　goes　to　the　Scribners　for　5；000　which　is　not　as　much　as　I　think　I　should　have　got　for　it。　　I　am　now　lying　around　here　until　the　first　of　February；　when　I　expect　to　sail　to　Somerset's　wedding；　reaching　you　in　little　old　Firenzi　in　March。　　We　will　then　paint　it。　　After　that　I　do　not　know　what　I　shall　do。　　The　Journal　is　after　me　to　do　almost　anything　I　want　at　my　own　figure；　as　a　correspondent。　　They　have　made　Ralph　London　correspondent　and　their　paper　is　the　only　one　now　to　stick　to。　　They　are　trying　to　get　all　the　well　known　men　at　big　prices。

I　have　had　such　a　good　time　helping　Mrs。　Hicks　in　Seymour's　absence。　　She　had　about　everything　happen　to　her　that　is　possible　and　she　is　just　the　sort　of　little　person　you　love　to　do　things　for。　　She　finally　sailed　and　I　am　now　able　to　attend　to　my　own　family。

The　Central　American　and　Venezuelan　book　comes　out　on　February　lst。　　Several　of　the　papers　here　jokingly　alluded　to　the　fact　that　my　article　on　the　Venezuelan　boundary　had　inspired　the　President's　message。　　Of　course　you　get　garbled　ideas　of　things　over　there　and　exaggerated　ones；　as　for　instance；　on　the　Coxey　army。　　But　you　never　saw　anything　like　the　country　after　that　war　message。　It　was　like　living　with　a　British　fleet　off　Sandy　Hook。　　Everybody　talked　of　it　and　of　nothing　else。　　I　went　to　a　dinner　of　300　men　all　of　different　callings　and　I　do　not　believe　one　of　them　spoke　of　anything　else。　　Cabmen；　car　conductors；　barkeepers；　beggars　and　policemen。　　All　talked　war　and　Venezuela　and　the　Doctrine　of　Mr。　Monroe。　　In　three　days　the　country　lost　one　thousand　of　millions　of　dollars　in　values；　which　gives　you　an　idea　how　expensive　war　is。　　It　is　worse　than　running　a　newspaper。　　Now；　almost　everyone　is　for　peace；　peace　at　any　price。　　I　do　not　know　of　but　one　jingo　paper；　The　Sun；　and　war　talk　is　greeted　with　jeers。　　It　was　as　if　the　people　had　suddenly　had　their　eyes　opened　to　what　it　really　meant　and　having　seen　were　wiser　and　wanted　no　more　of　it。　　Your　brother；　personally；　looks　at　it　like　this。　　Salisbury　was　to　blame　in　the　first　place　for　being　rude　and　not　offering　to　arbitrate　as　he　had　been　asked　to　do。　　When　he　said　to　Cleveland；　〃It's　none　of　your　business〃　the　only　answer　was　〃Well；　I'll　make　it　my　business〃　but　instead　of　stopping　there；　Cleveland　uttered　a　cast　iron　ultimatum　instead　of　leaving　a　loophole　for　diplomacy　and　a　chance　for　either　or　both　to　back　out。　　That's　where　I　blame　him　as　does　every　one　else。

Sam　Sothern　is　in　Chicago　and　we　all　wrote　him　guying　letters　about　the　war。　　Helen　said　she　was　going　to　engage　〃The　Heart　of　Maryland〃　company　to　protect　her　front　yard；　while　Russell　and　I　have　engaged　〃The　Girl　I　Left　Behind　Me〃　company　with　Blanch　Walsh　and　the　original　cast。

We　sent　Somerset　a　picture　of　himself　riddled　with　bullets。　　And　Mrs。　Hicks　made　herself　famous　by　asking　if　it　was　that　odious　Dunraven　they　were　going　to　war　about。

My　article　was　a　very　lucky　thing　and　is　greatly　quoted　and　in　social　gatherings　I　am　appealed　to　as　a　final　authority。

The　football　story；　by　the　way；　did　me　a　heap　of　good　with　the　newspapers　and　the　price　was　quoted　as　the　highest　ever　paid　for　a　piece　of　reporting。　　People　sent　for　it　so　that　the　edition　was　exhausted。　　The　Journal　people　were　greatly　pleased。

Yvette　Guilbert　is　at　Hammerstein's　and　crowds　the　new　music　hall　nightly；　at　two　do