adventures and letters-第44章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cept　for　occasional　twinges　of　sciatica　but　I　have　not　had　to　go　to　bed　with　it　and　some　times　it　disappears　for　a　week。　　A　little　less　rain　and　more　sun　will　stop　it。　　I　hope　you　do　not　mind　my　not　returning　but　we　will　all　be　together　for　many　months　this　Fall　and　I　really　feel　that　I　have　not　had　a　quiet　moment　here　for　pleasure　and　work。　　It　has　been　such　a　rush。　　I　do　wish　to　see　dear　Dad。　　I　am　so　very　sorry　about　his　being　ill；　and　I　hope　he　is　having　lots　of　fishing。　　Love　to　all　at　Marionand　God　bless　you。

RICHARD。


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　partstwo　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。


LONDON；　December　29th；　1897。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　had　a　most　exciting　Christmas；　most　of　which　I　spent　in　Whitechapel　in　the　London　Hospital。　　I　lunched　with　the　Spenders　and　then　went　down　with　them　carrying　large　packages　for　distribution　to　the　sick。　　I　expected　to　be　terribly　bored；　but　thought　I　would　feel　so　virtuous　that　I　would　the　better　enjoy　my　dinner　which　I　had　promised　to　take　with　the　McCarthys　On　the　contrary；　I　had　the　most　amusing　time　and　much　more　fun　than　I　had　later。　　The　patients　seemed　only　to　be　playing　sick；　and　some　of　them　were　very　humorous　and　others　very　pathetic　and　I　played　tin　soldiers　with　some；　and　distributed　rich　gifts；　other　people　had　paid　for；　with　a　lavish　hand。　　I　also　sat　on　a　little　girl's　cot　and　played　dolls　for　an　hour。　　She　had　something　wrong　with　her　spine　and　I　wept　most　of　the　time；　chiefly　because　she　smiled　all　the　time。　　She　went　asleep　holding　on　to　my　middle　finger　like　the　baby　in　〃The　Luck　of　Roaring　Camp。〃　　There　were　eighty　babies　in　red　flannel　nightgowns　buttoned　up　the　back　who　had　pillow　fights　in　honor　of　the　day　and　took　turns　in　playing　on　a　barrel　organ；　those　that　were　strong　and　tall　enough。　　In　the　next　ward　another　baby　in　white　was　dying　Its　mother　was　a　coster　girl；　seventeen　years　old；　with　a　big　hat　and　plumes　like　those　the　flower　girls　wear　at　Piccadilly　Circus。　　The　baby　was　yellow　like　old　ivory　and　its　teeth　and　gums　were　blue　and　it　died　while　we　were　watching　it。　　The　mother　girl　was　drinking　tea　and　crying　into　it　out　of　red　swollen　eyes；　and　twenty　feet　off　one　of　the　red　nightgowned　kids　was　playing　〃Louisiana　Lou〃　on　the　barrel　organ。　　The　nurse　put　the　baby's　arms　under　the　sheets　and　then　pulled　one　up　over　its　face　and　took　the　teacup　away　from　the　mother　who　didn't　see　what　had　happened　and　I　came　away　while　three　young　nurses　were　comforting　the　girl。　　Most　of　the　nurses　were　very　beautiful；　and　I　neglected　my　duties　as　Santa　Claus　to　talk　to　them。　　They　would　stop　talking　to　get　down　on　their　knees　and　dust　up　the　floor；　which　was　most　embarrassing；　you　couldn't　very　well　ask　to　be　let　to　help。　　There　was　one　coster　who　had　his　broken　leg　in　a　cage　which　moved　with　the　leg　no　matter　how　much　he　tossed。　　He　was　like　the　man　〃who　sat　in　jail　without　his　boots；　admiring　how　the　world　was　made；〃　he　spent　all　his　waking　hours　in　wrapt　admiration　of　the　cage　He　said　to　me　〃I've　been　here　a　fortnight　now；　come　Monday；　and　I　can't　break　my　leg　no　how。　　Yer　can't　do　it；　that's　all　Yer　can　twist；　and　kick；　and　toss；　and　it　don't　do　no　good。　　Yer　jest　can't　do　it　Now　you　take　notice。〃　　Then　he　would　kick　violently　and　the　cage　would　run　around　on　trolleys　and　keep　the　broken　limb　straight。　　〃See！〃　he　would　exclaim；　〃Wot　did　I　tell　you　Its　no　use　of　trying；　yer　just　can't　do　it。　　'ere　I've　been　ten　days　a　trying　and　it　can't　be　done。〃

We　had　a　very　fine　Christmas　dinner　just　Ethel；　the　McCarthy's　and　I。　　Fanny；　tell　Charles；　brought　in　the　plum　pudding　with　a　sprig　of　holly　in　it　and　blazing；　and　after　dinner　I　read　them　the　Jackall　About　eleven　I　started　to　take　Ethel　to　Miss　Terry's；　who　lives　miles　beyond　Kensington。　　There　was　a　light　fog。　　I　said　that　all　sorts　of　things　ought　to　happen　in　a　fog　but　that　no　one　ever　did　have　adventures　nowadays。　　At　that　we　rode　straight　into　a　bank　of　fog　that　makes　those　on　the　fishing　banks　look　like　Spring　sunshine。　　You　could　not　see　the　houses；　nor　the　street；　nor　the　horse；　not　even　his　tail。　　All　you　could　see　were　gas　jets；　but　not　the　iron　that　supported　them。　　The　cabman　discovered　the　fact　that　he　was　lost　and　turned　around　in　circles　and　the　horse　slipped　on　the　asphalt　which　was　thick　with　frost；　and　then　we　backed　into　lamp…posts　and　curbs　until　Ethel　got　so　scared　she　bit　her　under　lip　until　it　bled。　　You　could　not　tell　whether　you　were　going　into　a　house　or　over　a　precipice　or　into　a　sea。　　The　horse　finally　backed　up　a　flight　of　steps；　and　rubbed　the　cabby　against　a　front　door；　and　jabbed　the　wheels　into　an　area　railing　and　fell　down。　　That；　I　thought；　was　our　cue　to　get　out；　so　we　slipped　into　a　well　of　yellow　mist　and　felt　around　for　each　'other　until　a　square　block　of　light　suddenly　opened　in　mid　air　and　four　terrified　women　appeared　in　the　doorway　of　the　house　through　which　the　cabman　was　endeavoring　to　butt　himself。　　They　begged　us　to　come　in；　and　we　did　Being　Christmas　and　because　the　McCarthy's　always　call　me　〃King〃　I　had　put　on　all　my　decorations　and　the　tin　star　and　I　also　wore　my　beautiful　fur　coat；　to　which　I　have　treated　myself；　and　a　grand　good　thing　it　is；　too　I　took　this　off　because　the　room　was　very　hot；　forgetting　about　the　decorations　and　remarked　in　the　same　time　to　Ethel　that　it　would　be　folly　to　try　and　get　to　Barkston　Gardens；　and　that　we　must　go　back　to　the　〃Duchess's〃　for　the　night。　　At　this　Ethel　answered　calmly　〃yes；　Duke；〃　and　I　became　conscious　of　the　fact　that　the　eyes　of　the　four　women　were　riveted　on　my　fur　coat　and　decorations。　　At　the　word　〃Duke〃　delivered　by　a　very　pretty　girl　in　an　evening　frock　and　with　nothing　on　her　hair　the　four　women　disappeared　and　brought　back　the　children；　the　servants；　and　the　men；　who　were　so　overcome　with　awe　and　excitement　and　Christmas　cheer　that　they　all　but　got　down　on　their　knees　in　a　circle。　　So；　we　fled　out　into　the　night　followed　by　minute　directions　as　to　where　〃Your　Grace