adventures and letters-第11节

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ney　or　the　lack　of　it　certainly　never　caused　Richard　any　worriment　during　the　early　days　of　which　I　write。　　For　what　he　made　he　worked　extremely　hard；　but　the　reputation　and　the　spending　of　the　money　that　this　same　hard　work　brought　him　caused　him　infinite　happiness。　　He　enjoyed　the　reputation　he　had　won　and　the　friends　that　such　a　reputation　helped　him　to　make；　he　enjoyed　entertaining　and　being　entertained；　and　he　enjoyed　pretty　much　all　of　the　good　things　of　life。　　And　all　of　this　he　enjoyed　with　the　naive；　almost　boyish　enthusiasm　that　only　one　could　to　whom　it　had　all　been　made　possible　at　twenty…six。　　Of　these　happy　days　Booth　Tarkington　wrote　at　the　time　of　my　brother's　death：

〃To　the　college　boy　of　the　early　nineties　Richard　Harding　Davis　was　the　‘beau　ideal　of　jeunesse　doree；'　a　sophisticated　heart　of　gold。　　He　was　of　that　college　boy's　own　age；　but　already　an　editoralready　publishing　books！　　His　stalwart　good　looks　were　as　familiar　to　us　as　were　those　of　our　own　football　captain；　we　knew　his　face　as　we　knew　the　face　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　but　we　infinitely　preferred　Davis's。　　When　the　Waldorf　was　wondrously　completed；　and　we　cut　an　exam。　in　Cuneiform　Inscriptions　for　an　excursion　to　see　the　world　at　lunch　in　its　new　magnificence；　and　Richard　Harding　Davis　came　into　the　Palm　Roomthen；　oh；　then；　our　day　was　radiant！　　That　was　the　top　of　our　fortune；　we　could　never　have　hoped　for　so　much。　　Of　all　the　great　people　of　every　continent；　this　was　the　one　we　most　desired　to　see。〃

Richard's　intimate　friends　of　these　days　were　Charles　Dana　Gibson；　who　illustrated　a　number　of　my　brother's　stories；　Robert　Howard　Russell；　Albert　La　Montagne；　Helen　Benedict；　now　Mrs。　Thomas　Hastings；　Ethel　Barrymore；　Maude　Adams；　E。　H。　Sothern；　his　brother；　　Sam；　and　Arthur　Brisbane。　　None　of　this　little　circle　was　married　at　the　time；　its　various　members　were　seldom　apart；　and　they　extracted　an　enormous　amount　of　fun　out　of　life。　　I　had　recently　settled　in　New　York；　and　we　had　rooms　at　10　East　Twenty…eighth　Street；　where　we　lived　very　comfortably　for　many　years。　　Indeed　Richard　did　not　leave　them　until　his　marriage　in　the　summer　of　1899。　　They　were　very　pleasant；　sunny　rooms；　and　in　the　sitting…room；　which　Richard　had　made　quite　attractive；　we　gave　many　teas　and　supper…parties。　　But　of　all　the　happy　incidents　I　can　recall　at　the　Twenty…eighth　Street　house；　the　one　I　remember　most　distinctly　took　place　in　the　hallway　the　night　that　Richard　received　the　first　statement　and　check　for　his　first　book　of　short　stories；　and　before　the　money　had　begun　to　come　in　as　fast　as　it　did　afterward。　　We　were　on　our　way　to　dinner　at　some　modest　resort　when　we　saw　and　at　once　recognized　the　long　envelope　on　the　mantel。　　Richard　guessed　it　would　be　for　one　hundred　and　ninety　dollars；　but　with　a　rather　doubting　heart　I　raised　my　guess　to　three　hundred。　　And　when；　with　trembling　fingers；　Richard　had　finally　torn　open　the　envelope　and　found　a　check　for　nine　hundred　and　odd　dollars；　what　a　wild　dance　we　did　about　the　hall…table；　and　what　a　dinner　we　had　that　night！　　Not　at　the　modest　restaurant　as　originally　intended；　but　at　Delmonico's！　It　was　during　these　days　that　Seymour　Hicks　and　his　lovely　wife　Ellaline　Terriss　first　visited　America；　and　they　and　Richard　formed　a　mutual　attachment　that　lasted　until　his　death。

Richard　had　always　taken　an　intense　interest　in　the　drama；　and　at　the　time　he　was　managing　editor　of　Harper's　Weekly　had　made　his　first　efforts　as　a　playwright。　　Robert　Hilliard　did　a　one…act　version　of　Richard's　short　story；　〃Her　First　Appearance；〃　which　under　the　title　of　〃The　Littlest　Girl〃　he　played　in　vaudeville　for　many　years。　　E。　H。　Sothern　and　Richard　had　many　schemes　for　writing　a　play　together；　but　the　only　actual　result　they　ever　attained　was　a　one…act　version　Sothern　did　at　the　old　Lyceum　of　my　brother's　story；　〃The　Disreputable　Mr。　Raegen。〃　　It　was　an　extremely　tense　and　absorbing　drama；　and　Sothern　was　very　fine　in　the　part　of　Raegen；　but　for　the　forty…five　minutes　the　playlet　lasted　Sothern　had　to　hold　the　stage　continuously　alone；　and　as　it　preceded　a　play　of　the　regulation　length；　the　effort　proved　too　much　for　the　actor's　strength；　and　after　a　few　performances　it　was　taken　off。　　Although　it　was　several　years　after　this　that　my　brother's　first　long　play　was　produced　he　never　lost　interest　in　the　craft　of　playwriting；　and　only　waited　for　the　time　and　means　to　really　devote　himself　to　it。



BOSTON；　January　22nd；　1891。　DEAR　FAMILY：

This　is　just　to　say　that　I　am　alive　and　sleepy；　and　that　my　head　is　still　its　normal　size；　although　I　have　at　last　found　one　man　in　Boston　who　has　read　one　of　my　stories；　and　that　was　Barrymore　from　New　York。　　The　Fairchilds'　dinner　was　a　tremendous　affair；　and　I　was　conquered　absolutely　by　Mr。　Howells；　who　went　far；　far　out　of　his　way　to　be　as　kind　and　charming　as　an　old　man　could　be。　　Yesterday　Mrs。　Whitman　gave　a　tea　in　her　studio。　　I　thought　she　meant　to　have　a　half　dozen　young　people　to　drink　a　cup　with　her；　and　I　sauntered　in　in　the　most　nonchalant　manner　to　find　that　about　everybody　had　been　asked　to　meet　me。　　And　everybody　came；　principally　owing　to　the　〃Harding　Davis〃　part　of　the　name　for　they　all　spoke　of　mother　and　so　very　dearly　that　it　made　me　pretty　near　weep。　　Everybody　came　from　old　Dr。　Holmes　who　never　goes　any　place；　to　Mrs。　〃Jack〃　Gardner　and　all　the　debutantes。　　〃I　was　on　in　that　scene。〃　　In　the　evening　I　went　with　the　Fairchilds　to　Mrs。　Julia　Ward　Howe's　to　meet　the　Ss　but　made　a　point　not　to　as　he　was　talking　like　a　cad　when　I　heard　him　and　Mrs。　Fairchild　and　I　agreed　to　be　the　only　people　in　Boston　who　had　not　clasped　his　hand。　　There　were　only　a　few　people　present　and　Mrs。　Howe　recited　the　Battle　Hymn　of　the　Republic；　which　I　thought　very　characteristic　of　the　city。　　To…day　I　posed　again　and　Cumnock　took　me　over　Cambridge　and　into　all　of　the　Clubs　where　I　met　some　very　nice　boys　and　felt　very　old。　　Then　we　went　to　a　tea　Cushing　gave　in　his　rooms　and　to　night　I　go　to　Mrs。　Deland's。　　But　the　mornings　with　the　Fairchilds　are　the　best。　DICK。


In　the　spring　of　1891　my　mother　and　sister；　Nora；　went　abroad　for　the　summer；　and　the　following　note　was　written　to　Richard　just　before　my　mother　sailed：

DEAR　DICK：

This　is　just　to　give　my　dearest　love　to　you　my　darling。　　Some　day　at　sea　when　I　cannot　hear　you　nor　see　you；　whenever　it　is　that　you　get　itnight　or　morning…you　may　be　sure　that　we　are　all　loving　and　thinking　of　you。

Keep　close　to　the　Lord。　　Your　Lord　who　never　has　refused　to　hear　a　prayer　of　yours。

Just　think　that　I　have　kissed　you　a　thousand　times。

MOTHER。



FRANKLIN　SQUARE；　NEW　YORK。

June；　1891。

DEAR　MOTHER：

Your　letters　are　a　great　delight　to　me　but　I　think　you　are　going　entirely　too　quickly。　　You　do　not　feel　it　now　but　you　are　simply　hurrying　through　the　courses　of　your　long　dinner　so　rapidly　that　when　dessert　comes　you　will　not　be　up　to　it。　　A　day　or　two's　rest　and　less　greed　to　see　many　things　would　be　much　more　fun　I　should　think；　and　you　will　enjoy　those　days　more　to　look　back　to　when　you　wandered　around　some　little　town　by　yourselves　and　made　discoveries　than　those　you　spent　doing　what　you　feel　you　ought　to　do。　　Excuse　this　lecture　but　I　know　that　when　I　got　to　Paris　I　wanted　to　do　nothing　but　sit　still　and　read　and　let　〃sights〃　go　You　will　soon　learn　not　to　duplicate　and　that　one　cathedral　will　answer　for　a　dozen。　　And　I　am　disappointed　in　your　mad　desire　to　get　to　Edinboro　to　get　letters　from　home；　as　though　you　couldn't　get　letters　from　me　every　day　of　your　life　and　as　if　there　were　not　enough　of　you　together　to　keep　from　getting　homesick。　　I　am　ashamed　of　you。　　But　that　is　all　the　scolding　I　have　to　do　for　I　do　not　know　what　has　given　me　more　pleasure　than　your　letters　and　Nora's　especially。　　They　tell　me　the　best　news　in　the　world　and　that　is；　that　you　are　all　getting　as　much　happiness　out　of　it　as　I　have　prayed　you　would。　　I　may　go　over　in　September　myself。　　　But　I　would　only　go　to　London。　　Now；　then　for　Home　news。　　　I　have　sold　the　〃Reporter　Who　Made　Himself　King〃　to　　McClure's　for　300。　to　be　published　in　the　syndicate　in　　August。　　I　have　finished　〃Her　First　Appearance〃　and　Gibson　　is　doing　the　illustrations；　three。　　I　got　175。　for　it。

I　am　now　at　work　on　a　story　about　Arthur　Cumnock；　Harvard's　football　captain　who　was　the　hero　of　Class　Day。　　It　will　come　out　this　week　and　will　match　Lieut。　Grant's　chance。　　In　July　I　begin　a　story　called　the　〃Traveller's　Tale〃　which　will　be　used　in　the　November　Harper。　　That　is　all　_I_　am　doing。

So　far　the　notices　of　〃Gallegher〃　have　been　very　good；　I　mean　the　English　ones。

I　went　up　to　Class　Day　on　Friday　and　spent　the　day　with　Miss　Fairchild　and　Miss　Howells　and　with　Mr。　H。　for　chaperone。　　He　is　getting　old　and　says　he　never　deserved　the　fuss　they　made　over　him。　　We　had　a　pretty　perfect　day　although　it　threatened　rain　most　of　the　time。　　We　wandered　around　from　one　spread　to　another　meeting　beautifully　dressed　girls　everywhere　and　〃lions〃　and　celebrities。　　Then　the　fight　for　the　roses　around　the　tree　was　very　interesting　and　picturesque　and　arena　like　and　the　best　of　all　was　sitting　in　the　broad　window　seats　of　the　dormitories　with　a　Girl　or　two；　generally　〃a〃　girl　and　listening　to　the