adventures and letters-第60节
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ly one you can keep as warm as toast SHOULD be； and in England never is。
Cecil has engaged a teacher； and a model and he is coming here to work。 He is twenty years old； and called the 〃boy Sargent。〃 So； as soon as the British public gets sober； we will begin life in earnest； and both work hard。 I need not tell you how glad I am to be at it。 I was with you all in heart last night and recited as much as I could remember of 〃Twas the Night Before Christmas；〃 which always means Dad to me； as he used to read it to us。 How much he made the day mean to us。 I wish I could just slip in for a kiss； and a hug。 But tonight we will all drink to you； and a few hours later you will drink to us。 God bless you all。
DICK。
December 29th。 DEAR MOTHER：
A blizzard has swept over London。 The last one cost the City Corporation 25；000！！ The last man who contracted to clean New York of snow was cleaned out by two days of it； to the tune of 200；000。 Still； in spite of our alleged superiority in all things； one inch of snow in Chelsea can do more to drive one to drink and suicide than a foot of it 〃on the farm。〃 At the farm we threw a ton of coal against it； and lit log fires and oil lamps； and were warm。 Here； they try to fight it with two buckets of soft chocolate cake called Welch coal； and the result is you freeze。 Cecil's studio is like one vast summer hotel at Portland Maine in January。 You cannot go near it except in rubber boots； fur coats and woolen gloves。 My room still is the only one that is livable。 It is four feet square； heavily panelled in oak and the coal fire makes it as warm as a stoke hole。 So； I am all right and can work nicely。 Janet Sothern came to lunch today and Cecil and she in furs went picture gazing。 Tomorrow we have Capt。 Chule to dinner。 He came up the West coast with us and is accustomed to a temperature of 120 degrees。
New Year's eve we spend with Lady Lewis where we dine and keep it up until four in the morning。 We will easily be able to get back here but how we can get a hansom from here to the great city； I can't imagine。 I have seen none in five days。 It is fine to be surrounded by busts of Carlyle； Whistler； Rosetti and Turner's own； but occasionally you wish for a taxicab。 Tomorrow I am going on a spree to the great city of London。 The novel goes on smoothly； and all is well。 I am still running for Mayor of Chelsea。
Love to you all。
DICK。
LONDONJanuary 1； 1909。 DEAR MOTHER：
I drank your health and Noll's and Charley's last night and so we all came into the New Year together。 I hope it will be as good for me as the last。 Certainly Chas。 is coming on well with another book。 It is splendid。 I am so very； very glad。 Some of the very best stories anybody has written will be in his next book。
We dined at the Lewis's。 There were 150 at dinner and as we live in Chelsea nowone might as well be in Brooklynwe were a half hour late。 Fancy feeling you were keeping 150 people hungry。 I sat at Lady Lewis's table with some interesting men and one beautiful woman all dressed in glass over pink silk； and pearls； and pearls and then； pearls。 She said 〃Who am I〃 and I said 〃You look like a girl in America； who used to stand under a green paper lamp shade up in a farm house in New Hampshire and play a violin。〃 Whereat there was much applause； because it seemed she was that girl； the daughter of a Mrs。 Van S； who wrote short stories。 Her daughter was L Van S now the wife of a baronet and worth five million dollars。 The board we paid then was eight dollars a week。 Now； we are dining with her next Monday and as I insisted on gold plate she said 〃Very well； I'll get out the gold plate。〃 But wasn't it dramatic of me to remember her after twenty two years？
DICK。
LONDON…February 23； 1909。 DEAR MOTHER：
George Washington's health was celebrated by drinking it at dinner。 I had been asked to speak at a banquet but for some strange reason could not see myself in the part。 The great Frohman arrived last night and we are all agitated until he speaks。 If he would only like my plays as some of the actors do； I would be passing rich。 Barrie asked himself to lunch yesterday and was very entertaining。 He told us of a letter he received from Guy DuMaurier who wrote 〃An Englishman's Home〃 which has made a sensation second to nothing in ten years。 He is an officer stationed at a small post in South Africa。 He wrote Barrie he was at home； very blue and homesick； and outside it was raining。 Then came Barrie's long cable； at 75 cents a word； saying his play was the success of the year。 He did not know even it had been ACCEPTED。 He shouted to his wife； and they tried to dance but the hut was too small； so they ran out into the compound and danced in the rain。 Then he sent the Kaffir boys to the mess to bring all the officers and all the champagne and they did not go to bed at all。 The next day cables； still at three shillings a word came from papers and magazines and publishers； managers； syndicates。 And； in his letter he says； still not appreciating what a fuss it has made； 〃I suppose all it needs now is to be made a question in the House；〃 when already it has been the text of half a dozen speeches by Cabinet Ministers； and three companies are playing it in the provinces。 What fun to have a success come in such a way； not even to know it was being rehearsed。 Today Sargent is here to see what is wrong with Cecil's picture of Janet。 He came early and said he couldn't tell until he saw Janet； so now he is back again； and both Janet and Cecil are shaking with excitement。 He is the most simple； kindly genius I ever met。 He says the head is very fine and I guess Cecil suspected that； before she called him in。 He says she must send it to the Royal Academy。 I am now going out to hear more words fall from the great man； and so farewell。 Seymour and I began work yesterday on the Dictator。 It went very smooth。 All my love to Noll and to you。
DICK。
Read the other letter first and then； let me tell you that when I went out to see Sargent； I found Cecil complaining that she could not understand just how it was he wanted Janet to pose。 Whereat she handed him a piece of chalk and he made a sketch of Janet as exquisite as the morning and rubbed his hands of the charcoal and left it there！ It's only worth a hundred pounds！ Can you imagine the nerve of Cecil。 I was so shocked I could only gasp。 But； he was quite charming and begged her to call him next time she got in a scrape； and gave her his private telephone number。
Fancy having Sargent waiting to be called up to make sketches for you。 I left Janet and Cecil giggling with happiness。 Janet because she had been sketched by him and Cecil because she has the sketch。 It's a three fourths length three feet high； and he did it in ten minutes。 I am now going to ask her to invite the chef of the Ritz in； to give us a sketch of cooking a dinner。
DICK。
CHAPTER XVIII MILITARY MANOEUVRES
In August； 1909； Richard and his wife left Mount Kisco for a visit to Mr。 and Mrs。 Clark at Marion。 While there my brother attended and later on wrote an article on the war manoeuvres held at Middleboro； Massachusetts。
MARION； MASSACHUSETTS。 August 16th； 1909。 DEAR MOTHER：
We had a splendid day to day。 I arranged to have Cecil meet me at eleven at Headquarters in the woods below Middleboro； and I spent the morning locating different regiments。 Then； after I 〃met up〃 with her； I took her in my car。 Both she and Hiller were awfully keen over it； so； we got on splendidly。 And； of course； Hiller's knowledge of the country was wonderfully convenient。 We had great luck in seeing the only fight of the day； the first one of the war。 Indeed； I think we caused it。 There was a troop of cavalry with a Captain who was afraid to advance。 I chided him into doing something； the umpire having confided to me； he would mark him； if he did not。 But； he did it wrong。 Anyway； he charged a barn with 36 troopers and lost every fourth man。 In real warfare he would have lost all his men and all his horses。 Cecil and Hiller pursued in the car at the very heels of the cavalry； and I ran ahead with the bicycle scouts。 It was most exciting。 I am going out again to…morrow。 Lots of Love to you all。
DICK。
MARION； MASSACHUSETTS。 August 19th； 1909。 DEAR MOTHER：
I got in last night too late to write and I am sorry。 To…day； the war came to an end with our army； the Red one； with the road to Boston open before it。 Indeed； when the end came； they were fighting with their backs to that City； and could have entered it to…night。 I begged both Bliss and Wood to send in the cavalry just for the moral effect； but they were afraid of the feeling； that was quite strong。 I had much fun； never more； and saw all that was worth seeing。 I was glad to see I am in such good shape physically； but with the tramping I do over the farm； it is no wonder。 I could take all the stone walls at a jump； while the others were tearing them down。 I also met hundreds of men I knew and every one was most friendly； especially the correspondents。 Just as I liked to be on a story with a 〃star〃 man when I was a reporter； they liked having a real 〃war〃
