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e prepared with numerous repartees and they were apparently so surprised by finding a party of ladies and gentlemen engaged in chaffing court officials that they would forget to reply until they had moved on。 One bus driver said 〃Oh； you can larff； cause your at 'ome。 We are 'unting for Jensen on a North Pole Expedition。 We won't be home for three years yet〃 Charley seems very happy and he got a most hearty welcome。 I shall follow him over。 I do not think I shall go when he does as that would mean seeing people and getting settled and I must get the Greek war done by the 12th of July and the Jubilee by the 15th of August。 I know you will not mind； but I have been terribly interrupted by the Jubilee and by so many visitors。 They are running in all the time； so I shall try to get the Greek war article done before I sail and also have a little peaceful view of London。 I have seen nothing of it really yet。 It has been like living in a circus； and moving about on an election night。 I am well as can be except 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