The times., 1898-02-06
TINY TALKS.

For some reason or other one inva-
riably forgets that people. Of whom ne
has heard but does not know. are as
human as their less able or fortunate.
fellows and, because Of this absurd no.
tion, always puts them on IL mental
smell IN attitudes pOrtraying the rigid
dignity of q new doll in toy store. 1t
looked odd, after sending card to Mrs.
Jane Mauldin-Feigl, authoress Of "a
Paris Model" ana receiving permission
to come up, that so clever a woman
should be found seated upon a table.
without even the ceremony lent such
an act by the heavy william in a rnelo-
drama. But Mrs. FeigI is a newspaper
woman and a few moments talk with
her efectualiy dispelied the idea that
present successes had made her any
thing Of a pretender.
sit down, said the authoFess, mo
tiOning to the only piece of furniture
on the stage. the table on which she
herself was Perched. so you want me
TO tell You about a Paris Model /
can't say that there is very much to
say about it. It was the outcome Of u
period of mental inactivity L hadn't
written line for two years and was
simply destitute OF ideas when l vls-
tied Washington in March last But
u.
the plot of this comedy struck me and
1 lost no time in jotting it down on
bit Of paper. 1t seems odd that the
piece should be produced a year later
right in this city, doesn't it2
This is, in reality, the first play I
have ever had produced About four
years ago | took the foolish idea that
1 wanted to write one. 1t slumbered
within me until one day my husband
told me that Bronson Howard had
made $4,000 on Shenandoah. Then,
with the courage Of absolute ignorance,
l went to work and within four days 1
had sent to A. n. Palmer one of the
regulation problem plays that new peo-
pie always try TO write. 1t was called
To Err is Human and in a very short
time l learned the truth of my quo
tatiOn.
Without much delay my play came
back to me with a criticism that III
cluded the remark that it was too much
like two other plays that had failed
completely. The names of those un-
lucky pieces We're Denise and The
Ideas of Madame Maubry, and. in the
idea that they were also first attempts.
| was about to tear up the criticism
when my husband intervened Then [
learned. through the papers. that Sar-
dou and Dumas were responsible for
my examples. and decided 10 keep Mr.
Palmer's note. even though | gave 10
play writing until the advent of y Par
is Model When that came into my
head. 1 remembered that Mr.. Palmer
had been pleased with some comedy
touches in the other play. and decid-
ed TO try farce This is the result
What | know about the art is natu-
raj / never studied the construction
OF plays TO any great extent my only
tuition having come from watching
performances Your remark that nv
plan for n Paris ModeT was novel.
me- l WAS too ignorant to be.
anything else. / had no lines TO work
on but my own. 1 never learned any
ones methods nor did properly study
my subject. a Paris Model Ceals with
a fat in Harlem. Don't give il away.
but | never was in a Harlem fiat. But
/ am going to get all that By and By.
Meanwhile 1 have resolved to keep on
trying. l Eave the plot for a straight
now and am going to work on
ii as soon as I have ceased worrying
over the present play. You can't i'm
agine how nervous / have been over
this If il succeeds / shall be as much
as anyone in the world. But
| hope for it, and meanwhile / am GO
ing to keep on tryiug-that's my idea
OF the road to the top.
We'll. if you must-good night
thank you"