New-York tribune., 1902-12-12

Al 1Uay Read Samese Prince s
PP7ses to Mss Gilman.

The passionate press agent for Mabelle Gilman
has broken into that actresses writing desk and
stolen therefrom packet of letters and yesterday
he gave the world the love letters OF the Prince
Of Siam Miss Gilman. who is called "TchernO
Okaya" bv her Siamese swain. sorry quite
grieved in fact. that the letters had got out she
could not understand how the press agent dared 10
take them without her permission!
The prince by the bye, has left the country anu
is well his way to SIAM The wise heads may
take this fact for what IL is worth
The Prince of Siam first met Miss Gilman in Lon
don. when she there with 1.-The Belle or New
York and "a dangerous rival of Edna May in the
affections of royalty (he phrase is bubble from
the lips of her press agen. Their friendship seems
to have inspired thes crown prince to pour torth
that if quantity counted should have won for
him the Newdigate prize. Letters from him to her
in 1901 bear the seal of Christ College. Oxford and
in all of them inclosed verses-sometimes two or
three separate poems. On the backs of the photo-
graphs he sent her he more moderate. content
ing himself with quoting from the poems of other
men, letters themselves did not furnish proof
of the genuineness of the story the fact that these
quotations are from Lovelace. Carew, s I. Cole
ridge and Omar the Tent Maker would at once
put them beyond the invention of Miss Gilmans
press agent
The first of the letters made public is dated from
the SiaInese Legation, London. in December 1890.
and begins. My Dear Miss Gilman"
One year later, writing from Oxford. he opens as
follows:
My ''Tcherno Okaya.'
/ hope You know what this by now. for
you should have got the book sent you the otner
day But in case of accidents had PEST peSt e1pain aI
lated means Sparkling Eyes. VINO deserves Tue
name better than you?
This he signs "Biiou"
In this letter the verse begins IL is funny now
Oxford affects people. Sue used to remark 10
Jude. The poem incised is called '"The Princes
Reverie" and consists of five quatrains modelled
on the Rubaiyat and prefaced by the famous
quatrain beginning "Ah, Love. could you ana
with Him conspire,' which the prince misquotes'
though Mabee probably didn't know it. His PROB
lem seems to be something like that which faces
the hero of ALT Heidelberg" for he sings. after
three prefatory and ardent stanzas:
All, love- If only thou vert born princess.
Than that which | am now-of rank so hign,
oh then we two might know such happiness
The best hours of my life away have flown.
But m so thankful that I A have .s,l known own
And that did call thee. Love, my oWn-1-
Writing from Washington in October OF the pres
ent year he again reverts to verse for consolation
the shadow of coming parting cast across Toss ms MS
goes IoveIace who furnishes the model, one better
The poem closes as follows:
All, would go. were IL not such
AS Lovelace sang O. yore-
II could not love thee. dear: so mueh'
Loved 1 not honor more!
At the Bijou Theatre last night Miss Gilman
said she might some day visit Siam. but on the
whole she considered America good enough for her
In reply to question put to her by an unaoasheo
repiied, What would You have done?'
This seemed 20 admit of but one answer. and
stage, where she could be heard singing Oh' hSIon
the mocking bird.