The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-15

you have smiled at them once they bore you
ever after. No. society resolves itself into
individuals, and the best you can do is to
make your society individuals in play typ
ical Of the time and place
I draw types of the people as / find
them. II l have any success in modern
plays it is because seek to set forth what
see and know in New York, Newport, Len
nox. on shipboard. or wherever ones fancy
impels one to follow in the footsteps OF
fact.
II evolve my plays by their human beings
Two years ago Mr.. Mckee came to see me
about a play for Miss Mannering. He made
no conditions except that it should be a
story of present-day social life and as he
phrased 1t. should be absolutely clean,
Soon after the idea of woman in a novel
situation occurred TO me.
Generally the young woman in a play
whose lover is abused to her shown by
suspicious circumstances to be untrue to
her. ends by doubling him. and the play is
brought to a climax by convincing her that
he is all right. My girl should believe in
her lover against all and every conner
stubborn Geraldine. / thought that would
suit the cheerful and wholesome humanity
and fine personality of Miss Mannering, SO
/ told Mr.. Mckee l had a play in mind for
her.
Then. when the idea is started. it keeps
in my mind. working in q circle and con-
tinually taking on more material until the
play is at last pretty clear. 1t was year
and a half before / thought of touching
Miss Mannerings play, and then l sat down
and wrote it in about two months
Annie Russells life has not been an es-
pecially pleasant one. There were domestic
troubles and she was Ill for years, q con-
dition SO serious that 1t forced her to retire
from the stage.
But she has found her health at last, It
is said, and is very contented with her lot
At least Helen Ten Brock, who should
know. declares that she is in this style:
II you ask who is the happiest actress
in town Just now, it's 10 to that your ques-
ton will be promptly answered. and that
the actress is Miss Annie Russell
''The demure little star of Mice and
Men looks the picture OF health these days
and fairly radiates happiness when one
meets her For so many years Miss Rus
sell was a prisoner of pain, and unable to
work or play, that she accepts her present
health as rare, bright new blessing and
enjoys 1t like the high gift of heaven that
it is Early in the morning one sees her.
fairly purring with delight. taking a swift
canter through the park.
Later In the day one is likely to STUN
BILE across her-still purring-in some
picture gallery or book shop. She purrs
through her pretty little role in Mice and
Men, and then, dare say. she goes home
to her quiet little nest in Irifty-seventh
street and purrs herself to sleep and happy
dreams
William Gillette wrote good bit of the
Conan Doyle drama while on tour with
Secret Service some years ago, and had
it virtually completed when he had
reached Southern California. But hard luck
came knocking at his door in San Fran
cisco, where Secret Service" was burned
ont n, the Raldyy in fheafer fire.
Mr. Gillette was stopping at the Palace
Hotel at the time. and his stage manager
rushed to his room, woke him. and told
him that the new play of Sherlock
Holmes as well as his Secret Service
production. had been destroyed. Mr.. Gill
lette. in his usual quiet way asked:
+ rs there any danger of this hotel burn
ing?"
The stage manager was rather taken back