New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

,oer, about him. l trust you will like it when
YOU reed It. in the December Scripners Sc1'-
Tom.
,rhare Is proba bly, no author who has not SUI
4ered from the exactions of strangers VINO III
eist upon asking all sorts of services-lne wiz
ing of autographs, the reading OK maiuscilpS'
the iropsrtnent of counsel, the exercise OF per
sonel influence etc. innumerabie requests oe'ns
made. all of which require answer Aloricii. -. =
this letter rnur1nurs gentle protest against ti'S
form of imposition:
Boston, October g. 1892.
Gg IA vas Verv kind and thoughtful of you to send
me those Tribunes containing your ten1ei i,1+e
1dv on curtis and the not less admirable u%loute %
in Drnse l should have been sorry TO miss ulo. o
and should have missed them Last I,r
TovveII and now Curtis, and Whittier, anu , To-,
.onsi How rapidly the world is growing poorer!
The other day 1 lounged with nelas!dsI S,,cit
the deck OF the city OF Paris ana .liuu 7anI of
out your particular nest on the loveiy naiiS S-r ~
STEAM Island I wondered which was the Ne"
Brighton landing and If Curtiss mouse t5 " az 70
ible from my point Of view Ano "@i'''u
The health officers held us at anchor for eignI n
mortal hours, off Staten Island. no" iiinir,
abIa the little village looked and how delleIouSIy
cool and green the grass was, in protected t uet3
here and there! The hollows seemed IKE sIeo 81
eoblets of creme de rseTtthe! My eye nau go
fird Of drinking sea water and wanted some
thing stronger I've great respecI loI ne
solid earth The sea was a Ihistdf>e " 80
biographical errori ,,.
hope you and yours are well nave
score or two of things to say to you out no. no.
time to saw them in. Letters, letters' leIre4
those Of an old friend are ever welcome, but
the stupfd strangers who make Ire a DuFuen -
me- Half of my waking hours are WaSteu t e 0a
nersons who have business to write 10 mt
and vet must needs be treated courteously since
thew are courteous. I forgot TO say that nau
a Iovous after the theatre supper, at the Ly-
ceHm with Irving and Ellen Terry. and Ia oene
Sara Bernhard with her unraVeued halr, Tue
drgt two said pleasant things about you 10 me-
/ am always ready TO listen when ioiks tam %"
Affectionatey yours.
Tom.
A1drich earnestly wished to excel in the helo
of the drama He wrote two plays that were
acted. Mercedes" and Judith" both OF winch
nossess elements of dramatic force and at
tributes of poetic beauty,
Milton Mass April IS, 1898
Dear Win am glad that your toucnll,s irto ITO
thoushtful address on Curtis has been put lnSo @
nermanent form. The little book followed me
out here, and got an immediate reaalhs: en3ug, t
| was up to my eyes in belated piece OF 1ctio! It
AS 7 went from page to page reeretVeu @ tLd'
I did not have the pleasure of hearing you Rlo
those clear-eut sentences; tI, i,st have
helped YOU for they have an air as II IiIey
would lend themselves graclouSiy 10 'ne ICo EpS
Thanks for the volume; II silal ia'S ii N
7 closed nv house on Monday last intending
20 Start for Chicago on the 26th; but Mr. Palmer
ts Going to bring out my bit OF tragedy CMer-
caSss"9 on the evening of May 1st. and shall
wait over to see it hope the tnlng oee @eh no no
fall ouite fat. If Lester Wallack, IN 1900 nao
not kept a play of mine six months, ana theIt
returned IL to me, 1ofth the Sedts h71o7ohen'
ehoI1ld probably have been writer OF dramas
InetaaG Of a writer Of lyrics. Without breaking
those seals myself put that Ms. on the coats' I
in my room in Hancock street ana gave up up @ ciIe
idea Of being Shakespeare! was one VI ,a sIo -
Eynakespeares that get stuck on the horizon
to use 1owelPs delightful phrase Ever yours
had told my old friend Of my intention TO
publish the Life of Edwin Booth and to dedicate
the book to him. one of that great acIor
most intimate and beloved friends, and this was
his reply: ~ ;, ,eoa
Dear Will: On returning from New York
ricked up a cold on the lungs, and am sitting up
today for the first time since SUNDAY: l can
write only q few lines. l saw dear EDWIN Ior
a moment, and said farewell TO that sTeeI sSui ~
He did not know until the instant touGheo
his hand and then he smiled. and said rom
ALBRIGHT" Immediately his mind was gone again,
and he turned vacant eyes upon me- Ihae was
To have nv name associated with the beautt-
full studies you have made Of his chaFac.er anu
his genius will be great pleasure and nonoT
TO me You are Edwin Booths authenuc olos
rapher. ,,,oa
All the leading journals had favorable words for
IL The Trtbune's criticism was most kindly
and fair, You being absent, not one OF the ora
matte critics was known TO me personally, OF
even by name The verdict was influenced by
nothing but the evidence I happier over it
than If l had ten books succeed Mr.. Palmer
gave the play a beautiful setting. and it was
finely acted. Miss Julia Arthur has passion and
insight, and made personal hit She VIII be
as fine as the finest, five years from now.
I've ever go many things to say, but the doctor
forbids me to do anything but keep quiet.
With love, TOM.
I've not thought Of much these last few daTs
but Edwin. lying there at The Players, waiting
for Death. His face has kept coming 10 me
out Of the darkness of my room.
Edwin Booth died, at The Players June :.
1898 NV memoir of him was published IN the
following autumn, dedicated as foows:
To
Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Remembering Old and Happy Days
Dedicate This Memorial
Of Our Friend and Conrade,
Edwin Booth,
Forever Loved and Honored
And Forever Mourned.
There is a world elsewhere"
It is TO the Life and Art of Edwin Booth
that the subjoined letter refers
Ponkapog. Nov 1, 1898.