The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-05
MANSFIELD'S HARD DAYS

From a Biographical Article on Richard
 Mansfield. by Paul Wilstach, in the Sep
 tember Scribners.
 MN NCE when at the meridian of his tVJ fame Richard Mansfield was asked to lecture before the fac ulty and students of the University of Chicago. For his subject he chose on Going on the Stage" That he might ex- ploit to those before him the dread reality of the actors struggle he lifted for the first time a corner of that veil of mystery which hung between his public and his rast, and told of these early London days.
 'For years I went home to my little room, if fortunately I had one,' he said, "and perhaps a tallow dip was stuck in the neck of a bottle, and l was fortunate if I had something to cook for myself over a fire, if I had a fire. That was my life When night came 1 wandered about the streets of London, and if 1 had penny { invested it in baked potato, from the baked potato man on the eol- Ter. I would put tnese hot potatoes in my pockets, and after had warmed my hands I would swallow the potato. .'hat is the truth.
 The tragedy of those days was not without it's humorous relief q can re- member one evening in London" Mans field recounted afterward at supper amid the luxury of his Riverside drive home, "when had reached the pleasant condl- tion of having had nothing to eat all day. I had just one shilling, my last, Tn my pocket l was walking along, looking somewhat covetously into the pastry shops I passed, wondering how on my pittance I could dissipate the carklng hunger to the best advantage Suddenly I came upon a friend of mine, vagabond like myself. but apparently then in much better luck He was gorgeously arrayed in all the black and white splendor or evening clothes. He had dinner invita- ton, he explained, at Lord Cavendlsh or some such great house; we'd so In somewhere and have something on the strength of it.
 .eWe went into one of those Bodega places that are scattered all over London where you get very decent glass of champagne. onI draught for sixpence. They always had a large cheese about, you know, from which you may help yourself, which is about the nearest ap- proach England makes to the American free lunch.
 "Weu. we tucked into the cheese, at least I know I did and we had our glass of champagne each. Now l don't know whether you know it or not, but there is probably not mixture in the world that is surer to create hunger than cheese and champagne.
 q did not need an appetite, I had a huge one already, but after that cheese and champagne I had a positive gnawing. I was mentally gloating over the shill- ing's worth of food I would go forth and feast on, when my friend, shuffling his hands nervously from pocket to pocket, turned to me and said:
 "I say, old man, I'm awfully sorry, but I seem to have left my pocketbook at home. If you happen to have shill- ing about you and I had the satisfac- ton of paying out my last shilling for that hunger-raising cheese and cham pagne!'
 The true Mansfield, Mansfield the ins domitable came out in the crucible of these trials He wrote his mother but he scorned to ask again for money, well as he understood the fiery temperament which is the expression of impulse. They exchanged most affectionate letters. But he was never to see her again.
 The sale of an occasional picture or the acceptance of a story or poem by mag azine gave him barely sufficient to eke along It was with difficulty he was able to put up a respectable appearance when he was so fortunate as to have an invif tation to fashionable houses. But nonr nutritive as were the unsubstantials that were exploited there in the form of cold collations. the truth is that had he de-