New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

no more. I'm going home to learn how 10
write plays" said young Clyde. And off he
started. He kept his word. The rest Of
his story the world knows well enough.
TIE fate that befaIls 50 many unacted
plays thrust itself against Henderson, first
effort. The manuscript went the rounds
and came back before a friend persuaded
Wvndham 10 let the author read it To him.
The result has been told But after the
first performance John Hare met the au-
thor and said: That's the kind of play
want / can't understand why YOU didn't
give me an opportunity 10 read it,.
You had the opportunity" Henderson
replied. The manuscript was IN your pos
session three weeks and came back to me
unopened"
Henderson had Uncommonlv little pride
OF authorship. lie always put the best ot
himself into his work. and lie never had a
failure. But he was. ii anything. distrust-
ful Of The merits Of his labors. although
ever ready 10 recognize IN the work of
other men qualities which lie was strange
ly reluctant 10 claim Tor his own crafts
manship. lie lacked vanity And each
fresh success seemed 10 make him the
more critical of himself lie was merciless
with regard 90 his own work he would
chop H. and chanEe i. and tear ont pages
ot IT, and so over the whole of il again ana
again. tie was patience persOnified only
tho other day another play of his, = ro-
mantle drama whose scene il laid in the
latter part uf the sixteenth century, was
found among Tie papers that he left IA
Rome. d shows every trace OF diligent
aud continuous oyerhauiing. II was never
produced, for reason peculiar To its au-
thor. II vas The only play he ever wrote
with any special players I'm mind he
wanted 10 write "A romantic drama, COS
tune piece" for Henry Irving and Ellen
Terry. After D." had worked over IL two
years hc went from Rome to London This
was dozen years ago The great actor
manager went one afternoon. with a friend
who had arranged the meeting. TO Heuder-
sons rooms aJ Ral'y Hotel. in kensing-
ten. and there the twain listened while tho
dramatist read his play.
Irving did not hdEet. ~ theatre folk arc
apt 90 30 hon facing what they consider
am ordeal. and ono to which. for that rcs-
son. fheH are seldom persuaded. IIe sat in
4 biz chair with his hs,-k To the sunlight.
watched th- dlamatist increasingly and
gaze his whole thought io the purpose for
which he had come He would nod with
until Tho end was an M. close Of each act :
Good go on OF strong. strong don't
stop, OF Right, You have it, Next act"'
Al the finish he arose crossed the room,
shook the authors hand and said: strong.
true. Sood .'~ Sardou ~ his best I want
IL. i'u produce in IL Nelly will play the
daughter. But Let me tell you. my friend,
/ fear she VIII NOT. 1 fear not. She re-
fuses To play Marguerite any more and
Olivia. and Portia. The years. my friend,
the years. The great days are gone
There's no other Nelly, She can DO Il Il
she viii. But can 1 make her think so?
Can anybody: We viii try. ] want the
play. It's Lyceum play. But there's only
one Nelly. And then?"--
And then! II was as Irving feared.
There were no more Marguerites. Oliyias
and Purtias for Nelly" She withdrew
from the Lyceum. as she has told in her
charming Ellenic book by little and
little the public came Il see that the great
We're no more; and ere long the glory had
departed from the Lyceum. Time dealt
his strokes. and then the light went out
The pity Of IL alli
As for the play, the romantic play that
Irving wanted for another Lyceum pro-
duction," Henderson slipped IL into his
trunk. and there, until IL came 10 New
York the other day. IL has ever since been
~ aiting for another Irving and Terry"
The other play. the modern comedy, w;ll
see the footlights first. A W.