Evening journal., 1910-03-04

my wood fire."
Indeed. the task OF getting the fire start
ed proved a most stubborn one, but at last
the hickory wood did respond fairly WELL
Then Mansfield, shaking his head. seated
himself in his easy chair II am still con-
vinced' he said, that there is no truth
in that genius-and-inhnite pains state
ment. 1 can take infinite pains. but am
no genius. Don't you believe anybody who
tells you that Mansfield is a genius"
lie paused thoughtfully for a moment
II often think of the first opportunity
that 1 had to make something of myself
and as often / am convinced that tile sue
cess which followed was really due to my
capacity for taking pains. and not through
any genius.
"Mr Palmer had offered me the part OF
Baron Chevrial in A Partisan Romance
lie gave it to me because nobody else
wanted it, And was glad enough to take
It.
Gas I read over the part in my humble
lodgings. ! realized at the first reading
that its success would depend in great
measure upon the makeup. II would be
easy enough to act the part of a senile
debauche, and one, too, who had the out
ward appearance OF a gentleman.
"But To make up for It was n differ
ent matter. / rea lied that it would be
necessary to get the actual expression Of
an Old man topping towards the grave,
who stnl maintained the relics of de-
bauchery in his system. saw that no inn
agination would enable me to make up
the part in that way.
Therefore, I determined to find Just
the man who was living the part every
day. SO, at every moment that / could
spare from rehearsal, I walked up and
down Broadway and Sixth avenue. scam
ming closely the face of every elderly man
/ saw. For five weeks / did this. and not
once in an that time did see in all that
great throng one man whose features tod
the story Of the character I was to por-
tray / began TO say TO myself that such
man did not live i'm New York. although
he might be in Paris
"But one afternoon all unexpectedly,
spied coming from the entrance of
fashionable, but somewhat sporty ho-
tel on Broadway. man well along in
years and well dressed who had exactly
the face had been searching for. There
was the hanging, sensual lip. There was
the queer curve about the eyes, the half
bloated and half-taut expression Of the
nostrns. There were the protruding any
watery eyes.
AT last 1 had found him-BaronCAev-
rial in real life-and as he -tottered up
Broadway 1 passed ahead Of him, and
then walked back in the opposite direc-
tion. so that / could see his features at
close hand and study them. -Four or five
times I did this, and then I fe certain
that 1 had caught I'm my memory every
expression on that old roue's face, every
wrinkle, every mark Of lust that 1t bore.
II can't tell you how many hours I
spent trying to convert my own face by
means Of the makeup into an exact re-
production of my models But at last I
got it to perfection. and when / appeared
upon the stage It was that face that fixed
the attention Of everyone in the theatre
upon Baron Chevrial. and it was hardly
necessary for me to act at all except. pos
sibly, in the last scene"
Again Mansfield shook his head. 1T was
industry and patience-not genius-whfch
made it possible for me TO recognize that
night that 1 had at last gained the eye and
ear Of the public. And next morning, as
/ read the laudatory press notices. I said
to myself: This would not have been pos
sible If you had not met that senlle de-
bauche at the very moment when he came
out of that hotel -
Copyright 1910 by e. J. Edwards)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
"The Secret Of Senator Vost's Gem
mana Of the Language"