The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-16

ner's Sons with many of the letters in
It. 1t seems like a touching endeavor
| to help in the career of the husband S
memory much as she helped him so
wonderfully in his flashing career in
| life.
BugaboO of the Theatre.
| There is a bugaboo in the American
| theatre" she writes. that will not die
easily, and that is that a performer is
like the part he plays. Women who
play vampires on the stage or in the
movies are credited by part of the
public with knowing their business
from the inside and to be personally
guilty of everything except. perhaps,
arson. So a man who plays a fool
must be fool"
There is another hugaboo that Mrs.
Castle naturally does not mention. and
that Is pushed over by her memoir
quite as effectually. IL is the abomi-
nable notion that all professional peo-
pie who do anything on the stage, or
in any line as entertainers, are people
of the loosest sort of private lives:
and that when you sec a married
couple associated in such work and
conspicuously devoted you can make
up your mind the devotion is a sham
for business reasons.
Her Book a Love story.
The case of the Castles was an utter
confounding of cynicS with these
views. The book is a love story, and
vernon Castles letters are love letters,
every one-fond, foolish love letters
full Of happy memory and wistful an
Observation-Disclosures the writer never
dreamed would come to light in print.
but which, having done So constitute
something OF public service. II this
kind Of domesticity can flourish in pro-
fessional life, then the place for the
marital moralist is the stage without
delay.
Vernon Blyth Ithe name Castle was
assumed) was born in Norwich, Eng
land, and had the schooling that the
town afforded. He was the only boy
in family where there were four
girls, all older and all OF whom adored
him. His mother died when he was
quite young, and neither his sisters
nor his father ever spanked him in his
life, and l am told that when he
wouldn't eat anything or wear some
thing they had bought for him they
mad only to tell him it came from
France" to have it meet with approval
in his eyes.
Like many another small boy, he
one day strung the house with electric
bells and wires. He Immediately was
stamped in the family as an electrical
nnRtnaar Y
any knowledge of electricity in later
years, and he certainly never offered to
wire our house with bells Nor did he
ever have any suggestions for repair
Ing them when they were out of Or
der"
In London the youngster was fas-
cinated by the bill at st. Georges Han
made up OF sleight- of hand; he hung
around the place till he had learned to
90 simple tricks and had seen through
more pretentious ones; and before he
was 20 he was cpnjuring as a business
ana appearing at clubs and other pri-
vate entertainments.
Young Vernon Likes New York.
In the summer OF 1906. with his
father his sister and brother-in law.
Mr.. and Mrs Lawrence Grossmith--
the latter an English actor OF reputa-
ton, he came to New York, where the
Grossmiths were to play in "The
Orchid" The others didn't. like our
Manhattan hustle and hurly-burly. but
young Vernon got used TO II, and
says Mrs. Castle, "the tremendous
vitaiity and energy he developed left
me way behind. After he had made
America his home for time there was
no ore who could keep uP with him.
He rode and swap harder than any