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in a triothe Ogre； wore fur； pearls； white satin and violets。 It was a pink silk box。 Then I went down to a reception at Mrs。 De Koven's and found it was a play。 Everybody was seated already so I squatted down on the floor in front of Mrs。 De Koven and a tall woman in a brocade gown cut like a Japanese woman's It was very dark where the audience was； so I could not see her face but when the pantomime was over I looked up and saw it was Yvette Guilbert。 So I grabbed Mrs。 De Koven and told her to present me and Guilbert said in English 〃It is not comfortable on the floor is it？〃 and I said； 〃I have been at your feet for three years now； so I am quite used to it〃for which I was much applauded Afterwards I told some one to tell her in French that I had written a book about Paris and about her and that I was going to mark it and send it and before the woman could translate； Guilbert said； 〃No； send me the Van Bippere book〃 So we asked her what she meant and she said； 〃 M。 Bourget told me to meet you and to read your Van Bippere Book； you are Mr。 Davis； are you not？〃 So after that I owned the place and refused to meet Mrs。 Vanderbilt。
Yvette has offered to teach me French； so I guess I won't go to Somerset's wedding； unless O scares me out of the country。 I got my 2；000 check and have paid all my debts。 They were not a third as much as I thought they were； so that's all right。
Do come over mother； as soon as you can and we will meet at Jersey City； and have a nice lunch and a good talk。 Give my bestest love to Dad and Nora。 How would she like Yvette for a sister…in…law？ John Hare has sent me seats for to night He is very nice I have begun the story of the 〃Servants' Ball〃 and got well into it。
and lots of love。
DICK。
The following letter was written to me at Florence。 The novel referred to was 〃Soldiers of Fortune；〃 which eventually proved the most successful book； commercially； my brother ever wrote。 Mrs。 Hicks； to whom Richard frequently refers； is the well…known English actress Ellaline Terriss； the wife of Seymour Hicks。 Somerset is Somers Somerset； the son of Lady Henry Somerset； and the Frohman referred to is Daniel Frohman； who was the manager of the old Lyceum Theatre。
Early in November； William R。 Hearst asked my brother to write a description of the Yale…Princeton football game for The Journal。 Richard did not want to write the 〃story〃 and by way of a polite refusal said he could not undertake it for less than 500。00。 Greatly to his surprise Hearst promptly accepted the offer。 At the time； I imagine this was by far the largest sum ever paid a writer for reporting a single event。
December 31st； 1895。 New York。 The Players。
New Year's Eve。 DEAR CHAS：
I am not much of a letter writer these days； but I have finished the novel and that must make up for it。 It goes to the Scribners for 5；000 which is not as much as I think I should have got for it。 I am now lying around here until the first of February； when I expect to sail to Somerset's wedding； reaching you in little old Firenzi in March。 We will then paint it。 After that I do not know what I shall do。 The Journal is after me to do almost anything I want at my own figure； as a correspondent。 They have made Ralph London correspondent and their paper is the only one now to stick to。 They are trying to get all the well known men at big prices。
I have had such a good time helping Mrs。 Hicks in Seymour's absence。 She had about everything happen to her that is possible and she is just the sort of little person you love to do things for。 She finally sailed and I am now able to attend to my own family。
The Central American and Venezuelan book comes out on February lst。 Several of the papers here jokingly alluded to the fact that my article on the Venezuelan boundary had inspired the President's message。 Of course you get garbled ideas of things over there and exaggerated ones； as for instance； on the Coxey army。 But you never saw anything like the country after that war message。 It was like living with a British fleet off Sandy Hook。 Everybody talked of it and of nothing else。 I went to a dinner of 300 men all of different callings and I do not believe one of them spoke of anything else。 Cabmen； car conductors； barkeepers； beggars and policemen。 All talked war and Venezuela and the Doctrine of Mr。 Monroe。 In three days the country lost one thousand of millions of dollars in values； which gives you an idea how expensive war is。 It is worse than running a newspaper。 Now； almost everyone is for peace； peace at any price。 I do not know of but one jingo paper； The Sun； and war talk is greeted with jeers。 It was as if the people had suddenly had their eyes opened to what it really meant and having seen were wiser and wanted no more of it。 Your brother； personally； looks at it like this。 Salisbury was to blame in the first place for being rude and not offering to arbitrate as he had been asked to do。 When he said to Cleveland； 〃It's none of your business〃 the only answer was 〃Well； I'll make it my business〃 but instead of stopping there； Cleveland uttered a cast iron ultimatum instead of leaving a loophole for diplomacy and a chance for either or both to back out。 That's where I blame him as does every one else。
Sam Sothern is in Chicago and we all wrote him guying letters about the war。 Helen said she was going to engage 〃The Heart of Maryland〃 company to protect her front yard； while Russell and I have engaged 〃The Girl I Left Behind Me〃 company with Blanch Walsh and the original cast。
We sent Somerset a picture of himself riddled with bullets。 And Mrs。 Hicks made herself famous by asking if it was that odious Dunraven they were going to war about。
My article was a very lucky thing and is greatly quoted and in social gatherings I am appealed to as a final authority。
The football story； by the way； did me a heap of good with the newspapers and the price was quoted as the highest ever paid for a piece of reporting。 People sent for it so that the edition was exhausted。 The Journal people were greatly pleased。
Yvette Guilbert is at Hammerstein's and crowds the new music hall nightly； at two dollars a seat。 Irving and Miss Terry have been most friendly to me and to the family。 Frohman is going to put 〃Zenda〃 on in New York because he has played a failure； which will of course kill it for next year for Eddie； when he comes out as a star。 I have never seen such general indignation over a private affair。 Barrymore called it a case of Ollaga Zenda。 They even went to Brooklyn when Eddie was playing there and asked him to stage the play for them and how he made his changes and put on his whiskers。 Poor Eddie； he lacks a business head and a business managerand Sam talks and shakes his head but is little better。 Lots of love and best wishes for the New Year。
DICK。
CHAPTER IX
MOSCOW； BUDAPEST； LONDON
The years 18961897 were probably the most active of Richard's very active life。 In the space of twelve months he reported the Coronation at Moscow； the Millennial Celebration at Budapest； the Spanish…Cuban War； the McKinley Inauguration； the Greek…Turkish War and the Queen's Jubilee。