. Life and art of Richard Mansfield : with selections from his letters. is last. It covered a period of fourweeks. The opening play was Peer Gynt, towhich a chapter is devoted in the second volume ofthis biography. That play was performed for threeweeks, after which time Mansfield heeded his doc-tors warning, and changed the bill. Later he wasseen as Dimmesdale, Brummell, Chevrial, and Jekylland Hyde. At this time I had commended to hisattention a short play, of remarkable power, calledThe Goal, by that fine dramatist, Henry ArthurJones,--thinking it might, perhaps, be obtained forhis use, and
. Life and art of Richard Mansfield : with selections from his letters. is last. It covered a period of fourweeks. The opening play was Peer Gynt, towhich a chapter is devoted in the second volume ofthis biography. That play was performed for threeweeks, after which time Mansfield heeded his doc-tors warning, and changed the bill. Later he wasseen as Dimmesdale, Brummell, Chevrial, and Jekylland Hyde. At this time I had commended to hisattention a short play, of remarkable power, calledThe Goal, by that fine dramatist, Henry ArthurJones,--thinking it might, perhaps, be obtained forhis use, and made practicable in association with alight comedy. To this suggestion he answered: 316 Riverside Drive, New York, March 8, Old Friend:— I have been greatly depressed and very wretched, but I ambetter to-day. The strain of playing Peer Gynt was too am returning you the little play of Joness, because I neverproduce one act plays, for the reason that no one ever comesto see them, and they necessitate the doing of two other playson the same HIS LAST LETTER 319 When we meet I hope to tell you of my plans, j. must makesome money and get out. I see that actors with a small playand a small cast can make a million: I must try it. We, alas,are comparatively poor, and if we had to live, to-morrow, onwhat we have, our income would be very small. Try to come next Sunday. I will send the motor to meetyou, if you like. By the way, B. would not allow me to readthe reviews of Peer, but now I have seen your article: it wasas generous and as kindly as you could make it, holding the viewsyou do (with which, entre nous, I agree, but B., and others donot). No more Ibsen! Still, of course, since I have made theventure, I wanted it to be successful. Yours as ever, R. M. A little later, and while the Ibsen play was stillcurrent (it was withdrawn on March 16), he wrotethe following letter,—the last piece of writing thatI ever received from him, and inexpressibly preciou
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