TOO LATE FOR THE AUTHOR

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1373, 26 February 1912, Page 9

TOO LATE FOR THE AUTHOR

TRAGIC SUCCESS. The aulhor nt.. "Kvcryymnan," lh<>. modern mornlity-iajlay, is one of (lie most tragic ti«im'»Nu tho history uf Uw drama. .Uttcli has hr-eii \vri(l«n iibout him, and iniicli more is likely to be. His di'iilh on the <?vo of a brill inn t New "iui'k success for his play moved the public mind to pity. In the newspapers appeared columns devoUd to the hardships he wns pictured as having suli'ered. it was related how manager alter manager rcml his "hcript aud uir.ied it down. I.ho theatrical space writer , ! allowed their imagination lo run riot, but not all they wroto was by any means in accordunco with fact. First cf nil, Walter Browne was not. American born. He was an Englishman, and at one time ho won considerable popularity as a ballad singer. One night, after a concert at York, he wns approached by a Londoner and invited to biipper at tlie lalter's hotel. When they separated, after a pleasant foregathering, Iw> host of the evening handed Waller Browne his card. It bore the nan.« of D'Oyhy Carlo. "two j'oung men in London," Carte had said during ihe evening, "are writing clever operas. Their names ate Gilbert and Sullivan. I intend to produce one of their pieces. ]f you should bo in London, call nnd sw me." A few weeks later Walter Browne wns ill London, and availed himself of the invitation. Mr. Carter asked him to report next dav at the theatre. At tho appointed hour ho wns ttiere. At the piano on tho stage sat a slim young man experimenting with arpeggios. "Want something, young man?" he demanded. "Yes—l want to see Mr. Carte. I m to sing for Mr. Sullivan." » "Urn—Sullivan's a bit of a crank. You had better limber up your voice, before I yon meet him. I'll run you through." Browne sang several songs to tho stranger's accompaniment, and was still singing when Mr. Carte entered. The man at the piuno rose and stretched himself. "He'll do for Tinaforo,' Carle," he said. Needless to say his accompanist was the man who afterwards became Sir Arthur Sullivan. Popular as he' was in England, Walter Browne wanted to try a new field. He booked to A>w York, nnd played several seasons in musical comedy. But he grew tired of the life, and turned his hnndto dramatic, criticism. He had a careless, easy facility in treating news stories, but never made much headway, for a while he specialised in real estate items, supplying them to New York dailies. One night he saw "Everyman" produced, and wrote a skit on it. Tins lie called "Evcrywoiuan." It was printed as a page story in c> New York newspaper. Browne sent his burlesque to his old tlieatric.il agent, Thomas Ebert. The latter read it and called on Browne. "Look here, Walter," ho said, taking him by the lapel of his coat, "you make tho quest of 'Evcrywoman' for love into a serious plav, and it will make you." "All right, Browne replied. "I will some day, when I feel like it." But he went on writing real estate news, vaudeville skits, and librettos for musical comedies. Always Ebert worried him to get on with "Everywoman," and five years after the suggestion was made to him Browne slipped into his old agent's office, and threw tho 'script on his desk. "There it is," ho said. ".Now, let s tte what you can do with it." Only one manager ever read ''Everywoman," and that manager was Henry W. Savage. Ebert was asked by that magnate to bring along tho author. He accordingly called for Browne to go with him to the manager. "See here, this is a joke!" was Browne's comment, and he went with him, protesting. However, he found the contracts drawn for the production of the play, and only awaiting his signature. There uas also a fat chdiue for advance royalties, on which Browne made n trip to England with his family. That was in February, 1910. When he returned, the Savage forces were at work. The piece was cast, the scenery nearly ready, and George Whitefield Chadrack, the Boston composer, was writing in tho score. Browne only laughed at all this activity, and went back to his newspaper work cf supplying real estate paragraphs. The premiere of the play was six months oft, and a hundred mechanics, painters and designers wero workins on it. Then they began lo want the author at the theatre. Hβ told them to go ahead when asked his opinion on the production as it progressed. "It's Savage/ he said, "who is gambling GO.OOO dollars on the play. All I houo is that he gets it back." Everything was going right. Why should" he worrv? That was his attitude. The fact that liQjvi-as face to face with a Broadway suecViS did not thrill him. The actors and stage-managers looked at him and wondered. Was it indiflerence or pose? Then tho great day—the final rehearsal was called. The stage-manager sent for the author, but he did not come. Instead there enme a message. Walter Browne was in tho hospital, down with pneumonia. A New York writer describes the rehearsal;— "\ mini her of gnents were invited to witness it. Well in the foreground of rlip interested audienco sat five strained figures, Mrs. Walter Browne, the wife ot the playwright, his three children, and Ms old" agent, Ebevt.

'Tis Time, tho call boy of the soul, Who comes to warn us for our final scene prepare, u So chanted 'Youth' in the play. The figure of \\\e wife grew tense . "When the curtain fell she hurried from the theatre and rode to her husKind's side as fast as a motor-ear conltl carry her. And with her rode Success. "Together they entered the narrow room. The man who had never taken himself seriously turned as the woman he loved, leading Success, entered tho door. Perhaps the sight dazzled him. Perhaps,'after all, it had not-been indifference. At any rate, ho turned his brad and faced the dark inscrutable figure who waits at the turning of the road tor every "'Next night the brillinnt first-night audience acclaimed "Everywoman Uie "leatost success Broadway had seen lor nviny seasons. Tliore v;ere clamorous calls for the author. Then lollowcd a sudden significant silence as tho manager stepped to the footlights, and paid a simple tribute lo the p.'nywrifflif, on whose life, the final curtain had been rung down the previous day.

SPECIAL CONCESSIONS IX HAIR TREATMENT. The loss of hair if, as a rule, the consequence of debility in some form or another, but the causes are as various as the cases themselves. At (his season llie hair usually falls in excessive quantities, and special enrc should be given to the scalp. Mrs. Rolieston advises a short course of treatment in every ease, as the greatest benefit is derived at this particular time. Special Courses (five treatments) for F.iUin.i Hair, ctc._, including necessary preparations and Vibro Massaeto. may lie had for one guinea (hiring the oulumn; and ladies avo taught the care and treatment of their hair. Book appointments early, as "A i hair in the liead is worth five :n the brush." Tel. 1509. 2ofi Lambtcn Quay (opp. Economic). 4 Lieutenant TI. W. X'itzpatrick, of the Royal I'icld Artillery, was found coad in his rooms at I'reston Barracks, lirifiMon, on January 7. A double-barrelled fun was found near bv, and there was a gunshot wound in his head. Lieutenant I'^itzpatrick was about twenty-seven years of age.