Life — May 5, 1904 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

440 The Diary of a Play. Iam born a tragedy. MAY, 2 father is a p New York aatist named » and my mother a Inspiration born of Poverty. Mother came to Fa- ther to-night as he was sitting, tired and dis- couraged, in his study, and I am not only born but feel myself grow- ing. I have already passed single Idea and am developing into a scenario, Father seems to love me very dearly, and Mother stays with him to nourish me. September 4: To-night I finished my growth and became a mature play. feel very strong, and am most anxious beyond THE FAMILY TREE, *LIrE« to go out and face the world. The time has come when I expect to be able to support Father, who told me to- in confidence, that I was his favorite child. September 5: To-day has been very This morning Father took me to sce a sort of play-doctor, called a manager. I felt ill as soon as I entered his office. There were a lot of pl lying around, all with the most horrible diseases. One of them had an awful enlargement of the hero, Another had varicose comedy-veins. Another had had its hero amputated, and the poor heroine had to perform his functions as well as her own, Although I had believed myself to be perfectly strong and healthy, I felt afraid as soon as the doctor cast his eventful. cold, searching eye upon me; nor w I mistaken. The doctor felt me all over, and then looked very grave as he informed Father that I had a deep-seated malady. He said that I had two good characte and that the normal play should have yone, Father explained that I had n born with the two characters equal in size, and that they had devel- oped together as I grew up. The doctor said that that could not be helped; an operation absolutely necessar Father sighed, and took me home to perform the operation, September 21: The operation been performed, and although Father was as tender as possible, it was very painful, Now that itis over, I feel v one-sided and much weaker than when I was abnormal. I could see that the use of the knife hurt Father as much as it did me; so I bore it as well as I could. The most distressing feature of the operation was that Mother stayed there all the time, and kept screaming hor- ribl September 22: To-day, in my weakened condition, I was see the doctor again. Everything in the office w the same as before, except that there was a new patient: a poor little play whom the doctor was trying to make live without any characters at all. He was working over it with hypo- dermic syringes, by means of which he injected large quantities of ballet, costume and scenery. He looked me all over again and con. gratulated Father upon the operation, but didn’t seem to notice how weak I had become. He said that I was much better, and only needed one or two alterations: I was lacking in comedy, and had a sad ending. Father agai explained that having been born with the nature of a Tragedy, those faults were natural to me. The doctor replied that he couldn't help it; my ending would have to be made a happy one or he would have nothing to do with me. Father took me home again. October 15: It is awful to be the child of a poor m Father d no choice except to sacrifice me or starve. As he did not want to starve, he has given a happy ending, in spite of which I feel miserable. Tam so weak I can hardly stand, but the worst thing of all is that Mother does not recognize me, and s: lam no child of hers, I cannot move freel Father has been monkeying with my insides, and has put in alot of laughs where they don't belong and which make me feel sick. But Iam to be presented. The doc- tor says I am perfectly healthy, he must know, because it is his bus’ In spite of it all, I cannot help feeling rebellious. I wish Father had never taken me to see the doctor. I'd rather lie in his desk drawer and keep my self-respect than go limping around a stage. Father knows this, but he says he must live. What a pity that fathers must live. October 16: Mother has left Father. William C. de Mille. “HEY say that Milder hasn’t an enemy in the world,"” “Well, he doesn’t deserve any."* Snail: MELLO, MAY FIRST! GUESS I'LL HAVE TO GT A MOVE ON ME comicbooks.com