Of these player folk Mr. Charles Wyndham has been most fortunate in regaining his strength by his summer idling. 'The other day a Boston gentleman, a Mr. Schlesinger, a man of wealth and social: ambitions' who his written a few bright little songs and hus thus introduced himself to high-class Bohemia, gave a luncheon in honour of Mr. Wyndham and his wife. The litter was unable to be present. Fortunately, Mrs. Albery, Mr. Wyndham's leading Indy had also been invited, so at the delightful little forist she was able to make up somewhat for Mrs. Wyndham's absence from Homburg. Mr. Schlesinger had invited about twenty people, and the Iuncheon became a success, and is said, by a friend who writes me, to have been "the event of the season." " Mr.
laughter over his merry speeches. He is Wyndham kept she table in ronte_ the Chharle" Matthews of to-day and, I think, with the charm of Lester Wallach, America's popular actor manager, also added to his gifts. As I wrote you the other day, Mr. Wyndham is busy preparing his new play for the autumn at his pretty London Theatre, the Criterion.
Meantime, other actors are busy arranging their plans. Mr, Willard is looking forward to next season—which he opens in New York on the 4th of October—with great enthusiasm. He has made up a strong lmerienn company. "Tis leading lady is Miss Keith Wakeman, daughter of the late Captain Ned Wakeman, known I believe to China. Miss Wakeman is a Californian, She is very beautiful, and has already done some clever dramatic work in London, to which city Mr. Willard brought her, after she had toured with him in America the season before last. Last winter Mr. Wilson Barrett engaged her te play the leading heavy part. in The Sign of the Cros, Berenice. One or ewo other parts followed, and Miss Wakeman scored in her brief London career. So now she returns to her former manager to fill a better position than in the past. Mr. Willard opens with The Physician in New York. Miss Wakeman plays the part which was written for Ger-trade Kingston by Henry Arthur Jones. Sir Henry Irving refused to release Miss Kingston from his Lyceum company, so Mr. Charles Wyndham was forced to eu-'Miss Marion Torry for the part for the long run of The Physician in London, By the way, what a maker of the prosperity of actors has Mr. Wilson Barrett proved himself to be! So many people act with him, and at once step into good ditions elsewhere. Another American, a New York girl, Miss Maude Hoffman, is an instance of this. She. is an ambitious young woman and is beautiful, but her talents are of a very mediocre order. Yet despite these she has, by being with Mr. Barrett, stepped into a good position in Mr. Willard's company. How well I remember Mr. Willard only a few years ago, when he played the villains in Wilson' Barrett's great London successes. His "Spider" in The Silver King was a marvellous bit of impersonation. Few melodramas have been written equal to this play by Henry Arthur Jones and Henry Herman.
The Christian as a melodrama will be a rival to The Silver King. I think the play
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.