of your life, to be avoided in succeeding trips farther down the
stream. They beset us all along the route, from the cradle to the
grave, and if we can only see them we can avoid many rough bumps.

God bless my darling!

PAPA.



TO HIS DAUGHTER

CHICAGO, October 9, 1886

... I am glad to know that baby has begun to crawl; don't put her on
her feet too soon; consider her legs a _la bow_.... I closed my first
week here with two enormous houses. A hard week's work has greatly
tired me.... Jefferson called and left with me the manuscript of his
reminiscences, which he has been writing. So far as he has written
it, it is intensely interesting and amusing, and well written in a
free and chatty style; it will be the best autobiography of any actor
yet published if he continues it in its present form. I sent you some
book notices from Lawrence Hutton's clippings for me.... In the
article I send to-day you will see that I am gently touched up on the
point of the "old school"; my reference was not to the old style of
acting, but the old stock theatre as a school--where a beginner had
the advantage of a great variety of experience in farces, as well as
tragedies and comedies, and a frequent change of programme. There is
no "school" now; there is a more natural style of acting, perhaps, but
the novice can learn nothing from long runs of a single play ...