ght. It went splendidly with the audiences, and has
very good press. Of course the class of first-night audience that
we had last night understood it. The censor is a new thing over
here. The general public don't understand it, and it may on that
account not make so strong an impression on further audiences.
However, that is all right. I am delighted with the way it went,
and you would have been delighted had you been present. I think the
press was very good when you consider the subject is so new to us.
The three plays have all, I assure you, been nicely done, well
produced and cast, and you would be pleased with them as I am
pleased in having had them to produce. It helped considerably with
plays that would not have made much of an impression without them.
It has helped the general business of these plays, which, although
it is not great, is good, and makes a fair average every week. It
is chiefly what you would call "stall" business. "The Will" has
been a fine thing for John Drew, and he is very happy in it. He has
made a very deep impression indeed. I think the part with the
changes of character as played by him has made it really a star
part. If you have any more of them, send them along.

_To W. Somerset Maugham, October, 1913:_

Regarding the first act of "The Land of Promise," this is what I
think, and maybe you will think the same, and, if you do, give me a
good speech. Send it as soon as you can. I think that we should
have a different ending to the first act, uplifting the ending.
After the girl tells about her brother being married, wouldn't it
be a good idea for her to say something like this, in your own
language, of course: "Canada! Canada! You are right." (Turning to
Miss Pringle), "England, why should I stay in England? I'm young, I
want gaiety, new life. Then why not go to a young country where all
is life and gaiety and sunshine and joy and youth--the land of
promise, the land for me?" Remember, in the last act she speaks of
all she expected to find and how different the realization. This
new idea of the end of the first act will help this speech, I
think. And besides uplifting the ending, gives the great contrast
we want to show in the play and is driven into the minds of the
audience at the end of the first act. Give the girl a good