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Show 7 I Robert Mantell Versatile Host When tho season of hard work attendant at-tendant on the many wondorl'ul Shakespeare Shake-speare productions given by Itobcrfc lUantell ends, then one fiuds'thc great actor equally a vcrsatilo host. Down on the Jersey coast, resting amidst the naturally blessed Atlantic highlands, is picturesque " Brticewood,-" 'Robert Man-t Man-t ell's home. The low rambling house of many rooms is nil suggestive- of comfort. com-fort. The den devoted to valuable manuscripts, manu-scripts, souvenirs from Shakespeare's birthplace, photographs of Mantell s brilliant coterie of. friends, both in public pub-lic and private life, several greatly prized souvenirs of Edwin Booth; dainty bits of water color on tho walls, mostly outdoor scenes, suggest the actor's lovo of nature. Comfortable, lazy chairs: and old books, of course, ovcrywlioro, of a widp variety of subjects in light aud serious vein; largo mahogany table, with its "chummy" lamp make a place to think., a place to study or to rest and to dream. A guest uot'ing that the windows win-dows wero fully draped, Mautcll said: "Yes. f carefully cut off tho viow,'; and thore was a note of sorrow in his voice, "that wonderful view over the water, but J must, it so completely fascinates me. How in tho world could L study or do any serious work with all tho fates tempting mo?" Then there is the dininc room, which is long and of polished mahogany, its furnishings tho same ami the table equally long, for Mantell is hapnicst while dispensing all sorts of good tilings to cat and to drink and there arc always many guests. His love of horses shows in the welcome from the live beauties that at onco demand de-mand a lump of sugar. A spacious lawn surrounds tho house, with flowers in profusion, hammocks and easy chairs, but "Brucewood" is practical and is a paying venture, for the superintendent who farms it adds mauy dollars to Mian-tell Mian-tell 's bank account each, season. A commodious com-modious storehouse was last season turned into a rehearsal room. The company com-pany have a vacation in Ihe vicinity of "lirucewood" jind during part, of "the summer give their attention to rehearsing. rehears-ing. "Probably you do not know," said Mantell, "that one of tho deeply disappointing disap-pointing phases of 1113- lifo as an actor is my inability to meet aud to know moro closeh1- the charming and lovable pooplc in the many cities where I appear and who would extend to me their hospitality. hos-pitality. This is particularly so while traveling through the west, where both men and women arc not only delightful entcrtainors. .but of brilliant minds and lovers indeed of Shakespeare, as the largo audiences have proved; but, perhaps, per-haps, somo day I shall own a western home. When tho physical strain of my work has lessened and 1 ma- give more time to visiting with my friends, both old and new well, that" is what I hope for always." And perhaps that, was the picture he saw floating in tho long curls of smoko which came from the good cigars his guest: was enjoying. |