31? March 1884 • Hartford, Conn. (MS, in pencil: NPV, UCCL 12509)
I believe that unless Raymond’s present play fails during the season we shall never get more than $250 a week from him. If we cannot make up our minds to take that—and I do not at all urge it—I propose that we shall simply change the name of Sellers throughout our play, and let the Madison Square people try it if they will on its own merits. As Raymond said the other day, Sellers is a universal type. He exists under all names; and if our new character is discovered to be another Sellers, what matter after all? Goodwin will not take him as Sellers; but the Mallorys probably could get him to do so if we re-named him.
Suppose you get Webster to put this to them. If they refuse, then nothing remains but to give the play to Raymond on his own terms, or wait till he wants it on ours.
I will make the changes, if you wish.
Answer him, Charley. I am willing to [do] anything, I care not what it is. Tell him our talk about Raymond[’]s proposal.
MS, in pencil, on William Dean Howells to SLC, 29 March 1884, UCLC 41838, Jean Webster McKinney Family Papers, Special Collections, NPV.
MTHL, 2:481–2 n. 2.
see McKinney Family Papers in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.