the dead could come and go at will, seen or unseen. The
passing rain-storms blended with the tears of those weeping for
their loved ones. A man who comes back must not have a commonplace
name--a name suggestive of comedy--and I think I must have read over
every Dutch name that ever came out of Holland before I selected the
name of "_Peter Grimm_." It was chosen because it suggested (to me)
a stubborn old man with a sense of justice--whose spirit _would_
return to right a wrong and adjust his household affairs.

The stage setting was evolved after extreme care and thought. It was
a mingling of the past and present. It was _Peter's_ sitting-room,
with a mixture of furniture and family portraits and knick-knacks,
each with an association of its own. It was such a room as would be
dear to all old-fashioned, home-loving people--unlike a room of the
present, from which every memento of parents and grand-parents would
be banished in favour of strictly modern or antique formal
furniture. In this room, the things of _Peter's_ father mingled with
those of _Peter's_ boyhood and young manhood. This was done in order
that the influence of his familiar belongings might be felt by the
people of the play. When his niece stood with her hand on his chair;
when she saw the lilies he loved; when she touched his pipe, or any
of the familiar objects dear to her because of their associations,_
PETER _was brought vividly back to her mind, although she could not
see him.

_Peter's_ clothing was selected with unusual care so that it would
not catch the reflection from the lights. Months of preparation and
weeks of rehearsal were necessary.

One detail that was especially absorbing was the matter of lighting;
catching the high lights and shadows. This was the first time the
"bridge of lights" was used on any stage. Lighting has always been
to me more than mere illumination. It is a revelation of the heart
and soul of the story. It points the way. Lights should be to the
play what the musical accompaniment is to the singer. A wordless
story could be told by lights. Lights should be mixed as a painter
mixes his colours--a bit of pink here, of blue there; a touch of
red, a lavender or a deep purple, with shadows intervening to give
the desired effect. Instead of throwing a mysterious light upon the
figure of _Peter_, I decided to reverse the process and put no
lights on him. The light was on the other people--the people still
in life, with just