First Plays - Wurzel-Flummery, Belinda, The Boy Comes Home

FIRST PLAYSby A. A. MilneTO MY MOTHERCONTENTSINTRODUCTIONWURZEL-FLUMMERYTHE LUCKY ONETHE BOY COMES HOMEBELINDATHE RED FEATHERSINTRODUCTIONThese five plays were written, in the order in which they appearnow, during the years 1916 and 1917. They would hardly have beenwritten had it not been for the war, although only one of them isconcerned with that subject. To his other responsibilities theKaiser now adds this volume.For these plays were not the work of a professional writer, butthe recreation of a (temporary) professional soldier. Play-writingis a luxury to a journalist, as insidious as golf and much moreexpensive in time and money. When an article is written, thefinancial reward (and we may as well live as not) is a matter ofcertainty. A novelist, too, even if he is not in "the front rank"--but I never heard of one who wasn't--can at least be sure ofpublication. But when a play is written, there is no certainty ofanything save disillusionment.To write a play, then, while I was a jour..