O'Neill soon had enough of the Count. His lines came out by rote and his performances became lackadaisical. He tried other plays but "The Three Musketeers" and "Julius Caesar" met with indifferent response, and O'Neill was forced to return to "Monte Cristo" in order to recoup the losses sustained in "artistic successes". "Monte Cristo" remained a popular favorite and would continue to make its appearance on tour as regular as clockwork. O'Neill could not afford to sacrifice wealth in the face of a growing family. His son Eugene was born in New York on October 16, 1888.