 Because of the progression of the consumptive illness from which he suffered most of his life, he needed the assistance of the director, Austen Hurgon, to finish the libretto.Rubens and Hurgon next wrote the disappointing "My Mimosa Maid" (1908) and the somewhat more successful "Dear Little Denmark" (1909).After writing songs that made their way into several Broadway shows, Rubens supplied songs for a number of mostly successful later shows, beginning with Curzon's "The Balkan Princess" in 1910 (an international hit, also starring Jay).