The sun. [volume], April 15, 1916, SPECIAL LITERARY SECTION, Page 14, Image 14

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

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THE SUN, SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1916.
SOME POPULAR AUTHORS AND THE WORK THEY ARE DOING ,
14 ;
MRS. WATTS'S MODESTY AND
DELIGHTFUL PERSONALITY
Her Caricatures to "Uphold the Best Traditions of This
Country of Serious but Not Solemn
Schoolma'ams."
T WILLIAM !. .MCHOI,".
1 Mary 8. Watts Is a novelist In whom
tho public la much Interested. Tills In.
tsrest cones from her hooks solely, for
yTT Ilttla la known about the perron
lltr f the author of "Nathan llurke,"
"Van Clare" and 'The nuddcr." And
persistent Inquiry discloses but few
facta, for Mrs. Watta prefers r.itlicr to
lt hr booka speak for themselves. Yet
ah always greets the would be Inter
rtewer cordially and gives lilm the lm
praaslon that ahe la telling: lilm just what
ha wants to know. The result Is that ho
leaves her presence wholly charmed .with
her manner, but when he comes to ana
lyae hie notes he finds that Instead of
harlnj the usuat material as to birth,
education, special Interests and remark'
able experienced of the kind In which
eo many of. our popular writers Indulge,
he haa Instead the record of an exceed
ingly pleasant conversation on a va
riety of general topics, a conversation
Which Mrs. Watts has led away from
herself as often as possible, hut which
la characterized hy the wit and brill
iancy which have made her books bo
popular.
Not very long ago a reporter put to
lira. Watta the usual question: "What
have you done? Tho public wants to
knew. What strange or remarkable ad
ventures have been yours?" Here was
her reply.
"I feel very highly complimented by
the public Interest, but I'm afraid t can't
Justify It. In fact your Inquiry for per
sonal experience Is perhaps 4tself one of
the most Interesting personal experiences
I have had so far. The plain truth Is
nobody ever had a duller time of It liv
ing or a more commonplace life. And
van If you have unusual ami funny
things to tell, and I haven't. It Is a hnrd
natter to talk about oneself. If you
talk about yourself nil the time you end
by boring people to death ; If you don't
talk about yourself at all they look on
you with a certain suspicion. The posi
tion la difficult and made more so In the
esse of an author by the fart that peo
ple absolutely refuse to believe that one
may write stories and yet be a perfectly
ordinary person, not looking in the least
like Marie Rashklrtscff or Amelle Hives,
and not acting that way, either.
"However, I will say that I was born
(at a date which I refuse to divulge) In
that Scioto Itlvcr country which I have
attempted to describe In some of my
writings. Of course, I began writing
when I was a youngster and kept tt up
In a desultory way until a few years ago,
when I went at It In earnest. My ex
periences were exactly those of every
beginner. I wasn't like a lady who re.
cently said to me, 'Did you have a hard
time getting things accepted? Well,
that Just shows. I always have said
that I couldn't possibly bo a genius lie
cause they alien;- take cver thing I
write.' As I have never seen unvthltig
she wrote I do not know whether this
Is an accurate test of a genius or not.
It's almost too simple. I might have
told her that I still have trouble getting
things accepted, which should certainly
llnch the argument about genius, but
It'a impossible to make people lielirve
that. They think all I have to do Is to
send in a story and gel a check by re.
turn mall."
It was at this point that a question
waa put In as to what Mrs. Watts's
first literary acceptance was.
"The first I ever got Into print." she
replied, "were two or three short stories.
Every one enters by that door, I sup
pose. Hut the fart is si short story is a
tour do force with me: my style of
writing Is not suited to them. And, in
deed, 'they take a hltihci of
study and skill, and much more vigorous
Inspiration, than a long novel.' This I
was told by u young lady here, upon
my remarking on the difficulties I had
With short stories, and as she writes
short stories herself, she ought to know.
These first of mine that appeared natu
rally created some stir here where I am
t known; everybody proceeded to thrust
'greatness upon mo to my Inlliille dis
taste. Everybody except one person,
Just Published, the Greatest
T
- t
' ' BBSBgSSBSBSBSBSst
gUB-HilililililV
KIl MUlNlat MAWDKKN FISKK, America's rt
est aatrt.se. mn: . . ..
"Frem keslaalng te en I found 'BIBHOLD THB
WOMA1T gripping and thHIUnilr IntarawUns It ts
SleturMS.se, rtvla and DRAMATIC Urourhtut."
cum. momma a. nnraiiAM. of me unit mm
Amy. an farmer Pellee Cinnlnlnir ( the Cltr
f WawTerk. writes: .
"A nrmrmi and frrrmtrxo talm. wnih i rt.
wtm gnat interest, ana wnien i
will have tie suecess It etaaarves."
AMKI.IK BIVKS, (rrlncess Troubetz.
key, writes:
"I lad BIHOLD TltS
WOMAN raeet Istereettsi.
fall tt eater. ao4 markte kr
a deep sincerity. The leve
wita wnica ii
Is Seas aad
the aniMlns
reairaiiiT er
lettirmtk It
if
ran wbsm
nm." kwnMmmmwimmMW aw
Price $1.35. Net. At All Bookstores.
Publish. J. B. LIPPINCOTT CO. phii.d.iPu.
BOOK EXCHANGE
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Highest price puM for single itooil Ilm44
ana cnmpiei" i.iurarirn
lAVl.- HOOK
BTOniJ. 47 Ve.py SI.
Tel. CortlHiiilt H0(,
BOOKS All out or print books oipplled,
matir n noil auuirci, write ma stating
Oka wasted! 1 can set you any book evar
a JSbS5 JS" Knsland call and Impact,
IwmjK- ESS
that Is; she drew me Into a coiner at a
reception to say: 'Well, I've read your
stm les, Mrs. Watts, and I do hope now
that jou'vo written these good ones
ou'rc not going to run down. You know
alt the authors run down : there's So
and So' -she named him 'Isn't It
(iwful how he's run down? I said to
Mr. K ' (her husband) "the other day,
"Well, I do hope Mrs. Watts Isn't going
to run down like nil the rest of them I
"You might suppose a rising author
would be somewhat dashed by opinions
like the above. Hut there are com
pensations. Not long since I went Into
a little shop, an antiquity and curiosity
place, to buy a gift which had to bn
sent away, I had to ask for a pen
and paper to write the address and
make a memorandum of my own name
and adrtre.-s for the dealer to let me
know the express charges, and in the
course of these transactions, says 1,
wishing to be affable: 'What nice blot
ters these are! One can't get them at the
stationers they never have anything
but great big sheets that you havj to
out Into pieces.' Whereupon 1 observed
sonic commotion In the rear of tho shop
and presently the proprietor appeared.
'Airs. Watts. Isn't It?' 'Yes.' 'Well,
now, Mrs. Watts, I Just want to say
you take all of those blotters you want,
and any time you're passing stop In
and get blotters whenever you need
them. An v body that does all the writing
you do must need blotters!"
"However, 1 grlcvo to say fhls gener
ous gentleman has gone Into bank
ruptcy since. The business of supplying
blotters free as air to literary celebri
ties was too much for him. The last
person from whom I got a kind word
was my dressmaker. She says she's
going to read my novels, and I suppose
she must be reading thun because she's
put me off several times lately. She
Inquired what time In the day I did
my work, volunteering the Information
that she did alt her deignlng In the
evenings 'after the day's work Is all
over, you know, 1 wouldn't feel my mind
free to create If I was worrying about It
nil during my fittings. Sometimes I
design a little Sunday, too. tf 1 get an
Idea. It's best If you get on Idea to go
right ahead and develop It, don't you
think so'." I told her that was exactly
the way I worked, and we looked nt
each other quite soulfully. Arcades
amho!"
in another occasion Mrs. Watts had
seit rthing to say about the attitude of
her acquaintances toward her since the
success'of her novels.
"There was a time when they met me
with: "Well, writing anything now?' In
a very light frivolous style and followed
It up by asking me If I couldn't come
over and play bridge to-morrow after
noon? All that has been changed since
the days of 'Nathan Iturke," 'Van Clevc'
and tho others. Nowadays thev Inquire,
to be sure. In the very same terms: 'Arc
you writing anything now?" but as
gravely as If It were 'Hid you suffer
much at the last?" And If they refer tn
bridge nt all it is to venture with a dis
tressing difference: 'I suppose you never
think of hrlilijrt' It 'has set me wonder
ing whether It Isn't more painful to he
taken seriously than to be laughed at.
Another favorite form of address Is:
'Now you're not going to put inr In a
story I just won't hare It. I'll never
speak to you ngain!' There are also an
astonishing number of persons win
want to give ttu 'material.' only equalled
by another astonishingly large number
who want me tn tell them all about the
tmxt story I am going to write 'I'm so
Interested, you know. Mrs. Watts!'
Another class can tell me exactly how I
I did It' 'You v.tltc of course under an
Immediate and strong Inspiration an
I yi erioasterlnc impulse. Mrs, Watts. The
i MMintatKoim quality of your style shows
Unit,' one man said to me. 'All writers
do. I have met a gloat many of them
I mean tho high up writers like nurself.
I and 1 have, observed their methods o'
work closely. You feel this desire of ex
I presslon you mut obey it you must
sit down and write oh"' This gentleman
himself conducts the advertising depart
ment of a large soap company and I
have no doubt ke knows whereof he
Novel since "Quo Vadit
BEHOLD
THE
WOMAN!
Byf. EVERETT HARRfi
1
TfiEROAOTO-
ENJOYAAET
'BABETTE
By F. BERKELEY SMITH
An Idyl of Tnurslnn and of llolieiiilaii
Carl. The story of a man's re
generation through love.
Stl.tt.lS. All nnnKilnm.
llllt'lll.Kll.W,
r.uiK co.
LOOK 1 1
IFORSIGNlJ
"sPI "
- v
"l jj
.-ill
Mrs. Watts as She Is and Her
speaks. I had to tell him that I dashed
off one of my booka In only about
eighteen months of grinding hard work,
without a grain of Inspiration t far as I
was aware; ho looked Incredulous. And
It has since occurred to me that I might
na well leave people with their fixed
ideas about how literary work Is done;
after all nothing 1 can say will change
them. I ihave lately fallen in with
another class who get me In a corner
ami after first telling me that they have
been engaged In literature themselves
Inquire solemnly If I Intend to con
tlnue In thin 'realistic' stylo of writ
Ing and tf I don't think that my tendency
is to see things In detail, whereas the
great way is really to see them In tare
masses and cumulative effects: don't I
think that everybody begins with realism
and ends In symbolism. &c. Tho way to
answer these, highbrows Is the way
recommended In I'roverbs, twenty-sixth
chapter, fifth verse. Soon being attacked
by the fast one 1 squared off and gave
an extrordlnarlly high browed little
lecture on the relative values of sym
bolism and reilism. 1 didn't understa id
a word 1 was saying, and neither did
my uudlence. but they nil said It was so
Inir, and they were ttry much struck
by my views !
'There is another very large class
represented by a lady who said to me
the other day: 'It must be very delight
ful to you, Mrs. Watta, when you come
Into a room of peopie like this to have
cveryhody begin praising you and con
gratulating you. You must enjoy that
so much.' She was very sweet and sin
cere and earnest: sho hadn't aoy notion
of being satirical. Ami after all. sup
tsjslng nobody noticed me at all. would
I like that? I'm afraid not. Tho
trouble Is one runs out of agreeable
tilings to say In return. It's all very
well to acknowledge a complimentary
leferencc with 'Oh, I'm so glad you
enjoyed It.' but after you have said
that some few scores of times ou reallr.e
from the expression on your hearers'
facos that your conversation Is not tho
series of epigrams they felt they had a
right to expect. Somebody ought to
get up a manual and vocabulary of
easily memorized phrases for nuthois.
boar In mind an anecdote about the
And people who meet manors ougiu to
Duke of Wellington, which you may or
may not have heard, Somebody onco
.... t ...., . . i I
. i .. ,i -i.
In Pall Mall In plain fear of crossing .
g tho crowd nnd vehicles. So this
gentleman went up and offered the old
Duke his service as a pilot, wlllcli Well
Ington was glad to accept, and when
they had got across thanked him civilly.
'Sir, don't mention,' ys tho other,
'when I reach your tito I shall bn tell
Ing my grandchildren that onco I helped
tho Duke of Wellington across tho
street'.' Whereupon the Iron Duke ire
piled: 'Oh, don't be a damn fool!"'
Shortly after tho appearance of "Tho
Iluddcr," a now story of the career of .1
young girl of to-day, which is Just from
tho press, a literary editor wrote to Mrs,
Watts and asked her what she was
most Interested In. explaining that he
would like to publish nn article ex
pressing her views, lty return mail he
tecelved a photograph of tho rivoptlnn
room In her homo and also a snapshot
of a bit of her garden. Tho picturos
wero accompanied hy this note: "I am
enclosing some small photographs as re
quested, Don't be surprised that they
are still life studies: they represent some
of the things that I am most Interested
In, If that Is what you want. I have two
of myself, but one of them seated at
my desk with a deep expression looks
like an understudy for Dr. Johnson,
and tho other, peiehed on the porch rail
ing with a strong sunlight directly In
my eyes, gives the Impression that 1 am
scowllngly enduring some extreme physi
cal discomfort Just as If I wero sitting
nn a tack, to be plain, I can't bring
myself to send ou either one of them,
especially when I remember tho news-
HOW -DAVID GRAYSON"
CAME INTO EXISTENCE
Kver since the revelation of the fact
that "David Orayson" Is none other than
Hay Stannnrd Ilaker, editor, magazine
writer and sociological Imcstlgator, per
haps one of the questions most fre
quently asked Is how did he ever come
to adopt the pseudonym of David Clray-
son, and how was the secret so success
fully kept. The answer is simple and
logical, but the growth of the David
(Irayson legend thtougb the publication
of "Adventures in Friendship, 1'lie
Friendly Hoad" and "llempfield" makes
perhaps ns interesting a bit of hitherto
untold literary history as has been re
vealed In many a year. A visitor re
cently went to Amherst to Mr. Maker's
homo to Hud out such of Ills history as
he could. Naturally the Mist question
was "How did David (irayson originate?"
"David (Irayson catno to live." Mr.
linker answered, "In the most logical
way possible. It wns nt the time that wn
were nil there together on the tinerlniii
.'(iHoitni-. W. lb.it U Jshn H. rhllllp?,
.Miss Tarbell, William Allen White, Fin.
ley l'eter Dunne and myself, had Just
taken It over, and wero treble to make
a new kind of magazine, This was In
1901. Well, the cry went up for copy
Kneh of tiM was to contribute all ho
could to tho general fund.
"Strange, Isn't It, how rarely one
knows what Is Important and what Is
not? At that time I was writing articles
on many serious subjects the race ques
tion In tho Houth, for example, and
political and social conditions, whicii
necessitated wide variety and a rather
strenuous life. My home at the time
was in a small town In Michigan. Theie
I led about the same kind of life that I
do here.
"Naturally, I was very tired when I
lot home from my trips. Tired not only
physically but weary to death of the
Insoluble oomplsxltr snd evil ot the
1
Own Caricatures of Herself.
paper man's comment on the one you si
ready have."
Tho comment to which Mrs. Watts re-1
fers was made by a facetious editor, who i
had received a picture of Mrs. Watte from j
'her publishers to be used In connection I
with a review of one of her books. "Mrs.
Watts Is not a handsome woman," so
the editor wrote, "hut the portrait of
her upholds the best traditions of this
country of serious but not solemn school
ma'ams." Unfortunately some enterprising clip
ping bureau sent these remarks to Mrs.
Watts, upon which she Immediately for
warded them to her publishers, accom
panying them by a good humored re
minder of Hier hesitancy to give out her
Picture for jmbllcntlon. and decorating
the letter with innumerable catlcaturcs
of herself, set off by this heading: "Kor
tho special benefit of Macmlllan's edi
tor. This Is what I get for my supine
compliance, and I hopn jour dream will
be ihnunted by theso." A few of thesj
catlc.itures are here leproduced
Mrs. Watts .says that appuontly part
of the business of writing Is to know how j
to t"jso as a w rlter, ami she confesses
that she Is not very good at that.
"When people wnnt to know If I write
because 1 feel a ureal, strong, oveunss
terlmr Impulse," rtie says. "I only stutter
and look foolish not half so foolish as t
feel, though. Tim pricier thing to do, I
believe, would be to assume a profound
n P varan oo, or to smilo subtly: It wou'd
bo more In the role, mote convincing. In
short. The public has so quaint a re
gard for a person who gets himself Into
print. It is so firmly persuaded thai he
must bo different from the rest of the
world, that it Is a sliain In iHs.iioItit
II. Hut what Is there to do" Suppose, for
instance. I were to go to work and say:
'My f i lends, I do not wilte because I feel
a great, strong, overmastering Impulse;
nor because, as lias also been hinted, my
domestic life !a unhappy; nor to divert
myself In III health, which Is nnother
conjis'ture. I have never b'tm trouble d
with Impulses of that lofty character,
at any rate; my family and houehoI!
are not half bad as people go; and I
haven t nad a frlcK day In years!
I wilte because 1 wilte; most of the
'"P,"' ,0 ' furniture, for
.",, ., , ' 1 " w
,0,M1I ,mlc1', ' , tho thine are
touching one another nil ntmim! ilif. w.,n.
of tho rooms, and nil ilw rum inr.
"ealers and nntlque s.hii men letlre lo
""' ""i . now', on ineir
offer thanks with tears of
puio joy when the oee nn lomlng. I've
just not h iHlHioKHe from it (inn it
would be against vublic molality to men
tion them by name- who sill 'tho most
beautiful painted chairs and dusts and
things, anil I am try li, to make up mv
mind whether to go without a new- eve
ning drcsH ami buy a ate leg table
"Hody color. French gra. decoration soft
blue and old ro. with delicate lines of
black" or to wait a while and see how
"The Rudder" vans out, ami then may
be get the evening dress and the table
both, I have a tiny little backyard gar
den wheie there me a dozen lose bushes
nnd some clumps of iris and coreopsis
ami .snapdragon, and I think It's a ureal
deal more fun to talk about Klllaineys
and Insecticides and the itn-'ossl I, iitvnf
getting a genuine Duncan Tl'hyfo table
than to evehaiwo views about he Inllu-
....
erne of Iu Iplibs on the modern drama
or even to hear comments on "Nathan
llurke" !'
"I say, Huvpm-lng I should delhcr my
nelf as above, what would people think"
Why, they'd Just take It for another sort
of pose! I don't know exactly what
they want a writer to b like, and to
ici tne iruin, i nun t mioiv w nit a
writer wants the public to be like. If
nobody took nuyorrsnn.il notice of ,.
wo should be bltte.ly ,norlllled-we
should be hopping mad, tn nay the
, .
ot It' Hut If they do take iieisonal no
tice of us, then wo feel consrlntiw nnd
restive. Its a problem!"
social and industrial conditions of which
I was trying to write. 1 shall never
forget the nene of liberation and Joy I
hail In getting into my old work clntliea
and digging In my garden, or setting out
fur long tramps In tho country roads or
in the fields or woods, or In meeting and
talking with farmers and other country
people, nlio had 11 cool, sane mid often
humorous outlook upon life. I do not
, ,,nl ( cmM lmvo continued to live and
work without this constant tenewal in
the country. All of these things went
down In my note books from day to da
Just for the Joy of writing about such
flesh and delightful adventures. At 111
best 1 think writing springs always from
the Impulse to llvo over one's finest ex -
perlenccs"
Hero ho gave his visitor a searching
glance, perhaps a bit doubtful ns to
whether he would follow the meaning
"You sec," he continued slowly, "I havo
always felt that young authors, perhaps
most authors, do not 'sketch' enough.
An author or writer should 'sketch' Just
CONCENTRATION
By JULIA SETON, M.D.
This is the only book
written and published
that actually tells you
how 'to Concentrate. You
will find it in every book
shop, and it's a mighty
big 50 cents worth.
EDWARD i. CLODC, H Mis Araast, NtwTaek
as an artist does. It Is a mistake to
write only for publication. Tho writer
should handle his talent as tho good
farmer handles hla field. Too continu
ous a production of crops will exhaust
tho field or the writer's talent. Wo
should now and then grow a crop and
turn It under for fertilising purposes.
"As I say, I had been writing these
sketches of country life for a long time,
and when the cry went up for copy I got ,
out my note books, put together a few of
the sketches, gave them the title of
"Adventures In Contentment" and turned
them In under a nom de plume. The
nom de plume was David Orayson.
"That la what I meant a moment ago
when I said that one never knows what
Is of Importance. At the time I cer
tainly felt that the articles and books
I was writing under my own name were
of far greater Importance than the David
arayson writings. Hence the nom de
plume. The success of tho Grayson
books surprised me more than any one
else, and still surprises me.
"The only person In tho office who
knew at the tlmo of tho Identity of
David Orayson was John Phillips, and
It was many months and even years
before some of my most Intimate office
associates found out. The first book
was placed with Douhlcday, Page ft Co.
through a secret contract with David
Orayson and then Walter H. Page and
I entered Into a second contract, confirm
ing the David Grayson agreement. Mr.
Pago was the only one of my publish
ers to know for many years, but of
course It leaked out In the Douhlcday,
Tags & Co. organization bit by bit. It
Is strange, though, how long and how
completely the secret was kept, Isn't It?
Ten years, this year!"
Apparently the subject was closed.
Mr. Ilaker turned again to his view
Mff 'l
a
Ray Stannard Baker ("David
Grayson.")
where the early spring sun was Just
setting In a brilliant glow over the
western hills. "Shall me take a brisk
walk?" he said.
Hut the visitor was far from through
with David Grayson's history.
"Then David Grayson Is not typically
New Kngland, as I thoughf He really
had his origin in Michigan,"
"David Grayson was. and Is. a nrd.
a reaction." he explained as he turned' in his home In Amherst he has his gar
h!s back upon the ttlory of the sunset. I den, bis orchard, his rural friends and
"So far as ths external picture of rural his hills to tramp In. And all his life
llfo goes It Is pretty much as I have (except for a few years he has lled In
seen It In the Northern and middle the country or In small country towns.
Western States. , And really, he says, there Is no life like
"As I saj the sketches were a re- I It for solid satisfaction.
MYSTERY OF
WRITER'S
There Is no mystery about Miss fier-
i amine
Honner. the author of novels,
plajs and m story stories that Apple-
i , mihlMi and an Increasing number
of people read. She lives In nn apart
ment, one flight up, on the corner of
Park avenue and Se enty-flfth street.
There is a decided mjsterj', however,
about Miss Manner's collaborator.
"A scientific man," said the author I
simply, as sho seated the caller In a,
wicker chair and sat down, near her
writing table, facing him. "I can't toll1
you his name. He wouldn't like it Ho
furnishes the central Idea nnd I write
tho story.
"Ills name does not appear on the.
bonks. He doesn't want It to. A sort of1
modesty, perhaps, combined with other
motives. Possibly he feels that It would j
not enhance his standing as a scientist
'
"' " 'T, ''1'",P,1 ir, U I",' ,,P '
,-mrr "f "',"b yarns that cou 1,1 1 ha f
'no professional standing among bis
no professional Manning among
learned colleagues.
"An engineer? No. 1 can't venture to.
toll vnu anything that might lead tn his (
Idontltleatlon with the stories, Hut it
Is n fan that ho first came to me several,
years ago with two such central Ideas
as 1 have spoken of nnd offered them
to me. 1 had never written a mystery
. . , i ' ,;,,, i,. nr ,inin- n
' s,?,r,v"ni " ?, s "f . ."ni.ln't
I ... "' " at. Pan 'V'H'
the other. Takli K : the on e t M ap-
Il.'.ll.'ll Ml 111'- ,....'..
ilini un have npcil eer since. Together
we traced the action barn to its dp-
gluiilngs. to the very starting points or
what was to become a dramatic, evclt-
Inc. bizarre occurrence. At tills point
the scientist dropped out. At this point'
lie always abandons to me the insK or
visualizing the actors In the story and
writing the story Itseir.
"Doing a mystery story Is remarkably
like doing n play. I say that because
I've written half n doren plays, of which
four have been sold an unusually high
percentage of success, the managers tell
me. In both play and mystery tale
vnu follow mnut successfully Sardnu's
method, Let me Illustrate It. A man
conies home and finds his wife In the
amis of her lover. Instead of shooting
him or trying to kill both the outraged
liusband does something totally unex
pected, even something Inappropriate,
Now. why did be do Just that extraor
dinary thing? You have to trace the
a,-tlon back from tho big, central
moment to the beginning of the play or
story. It may be some outivaid circum
stance that compelled the man to act In
that way and his peculiar action may
me tho most surprising nnd suitable
1 consequences. Or the explanation may
1,0 purely psychological, Klther way It
null,t bo convincing. And that means. I
1 mippose, that the author must live the
part,
-yes, the mystery story Is essentially
1 luchltectural. No amount of character
delineation will cover up bad structure,
That Is why tliem nro so many liuu
mystery stories. The writers lion't take
tlmo to build their framework properly,
they nro too Impatient to spend some
hours musing upon their people and
their behavior. I'atlciKo! After all.
It's not a question of that. You stand
appalled at the wilting and rewriting of
Dniilnticnu 111 IFI-.'I Mh. cllfltlteru of n
htory, but when tho author is doing his 1
wink rightly he Is hardly conscious of
the actual performance. He is not think
ing of the effort of writing this line over
or rhniiK'ng this phrase to another. He
Is so much under the skins of his char
aiteis that his work Is pure cieatlon," 1
Mis Honner expressed the opinion that
the greatest worls In the way of mystery
Btorlcs has been done by (liihorlaii, I'oe
and (.'0111111 Doyle In his earlier pieces,
sueli 11s "A Study in Scarlet" and "Ths
Sign or the 'our " But ah added that
action from ths strsnuoua llfs I was
leading during the period of the In
vcstlgatlons those stormy days on
McClure's and later, as I have toul
you. on the Xmerteon Mooasine. The
akctches were written to express that
reaction, that feeling of retreat and
rcatfulness, that realisation of the truly
worth while things in life that one feels
In the countrjV
"Then," his visitor asked, "the 'Ad
ventures In Contentment 'Adventures In
Friendship and so on are not actually
the adventures of the author they are
not a literal transcript of lifer
"I suppose," answered Mr, Ilaker,
"that every writer Is called upon to
answer that question more frequently
than any other. While many of Hie Inci
dents and some of the characters are
literal transcriptions, so literal In sev
eral cases as to disclose the Identity of
the author, for they wero written as I
came In fresh from my work on my
excursions and often I took my note
book with me and wrote sitting on a
rail fence or under ft tree the real
object I had In view was never to report
events literally, not to describe actual
scenes and places, but to put down on
paper a certain spirit or attitude toward
life. The outer things do not much
matter; It Is ths Inner birth wjilch
counts, and there can be neither adven
tures In contentment nor adventures in
friendship, nor any friendly road, nor
any nmuslve town of llempfield, unless
we drive to those adventures the Inner
spirit of contentment, friendship and Joy
of living."
Another of the questions to which Mr.
Maker's visitor wanted to know the an
swer was why he let the secret out at
this time. His answer was that he per
sonally had very little to do with It other
than that It was becoming apparent to
lilm that nn explanation was about due.
"The secret," he said, "seemed to be
leaking out In several places at once. So
I simply let things take their course.
Iteally It was leading me Into all kinds
of complications and explanations. There
have been a number of tmpoaters who
have posed In different parts of the
country as David Oraj-son, such for In
stance as the young man who began
using the nome In a Western town.
When the reporters saw It on the hotel
register and went to him with the ques
tion aa to whether he was the author of
'Adventure In Contentment he ad
mitted that he was. Later he gave
author's readings, and his career was
Interrupted only when some of my
friends there telegraphed for Informa
tion. Another man married during the
time he was posing as the author of the
David Grason Writings thereby haa a
rather tragic tale.
"Then there were perrons who have
been subject to certain embarrassme nta
.in aevnunt of the similarity of names.
. There Is a lawyer In Atlanta, I under
stand, who has no desire whatever to
, be known as a writer, whose name Is
David Grayson, and then there Is the
writer named David Gray, who wrote
me recently, enclosing a letter Intended
for me and asking me what I would do
If he began signing his stories Itay
Stannard Hakerson' So all In alt. It Is
perhaps Just as well that the secret Is
out."
So any ef the wonder that has been
expressed at the difference between the
work of Itay Stannard Ilaker and the
work of David Grayson Is easily ex
plained bv the fact that each was the
product of Its own Individual side of the
man's personality At the present time
A MYSTERY
COLLABORATOR
Geraldine Bonner, author of
"The Black Eagle Mystery."
the tales of these writers really fall Into
a special division of mjsterj stories, the
m-iective stoiy i nere. a single great in-
1 telllgence solves the dark puzzle. She
spoke with enthusiasm of the work of
1 .Mary Huberts Hlnehart. who has written
jnjsiery siones 111:11 nie not detect e
stoiles nnd that are not only splendidly
constructed, In Miss Itonner's opinion,
but also hate many humorous touches,
always difficult to achieve In a narrative
that Is generally dark, sombre or tragic
at Its climax. Speaking of another
American writer ot detective stories Miss
Honner said
"She has a wonderful mind for that
sort of tiling and her plotting Is superbly
done. Hut she cannot write, Her writ
Ing and ehatncterlzatlon Is utterly banal
Where she was wrong was In not using
her gifts to weave the story and then
getting ns a collaborator a writer of
parts."
Hubert l.ouls Stevenson's "The
Wrecker" Is a capital mystery story,
Miss Homier added.
"In The Wrecker,'" she explained,
"Iheie Is a lino mystery and when the
cllnia does come it Is adequate to the
reader's epectatlnns, Kvery fnrebod
Ing of disaster Is exalted In the very
moment of fulfilment. Stevenson oh
served sarupuhnisly the cardinal prin
ciple, that the reader must be satisfied.
Them must bo no let down. The sense
of nwe and mystery and Impending ills-
THCROAO TO
7
EeNJOYMENT
CALIBAN
By PERCY MACKAYE
The Shakespeare Tercentenary
Maique, to ho perlormel out. 11.
diHira In New ork as tho climax of
the Hh:ikiictre celebration in
May.
AllbiMi-slnrn. I'aiitrZOcents. nr'
CM '1 nr). Illuslrii'nl,
ii(u:m.i:nv,
r.ti.r. X III,
LOOK
FORSIGJIsC
A ffsKVafe
sw gSgSsSHsS 4
smm LW 'sSB
IB- I
tSSIWr1!
You Know These People
The other night you dined with Mrs. Pierce. Her
huiband, Butler Pierce, works in your office. They
re as nice, well-bred people as you' know. You
chum with them every day and think that you see
them through and through. But you don't not by
a good deal; and you can't know them or begin to
know them until you have read their real story.
It is the brilliant new novel, out today,
I Mr. and
Mrs.
CAMERON MACKENZIE
Formerly Editor of
Mm. Mary lUhrU Rkehart
vel rssl aaa ttrsif, sad
a hk for jn tt buss.
Everywhere that books
GEORGE
S
A 1 !-.
t Dnrcni, witty
A ! l!f. -i.L 1l
Ammcan inc. wiui mi
i mi: r 4. u i
Wfi' ssssH
wic unuicuicc yJi iuutu miiu '-.
dramatic power of surprises for
which Mr. McCutcheon is famous.
DODD.MEAD & COMPANY,
INC.
To Celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday. April 23d, we will
publish on Monday, April 17th,
A BOOK FOR
SHAKESPEARE PLAYS
AND PAGEANTS
By O. L. HATCHER,
A Treasury of Elizabethan and Shakespearean Detail for Producer?, Ac
tors. Artists and Students, deseribinc Elizabethan Life and Customs
The Costumes, Sports, Buildings, Court Festivities, the StaRe and
Drama, the Dances, the Songs and Music of the Period
Profusely Illuitreted with nearly 20O I'nrtraiK unci IM,-turi. muvlv from eon temporary
ourcw well m tho Mulc fur Urn i?ipnc and llanox.
Pries Si. 00 net. At any BookMnre. il'.i.iJiir i:lra.)
E. P. DUTTON & CO.
ter must be gratified at the last snd
not defeated and made rldleulous,
"Joseph Conrad's 'Victory' l pretty
nearly a mystery story nnd n koo'I one
There Is a good deal, too, for the writer
of mystery talc to learn from Ills no-l
Chance.' In that book the narrator,
Mario-, relate what he himoelf eaw,
what wan told him, what some one told
pome one else who told lilm, what he
divines himself, what he thlnlis. So the
tale Is revealed as It would he revealed
to you and to me In actual life, fr.-iit-mentarlly.
with something ahead ot the
notion here, somettilnK explanatory re
tarded there. The result Is that the
thins; Is extraordinarily vivid and life
llks and when the Intensely dramatic
climax Is reached It goes beyond the
strongest expectations tn height and
power."
Miss Bonner, who has spent much of
her life In California, nnd whoe early
stories dealt with California!! scenes. In
cluding one, "The Kinlgrant Trail," which
passed almost unnoticed In this count! y
hut made a striking success d'etlnu In
Kngland. Is at work now on n new novel
with Callfornlnn settings. Slio has not
abandoned mystery stories, hut, as sho
says, she does not want to writa them
exclusively.
WHY LORD STRATHCONA
WAS NOT MORE GENEROUS
An amusing story of lVtd Strnthcona.
whose biography hy Heekles Wlllson baa
lecenlly been published by Houghton
Mifflin Company, tells how he onco gave
a five pound note to a beggar, who pre
trnded to be ths son of the man who hail
nrlven Strathcona (then Just young
Donald Smltlii to the railway stathm
when he left for Canada. Tho beegar
came back a little later and was given
mother rive pound note, but when he
np.'ieaied the third time he went away
empty handed, and Ixinl Strathconn ex",
plained that patient generosity could go
110 further. "For, you see," he said, "no
one drove me, to the railway station. I
was only a poor boy then."
HOLTS ANNOUNCE A
BAEDEKER OF NEW YORK.
Henry Holt & Co. announce an ini
pnttant new series of guide books, For
neatly three eais, under the gvpernl
editorship of Mr, Fremont Itlder, the eill
tor of the 'rfb.'i.iicM' Wrrkly, an entliely
new series of guide IsioKs has been In
'.ictlxe preparation, which will aim to do
for the I'nltcd States In paitlcul.ir and
America In general what Hacdeker has
so Ions and so excellently done fur Ihi
lope. They will bo guide books pure nnd sim
ple, without illustrations other than
maps and plans, but with eery scrap
of authenticated Information which the
tourist or sightseer may legitimately re
quite. They will carry no advert is n
nnd will follow In general tho Hacdeker
fotniat. The first volume of the seiien,
"Hitler's New York City," Is now- In juess
and will be rtady for publication ery
t-linrtly. Half a dozen other volumes an
In course of preparation,
Although several hands have Miarrd In
the preparatory labor a latge part of the
actual compilation Is the work uf Mr
Fiederlc Tuber Cooper, the well known
critic and author.
These guide books, It Is believed, will
be more detailed and comprehensive than
anything; heretofore attempted In this
country and s, continuing effort will be
PIERCE
Illustrations By
AI.ONZO
KIMBALL
McClurt's Magazine.
calls this "a marvellous first
it is. it s teo di ana intimate
are sold. $1.35 net.
The Light
Illustrated
12mo.
$1.00 net
Thatl
Lies!
Nn York.
Ph.D.
Snmcilino I'rofesnr at
llrjn Masr ColleitH
681 Fifth Ave., New York
nwile to keep them ni -urate a- 1 up
I ilfite. Tlio in.ijiy, ma lo ep, .1 ) fo'
; this i-erlcs, arc believed to mark a new
standard of cMellem-e fc, imp 0'k 1.1
IhH roil 11 try. Tli-.. 111. ip. pr'. terl !r.
four colors, include detailed ra'
i-tiret plans tndlcatiliK all l-r'e s '" .
transit lines and riery lm' i ns rit
point of Interest to the ton t 1
usually Molld as thoi-e t ir '.,
Imtils. theatres and the li'rr il.i of
ali.it ets. Ac, are briefly l i' ai'fu'.lr
annotated Special cfl'irt i 1 "1
tteat not only the. bistort al .t- I "f
phases of our cities, hut a s 1 h ''c't'
inately Interesting and nuis' ii ir I '-
I I ess, eiiKlnecriliE or imlustr a e
j they affoid
Breirtanos
To be published April 2hJ.
Bernard Shaw's
AV' Rook of Ploys
ANDR0CLES
AND THE LION
OVERRULED
AND
PYGMALION
The Preface to "ANDRCK I. KM r
haps, tlic most important utatrnirn' .a
made by Shaw as to Ins Uitli. Ilr "
"Why not give Christianity .1 tru
It is a remarkable expression
To TYCMALToN" Shaw ,uUs a '
of an amusing and intrrrstuiR clia
!2mo. Cloth. 1'ricv $!.: m l
Send in Your OrtUr
Early to your llooksvllt
THE flOrtO TO
CNJCVM&NT'
1
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LEAGUE
PLAYS
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