The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-18


cOrGing TO rumors. the natives had = weak
ness for hot dinners on Sundays; indeed,
the oacksllding had gone 50 far that only
boy minister could accom- plish the work
or regeneration" This yas the germ OF
The Little Minister" and al the eIQuis-
tie Aud Licht sketches ii the ''Idylls"
and the Window in Thrums." Other
articles were declined by Mr.. Greenwood.
but second one on Thrums was ac-
cepted. Then. with so much success, the
young mans heart turned 10 London. He
wrote 10 his kindly editor asking his ad-
vice about coming 20 the metropolis OF
al the world. Mr.. Greenwood replied
cautiously that as he had not yet any
knowledge of what his correspondent
could do outside the Aud LIGHT world he
could not advise such 8 serious step.
However, Barrie took his own way. and
established himself IN London early in
1os5- From that out he contributed CO.
pIously TO the 81. James and 10 the Anti-
Jcc05in during its too short life Some OF
his 81. James articles had bean reprinted
in MY Lady Nicotine" To the Eiin-
burgh EreHing Dispatch he was at this
time contributing notes twice week.
One | select for quotation, because it is
evidently photographed.
"lf | were 20 go back TO the place Of my
boyhood and find that i had forgotten
me, l would probably ding my hat n the
air for JOY. | have no such luck. Every
other summer or so return for few days,
and there are very few persons who know
that have ever been away. Nv greatest
trial IS TO meet the two Miss F.s, Old
maiden ladies, who do not seem to realize
that the years glide on. 1t was near there
l was at school, and the Miss FL thought
was sill there when / had been for years
at Edinburgh university. Always when
we met in the High street they asked me
how | was getting on at the grammar
school this year, and for q time / ex-
planned that | was now in Edinburgh.
They expressed surprise AZ my going there
so young, a. which I flushed: and then the
next time We met they asked again how |
was liking the grammar school. In time
| gave them up. and when they inquired
how was getting on at the grammar
cchool merely said was liking il very
well. All this led 10 complications for in
my last year at Edinburgh the Miss T. 3
discovered that really was ST the univer-
slty and resented my not telling them |
was going. They have always felt sure
that this last year was my first year at the
university. and they puzzled their friends
considerably by saying that | took my de-
gree after only being at Edinburgh few
months. How / did it none can make out:
but | have been told that at tea parties
which the Miss F. IS give the affair is fire.
quenrly discussed. the hostesses going into
iuil details about remembering me quite
well as schoolboy. precisely ten months
before | graduated. The general i'm pres
sion is that | must be exceedingly clever:
indeed. the local papers had a paragraph
about my being the only case on record OF
a student who had taken his NJ. A. in one
session"
Better Dead" was published in the win
ter OF 1857. 1t was an expansion OF an
article IN the st. James Gazette, suggesting
society for putting our Of the way people
who never would be missed" and sug-
costing ". Fl. Mallock as the first person
TO attract the society's attention. M NAL
lock seems TO be bette noir TO many; he
Is rumored to be the subject of that bitter
satire OF Mr.. Stevenson in "Underwoods:"
lam kind of far,hing dip.
Uniriendly 10 the nose aud eyes;
A blue-behinded ape. skip
Upon the trees OF Paradise.
At mank,nds feast tsxo my place
In solemn sanetimonious state,
And have the air Of say .ag grace
While delile the dinner plate.
and so on through half dozen fierce
verses.
In March, 1855. Mr.. Barrie may fairly be
said 10 have launched himself by the pub
LEGATION of Aud LIGHT ldylis." For the
unsuccessful author il is comforting 20 re-
feet that an eminent publisher 70 whom
from Professor Mason. found the Aud
Lieht Idyils" pleasant reading. but re-
fused TO publish them since they would
never be successful in book. Stranger
still, John Morley. the editor of NacmiI-
Ian, moved TO a certain civility by an in
PRODUCTION from the same eminent litera-
teur who had preceded him n the editorial
chair, asked the young man for list OF
subjects on which he was wiling 10 write,
and declined all with the comment that
they were not up to date. Mr.. Morley. who
is now a great admirer of Barrie, was as
tonished and no doubt abashed al being
reminded later of this judgment when a
Mans Single" was published in Sep
TENDER OF ISIS. and in the following May
"a Window in Thrums" took the reading
world by storm. All three were published
by Messrs Holder & Stoughton, and sue
cessiye editions appear IN the solid, hand
some binding Of blue buckram. which
seems designed 10 bear the wear and tear
OF time as their contents will. "A Win
dow in Thruns" has scarcely been sur
passed by even Tine Little Minister"
In the latter beautiful piece of work one
cannot help feeling Babble the Egyptian
ana the whole improbable story or love
and marriage too me.odramatic for Mr..
Barrie's genius. "A Window IN Thrums"
is entirely and absolutely hawless. Il
gave Barrie at once q place in literature,
l.
his masterpiece, instead Of q fortunate
young man who had produced ii while in
rhe nower of his youth. No matter how
he may develop, Barrie will always have
for rival and standard that younger self
who wrote "A Window in Thrums"
Mr. Barrie's humor is so convincing
that occasionally people are found no
take his jokes for earnest. Yet one is sur
prised that Sir George TreveIyan should
be such q one In 1857 the latter right
honorable gentleman was contesSing one
the parliamentary divisions of Glasgow 80
q Gladstonian liberal. he having in the
former year SIS q lIberal-unionist been de-
feated tor the border burghs. The change
suggested TO Mr.. Barrie humorous skit
in the -. james entitled The Strange
Case of Sir George Trevelyan and Mr..
Otto" and modelled. OF course, on The
Strange Case Of Dr.. Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE
A Glasgow paper reprinted the skit, and il
will scarcely be believed that at a meeting
the same evening Sir George categoricaily
denied the statements in the article, while
the North Bristol Daily Mall gravely ex-
planned that there was not an atom OF
truth IN the story that Sir George Trevel-
van, after drinking 8 glass OF water, be-
came somebody else. In ike manner a
joke OF his in the Fortr ishtly suggesting
"a society 70 provide materials for VOL
unes Of "reminiscences, with specimens.
brought 20 the F0rtnightiy Office 3 num-
Der OF applications for anecdotes OF vari-
Gus person.
The Little Minister" was published last
autumn, and Mr.. Barrie is now engaged
on q couple more bookstore about Tam
mas Haggarf, who IS his fsvorise among
his creations, and one story OF London
life He expects TO get many more books
out OF Ihrums before he e1aausts the town