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

in Thrums.' That was my very first
hearing Of one of the loYeliest books in
book world. / have never seen Barrie.
nor is he to be seen. One does not meet
him at the afternoon parties of London
artistic folk, where even so great a man
as Thomas Hardy will come and show
himself the most modest man in the
room, or the garden, where folks sit about
If il be fine. In person Mr.. Barrie is
slight, and though OF delicate physique
is no. delicate. bu. is great lover OF
games and out-of-door sports. He is
dark-hairei and dark-eyed. with very in
tellectual brows. He is not in the very least
like Rob Angus, the hero of when
Mans Single" That book, which is
taken by many to be largely autobio-
graphical. is so only, / think. in the
chapters concerning the hero's life in the
Office of the SiIchester Mirror, which all
the world knows 10 have been the Office
of the Nottingham Journal Now and
then, too. an expression Of the authors
tastes creeps into the text, as when for
sole description we are told that Mary
Abinger is one of those resttul women
who never wear beads or like twinkiing
things about their frocks. By the bye,
the incident of the pseudo Sir Clunel
Dowdon in that very charming book has
8 melo-dramatlc touch, showing some
thing in common with the sensational sit
uation in The Little Minister" when
Mans Single" has IN its early
chapters some of the most beauti
ful work Mr.. Barrie ever did. Rob
Angus and his love for little Davie, the
whole scenes OF the chiid's loss and find
ing. could not well be exce,ied even BY
their maker. Thrums is Mr.. Barrie's
own birthplace of Kerriemuir in Foriar-
shire. He was born there on Nav g.
1850. In the frs, draft of When
Mans Single" he described il in a
sketch afterwards altered Tor Aud
LIGHT Idylls." His books are full OF
loving bits of description of the place
under one aspect or the other. In the
earlier Aud LIGHT sketches he called
Il Win. but finally settled on Thrums.
The Aud LIGHTS, be it understood. are
little and very heree sect, which seeded
from the Fresoy terlau church some
where about a century ana halt ago.
II IS OF extreme rig,d!gy a. n points Of
doctrine. as You shall learn especially in
the "ldvlis," though The Little Min
lister" has new and convincing evidence
OF It. kerriemuir weavers helon- IS
class 10 The Aud Ljchts. Nj Barnes
- y l.
no doubt il IS from her he has learned 50
intimately the spirit AMI traditions OF the
sect. He describes his native town:
Tarums j. but 4 handful OF houses sumb,ei
tf<etneF IN cup, from wh.c a piece
has gone. Through thjs outlet runs the
Nhinnv, that turns the sawmlll. and s dusty
Foad lWist> Cut g. X u tae south. Fifty years
AZ, a" he-. eve-y other room ha1 IL band-ioor,.
the cup overdNweI aud left sewers. houses on
tire top ~ The hall. The skeletons 0. some OF
these sh.ver.ns dwellings stlls stand, choked n
az overgrowtA OF weeds and currant bush
and occasionally enc : occupied by some nee "
takes spade inside with MIN az nieht To tic
himself oGt in the IT. sruiuE Then he IS blowg
down tie ni.. n hlS wotk. There are WINDY
mornings when IarUuI>, viewed from the ton
Of the ridge, IS but lwo Eauut church >,eer.es
snG dozen -Ct stoae walls standing out II a
snow heap Meave-s II ire second s;o-y
81 Own the y da,..a @'a'I STAR, instead i5si
gives them private door. and look-
ias about them Tor the QusEyy that IS
taeir landmark, iali INTO buried hen-roosts
where tacy ST rlotI acless til they see what hss
P'e1cG 30 them. lae square il Tarums'
Aeart Prom u . roa- II the north climbs
T. bSn most az tie houses near this thorough
iare Ecce put -. u had not struck the ealliers
T. sA~e Il .oi' SecoVo', and many eoases were
cay -p-Nsclatte by sirHEEiirg gstAs that
double ruand little gardens. and became il win
T. Tributaries 81 the Wh!0ny There were
h.-s-a taA, were II - cas- Is reached by sealing
49, AtA--li EtaSa comes - p sudden sfDp
Al ne ria az ihe BOW short OF orss'a, OF frEat-
eilet. r. cross me common of VAIN Au3 broom
iaaI bars thc y ay u The north.
barrie was quite young when he went to
sehNo. * pu1afrles, where his brother was
81 Inspector OF schools. As growing bow
coming and going 20 the DCmf-les acad-
e;ny ac often SAW Carlyle. who used 10
VS.. h!s sister. Mrs. Aitken, IN the town.
hoonS barrie 6ehe.d and worshipped. Ii
i C0r'oGs 70 know that he believes Carlyle
- oe the only author who has influenced
IL 4, yet what could be more unlike 10 the