The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-23
REPORTERS AND COLLEGE GIRLS.

Novelist Barries speech at the AL
dine Club Dinner in New York as re-
ported by the outlook.
wish / were not so terrified at the
sound of my own voice, so that / could
say how much we value the honor you
do us this evening. But there is no
denying that | am a dumb dog-have
been all my life. This is the only din
ner that was ever given to me
Qaughter), and have just now expert
enced a passionate desire to get be-
meath the table. | have dreaded this
moment all the week. and at times
have actually wished that the silver
candidate would be elected, for then
none of You millionaires would have
been able to pay for this dinner.
am sure that you are all millionaires.
have had to give up my preconceived
ideas of Americans since / came here,
but this one about millionaires j will
stick to. / asked some publishers
here if the authors weren't all mil
fionaires. and they said they didn't
know for certain, but that they all
ought to be. The authors opinion of
the publishers have not asked.
Five minutes after | landed here |
was asked by reporter for my views
on the money question, but | referred
my questioner TO my publisher. l
have been asked many questions by
reporters here, but the commonest one.
| / think is what were the names OF my
books. OF course, l always gave the
list, and the next day / read with
! pleasure that ! was Mr.. Barrie,
whose books. have drawn laughter
and. tears from all of US" One repor-
| .gaT TO-. a Il
Bonnie Brier> Bush" said he was
very kind to say so, but DR.. Nicoll cor
rected him. Then he explained what
he meant, of course, THE Sticket Min
| ister." and when he found that that
was also a mistake he declared that
what he really meant was that charm
! ing serial now running in the Century
and called SILLY Tommy" And an
other reporter asked me if I intended
on my return to write book Of Amer
lean notes, like those Charles Dixon"
! had written.
Another thing that my quesioners
have greatly desired to know is what !
think of the. American girl; but | have
told no one that and | shall tell it 10
no one except the American girl her
self; l think / have already told it 20
one or two The thing that has struck
me most of all about your country is
your colleges and universities-so
many of them you have. / think they
are the most splendid things in Ameri-
ca The one I liked best of all are
the colleges for girls, and the college
for girls | liked best of all was Smith
College at Northampton, Mass. The
Smith girl / liked best of all was--er--
well, the only speech | ever made |
made at Smith College, and the Smith
girls made me promise not to address
any more colleges for girls.
What impTesses me especially about
this gathering is TO see so many pub
fishers anu authors gather here, all
quite friendly. Times have changed
since a certain author was executed for
numbering his publisher. They say
that when the author was on the scat
fold he said goodbye to the minister
and to the reporters, and then he saw
some publishers sitting in the front
row below, and to them he did not say
goodbye He said, instead: IN see
you later" / thank you all from the
! bottom of my heart for this kindness.
and assure you that | shall never for
get il as long as / live.