The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-19
DAVID MASON.
Four Great English NoveIists Wore
His Pupils In Literature.

The man who taught English litcra
ture to four great English writer's. Rob
ert Louis Stevenson, J VI. H;:rric. = i
Crockett and DR. John Watson Oar
MaclarcnI. has just died in Scotland
His name was David Mason. and q
writer in the Milwaukee, SeDtinel gives
short history Of Professor Aiasson's
life and comments upon the four "a
nous pupils. 10 quote:
Ali these nOvclistS studied III Elm
buryh university. where Professor
Mason occupied the chair of English
literature from 1861 to 1895. Steven
son ard Barrie were members Of lis
classes in the early seventies, while
among other pupils were William Arch
er. the dramatic critic and Lord Rose
berry.
or all these. however, perhaps tie
one who bears the deepest testimony
to MassOn's influence is J. NJ. Barrie
who once declared that Inc made UP his
mind to go In for literature one day
when he saw the professor rummuging
over secondhand boOkstall with ST.
500 in bank notes bulging out of his
pockets.
A whimsical thumb nail sketch" of
his old pedn gOsue by Barrie is worth
quoting 1t comes in series Of recOl
lectiOns Of the uOveliSt's college days
the Edinburgh Eleven" and is as fol
lows: "MassOn always comes to my
memory first. knocking nails into his
desk or trying tn tear the gas bracket
from its socket. he said that the Danes
scattered over ErEland taking such q
hold as IL nal takes when it is driven
into wood. For the moment he saw his
desk turned into England: he whilIcd
an invisible hammer iii the air. am
down it came on the desk with Il
crash. NO one who has sal under Mas
son can forget how the Danes nailch
themselves upOn England. 1t vas
when his mind CROPPED for an iWa2"
that he clutcLeI the bracket. He seem
ed to tear his good things ont of it.
Silence Overcame the class: some were
fascinated by the man. Others trcm-
blcd for the bracket. 1t shook. SroaII-
ell and Yielded. MassOI said another
Of the things that made his lectures
literature. The crisis had passed. and
everybody breathed again
1t. was in 1893 that this rugged. pic
turesque. literary veteran. so long a
familiar figure in Edinburgh streets,
resigned his chair to live out his days
In retirement. lie had been called to
the university thirty years before to
succeed the famous ballad scholar
Professor Aytoun. and twelve years be-
fore that he had taken the vacant
place OF the poet ClOugh as professor
Of English at University college, Lon
don. At nineteen he was editor Of d
religious magazine in Aberdeen. his
birthplace. ana ut twenty-five. when he
went down to London, he was one OF
the best known magazine writer's i'll
Scotland. Before he became pro
fessOr he was the first editor Of Mac
miIlan's Magazine. which. curiOusl!
enough. has issued its last numbc:
and has died with its first great
editor.
1t was in these days that Carlyle.
one of his intimate friends. warned
him not to fritter away his talents Oh
little things. but to concentrate the
on something big. The result OF tli'
was his mastery Life and Times o
Milton in six volumes. the grea:
work of his life. which occupied al
the leisure of twcnty-One years. More
brilliant is the smaller Life Of Chat
terton'' and the fourteen volume eGi
ton of De Quinccy's works. the out
come of long and Intimate friendship
with the famous opium eater. whOSt
life he contributed to the English men
of letters series. There are many PEG
pie in Great Britain today who fee
that in "Davie. a real. kindly Scot
Edinburgh has lost her most d:Stin
guiShed citizen.