New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
Gbr 2Gerps12or!s 0Iitb1roras
SUNDAY. MARCH II. 1909.

The fvc-act tragedy, hidden in every authors
desk. is an exploded legend. No selt-reSpectlhS
orthcr would have anything TO do with such
lumber When he turns from his accuStomeu
IahorS to write a play he endeavors TO make II
7 practicable affair. and the truth Is that he
finds the Job. in a surprising number of in
ftances. not half so discOuraging in the out
,omc as he had perhaps. expected. 1t is inter
es:iu,g 10 observe the persistence of Mr.. Henry
James The "booirg" Of Guy DOmville' could
not ab?tc his ambition. AS the dispatches
from London have told. another comedy OF MS
.sTLc High Bid" has been produced This time
thnre was no .'hooing" On the contrary, the
piece was very courteously received. But IS II
worth while for Mr.. James to keep on trying!
Even Mr.. Max BecrbOhm, Jealous JacoDlte'
had to wrcak himself on the general gifts OF
his idol rather than on the specific merits of
the play. which is described by The Athe-
1aum' as having but positive quality,
"cb2rm of dialogue and as being without
"incidrnt intrigue and plot development" The
odd thing is that the theatrical bee should
trouble Mr. James, Of all writer's in the world
one IF his greatest virtues if not, perhaps. the
greatest Of them all, has been his magnificent
SinglcneSS of aim his lifelong fidelity to his
own Inner conviction Of what is right ana
fine" No other literary career in our time has
possessed Il more admirable hOmogenety. Why
should he sigh for the aures of the playwright!
We spoke last Sunday in this place of the in
congruity of making a great pother over the
centenary Of Omar" Fitz Gerald. One who
seems to have known him well, his greatniece
Miss FitZ Gerald-Kerrich, glances in THE
Nineteenth Century at the fame of his quat-
rains and makes this observation: "Fitz
Gerald certainly never foresaw this fruit of his
IeiSureIy labors. l take leave to doubt, un-
gracious though it may seem to an appreciatiye
public whether he would have wished for or
liked it. Cheap ndSCriminatc admiration he
gave 10 neither person nor thing: it was his
abhorrpnce. Would he have welcomed it Law
ishcd on himself. so little understood when
living; his work. possibly little under
stood now?" One might be pardoned for ask
ing if he would have welcomed this kins-
womanS own plunge into publicity with eight
or ten pages of personal reminiscence. Would
he not. perhaps have thought that gossip about
him might better have been left to persons not
Of his own family? However, we cannot be
ungrateful TO a gossip who gives Us a vignette
like this
Fitz Gerald treated chdrcn-of whom he was
a great observer and passionately fond-with a
diguiiied courtesy which while it appalled, their
elders. had other effect those infallibie
Judges Of character-vouny persons of thu age
TO be in0rdinatcy addicted to balls, hoops,
kites, and hgp-sCotCh-thau to make them
ioUs Of attracting his attention and ready 10
listen to, and sometimes dispute. his words Of
wisdom. NO. no: play fair. play fair" was
his frequent adjuration. on a sweetIy diEniied
maiden aged three. in a French hood who had
laid the tinicst dirpled brown hand in his long.
fine fingered nervous OEe-ShC met his polite
inquiry to her name with 4 gentle but firm
taciturnity-he passed the amused and relevant
Judgment. she l. very discreet" and allowed
unUise urging to a reply.
This is the Fitz Gerald whom one hates to see
hawel over by Self-electcd hierophants But
the paving we fear viii 20 forward just the
same.