New-York tribune., 1910-10-22
AN AMUSING 0PTIMIST
The Autobiography of a Versa
tile Englishman.


4 STEPSON OF FORTUNE. The Mem
ories. Confessions and Opinions of
Henry Murray. With portrait Svo. PIP.
25s. The Baker & Taylor Company
Mr.. Murray. an English author. jour
nalist and occasional dramatist and
theatrical manager Of thirty years
standing boldly sums UP his philosophy
Of life in the It'll" Of his Autobiography
II NAV therefore be we'll 10 sum if MP at
the beginning Of this review. He is not
e determiuist. still less 4 fataiist. but he
believes in chance, in fortune, in luck:
IF you asked the average intelligent man
IN the street how MIR Pinero. oT Mr.. Bar
rie. or Mr. Bernard Shaw got upon the
stage. he would tell YOU that il r. because
they arc men Of distinguished capacity IN
tho practice Of the dramatic art But tha1
IL not So These are the gifts which
keep these mon on the stage. but theF h5d
nothing whsteTer - do with getting thern
there. Thev stumbled or - the stage pre-
rissIv Is Smith snd Brown and Noakes
and Stokes. whose pieces are PLAYED 10 =
croRd of clamovous deadhesds on their
opening nights and 70 empty benches for
the rest Of ? fortnisht's rIn- stumble on TO
II but. being the men Of talent -heZ are.
they keep there. because the public recog-
nizes their talent and wants more OF their
work Il K my fixed belief that
Mesers Pinero Barrie Shaw. Vaughan
and the rest Of the admirablv accomplished
band Of crr living dramatists might have
died OF hunger in the streets that they owe
their success wholly and solely 70 the intel
ligencs Of tbs public, and that tbs produc-
tion OF their initial successes was as for
tuitous as tbs spin OF coin or the roll or
the marble IN the roulette wheel Fate has
been doUblv kind of them-it first gave
them their brains. and then directed the
| fiuke bv which they we're enabled TO ex-
hihit it.
Perhaps. This theory Of success in
life is not z new one and il remains as
debatab BILE as ever. Mr. Murray chooses
TO describe as luck the decisive factor
of success and 10 ascribe to others
| luck again-the failure Of the unsuc-
cessfuI In the case Just quoted, that Of
the dramatist, the bouquet offered TO the
intelligent public is accompanied by
some pungent remarks on the stupidity
Of theatrical managers. while elsewhere
Mr.. Murray is 70 less frank in the OK
preston of his opinion Of the intelli-
gence of actors. However, he is entitled
TO his theory of chance though one does
not share il, the more entitled TO it be
cause his own career, as he presents ii,
is certainly one long chain of Ill luck.
1t begins with the parents bestowed on
him by fortune; it extends 10 his jour
naHstic career. where not the quality of
MS work, but the powers that were in
editorial offices decided his fate; il en-
braces his best novel. which was accept
ed after many refusals and failed to at
tract the attention of the intelligent pub
lie. though Meredith and Hall Caine both
commended it, guarantees. one would
think Of both literary and best selling
qualities. Ar. Murray digresses on the
subject of British Philistinism. which
sent Vizetelly to jail about the time of
the appearance of this novel and on that
Of the English censorship of the drama.
But his tale Of i'll luck is not yet COM
plete He tabulates ii:
The complete Ms. Of a novel lost in
transmission through the post.
A novel rejected ny thirty-siX publishers
and ultima tely SOLD for fl0
Two novels and critical biography the
circulation Of which ceased on the changes
in the firms of their respective publishers.
A projected series Of sociological studies
(Which ne was 10 ediO vetoed by Il similar
accident.
Twentv-fiye thousands words Of novel
blown through the window.
A book which / cannot persuade any pub
fisher 10 produce
Early in his autobiography Mr. AIur
ray informs us that he ,oathes labor and
loves idleness; that all his life he has
been Indifferent tc the material com
forts Of life and, one stroke Of good
fortune at least. To the money that pur-
chases them. books sufficing as his only
luxury. The ruling ambition of his
youth. the recognition of the best and
greatest Of his fellow craftsmen, left
him early in life. and for fame as il is
ordinarily understood. 10 be talked about
by people whose faces / shall never see.
was an idea which never quiclened my
pulses" Nowhere does he confess to
an imperative love of literature, the
drama or journalistic work for its own
sake. All this may. in negative way.
have been contributory TO his i'll treat
ment by fortune.
However. he is that sanest OF opu-
nlists philosophical pessinlst. and his
book is good reading, SO much of it ap
peaIs 10 the observation and experiences
of other knights of the pen, here. in Eng
land. in France and Germany. wherever
Bohemia is the portal to fame and fort
Hlle- IL IidS met nldIN tl ne ttItIAi-
ties NJ his day and country, among them
Whistler. Spencer, of each of whom hc
tells an anecdote: Meredith. Lilly Lang
try. who appeared for a fortnight in a
play of his written in collaboration with
Robert Buchanan. and to this good
friend OF his he devotes several pages
of defence and appreciation. He has but
little To say of his fellow stepson of fort
une. his brother. David Christie, who
had, at least, his brief season of sue
cess IN the sos. He tells some amusing
stories Of theatrical managers he has
met The late Augustus Harris he
praises as the king of good fellows. =
giant at work and at play:
Harris was a king Of managers and pro-
ducers, aud DO not believe that any man
that ever lived could have taught him his
business. his recipe for ConcoctuE the
huge Spect8cleS by which he made mis-
name and fortune was beautifully simple.
There arc three things he once said 90
me that the great English public cares
for-lcve tho turf and battles You can
eet = good piece ont of amy one OF en-.
ON g. ~ q ifss