New-York tribune., 1910-05-01
MAYS TALEDTCTORY.

q, strHdeuy HIS Work as Dramatic Critic.
From The London Saturday Review.
Twelve long years. all but a short month or
Two have elapsed since I became a dramatic
cr.--. had no desire 10 become one. ~:
= had just stepped aside: FOUND myseL
"a h.- place, blinking Had / been told that
Ms destined TO write about plays Tor lWeiFe
weeks ] should have shudGtTed. Had been
told -at l was destined To Write about them
fr~ twelve years. ! should have expired On the
SPOT neatly falsifyins the prediction. But Fate
utatg- ID darkness (Which perhaps Is why she
1,aEe~ So badly. and Il Was not long before
ACQUIRED a vivid interest in the thing that, IN
t,k-.Wu 10 me. was golnG 10 take up 50 mdch
Cf .r time en- this planet Not that my pen
.....- ran away with me. 7 do not recall that
] have once sat down eager 70 write. or mat !
r.ra once written with ease and delight But
th. cause of this lack was not in the nature OF
r. -heme- Il was IN myself Writing mas a.
WAS been uphill work u ne. manly because
] am cursed with an acute literary conscience
T. seem write with ease and dellSht Is one
Cf the duties which d writer owes 10 ms readers.
t. his art And t. cOntrlNe that effect involves
very great skill and care. II Is q matter Of
-.arrique . matter Of construction partly, and
rartly Of choice Of words and cadeaces. There
may be- have never met one-wrlters VINO
enjoy the act Of writing; but without mat
technique their enjoyment VIII not be manifest
] may Cften have failed, IL my articles here, 10
disguise labor. But the effort TO disguise II
has alwavS been Loyalty made. And thus II Is
that Thursday. the day chosen by me (as beng
the latest possible one) for writing my article,
has for twelve years been regarded by me as
cav have had always d certain sense Of cp-
preston. Of nisgIvIng. even Of dread. on Fri
day-the danger past, the sun shining. my feet
dancing And Vet lSuch Is habit. and so subtle
q thing the human OTgauiSTnl whenever have
Ist pass "A Thursday I have felt uncomfortable,
lInsatisfied. throughout the day Even during
my annual holiday. away from England. when
7 have kept 70 count OF the days of the week.
have always recognized Thursday Icy the
vague feeling = Inanition IN me. Of lmpatIence
the sort q feeling q clock may have when II
has not teeu wound LI- And am wondering
now as v---e- --sT how I shall feel next
TEursday and GO - Thursdays 10 come
In last -v=-z E1-v5=T I read letter from
M corr-a6e. -. Es---I--aT. suggesting that We
-lHo should -e---- g desert island and STAY
there until -h- respective TuEues Of DR.. Strauss
and SIgno- G-ass0 haG blown over. Very vel:
what island shall W 20 to- What boat shall we
81 by am quite ready. But fear my COM
-ade's Is TOO uellige-ent nature to tear Itself
away from rhe thick of the hurly-burly- NY
self am NOT such QeaCe-aJ-aT rice man as
be- fright ned away by SEnOT GrasSo. Let
r0 one suppose that the retreat I beat Is not
Cf-rifeG ore For some weeks ! have been
meaning 10 beat i. and now tie hour happens
70 have come And the reason f1r my resolve
is not II any feeling that have said all that Is
~ me TO say about drama and acting. The rea-
son is IN a feeling that twelve years is a rather
long time for any man TO devote 70 the cOnSIC
Grafton Of those two arts 50 fareU Ell, my read
ers, And farewell, my Thursdays.