The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-19

place, but to my mind possesses none
Of the fascination OF Florence, which
Is the place love above all others In
Italy.
1T is interesting to see how the
old spell Of the country still exerts
itself as strongly as ever. 1t seems
TO Americans, us we'll as the rest on
certain mystery and innocence in
HE still exist. Personally, never
nave had the desire to live in Italy
that some Americans feel My long
est stay was eight months. l found
tnat too long One. or at least 1. can
enjoy Italy most for visits OF about,
three months"
MISS Glasgow confesses to an ex-
IRENE patriotism which makes her find
her own countrymen about the best
hammered people to be encountered in
Europe in spite of the criticisms they
sometimes receive from foreigners.
Il am SO much amused to read over
here what English people have to say
about bad hammered Americans" she
said. "or even to hear what they say
In France on the subject. My expert
ence is that the we'll bred American is
the best hammered person In the world
or course. l have met some Americans
abroad who were very unpleasant per-
sons to be forced to travel with. but
they are vastly superior to the Ger
mans that one encounters in hordes
courslng through Italy. / have never
yet seen any Americans who were
worse in breeding and conduct than
the travellers of other nations, while,
on the other hand. I have still to meet
any foreigners who were equal to the
best type Of our own people in their
courtesy and politeness. I have yet to
encounter in any Americans abro the
mention of money. which Is supposed
to be so characteristic of their con-
versation. while tits very common as
a sEbject of talk, especially among the
English people. who certainly think
much more about 1t than the Ameri-
cans do. have heard the Germans
are just as likely to make it subject
of discussion with strangers"
Impressions of Orient.
When Miss Glasgow went to Constan-
tinople some of her friends begged her
to write about it when she returned.
or at all events to make the country
the locale of one of her novels.
The Orient Interested me greatly"
she told the reporter, "and for that
matter so does Italy. although / should
never think of taking either for the
scene of a novel. l think American
nevelists should write OF their own
country when they live here. and be-
fore ] should even think OF writing OF
life anywhere else 1t would be neces-
sary to saturate myself with the coun-
try. I have sometimes thought l would
like to write of Italy as Mr.. James has.
placing my characters, who would, OF
course. be Americans, against the ltal-
ian background. But then I have
thought afterward that l had better
write OF the conditions that l know
best. / like to put as much red blood
as / can into my books. for that is
really what is most characteristic of
our country and our people. 1t some
times seems to me a shame that we
should be trying to refine ourselves
1t is OF the people and the influence
they have on our life that find It
most interesting to write
Miss Glasgow has always refused.
to allow any of her books to be drama
tized Even at the height of the ex-
element about the dramatized novel
she would not allow 1t, although per-
haps the one best adapted to that use
was THE Deltverance," published just
at the time so many plays were made
from books.
II have always considered the book
and the play different art FORMS" she
explained TO the reporter, land each
should be spontaneous and independ-
cnt. A book should not be turned into
play. nor play into book, as
both ought to come from the authors
knowledge and observation of life as
1t was suited to either one form or
the other. So 1 said no when the
managers wanted to make play out
of The Deliverance,'j and I suppose
now 1t is too late. But | never have
regretted my decision.
Its curious that the most dramatic
situation in The Deliverance' was
more criticised on account of Its i'm
probability than anything else ever
wrote. Yet it was taken from life.
The old Southern woman who had
been blind since the war and her
loss of fortune absolutely refusing
to believe that anything could have
happened to her or her family is
perfectly plausible figure to anybody
familiar with that type Of Southern
aristocrat. OF course, the facts In
that situation were not taken exactly
from life, but l heard years before
wrote the book of case that suG-
gested the line I afterward developed.
Yet that was more criticized for Its
improbability than almost any other
scene in my stories.
That shows, however, that the au-
thor must be most careful In trans
ferring actual experiences to novel.
/ always approached them with hesi-
tation, for know how much safer 1t
is to rely on the imagination Actual
experiences stand out by themselves.
while the situations that imagination
devise take up so many colors from
incidental surroundings that they
never seem so striking. In inventing
a scene the Imagination unconsciously
picks up on all sides little incidents
that add to its appearance for prob
ability In transferring an actual in
cident to book; it seems to prove
the old adage that truth is stranger
than fiction. That was the lesson /
learned from using the episode of the
blind old Southern aristocrat in The
tDeliyerance' Ht.sl5s