Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-29

Dickens tremendous mistake In writing
so derogatorily so unfairly one must
say of America and the Americans.
Dickens. of course, went to his grave
with the feeling that he had been unfair
in those attempts at depicting this nation.
Others of our big writing men who
came to the United States carefully re-
Trained from writing impressions OF tins
country Robert Louis Stevenson, for
example. He wrote some very beautiful
things about the states-the Silverado
Squatter.' for instance-but he was wise
enough not to try to solve. In re"
hurried Impressions whatever riddle ne
felt there might be as to American points
of view American customs. American
peculiarities. He let that sort of thing
fall to the less consequent men,
..Kipling never toll me 50 himself. but
| have been told he has said it to other
men, that he distinctly regretted having
written the hasty things he did write
about America and the Americans when
he was here in his youthful days. For
Kipling there was. probably. bit of an
excuse He was what you Amerft ans
call broke in San Franc, SEQ. He tried
to get newspaper work out there, and
was turned down in terms so ne trled
TO get some Of his stories printed in San
Francisco journals. He had no success,
either One of the stories that was re-
jected by the Sunday editor OF very I'M
portant San Francisco newspaper. by the
way was the original Mulvaney-Ortheris-
Learoyd story. called Soldiers Three.
The Sunday editor gave it back to Kip
ling with the calm remark that the lit
erary style wasn't up TO the standard OF the
newspaper. 1t was natural | presume,
that quite a young man. with not a
shilling in his pocket. should seek TO SOL
ace his shattered pride IN himself by
writ ng some sharp things about the
Americans. But he has been sorry ever
since. As for that, l suppose all men,
when they get on bit sorry for the
foolish or hasty things they write in their
hot youth.
"A little while before starting for New
York l met William Locke-the Beloved
Vagabond' man. you know Locke Is
himself as sound and sweet as the stuff
he writes, and terrifically modest and
shy / asked him how he thought l would
be liking the states.
Take a grip on yourself was his re-
ply, or you'll find yourself not knowing
how to behave America will stun you.
Ii is overpowering. The grandeur of 1t is
in my heart and mind now. and always
will be
Locke was eloquent about it. you see:
and eloquence was a luxury he rarely
permitted himself. Other men have
been telling me the same sort OF thing
for a good many years; but l thought
they were exaggerating. spoofing. put
ting it on. as we say. Now l know diff
ferentIy New York is all / have seen
yet; but l am going to the coast
so YOU notice the A!nericanism. by the
way-to the coast? / feel that | am
learning fast. / am going to Cal1for-
MIA. that is, and to Oregon and Wash
ington: and 1 am going to see the grand
canyons. and all that sort of thing, l
am afraid / shall be gibberlng by the
time I do these things: | find myself
talking TO myself about this incredible
New York already.
my literary methods? Let us talk
about something else. Let US. for ex-
ample. talk about base ball. Yes. ! saw
two of the big games last week Daz-
zling. | call the base ball game. 1t Is
far liyelier, far more difficult, far more
scientific-I think that is an American
ism too-'scientific' in such a connec-
ZION mean-far more scientific than
cricket.
II think base oall too speedy game Tor
r,nc,ishmen. We move a bit more slowly
than Americans you know. | understand
the game quite well, and l think should
become fan if l remained over mere
6nring an entire base bail season. l
cote on that word fan 1t TOOK my
host Mr. Doran. the publisher, an nou.
TO explain TO me just how IL was ueIi .,, -.
from fanatic, you know-and just what
II ,eeant Now I find 1t marvelously
cunning and clear and expressive Word.
The language of base ball Is miracu-
lousy beautiful language, once one gets
the hang of il, While the games were