The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-01-30
An Ingenious
Critic
By HARRY VAN AMBERC

lected to be read before the class, an(
/ was made editor of the university
magazine This led me to choose lit
erature for my profession. l naturally
looked to the author whose works were
at that time considered the acme OF
literary method as my guide. and moth
ing less than the field he occupied
would satisfy me. There must be nc
plot Plots were for dime novels
There must be nothing demonstrative
for i and the school | proposed TO en-
ter considered that Tin type) to be
gush and fit only for those who cannot
appreciate what is high bred. What
/ aimed at was delineation Of charac-
ter, proposing to take my heroes and
heroines apart, examine them through
a microscope and put them together
again. stamping them with my own
imprint, just as an eminent chemist
will give certificate for a brand OF
soap.
/ had written several novels in this
vein and had attracted the attention Of
the critics and persons Of refined lit
| erary taste Unfortunately l had no
fortune. and found it Improbable to
write for the few. But | would not
lower my standard. AS to my charac-
tiers, they must needs be high bred
persons. for l met no others. Not one
Of those met in society would show
any feeling. and | found myself de
picting those who were moving about
on life's stage, not as human beings.
but as social automatons. Neverthe-
less the critics and my Clientele stood
by me, and was pleased. though tinan-
cially 1t didn't pay.
One day while travelling on a rail.
road train l noticed a young girl In
the seat before me. She could not have
been more than seventeen years old.
was plainly dressed and appeared to be
a model Of simplicity. What was my
establishment to see her take from her
satchel a copy Of my last novel and
begin to read 1t. wondered how q
person so low in the human scale could
be interested in the philosophic deduc-
tons she would find in my work.
leaned forward and asked:
"Can you recommend the book you |
are reading"
81? Recommend it? It's everything |
to me-"
"How is thatw
"I'm in the story"
"Youw
avos 5o1,t I-noxx, bo,p kbo ,rtbor
got hold Of my case. but he did some
how or other. He's given 1t perfectly.
only he gives a great many reasons
for my doing things that / never had
at all. suppose he made them up.
skip them"
"Oh, you do? What causes you to
think that the author gives your own
story?"
"Why, it's as plain as day. There's
Mrs Jarvis. She's my stepmother
Papa does what he can for me to make
her treat me nice. But she won't. and
he looks so tired and worn
when she snaps at me-just like Mr..
Jarvis in the story-that l put my
arms about him and kiss him and say,
ike Marjory in the book. Never mind
me, papa. dear, so long as she don't
scold you"
i was interested. OF all my stories
this one was the most human. | had
been told by my admirers that In it
had not done myself justice.
Have you read any of the authors
,ther novels?" | asked.
"I've tried to. After / read my own
story in this one | got the books out
II the library. one after another, but
hey were all Greek to me. 1 suppose
like this one because 1t is my own
tory"
What else is there about you in the ,
,ookT'
well, for one thing l know Edith
She's Just like Edith in
he book-a society girl-always going ,
bout with her nose in the air. She
alks just such unintelligible things as .
Hiss Efingham. She's never going to
marry, she says, but devote herself to 1
ONE high moral purpose-you know, ,
be girl In the book is going to do that ,
but she can't find a purpose high ,
nough for her. so she only talks about ,
with young men of a superior type.
hats like Miss Efingham too" ,
who is your favorite authorY / /,
sked the girl.
"Mr. Dickens"
/ remembered that Mr.. Dickens had
ct In all his books drawn the char :
cter OF more than two or three per-
ons In high life. had reversed the :
rder. ! had not drawn but one char :
cter out Of high life. the one this lit '
e girl had assumed to be herself.
rendered what would have become of
~ literary fame when my hundredth =,
irthday would come round. !,
The train was approaching my sta !.
on. and as l gathered my belongings :
said to the admirer of my story: .
THANK you very much for telling >
lie all about the book. l know the au- !.
Tor intimately. l shall tell him all =
ou've said about it, advise him in fu- =
Ire to write about all kinds of per- -
'ns' to leave out the parts you skip y
ed and not to spend his time on the y
'pirations Of such high bred girls as =
liss Eff1ngham. Heroines like you =
Re far more satisfactory" L
"Goodby, sir" she said as the train Y
as slowing up. Would you mind :,
skiing him how he got hold nf INV IL