The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-02-08
An Ingenious
Crltlc
By HARRY VAN AMBERC

l WIS NIUE editor OF the university
magazine. This led me to choose liz.
erature for my profession. | naturally
looked to the author whose works we're
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 no
plot Plots were for dime novels
There must be nothing demonstratiye.
for | and the school | proposed 70 en-
ter considered that lin types TO be
gush and 1T only for those who eannot
appreciate what is high bred What
ter. PROPOSING 20 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 a 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 I had no
| fortune. and found II improbable to
write for the few But | would not
/ lower my standard AS to my eharac-
| tiers. they must needs be high bred
| persons. for met no others. Not one
/ Of those | met in society would show
any feeling. and | found myself de
| picdng those who were moving about
| on life's stage. not as human beings.
/ but as social automatons. Neyerthe
| less the critics and my clientele stood
/ by me. and | was pleased. though imam
cially it didn't pay.
i One day while travelling on a rail-
road train | 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
i establishment 70 see her take from her
satche copy Of my last novel anc
begin to read it. | wondered how .
person so low in the human scale could
be interested in the philosophic deduc-
lions she would find in my work.
leaned forward and asked
"Can you recommend the book you
are reading?"
4? Recommend it? It's everything
TO me"
! "How is that?"
I'm in the story"
"Your'
Yes | don't know how the author
got hold Of my case. but ne did some
how or other He's given it perfectly
only he gives a great many reasons
for my doing things that l never bad
at all. l 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
sometimes he looks SO tired and worn
when she snaps at me-just like Mr..
Jarvis in the stOry-that | 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
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
other novelSf" l asked
I've tried to. After | read my own
story IN this one I got the books ont
: Of the library. one after another hnt
they were all Greek To NE. | supl">e
like this one because It is my own
: story"
What else is there about you in the
book
> Well for one thing l know Edith
| Edingham. She's just like Edith in
/ the book-a society cirI-always going
about with her nose in the air She
talks just such uuintelligible things as
Miss bingham. She's never going t.
marry. she says. but devote herself tc
some high moral purpose-you know
the girl IN the book is going to do thai
= but she can't ind a purpose higt
enough for her. so she only talks abou
? it with young men of a superior type
That's like Miss bingham too"
- Who is your favorite author?"
= asked the girl
Mr.. Dickens"
l remembered that Mr.. Dickens hat
! not in all his books drawn the char
: acter OF more than two or three per
! sons in high life. had reversed tn
, order. | had not drawn but one char
: acter out Of high life. the one this lii
+ tie girl had assumed to be herself.
4 wondered what would have become @
my literary fame when my hundredt
birthday would come round