The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-04
ON1E OF THE 'BEST" BOOKS FOUND DURING PAST YEAF
YOUNG BOOTH I.
TARKINGTON;,:
HIS OPINIONS
rARK TwAIN's wife called hin

MI "Youth''-and II would not DO
= surprising II Booth Tarkington'g
intin,ates had hit upon the same name.
For II Is to youth that we look for
vivacity. the spirit OF good fellowship
and loving appreciation Of the fine
flower OF romance--the ebullent qualitiSe
most characteristic of Mr.. Tarkingtono
personality. Whoever knows tho man II
not surprised at that very essence QS
boyhood which go poignantly fiavors tho
whole Of his new novel "Penrod." -
Mr. Harrington was born several years
ago In indianapolis. and began to dictaES
stories to long suffering sister befofS
he could write himself Two enthusiasntD
seized him at the same time--one for
Jesse James the outlaw. the other fog
G.. l.. X. James the novelist. PerhapS
the two were blended into one in the boy'e
eager mind Al any rate there wete
desperate robber plays In the barn. Ard
the first pages Of many tales Of blood
~eie written which always began: IT
was dusk and four horsemen were seen
riding over the top OF tho HILL"
From sesrly boyhood he enjoyed TIE
close friendship OF his fellow townsmen
James Whitcomb Riley and Meredith
Nicholson. His long walks with his poet
friend Of twice his years, he listening
with rapt attention to the iatter's moon
ings," surely had monentous consequences
unconnected with the appalling midnignt
and Welsh rabbits which marked the toy
mination OF these ranbles.
In due time Harrington attended Phil.
| lips Exeter Academy. and began his col
lege career at Purdue University like {.
good Indanian. At the beginning OF the
Junior year he entered Princeton and
then began what he would probably still
describe as the happiest and most sue
| cessful years Of his life. He assures us
that he studied some and we must believe
| him, for he stood we'll in his class. Bus
| how In the world did he manage 1t? He
| filled a prominent place In 80 many lines
| Of student activity that we wonder wher"
| he found time for even casual attention
| TO the curriculum. He wrote, lie drew,
| ne sang, he composed music, lie acted.
| This man from the dead levels OF 8
middle Western state took 10 every form
| OF artistic expression as duck takes
to water. In attempting to explain his
Varied talents MS relationship 10 the
! famous Booth family of actors has been
recalled and II purely imaginary Gallo
strain in his ancestry has been invented.
On being asked what Princeton gavo
| him he replies. some HAPPY years ana
| recollections--an uninterrupted affection
| for and interest in classmates and friends.
| Princeton becomes part Of the life Of her
| sons. Also have no doubt that l I'M
bibed some education there, though -
seems to me that l tried TO avoid tina:
| as much az possl Bile.
He might have been forgiven for ac-
curing some OF the self-concet for which
the talented college youth is generally
subject. But he was fanousiy modest. as
he was famousy popular.
His classmates tel that when the o.
nlors gathered on the steps OF Nassau
Hall In the long twilights OF the spring
days there were always cries Of "Tsrk''
and DANNY Deever." the song he had
made his own. No matter how desper-
ately he would try to keep out OF sight
and enjoy the singing of others. sooner
or later ne was dragged out and compelled
10 do his stunt
After he had arrived" as a successful
author this modesty stayed with him.
As witness the following "Rondel" which
hangs to-day on Il wall Of the Princeton
Club in New York. beside portrait
sketch of him:
The same old Tark--Just watch him shy
Like hunted th!ns apd hide. II lot :.
Away behind his cigarette
When Danny Deever' is the cry. o.
Keep up the cali and BY and BY
Wen make him sins, and ind hos 20
Tho same old Tsrk.
No Author Leonii" We SPY
In him. no cultured ladies' pst3
He Just drops In, and We &c. s
The good old song aad gently guy
The same old Tark-Iust watch him shys
Soon after his graduation no returned
to Indianapolis 10 engage in his real life
work, which MIS- inability 70 take himseR
, with absolute seriousness makes him
But 1t Is very plain that his work
was no Joke to him. for ne sayA
Writing Is a trade, and. like any other
trade. It must be learned. We must serve
our apprenticeship but we must work Il
out alone, There are no teachers. We
,pt l.a -, CAN "a
efforts how the thing should be donA
I always wrote--sorf,ehow and
anyhow--hut wanted 20 be an ,llustra,
tor: that is. l thought did. In 1895 ]
got pen drawing In Lite and thought
my start had come. Then Life rejected
thrty-one subsequent drawings and I
kept on writing and quit drawing"
These we're days and years of trial. and
mere shallow diettantism might have
been expected from brilliant young
man on whom rested no necessity of
earning his bread and butter. But as old
Tom Martin of Plattvlne might say. he
had sand IN his craW" and he kept on
writing and rewriting sundry stories
which he tells were Projected every tina
and for eight years" With cheerful
candor no has confessed that the gross
return from his first five years Of work
was exactly s22,50.
Al length tue editor OF u magazine took
u lhNcS 10 merry ana accepted II. But
he lacked the courage OF his conviction
and the MANUSCRIPT lanEuieEed In his
drawer ill Monsieur Beaucsire' ap-
peared In NCClare.s NGOGetrr. This was
a sensational success and Immediately
won careful consideration, and conse-
quenuy publication. for The Gentleman
From Indiana" II also speedily deliy.
cred Cherry" from Its limbo Of obscurity.
| Ia telling how his rirst full sized book
| came to be written he says: ia been
writing short stor es until J thought ,
Confined on Second PQc.