The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-23
STARTLING REVELATION OF
A WRITER AT HALF WAY

IS years old he stands apart from him
self and truthfully and without self
consciousness tells his story up to the
halfway house" "Midstream' Is pri-
marily novel, but In II the author
dares to write of himself and his friends
as openly as though he were writing OF
purely fictitious characters. He tells
frankly what his boyhood was really like
OF his newspaper reporter days and why
he was invariably fired" He describes
his years as a private soldier and shows
what II means to be a private In fly
swarmng trenches, TO be shot at, cursed,
get tropical fever and land in the guard
house He relates his experiences war
correspondent through several wars, and
In learning the picture writing and pub
fishing game. And throughout runs the
dominant motive, his struggle with his
weaknesses.
His preface to the book explains:
'1n every mans heart there is story.
This Is mine. l do not tell 1t as a writer.
but Is a man who has found his work.
There liz not a wall in this book. I
am IS years old. a well and work glad
man. Everything that Is past was right
for me, and everything 10 come Is right
AS for most OF the evils which ] make
important with the good. l have no care
now other than TO preserve the lessons
Of them. the sympathy and understanding
for others which they alone teach. II 1
should forget these lessons miseries were
suffered In vain. Indeed the evil days
would be challenged to come again.
$50 after this telling. all concern
ends with the child so passionate for SEN
sation and with the youth and younger
man in whom you will see so ripened
devil. II a man lives a grade higher
| life than he lived last year he is a differ
ent man. He could not have risen unless
the price were paid be very sure OF that
IT show you a certain progress OF life
in the child and boy and man known as
Comfort. I know him best OF all men.
! would not call him another name in
this his story; no artificial literary form
this time between you and me.
Here is a test tube. a crucible for GER
| tain important experiments II shall
break and the poisons compounded in II
shall pass but the final result shall pass
only when proved failure. | can un-
derstand an aversion on the part OF many
| for this analysis OF the solution of n
man. for have had that too. In my
youth / approached the candid and simple
with shame and scorn. but have lived
to approach them with gratefuness and
| delight. There 10 nothing wrong in the
truth.
I'VE are meeting life every day. Much
OF life Is designed to make us predatory
yet that Is failure. You will see why
| | say so. The JOY OF this book Is 10
show how values came to me in spite OF
evil beginnings, and that the way is nc
secret.
"A mans heart circle Is very large II he
| is normal and can tell his own true
tale. / write as one might talk 10
friends In his study not that / am good
far from that But the light Ii clearer
about me. the days brighter. There are
descents and hollows in my life now. but
the deepest hollows of to-day are a
little higher above the level OF the sea
than those OF yesterday. When have
finished with this story shall lister
again. say It with gladness, there 1.
not anywhere the old shadow nor vague
ness of light. Finally I write
now at half way while l can remember
and before the CLOVIS and hallowings Of
age come to charm the far past into q
fairyland"
He touches again upon his big motiv,
at the end OF the book:
my story Is done. II I did not thni
there was Voice from It all be yer,
sure II would not be told. Sometimes
am tired: sometimes fresh and strong
even content that the fighting is not al
finished. The fact is perfect peace Is FOL
another time and place those are stoler
hours here in which we play: the rea
lift OF II all is In a mans work All 1.
well. 1t is only our bodies that tire"