The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-24
Aristocrats,

Aristocrats.
~ JOHN D. BARRY.
OF late / have been seeing a great deal of a
man who takes great pride in his birth. He is
an aristocrat. Nevertheless, l believe l may cali
him friend.
There is a very wide difference between this
friend and myself in tastes, in ways Of living, and
in point of view. But we have established our
friendship on the common ground of our interest
in literature.
l have forgotten to say that my friend is a
writer. But his being writer-a very successful
writer. tools, wholly unimportant in comparison
with his being aristoerat
This friend is continually reminding me that
he is aristocrat He frequently expresses the
idea, more or less yelled and yet curiously plain,
that his feelings very different from the feel
ings of those of who not aristocrats. He
has excited in intense curiosity about his
aristocratic feelings. Every clew l have studi-
ously followed.
have found out that all he deeply cares for in
the world is himself and small number of human
beings who are like himself or, rather, like the
ideal that he constantly strives to reach-to be
different from other people. better, that is, to have
greater and greater power to exclude people, to
make, as he goes through life, in his inner con-
seriousness. wider exclusion, to feel that there
are fewer and fewer people who have feelings
like his feelings.
The other day my friend gave me what seemed
to be promising clew He had been writing a
play for a popular actress. The experience had
made him almost ill., II shall never write play
again." he said. when l submitted my manu-
script to the actress she insisted that l make
changes to please her, and when | made the
changes l submitted the play to the husband of
the actress. He insisted that I take out all the
things his wife had made put in. So, after
months OF labor in making those changes. I found
myself exactly in the position where | had been
before. In future l shall devote myself to writing
novels 1t is the only aristocratic form of litera-
ture"
Here was my chance.
why is it that you think novel writing is the
only aristocratc form of literatures" I asked,
Because it is the only form of literature that
allows you to think and feel and say exactly what
you please"
But that strikes me as being democratic
IDEAL" l exclaimed.
1t was as if l had given him blow in the face.
He looked at with the reproachful and yet
plying gaze that appears in his eyes whenever
show I cannot understand his feelings.
There is nothing democratic about novel,"
he replied. "In the hands of artist it becomes
the vehicle of individuality, of the individuality
that nothing for the world outside and
cares only for its point of view. Even in
writing short stories the writer has to consider
the vulgar prejudices of editors and the narrow
conceptions of life fostered in the home. In novel
writing one does not have to be even moral"
Ny mind flashed back, by some curious effect
of association, to scenes that | had witnessed at
the Metropolitan Opera House and in the thea
tiers of New York-scenes in which arstocrats
figured, or people who consider themselves aris-
tocrats, much the same thing They all had feel
ings very like the feelings of my friend. During
the performances in spite of the expression of the
feelings on the part of those about them they
talked loudly
One occasion left particular vivid memory.
| happened to sit directly under one of the boxes
In the box sat well-known millionaire and his
wife, with group of friends. The opera
interesting and the performers included several
artists of exceptional ability. Nevertheless those
aristocrats far less interested in what
going on behind the footlights than in one an
other. They chatted noisy and merrily, with
intervals of laughter. People in the orchestra
looked toward the box and whispered among
themselves Nevertheless, the talking and laugh
ter went 1t plain that several members of
the group felt the annoyance about them. Their
eyes took on the peculiar CLASSY stare assumed by
aristocrats when they wish to show contempt.
Finally, OF the performers stepped forward
and rebuked the people in the box. 1t
awful moment A few members in the audience
appauded. The performance was resumed and
the aristocrats sat in silence, with that stony
stare in their eyes. In few moments they left
the thcater.
1t was pathetic to see aristocrats in retreat
But perhaps it would not have been so pathetic
il we had understood their feelings their scorn
for the people they were leaving behind
My friendship with an aristocrat has taught
me something like leniency toward all aristocrats.
They pay heavily for their feelings. In the first
place. those feelings make it very hard for them
to behave themselves. The conviction that they