The sun., 1916-10-21

That merry tale with a noval idea he
hind ". %"Skinner's Dress suit" pub
lished in the saturday ErcniHD Post. has
just appeared between book covers from
the press Of Houghton, Mifhin Company,
The author. Henry Irving Dodge, was
asked how he got his idea for the story
MANY persons have asked me that.
ne replied. "whether | just happened 10
think of it-a mere suggestion. a chance
observation-or whether il Mas prompted
by some personal experience.
1T Was neither. SINNERS Dress
Suit had been i~ncubating IN my con-
seriousness for twenty years or more, A
long time ago. when a mere hoy. ! was
doing engineering work In Texas. While
there | made. the acquaintance OF a very
Are fellow a doctor. a most lovahlc
chan. one night q bail vas given At the
n, paso Hotel I'm Fort Worth. M doc
tor friend was there. rcsplcndcnt In eve
ming clothes--a perfect nt. There was
something about his manner that puE-
zlea me. lie seemed JUST III" least hi
III at ease. li.ing on terms or very
close intimacy with him, I char'd hin
about IL. Instead of taking my words Ii
a iocular way he became serious.
"'rm u sham he conhded, "A d"r.li-h
sham. feel 81 lie stood M raigh
See how beautifully this suit fits me
everything - X"
II nodded.
.'He put his lips close to my ear and
WI. spered I've got on cotton socks and
"A ragged undcrshir,. There isn't u mo-
| ment OF the time h a Tn not conscious
OF IT.
"'Why didn't Won wear silk ones"
"'Didn't have any. Never had any,
Hang II all. I've never been completely
dressed In my lfc-uever had things
! that matched never felt the quiet Joy
the calm satisfaction OF being completely
well dressed
What my doctor friend said has sim.
mered in my consciousness for years
II would probably be simmcring there
yet II | hadn't made a desperate cffor'
and got It off my chest. Oh. no, skin
ner's Dress Suit Is not a matter of i'm
pulse. LIS a growth. l. was something
inside OF my head that had to come out
As my friend Guard OF the metropolitan
Opera House stan observed. When
read that story. Dodge, ! knew II wa
something YOU couldn't help telling
That's why I couldn't help reading II
Hut you put IL Off SO man years. how
did you come to write Il at all2'
Just turn to page 3 OF skinner
Dress Suit I told him. and read tn,
eighth line. That's the answer
Understand 'Skinner's Dress Suit
was not intended as n Boo on clothes
although II happens that the dress sui
II the principal actor In the story.
hold no brief for the tailors of the coun
try. although I owe much 10 these gen
tlernen. Please don't misconstrue tina
last remark.
mo. SINNERS Dress Suit was in
tended only as a simple story of "A IL
pressed man OF ability throwing off TN
shackles Of fear and finding himself. Bu
many persons have read 30 much int
the book that | didn't know was ther,
hat | am beginning to be,ieye-lik,
BERTHE the Lamb in The Ienrietta'--tha
Tn a devil Of a fellow and ] amt
"a number OF Christian Scientist
have told me that SINNERS Dress Suit
contains some of the soundest principle
Of that faith SINNERS throwing OF
the shacklss OF fear, coming into al
the good things that were his and whicl
had been waiting for him just bcyon,
the wall Of fear that he had buildcd ur
"a very able Jewish merchant frien,
said to me You embody one of tn
tenets Of my philosophy by puttinI
Skinner on better terms with himself
lifting him into tho stratum OF self-re
spect. self-assertion. prosperity, For /
"A man is not on good terms with hin
self he cannot be on good terms wit.
ANYBODY else. Believe me- his gentle
man continued, I have determined to
nicely the economic value of "A good ap
pearancr.'
""Therr's a good moral tone to you