The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-15
r. POPULAR AUTHORS THE WORK THEY ARE DOIN

action from the strenuous life I was
leading during the period OF the In
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. stormy days on
McCiure's and later. 40 have tom
YOU. on the American Md0dsfne. the
sketches were written to express that
reaction. that feeling OF retreat ana
restfulness. that realization OF the truly
worth while things In life that one reels
In the country"
"Then.' his visitor asked. "the 'Ad-
ventures In Contentment.' Adventure IN
Friendship and 70 on are not actually
h adventures OF the author-they are
not a literal transcript OF hfe?'
~ suppose" answered Mr.. Baker.
"that every writer Is called upon to
answer that question more frequently
than any other. While man. Of the Incl
dents and some Of the characters are
literal transcriptions, so literal In sew
eral cases as to disclose the identity OF
the author, for they were written as ]
came In fresh from my work on my
e~xcurslons-and often ! took my note
book with me and wrote sitting on a
rail fence or under a tree-the real
object I had In view was never to report
events literally. not TO describe actual
scenes and places. but to put down on
paper a certain spirit or attitude toward
life. The outer things do not much
matter II Is the inner birth which
counts. and there can be neither adven-
lures In CONFINEMENT nor adventures in
friendship. nor any friendly a nor
any amusive town Of Hempneld. unless
We drive to those adventures the inner
spirit OF contentment, friendship and Joy
of living"
Another Of the questions to which Mr..
| Bakers visitor wanted to know the an
--- - - lA a. .s nats nj
this time. His answer was that he per-
sonaliy had very little to do with II other
than that II was becoming apparent TO
him that IN explanation was about II
THE secret" he said. seemed TO be
leaking out In several places a, once. SO
! simply let things take their course.
Really It was leading me into all kinds
OF complications and explanations. There
have been a number OF imposters who
have posed in different parts OF the
country as avid Grayson. such for in
stance as the man who began
using the name in 4 Western town.
When the reporters saw II on the hotel
register and went 10 him with the Ques-
ton az 20 whether he was the author OF
! Adventure In Coftentment' he ad-
mitted that he was. Later he gave
authors readings. and his career was
interrupted only when some Of my
friends there telegraphed FOR informa-
ton. Another man married during the
time he was posing as the author OF the
David Grayson enthusiastically has a
! rather tragic tale.
Then there were persons who have
been subject to certain embarrassment
: on account Of the similarity Of
There Is 4 lawyer in Atlanta. I under
stand. who has no desire whatever 10
he known as n writer. whose name is
David Grayson. and then there il the
writer named David Gray. who wrote
me recently. enclosing a letter intended
FOR me and asking me what I would do
~ he began signing his stories Ray
S,annard Rakerson. So all In all. 1t Is
perhaps Just as we'll that the secre, Is
out"
So any Of the wonder that has been
expressed at the difference between the
work OF Ray Stannard Baker and the
work OF David Grayson IL easily ex-
planned by the fact tina; each was the
product Of it's own individual side OF the
mans personality A. tho present time
in his home in Amherst ne has his gar
den. his orchard. his rural friends and
his hills to tramp in. And all his life
except for a few years ne has lived in
the country or in small country towns.
And really. he says. there Is no life like
II for solid satisfaction.