The sun., 1916-10-29

lore as would turn sow's ear into silk
purses or make soup out Of sawdust.
We lived In clover!
Alas. We player folk are birds Of
passage. here to-day and gone to-mor-
row. Soon / had TO go on my tour OF
the country. One cannot dismiss ones
cook and have her too. SO | installed
Mrs. Mabbitt In my apartment and
went my way. She was rather small.
but OF asst dignity in q quiet way. pre-
else Of speech. jet black hair. which
she dressed in a very old fashioned
sty.e with six small rlnglcts falling
down on each side Of her face: a lace
cap on her head. mittens on her hands.
and a that put people in their
places at once. She suffered greatly
from rheumatism, but proceeded with
iurtitude to lift heavy utensils and to
mix and fix and sort and sift. as was
her nature to.
! when | was away for about six
months Mrs. Mabbitt resided in soil
tary state In my superior new apart
rncnt. The rumor became rife in the
n~eighborhood that she was a wealthy
English lady, some even said n person
%; title. Her rheumatic tendency in
creased apaCe. My physician. who at
tended her, declared that she must be
out In the air for an hour or two each
day. Walking was difficult for Mrs.
Mahbitt. 50 ! wrote to an old coach
man, an ancient friend OF mine. and
babe him call for Mrs. Mahbltt two or
three times a week n take her for
an outing in the park. These eXcur-
sions established umo more firmly in
the conclusion that Mrs. Mabbitt was
a person OF distinction.
AT length. the season over, my
brother and ] returned and Mrs. Nah
BIT resumed her cooking. In these
days her duties and her growing in
trinity gave her little time and less
inclination To take the air. Al last |
had To insist on her going out with my
Coachman friend, My brother objected
that the large carriage and the two
pranc!ng steeds created too much stir
for ones cook, and bewailed this state
Of affairs TO my physician. Il can't
see any harm in it, said that scientist.
so long as your brother does not &c
out with her.
The time came, however. when
sAA'' 't''.NN uStu ~ 80 d4tllt OF ~
go at al. ! saw myself faced with the
alternative OF either losing my cook
from inan.tion and lack Of fresh air or
OF having to take her out driving my
self. ] chose the latter course, and
might be seen some fine days prancing
through the park with a distinguished
old lady by my side balancing an ante
diluvian bonnet OF her head and early
Victorian ringlets shading her cheeks
There are many other anecdotes in
The Melancholy Tale OF Me-" rclat,
ing to how Eddy" came To choose his
profession, his hazards and trials. his
associations and SO on, but as white
paper is dear and newspaper space is
limited the interested reader will have
To go to the book for these. For the
present We must leave the book and
return to the author, sitting there In
hills.
How did you learn how to charac-
teri2e so WE'LL" | asked him.
II was writing OF real people, they
were very real before me- answered
Mr., Sothern modestiy.
And your vocahulary--it IL mucf
larger than that of many seasoned
writer's"
rs it? Perhaps my association will
the theatre has helped. I've had e
read many plays. Then there.
Shakespeare; perhaps reading hin
constantly has had some effect"
but the charm Of style In you
hook-how could you acquire tina
without practlce?"
Mr., Sothern looked almost embar
rassed Does ono acquire Style
he asked. wouldn't trying 10 do tina
spoil things" | should think, rather
that one must first have something I,
write and then just sit down and writ,
II; he must express himself natural
~, and the result. whatever 1t Is. 4
himself and his W style"
"Iiave you ever written anythin,
before"
Mr.. Sothcrn hes!tatcd. "A !ittl
poetry" he confessed, but I've ken
that dark. ! didn't to be know,
AS "A fellow who writes rhymes. Then
Of course, I've written plays. Ever.
person connected with the theatr,
writes plays. you know: or. II h,