The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
Private. Charles Divine: An Autobiography.

BOOKS and the Book World S poet at the 'front.' sent
to his publishers, Moffat, Yard & Co., an auto
biographical sketch. 1t has Dickens-like begin
ming and an mpressionist close 1t is its own excuse
for being. Here it is:
81 have always been told that l was born on
January 20, 1889, in Binghamton, N. Y. l can
pretend to no arbitrary knowledge of the exact date
myself l am forced to rely on my parents ex-
pert testimony l don't even know if | was born
poet. There is no record that my father an
nounced to the employees of his insurance Office the
next day: Boys, have cigar! We've got little
poet down at our house
81 learned later that | was born in a house and
that the house stood close to the shore of the shady
Chenango River But neither of my parents put
as much emphasis on these facts as they did
the portentous circumstance that their son was
born Sunday evening, when the church bells
rang. The quotation became familiar one. All
through my early years the distinctive augury rang
in my ears more than the church bells did. The
hand of fate had been clearly seen pulling the bell
rope. But nothing came of this deeply
ligious significance except that two of my uncles
became ministers, and one of them a bad one!
Had Two Grandfathers.
81 had two grandfathers One was soldier in
the civil war, farmer and a school teacher. The
other was a canalbOat skipper
''Of the events of my youth, l recall going TO
public school, fist fight with the bully and getting
licked Selling newspapers. Buying purple
necktie. Splitting sarsaparilla on it. Getting the
nickname CHICK, which still survives. Writing
the school notes for local newspaper at penny an
inch. Making Col ROOSEVELT my hero. Gradual
irg as class orator (cause and effect. Summers
spent reporting on the Binghamton Herald and
Press, or haying it on my grandfather's farm.
% In the fall of 1907 / entered Cornell Univer-
sty, where for three months | went to bed at night
with breaking heart because the fraternity liked
best hadn t asked me to join. At last the bid
came, and great exultationi / had entered the law
college, but in February, at the beginning of the
second term, | realized that | would make but a
poor sort of lawyer, and so switched to the College
of Arts and Sciences. Subsequent events followed
in this manner: Three years in the Arts College.
Writing for the Cornell Daily Sun, the Widow and
the Comedian, thus helping my father work my
way through college. Learning to roll the markings
and sing close harmony Attending more clubs
than studies An absence of year from college,
spent as the telegraph editor of the Bnghamton
Republican and cattleboat trip to Europe The
motley crew of cattlemen. One looked like muir
ing at night on bales of hay under an open hatch
way and the stars. The continent. Three weeks in
Paris. Broke in Liverpool Fell in again with the
murderer, who bought me my supper and passage
home.
Jobs, Loves and Hates.
Return to college Making up year and
half work in one Being graduated in June, 1912
Going to New York city in July. Joining the staff
of THE Sun ELEGANT, for i gotta job as reporter)
Covering banquets, bread lines, murders gunmen
millionaireS, ROOSEVELT, WILSON, East Side Fifth
avenue, Chinatown, Bowery, the unemployed, So
cietys divorces, subway accidents, suffrage
speeches, suicides and more RoosEvEIT-when TIE
Sun made me its staff correspondent for year with
this hero of my youth, who improved his right to
that pedestal on closer acquaintance.
Further events: Living in Washington Square
and Greenwich Village Growing to love the fol-
lowing: A ride Fifth avenue bus the first
cigarette after breakfast, the stories of BooTH
HARRINGTON, JOSEPH CONRAD and EUGENE MAN
LOVE RHODES, the poems of anybody white sails on
blue horizon, open fires in winter strawberry
shorcakeS in summer, winding city streets the walk
home from the Office at , A. NJ. the wind from the