Evening star., 1918-06-16
unusually

oldish gentleman with unusually
However John PauPs popularity
came. it seems that he had the where
withal to hold it, for it stayed. Very
the little world under the great elms,
and there were some who loved him
and whom he loved back.
II.
While John Paul was at college he
lost Stevenson and found Kipling.
The pilgrimage which he had planned
to make to Stevenson's home in the
South seas. was off, and he went
through the first great grief of his
life. His comfort was certain plain
tales from the Indian hills, printed
in double columns, and without COW
ers. He was sitting uncomfortably
when he opened the book and began
began to read some Of the stories for
the second time.
He was never in doubt as to their
greatness. He made his first un-
biased literary judgment and knew
that it was sound as a bell. Until
name. In all his after days it was
as familiar to him as his own, a
talisman, an inspiration. despair.
Here was man who used old Eng
lish in the newest and most brilliant
ways. Even Stevenson sent his mes
conner telegraphed, telephoned, cabled,
photographed and rocketed. Better
than this, his were the messages of
things as they are; spoke the woif
in the Jungle what was in his heart
and the serpent down under the sea;
xha oh
what was truest and humanest in
himself without gloss or convention.
And well that there was some poetry
thrown into the bargain, for except
ing for "Christobel" and the Ancient
Mariner" and some Of Poe there had
never been any poetry in John Paufs
life before.
For the first time he had some ink
ling Of the sort of thing he would
one day wish to write himself. name
ly, the truth about things ugly or
beautiful. but the truth. You must"
Of ugliness, or beautiful for its sake.
but the two in their just mixture as
the truth itself has them" He began
from that period to look down on
fctions which had any purposes but
that Of truth-telling: or which were
gar school of novels. and novels with
an idea of reforming something or
other he held in special contempt
'Only tell the truth" he thought.
"Only let people know themselves and
other people, and all the reforms
which the world needs will transpire
automatically" The longer he lived
the surer he became that the truth is
what the world most needs; the un-
vanished truth. clearly and even
stylishly presented. As for beginning
to write the truth himself. he could
not, since he did not yet know what
manner Of thing 1t might be. But he
went about inquirnng of this man
and that, and picked up a hint here
and a hint there.
1t was his plan at this time to prac-
tice writing and search for the truth
until he was thirty. He did not wish
sonably sure Of his matter and his
manner. His father was dead and his
mother did not believe in young men
working in offices unless they had to.
She trusted John Paul and trusted
that he knew what was best for him
self. So, when the sons of other well
to-do mothers were graduated and
went downtown and learned to chat
ter about stocks and bonds (and
for all the rest of their lives). she
saw with equanimity her own son de-
part on a series of travels which
he thought would be good for him
and knowledgous.
Writing. playing. wondering. in
curing and finding out, he journeyed
up and down the world, and almost
happy visits and rushing on again
for happier vagabondings. And he
rubbed corners with all sorts Of peo-