New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

new clasSitcatlonS. Here IS j. u.
Beresford, one Of the most strik-
ing of the younger group of novelists in
England, making sally already into this
attractive field. 1t is not a prolonged ef-
fort he makes, but it is illuminating Of
the possibilities Of the new viewpoint.
"Nothing is more dspiriting than the
practice of classifying humanity according
TO types Your professional psychologist
does it for his own purposes. This is
his way of colating material for the large
generalization he is always chasing. His
ideal is a complete record He would like
to present US as so many samples on
labelled card-thc differences between the
samples on any ono card being ascrlbcd
to an initial carelessness in manufacture.
Ills method is the apotheosis of that OF
the gay Italian fortune teller one used to
sec about thc streets, with her Ettle cage
II Of ove-birds that sized you up and picked
YOU out suitable future. Presently, We
hope, the psych oogist will be able to do
that for US with a greater discrimination
lie will take a few measurements, test our
reaction times. consult an index and hand
Us out an iufaliblc analysis of our type
After chat we shall know precisely what we
arc .itted for. and whether our ultimate
destination is the Woolsack the Work
house.
But your psychologist has his uses, and
l. is the amateur in this sort. particularly
the noycl-writing amateur, who arouses
our protest. }cI use the pronoun ascS-
ually does not spend himself in prophecy,
but he deals us cut into packs with air
Of knowing just where belong. And
his novels prove how right lie was, be
cause you can prove anything Of this kind
in novel His readers like this method.
Il is easy to understand, and it provides
them with an articulatc description of the
inevitable Jones.
"I cling to that as some justification for
the habit as an excuse for my own eHhl-
btion Of the weakness, however diSp iritipg.
1t is SO convenient to have shorthand
reference for Jones and another of our
acouaintances. The proper understanding
OF any one of them might engage the leis-
ure Of lifetime; and if for general pur-
,oses We can tuck our friends into some
neat category, VIC serve the purposes Of
lucdity.
Lastly. to conclude this apology, |
would plead that new scheme of classi-
iicaton, such as that provided by psyche
analysis, is altogether too fascinating to be
resisted.
There is, for example, my friend David
Vince, the typical 'introvert. and an al
most perfect foil for my friend the 'cx-
trorcrt,' previously described. The two
men loathe the sight of another. Con-
tempt on one side and fear on the other
IS sufficient explanation of their mutual
aversion. Vince. indeed, has an instructive
fear of auvthing that bellows and rooted
distrust OF most other things. He suffers
from a kind of spiritual agoraphobia that
makes him scared and suspicious Of large
gencralizations, broad horizons and cog
nate phenomena. He likes. he says, to
be sure of one step before he takes the
next. The open distances Of political
argument astound and terrify him. He
takes all discussions with great serious
ness. and displays an obstructive passion
Tor definition and the right use of words.
What I should like to understand is
favorite opening Of his. and The thing he
would like to understand is almost in
variably some abstrusc and fundamental
definition.
.'Thc a priori method is anathema to him.
He is, in fact, Enthusiastically unable to
comprehend it. He has little respect for
syllogism as such, because his mind seems
20 work backward, and all his logical fac
ulty is used in the dissection Of premises.
When my evaporation reaches the stage
at which I say: But, my dear fellow, let
us take it for granted, for The sake OF
argument he wrings his hands in
despair and reples But that's the whole
point. We can't take these things for
granted. IF you don't examine your pre-
mises, where are you He has a habit in
conversation of emphasizing such words
as those have underlined, and a lool, Of
desolation comes into his face when he
plaintively inquiries where we are. At
those times I see his timid, irresolute
spirit momentarily staring aghast at the
threat of this worlds immense distances
before with sigh Of relief 1t ducks back
INTO the shelter afforded by his intro
spectivc analyses. Let us be quite sure
of our ground he says. before we draw
! any deductions.' His ground is. ! fancy.
a kind of 'dugout.'
"He has had all unfortunate matrimo-
nial experience. His wife ran away with
another man, some three or four years
ago, and he is trying to screw himself up
10 the pitch of dvorcing her. For man
OF his senstiveness the giving of evidence
IN court upon such delicate subject will
be very trying ordeal. He has confided
very little of his trouble to me. but oc
casional hints OF his, and the reports
Of another friend who knew Mrs Vince
personally, lead me to suppose that she
vas rather a large e-rnindcd, robust sort Of
woman. Perhaps he bored her. l can i'm
aglne that ne would bore any one who had