New-York tribune., 1919-10-18

to do was to write and act In fact,
he always did write, even in the nurs-
cry Before the boy could go to
Heidelberg, where he was to complete
his education. his father had suffered
sudden financial reverses. The bar was
out Of the question now. Instead of
starting life as Il wealthy mans son,
Merrick was facing the need for earn
ing bare subsistence. At the age Of
eighteen, he had exchanged luxury for
a job at the South African diamond
mines. He stood all day superintend-
a temperature of 100 degrees in the
shade, and slept in a tin hut at the
foot of the tailings heap.
His next past was in the local court
house. After his berth with the min
ing company, it was welcome change
to him to sit down. He sat, taking
natives aifidavits, and issuing sum
mons for assault, in the judges Office
until the judge committed suicide.
Then Mcrrick found the associations
depressing, and went to Kimberley.
All the time, he was still longing
for authorship and the stage. and had
been writing verses and articles on
the government stationery. The first
thing Of his to be printed was an
article that he submitted to a KIM
berley paper. He had not asked for
payment, and had signed only his
initials. The article appeared in the
next issue, and in the "Answers to
Correspondents" was {; line to l.. NJ,
Your contribution is capital. We
should like to hear from you again"
That was Merrick's first happy day
on the diamond fields. He was yenrn-
ing for enough money to get back TO
England, and the compliment seemed
to promise cheks Unfortunately for
his hope, the paper collapsed soon
afterward
He was in solicitors Office in Kim
bcrley for nearly two years. and came
near to dying Of camp fever before he
succeeded in returning to London. And
IN London, at the age Of twenty one.
at last. 1t was then that he adopted
the surname Of "Merrck.' 1t is nov
his own, By legal process. He was
formerly "Leonard Miller" His ex-
periences as an actor were very brief.
He had no theatrical connections or
acqUaintances. and the engagements
obtainable by Il young man without in
Huence or means we're few and far
between If it had not been for his
pen he would have starved He wrote
the first short stories that he had at
tempted since he WAS a child Some
of them were long afterward reprinted
In his volume entitled This Stage Of
Fools "Whcn we are born We cry
NCc tc
of fools.'D lie sold them for next to
nothing. NaiAly seeking Engagements
IN the theatre, conceaing his position
from relatives who would readily have
helped him if they had guessed his
straits, Merrick was thankful in those
days TO contribute a three thousa nd
word story regularly to an obscure So
ciety paper for Is. Cd. Il week.
When Merrick paints loneliness in
London. as he does in some of his
books, he is painting from experience;
when he writes of London's brutality
he writes of what he has borne. He
saw no prospect in England, and he
had Z growing conviction that his sue
cess was to come TO him in America
One day he put his pride in his pocket
and went to ask a man for a loan OF
500. The man gave him an open check
on the spot. Within a quarter Of an
hour Melrick had cashed the check and
booked {. second class passage to New
York
lie landed in New York friendless
about 7 p. III. At one ambition OF
his life was fulfilled. 1t was the last
night of 4 season Of Clara Morrs's g
and he WAS at the ,heatrc-his ankle
ties forgotten~-seein her act at last
He admits his journey to have been
a iolly-hc had had &c grounds ior be.
NcNlng that tire way would hc eAse,
Cor him IN New York tnaa It had beer
in London. He wrote s.t night IN the
Haliroon of 4 boarding house. and
syent most Of ,he day seeing theatri-
al engagements III Tx agents Offices
once, and only once. he was near tt
getting ono--hu was or, rcd apart in
"lne Two Orphan.' on the road. But
familiar as he was with the title, i,
transpircd tina. he had never seen the
play. The agcnt-~one OF the old school
was unable to credit that there could
bo any actor who hadn't seen "The Two
Orphans" he thought the applicant
rust be novice who had never crossed
stage. lie said, "You don't look like
an actor! If It's fact you've ever
played on the other side, bring me &
line from .eomebody who knows you
The Kendals are over here--bring mt
Merrick explained that he was nj
better known to the kendals than he
was to the President. He never actee
in Anne rica-ncr did he ever act agair
anywhere But he hns dabbled in dra
matte authorship and remained true &C
) ~ loFv Tor the theatre.
y ]ho ballroom he finished "a novel
"Nielet Moses" al! .aen he hawked i
among the New YORK publishers. On,
firm made hiln an onFcr for it-Sl5O fol
. the copyriph.i fe found The spirit {.
laugh, and took the parcel assNy. l.
w@s a. nfternoo,' in Ju!.y. As he wa
= cor! ing the iamr a. us. along
, Broadway, Va turned diaay. md reelce
agaiEst :. wal. / was the BEGINNING o
violent attack o3 grip. When he
was able TO leave his he'd. lIerrick treC
, to keep himself aNoat by reporting fol
a rews agency.
"V;olct Moses" was published in Eng
lard after he had returned there, sicl
and hcatcn Two Of the most sobel
and Influential Of the London review.
compared It favorably in some Of its
aspects. with the work of Meredith
and George Eliot, but the book hae
only small sale, and the author.
plight was desperate. Again he wa!
utterly alone. Companionship came u
last in the person of a young city
clerk, out Of billet. They had me
in n lodging house. where both wcr,
, in attics. and hungry. The Friendship
that was formed between them ha'
survived many years Of separation