The sun., 1919-03-16
WHO'S HUGH.

ii U6H WALPOLE, whose first London letter
to Books and the BOok World appears in
our next number, is a novelist whose work has at
tanned its highest Level far with The Secret Oity,
story of Petrograd at the time of the Gar s over
throw, published but few weeks ago He is ;young,
having been born in 1884 Of his stories the best
known are Fortitude, The Duchess of Wrere, The
Dark Forest, The Green Mirror, and his latest
book. Let us tell you about him.
His father has been Bishop of Edinburgh since
1910, and was for seven years (1sS9-1S96) at the
General Theological Seminary, New York At the
time of the novelist s birth his parent was church
man at Auckland, New Zealand. In English Lierd-
tire During the Last Half Century the lauthor,
j. W. CUNLIFFE, tells us: ''HUGH SEYMOUR WAL
POLE Ito give him his full Nance is presumably the
HUGH SEYMOUR of The Golden ScGrecrow, who
was sent from Ceylon where his parents lived to
be educated in England His relations having, for
the most part, settled in foreign countries he spent
his holidays minute and pale-faced paying
guest in various houses where other children were
of more Importance than he, where children a
race were of no Importance at all " That the
novelist WALPOLE is inclined TO consider the child
ish race Of interest and consequence readers of his
tale, jeremy now appearing seriay i'll the Book
man, are delightedly aware.
Portrait by Mr.. Holiday
Somewhat later in the history of the world we
find this dry point in ROBERT CoRTEs HoILDAYs
Walking Stick Papers:
Zine time L had with young WALpoLE. Those
English certainly have the drop in the matter
of clubs. They live about in the haunts beloved of
THAcKERAY aud everybody else you ever heard Of
Pleasant place, the Garrick. Something like our
Players but better. Slick collection of old portraits
Fine bust there of WILL SHAKESPEARE found bot
tied up in some old passage.
Fashionable young man, WAIPoTE. ] can't re-
member exactly whether not he had on all these
things but he the sort that if he had nothing,
would look as if he had silk topper spats, button
hole bouquet. Asked me if had yet been 70 Ascot
Oh you must go to Ascot. Buys his cigarettes, in
that English way, in bulk, not by the box. Stuff
some in your pocket, he said Won't you have
whiskey and soda?'
Difficult person to talk with, as the only Eng
fish he knows is the Kings English. l was endeav
oring to explain that had left New York rather
suddenly. Il just beat it, youknOw, said.
"'You beat it, said Mr. WAIPOLE. $500.
"'Yes, just up and skiddooed' 49,.
'''You skiddOOedf'
Il saw that ! should have to talk like John
MnToN'
Friend of HENRY JAMES. ARNOLD BENNETT and
Mrs. BrIAoc LowNDEs, it appeared Had enough
money TO last him couple of years and was head
ing for Russia. I'VE walked together around into
the Strand. Well, good-by,' said Mr.. WAIPoLE,
extending his hand I've got to beat it now. p"
The Three "classihcations"
WAIPoIE's stories have so far been grouped by
Their author under three cassifcations descrip-
tonS A half Dozen of which The Secret City is
one, arc called by him Studies III Place. an easily
eo.nprehcnded heading, though the place" may
not always. fancy. be a geographical area. Two
other books, including FOrttUde called Pro
loqnes s;oalc. as Mr.. CUNIIFFE profess TO be puz-
Yle by this term suspect it means simply that
The books 80 styled to be regarded as prclim-
mary studies for the novels of The Rising City,
which Is Mr.. WAIPoLE's third classification; just
a, painter might make certain pictures in prep
aration for other and more important " finished
pictures The Rising City is the city Of the new
:,ge- instead of this old house, the hooded furni-
1ure. the anger at all freedom of thought, the
iealousy OF all enterprise, the SANDER and the
malice an age of universal Brotherhood, Of I'M