New-York tribune., 1920-03-14

a more severe critic than his stepson.
Lloyd Osbourne. As it was for him. az
youngster, that Treasure Island"
was written, it was to him that the
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation sub
mitted Maurice Tourneur's film version
OF the famous pirate story for final
criticism.
1.-The picture has preserved COM
pletely the spirit in which Stevenson
wrote Treasure Island,'" Mr.. Osbourne
SAID after he had seen the film. "Mr.
Iourneur has done splendid piece of
work. The battle between the pirates
| and DR.. Livesey and his supporters
gave me as great thrill as it did when
my stepfather first read me the story
from his manuscript | confess I CANA
to see the picture with fear and trepi
datlon, for had heard that girl was
to play Jim Hawkins, but Shirley Mason
gives performance which I do not
believe could be excelled."
Asked how "Treasure Island" came
to be written. Mr. Osbourne said:
Years ago when l was little boy
OF twelve l was spending my HOLIDAYS
IN Scotland with my mother and nv
stepfather. He was an unknown and
unsuccessful author who wrote books
that never passed beyond one small
edition and whose gay acquiescence in
failure cost me many childish pang.
knew that his books were very poor,
iiQr being a great reader. | had toiled
through every one of them Indeed,
they were so uninteresting that | even
wondered he had. as many as seven
hundred and fifty readers whom he
claimed.
Feeling that he ought to do better.
often timidly demonstrated with him.
pointing out that while he wrote beau
TRULY, his fault seemed to be in the
choice of subjects. But his only an
swer s was to burst out laughing and
then to tell me with humorous i'm
pressiyeness that there was certainly
a popular author
The thing that puzzled me was that
ne n, was as fond as I Of Mayne Reid.
Fenimore Cooper, Jules Verne and
M,larryat. 1t was not as though he
DIDN'T appreciate good books, and Ger
talnly none of the 750 readers Of AN
island voyage could possibly have rec {.
ognlAed IN hlm the Indian, or frontiers
man, or explorer, or naval officer with
a';tb mldshipmem landing 4
with secret dispatches on hostile |
coast, which served to give such de-
light to our walks together and always
Drought me home in such glow Of !
romance. That idolzed stepfather of
nine was the most inspiring playfellow
N the world, which made it seem ali !
me sadder that he was unable to write
book worth reading '''e
we ived IN small house that was
;;oomewhat depressing name Of .thve ,.4e .4e -
MISS McGregor's cottage and hero
'ne rainy morning, busy with Box Of
'a'nes, Jam l happened to be tinting the
nap OF an island had drawn. Stevens ene
on s;n, came IN as I was finishing it. and q
' YIN ms affectionate interest in evervN
,n,ne ,an was doing leaned over my shout -
~ ud @ anu was soon celebrating the man
I hr;,l ,1llam,ng ns II; l shall never forget the II
ill., Iili o. ri tSs Saeieson teton. Island, Spy Glass
ne y ct three red crosses! And the create
llmax still when he wrote .down "e tha
:olus treasure Island at the ~ r.
lgnt hand corner! And he seen,aa stp ~
now SO much about it, tooNthe -; ~ -
d.es ,h the buried treasure and the NAV "A
Io Hh . .au Deen marooned on the island
\ haa ssoey ABOUT ltl' l exclaimed
= ~. heaven of enchantment and Soma
0W ~ conscious of his own enthusiasm nth sIme,
. linen, ne after writing in moro name, , ..
an prv recall 1he ths map Pin in his pocket and 81
ointment m had at losing it. A After e,saR- AZ
was my map, and had ALREADY bscom A.
afy precious. owing to its associatinn apme n
old dP'sases rat San and having been found in +,
orgotten for years and years s" 'Rss Rn+ and az
TEL ia took it away, and the -, nsrp my
ay - at tn noon was called up mysterioes ss nes.
ornnss m n,s IsaaG0n wait0r q Che always spent the
1lng l saw was my beloved @"u rna Inc nrst -
a. the eco coverlet. Still wondering wSn yS,nf AZ
ot ot 0een s;4t, summoned so specially. "" and
ls Id to '.is .is proud ge and expectant, was was
,ok up Sol some e0Tn w. while my stepfather
sgan to read aloud the fit4cbsps first chants ana Nc