Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-12
ROCKS, INTERESTING
BUT U.NLNPORTANT


, pouT twenty-five years ago there
n wos n freak magazine published in
,be neighborhood which has since at
,,;,ed considerable notoriety as Green
-,,b village. The magazine was cnlled
~. O'clock. or was 1t Five O'clock?
LVsoes NOT matter, for 1t was n late
horr in the afternoon anyway. lt was
noo' manifestation of the youthful de-
o,v dSo 70 show how things should be
sone that along about the same time
SOmnd expression in the Chap Book In
Chicago. which printed ghost story
Nv n G. Wells that was one of the best
Stost stories ever written, and was also
sOnifcsted by tho publication in this
n,,y of Moods, an ornate board bound
..sr,blv TO which John Luther Long
pnd Harvey NJ. Watts and John Sloan
sro contributors. If my memory
",ryss Moods contained n japanese
s.n.cb bv Mr.. Long which indicated
tbot even then he had begun to expert
mont with the theme which he later
s.roIoned in "Mndame Butterfly
Tn noticing Four O'clock or Five
.,floct or whatever O'clock 1t was,
ono literary critic, after noting that 1t
oontolned illustrations by y. Booth
Torkinpton, who since has become
Lro,rn bv n shorter name, remarked
that the magazine was interesting. but
unimportnnt. Its editors showed their
determination by hailing this comment
a. the most discriminating that had
hscn mnde on their venture. They were
~, % nrctcnding to do anything but in
tarost those who were interested in the
hind of thing they had to offer.
What was snid twenty-five years ago
~ thc Offering of n group of young
artists and men of letters can with
.onol truth be said of two or three
recent books of essays. There is nov
und then an Cssayist who thinks that
uhat he writes Is important. but such
A man does not produce an ideal piece
~ Ntcrnt,rc. The test of familiar
sssny should be the measure OF It's
uUhtncss and ease and grace. No man
can be graceful and easy and lightSolne
who thinks hc Is laying down tunda-
mental principles which his contempo-
rsries must accept or enter on devious
maths that lead them into maze "
uhich there is 10 clue. The man VINO
writes mn essay should be in the mood
NJ vivacious guest at dinner table,
tolerant Of those who Disagree with
him, dealing aminbly with human
toibles md making tritics interesting
and entertaining by the light OF his
fancy and the residence of his intel
lect.
10 tu In
i approximates perfection nrc. Max
Brerbohm and a. A. Mime. both En-
glishmen. Perhaps America should
claim part of the credit for Becrbohm.
for he married Florence Kahn. OF Mem
phis, an American girl who achieved
some distinction on the stage before Shc
was cast for the permanent role OF
wife 10 a brilliant man of letters. Shc
must ~ playing the role successfully.
for the married BperbOhm has not
sourcd and he still looks out on the
world with the same gentle but sophi"-
ticated tenderness that characterized
his earlier youth. He exhibits this in
"And Even Now" (E. p. Dutton Il
CO.., n collection of twenty essays
written during the past ten years. The
opening one. "A Relic. might be studied
with profit by every youth anxious
to learn the art of saying things. lie
would then discover that what is said
In literature does not matter so mucM
as the way it is Slid. There follow
later some "reminiscences of Swinbourne
and WattS-Dunton told with the
charming informality that he might
have adopted If he had been rccountinG
his experiences to a friend across the
fireplace In the twilight. And in
manner Of the imaginary biographical
sketch which lie adopted with brilliant
success in "Scvcn Men" Those whose
taste runs to this sort Of book will thanF
any one who may attract their attcn'
ton TO Bcerbohm' latest
MIR. MIl.NE'S essays as they appear
4'1 in "If | May" (E. i. Dutton 4
Co.. are Slightcr in form and substance
than the essays of Becrbohm. He dcal
with even more incOnscduential matters
but he succeeds in saying pleasant thing
about them in pleasant and rcstfu
way. And now and then he deals II
gentle satire, prIcking with needle o
comment some bubble of fallacy or con
ccit that has been accepted too long
Only sane and clear thinking ma,
could have written THE Honour o
Your COuntry,' little sketch In whC
British officer is Scientifically force
into admitting that the honor of n
nation is seriously impaired if the ma
ton is too weak to force treSpassc
to make reparation, and there Is II
amiablc citizen who will not admit tina
IN Getting Things Done" Mr.. Min
has written most penetrating essays o
The ways of the great. Mr.. Milne dc
CIlrng lint Ln H. nnnnLlL. oE ri1tLIc- !;