New-York tribune., 1922-02-26
This and That
by
CHARLES HANSON TOWNE

alIiet. i,C Say tnat MS luulanBpOliS
home Is just the home one would expect
the author OF Alice Adams and "The
Magnificent Ambcrsons' to live ina
simple stone dwelling on quiet street,
crowded with treasures that Harrington
has picked up through lfc Of travel
and vivid interest.
His study Is delight-the sort Of
study any literary man would envy"
the 1oungOld Philosopher said the
other morning. "The book lined walls
form rich background, and there arc
paintings Of Riley and other intimate
friends OF Tarkington's youth; a great,
solid desk that one would hesitate to
ask even the powerful katrinka to
move, aud an open fireplace that gives
the needed glow to room in smoke
stained city like indianapolis. But
Harrington doesn't write much at his
comfortable desk-he prefers a plain
drafting board by the window; and he
uses long sheets Of paper ane picks
up new pencil every now ans then.
shutting himself In when the uwsk Is
once begun.
when lie Is In the midst OF novel
Mrs. Harrington protects him from his
morning mail, the telephone, and all
callers. A luncheon tray goes up. very
often, 8 the interruption Of a meal
down stairs would prove fatal on GER
tain days. Even at the risk of losing
every friend in the world darlington
put 1t to me, I have to do this. I
simply can't mix social and business
affairs with the production of sus-
tanned work But with short stories
1t is different. He can turn one out
in week, sometimes; then he rests
for two or three days. I was fortunate
enough to catch him between stories.
and we saw together that untidy city
where he has always lived, except for
his sumner pilgrimages to Kennebunk-
port. in Maine. His plays are written
in the latter place, by The blowing sea;
but book like Alice Adams had TO
grow and bloom in the protected area
Of the Hoosic- City.
~ spoke 70 him Of Alice, and I asked
him how it was possible for G man to
know, almost clairvoyantly, 80 much OF
young girls thoughts and feelings.
desires and dreams. was thinking Of
that great scene at the dance, when
Alice pretends that she has beau
whom she has sent on an important
GRAND. We all know those things he
modestly said. But 1t happens to be
my business to try to put them on
paper. The very fact that you speak of
that incident proves that you know
such situation was possible. Your
recognition Of the truth OF it reveals
that you subconsciousl observed it
many times. I was merely the instru.
ment through which it found express
sion on the printed page. We know
much moro than we thinl, we do.
When the moment arrives to saw what
we have seen and known, we tell of it
That is ALL 1t takes a great man to
talk like that.
Harrington took me to see that
little house in Lockerbic Street where
James Whitcomb Riley lived so long;
and he told me story, which is we'll
authenticated, and which sent a
shiver down my spine. 1t seems that
the Hoosier poet. all his life, had a
fear of undcrtakers which amounted
almost to an obsession; and when he
finally died, and it was obviously
necessary to call in one OF these
dreaded gentlemen, it was found that
the door of the room where the gentle
Riley had died vas lockcd-on the in
side!
"Yes, Booth Harrington, with his hu.
manity and boyishness and kindly wit
is as fine as the books he writes with
such care and JOY. He walks down tc
the University Club every day, ant
chats with Meredith Nicholson or Hewitt
Hansen Rowland or any one else who
happens to be around-his friends can
no. be counted; and he is loved as few
men are loved in this world. He writes
so we'll OF our Middle West towns he.
cause he knows them as the rain
knows the rose. He has got into their
hearts; he is part OF them, and he
feels their pulses, understands all
thelr ugly streets, their littlenesses
and dreams of crude commcrcialism
their relentless crowding out of the
old, beloved homes. No wonder people
from all over the country, recognizine
his genius, send him copies of his
first editions to autograph, that they
may keep them always in their libra
ries! They will be worth much in the
years to come. They are worth cvery-
thing even now. A writer with ideals
how few OF them we have among us
to-day, with the movies shouting that
they Will pay any amount for a
Few pages OF manuscript! Yet there
are those, like Booth Harrington, who
prefer to dip their pens into the hear,
or ifo and extract the bitterness as
we'll as the sweetness of it, interpret
its mysterious meanings to US, and
never rest until book is as good as
they can make it. One need not de-
SPAR OF American literature with men