The New York herald., 1922-11-26

II HE ancient jest connecting the words
"dotage" and "anecdotage'' is given
the lie this season by the generous
ohtpouring> of memoirs, "reminiscences, es-
says, biographies and autobiographies from
the vigorous veterans of so many crafts
and kinds Among them are Mrs Asquith,
Page. Lane a Morgenthau. to stand for
politics and society. Howe, Miss Ticknor.
Eagan. Machen, Matthews. Howells, HUI.
neksr. Dreicer. Kemp and Simmons, rep
resenting art or letters. Rainsford, who
speaks for religion, and Drew. Thomas
and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, ornaments of
the stage in its varying aspects When
such folk choose to talk of their deeds and
days who of US Is not glad to bask In
the mellow sunshine of their remem-
brance? Really 1t Is most unusual display
and no part of ones winter reading is likely
to be pleasanter than the perusal of these
backward-looking chronicles.
For enjoyment, stimulation, charm, the
volume by Mrs. Pat" as her friends are
My Life and Some Letters" she has
entitled it. piquing designation, as if
letters were not part of life, and for most
of us big and boresome part. Perhaps
Mrs. Campbell means modestly to imply
that In her case they furnish the chief
attraction of her book. and there is some
thing to say for the idea since she is in
@0oed in hasn ob1
with their permission, be 1t added) the
inimitable epistles Of Messrs. Shaw and
Barrie, each in his own fashion so fas-
cinating-and what a different fashion II
isl G. B. SIS sublimated love making. a
Kind OF innocent intellectual philandering
with a sound friendship beneath It,
iairiy makes one gasp. You feel that
whether or no he Is making love he is
certainly making literature-and are
pieased to be present. And these two en-
inencies are but leaders in a correspond
ence that includes many present day GER
sonages.
Regarding this large volume as a piece
Of constructive workmanship. it is naiv4Iv
imperfect. AT times it seems hardly NOR.
than slung together; now chronologic
then, at the stimulating suggestion of
some personality or place, going back
years and with small attempt to conceal
the sutures. or to apologize for gaps. But
the JudiciousS reader won't mind this in
the least. The throbbing life. the MIC
turesque comment by a pen that has n
penchant for the effective word-the rich
personal qualty-are all there, and the
subject matter is of sort to furnish forth
delightful pages.
Few franker books have appeared. Yet
there are reserves, nor Is good taste absent:
as where at the Volumes end the author
drops the veil over the results of her
second marriage, that to George CORVALLIS
west. In everything her own individuality
dominates, an elusive but most appreciable
thing. In note to her from John Macail.
Oxford professor of poetry. he speaks of
the queer beautiful radiance that goes
about with you" That's just it. the read
er reels. Much of this gets into the
book, and one responds to it. When Mrs
Campbell is i'm the mood she doesn't
hesitate to interrupt her story with pages
OF maxims and epigrams, for all the world
like an Amiel or Pascal; and very pun-
gent and happy they often are as thus,
one Of many: People we love must be
loved as they are. 1t is a want both OF
wisdom and courage on our part-a sort
OF drug-this willful blindness, 70 blame
them, because they fail our vision OF
them.' Or again this: when the animal
nature In man is completely dominant