New-York tribune., 1922-11-28
Young BosweU
Interoieus
Wm. Lyon Phelps
BECAUSE Ne IL an authority on BrosOn-

BECAUSE no ts an authority on Brown-
ing,
he is enc Of the taost popular English
professors at Yale,
he ss q treii known lectayer and critic,
he stiii Y-ideo bicycle.
MR.. PHELPS wae otttsa1 as his deck
talking across tho tauplight. Young
Boswe1 looked about the long ,ibrary
as he listened to anecdotes Of famous
men. 1t tods beautiful room done int
mahogany panels. and tined ,cith book
shelces, containing rare editions and ad-
punoe copies signed by the authors. A
6rotum eetter slept bp tho iambent fire.
MR.. PHELPS (stirring The fre)---
This is Rufus Il. Phelps. His fame Is
literary, too. He was petted by G. K.
Chesterton, stroked BY st. John Ervine
and kissed by John Galswor by. (The
dog roped his tail slsepilp and began TO
snorc. MR.. PHELPS Waike1 to,onrd the
desk. aud etopped By chair Of dark
acood, in tbs Chippendols period, .oith q
HaonogrGm in siIper on tho back.
MR.. PHELPS--This was Brownings
chair. II was always placed at his desk
in his house In London. 1t was the chair
in which he wrote much of his later
poetry.
Young Bosweli--How did you happen
to got T.?
MR.. PHELPS-After the death Of his
son, in 1912, all the poets effects were
sold at auction. Some Yale students; in
fact, some %-ndits of that period, were
in London then, and bought the chair
Tor me. | knew nothing about 1t at the
zine. Several boxes came TO the house,
some fruit we had had sent from Michi-
gan and while unpacking them, we dis
covered this chair. I thought it was q
mistake, ard was going TO send it back,
Until found this plate on -he back.
Young Boswell inspected the s;lusr
plGte on The 6aci OF the ohair-"Fro,n
Wdr,otek Crescent, London, presented bv
graduate Pandit8, f9t4.n MR, PHFLPS
asked Young Boswell to ett In it,. but he
refra'ned from the honor that the pro.
lessor minht cit there.
MR.. Robert Nichols the
young English poet. sat In thss chair
and wrote poem to Browning, OF which
have the only copy. Speaking Of poets,
WaB sitting on platform in New
York once, with the late Professor
Thomas +. Lounsbury, when Young
American poet made a speech in which
he sald al young poets should be pen-
stoned by the government. Loupsburv
said in an audible whisper: "They ought
to be hanged"
Young BosaCcu looked sheepish, re-
niembeT3n0 tho three souuets he End
once tried 10 pu6Hsh, unsuceessfuIlg,
a"t'l he +nrncd them into frco verse.
MIR. PHELPS-I have been reodlng
with gre"t interest, Robert Nichols's new
drama Guilty Souls" in which he has
very defiant aud characteristic preface.
Young Boswell-Did you entertain
Hugh Walpole when he was in New
Haven?
MR.. PHgLPs-yes, he was here. I'm
very glad Walpole is lecturing in this
country because, unlike some of his fell
low coun rrymen, he is thoroughly ac-
comphshed lecturer. Even if he were
not famous man, his lectures would be
full Of significant criticism. His "Ca-
thedral" is altogether the best book he
has ever written,
lRntns got ap from the fire rug, shooh
cnrled up at MR. PHELPSS feet. r., n
'0cs perfect portrait, MR.. PHELPS
lotth hle tron grGy hair nnoI k;ndiu ewes
has hands folded IN his lap and the fam
'ty dog looking up at him odo,fnoI;LJ
Mr.. PHELPS-I'm so pleased TINT
Walter Hampden Is playing Middle on :
Elizabethan comedy, "a New Wav ia
Pay Old Debts" The only oAher Amer
ican performance of the play that
know Of was given by a group of Yale
men OF the Alpha Delta Phi Society. IN
der the direction of my colleague, John
And then ths conveysGtion turned to
discussion OF net0 ptaye and ne,p booke,
-1R. PHELPS offered Young Boswelj
onother Of his mild cigarettes, and Il
grew dark outside, before 10 realiged
tHat time eTtsted, ard particularly din
t,er time.)
And that said Mr.. PHELPS. as
the only time / ever met Thomas HARDY, .
Young Boswell Withdraw ny