New-York tribune., 1922-07-16
A Bookn1an's Day Book


lish Lyrics" like this stanza from an
amorous responcio
Pur vostre amour, alias, alias,
I am verse that was
Per multa
Jco suy dolorouse en- tut manere:
Wolde God in you're armes I were
Sepulta.
When I was leaving tonight Cuppy
asked me if had ever read Robert
Hichens's "The Green Carnation,n say
ing that many OF the speeches recorded
in the book were supposed to be YER
hatim records of things Oscar Wilde
said to Hichens. "Hichens seems to
think they are very foolish and silly
said Cuppy, "but they aren't at all.
They arc very wonderful They are
just as true as any thoughts recorded
by man, and they are rather more in
teresting than most. Why doesn't some
one write a book showing that Oscar
Wilde was a great philosopher? 1t is
fashionable to sneer at him and dis
miss him as artificial and affected now,
revolutionist, profound philosopher"
took THE Green Carnation" and read
1t on the long trip aboard the little
Terryboat through the estuaries to
beilmore. 1t is an amusing book, a
bit too much Of a formula about its
wit, and profound in the sense that it
emphasizes the value Of grace, delica to
amenities, and mental athletics. |
agree with Cuppy the joke seems to be
on Hichens; he meant it as a satire.
but he hardly makes a go of it. 1t
/ SOUNDS like the satire of an envious
man.
Bunny Wilson and my wife. who had
been to dinner and for ride in vic
toria' came in after I got home and
we sat about for some time talking
about Byron, Shelley and Trelawnv'
Bunny said ]. ought to keep private
supplementary diary to be published
later, and told him I was keeping
one. Try as / may to be honest and
factual, there are many things that
cannot be said in print while the
actors are yet alive, and this is, find
fascinating epoch. The supple
mentary diary may, in brief, if i am
observant and dispassiorate enough,
be an intellectual history of the period
and certainly as true and accurate a
series Of portraits as I am able to
make.
JULY 10
/ was, I find, badly sunburned yes
terday on the beach and l woke up
this morning with aches and pains and
fever of l02. l drove down the fever
and went to the Office and tried to
work, but without success.
Lunched with Grant Overton, who
told me that he has written new novel
which Doran will publish in the spring
that Gene Saxton has gone to Europe
that the new Rebecca West novel will
be along soon and that it is a curious
one; that Arnold Benefits new novel
was written under extraordinary cir
cumstances on the Riviera and that it
is little like "The Pretty Lady" and
a little like "Mr. Prohack," and that
Mary Roberts Rineharts new novel is
probably the best thing she has done
Fever down again this morning, but
[ am weak and wretched. Worked on
to lunch with Henry Sell, who told
me about party he had been on with
w. c. Fields, the silent comedian, a
great pantomimst and jugger who
is also an erudite and cultured man
knowing his Arstophanes and the his
tory of his art. Toto, the clown, was
on this party, too, a curious buffoon
whose work gives me the same sense
of wonder and pathos as do marion.
: cites. All his movements and gestures
are slowed down and precise, like those
and projected slowly. Gilda Gray, the
hip dancer, an energetic and enthusi-
astic little person, came to our table
and chatted for a moment about her
new dances, and just as we were about
to leave Marion Splitter and Beatrice
Baird came and sat down with us for a
moment. We had just been discussing
Miss Spitzer's story, THE Rise and
Fall of Florrie Weissmann," which
nf Of ho ~,
fiction. Hitherto the Jews have been
the subject of somewhat sentimental
tragic drama in the lower East Side
or of excellent humor such as that OF
Montague Glass. Miss Splitter treats
veraciously of the wealthier Jews, res
, dents in this country for two or three
generations, rather arrogant and race
, fifth street and west of the park, ilni.
tate Fifth Ave. and make display OF
wealth. While walking down
the avenue Henry and I ran into Lee
Simonson, the scenic artist, whose cos
tune is as harmonious and as satisfy
ing to the eye as his settings, and Ber
Huebsch, the publisher, who told me
that Albert Jay Mock was taking me to
task in the next issue Of "The Free
man." Simonson was enthusiastic owe,
the poetry and prose of Cuthbert
| w tiSubf anu u6 observer lNuD ne Wds
astonished at the maturity displayed in
the writings by the young men Of the
present generation. Back tc
the Office, where | wrote a news story
for the daily, and, since my fever hac
come up again, probably from the ex-
ertion of walking, l went home anc
called the doctor and went to bed
Tried to read Benedetto Croce's "His-
tory" which Alfred Harcourt had sent
me, but my head was hot and my eyes
t. hurt and had to quit. 1t is difficult
enough to read Croce under favorable
, circumstances, he's such a wordy
writer. and l put the book down with
D out much reluctance and let my wife
sponge me with cold water.
Went to sleep thinking about the
Beadle Collection of Dime Novels
. which Edmund Lester Pierson wrote
me to-day would be placed on exhibi
ton at the public library this week
The Beadle collection comprises 1,4SG
, separate publications of the publish
r ing house of Beadle & Adams, founded
) in 1859 by Erastus Beadlc, q printer
: in Pierstown, Otsego County, New
, York. The library bulletin says truly
: The collection is literally saturated
= with the pioneer spirit of America. Il
! portrays the struggles, exploits, trials
dangers, feats, hardships and daily
lives of the American pioneers from
the days of the Puritans to the deatf
of Custer, and breathes the spirit
which, for two and a half centuries