New-York tribune., 1922-02-19
This and That
by
CHARLES HANSON TOWNE.

How pleasant il must be to live in
England. writing penny -drcadfuls or
unlltcrary memoirs in a hushcd garden
and some fine morning have one
shabby servant emerge from ones cot
tagc with cablcgram begging one to
come to America for a prolonged tour.
Pack ores Gladstone with n shcaf Of
unsold essays. arrive in New York, be
step upon stage and in the strictcst
confidence humble something about
anything. or better still. nothing about
everything, hear motors purring at tho
door and taxi back to ones hostclry
with a fat check in ones handbag or
pocket. 1t is so easy, SO altogether
delightful, don't you know. and aren't
the American people just too hos
pitable and wonderful and isn't New
York's skyline amazing and isn't pro-
/ h'biuon fine thing to have tried and
aren't the shops heavenly and
wonder when VIC shall awaken to
the fact that this sort Of nonsense is
making US ridiculous. How these for
cigners must laugh at us and our in
fcriorlty complcXcs when we arc not
looking. No wonder they arc willing
to be Photographed in the most unbc-
coming lights and immediately after
nal de mcr, If only they can pocket
some of our cash, be taken up socially
and so home to write at leisure in that
same hushed garden, tome on their
American impressions"
Margot Asquith had never made a
speech anywhere, am told on the best
authority. until she stepped upon the
stage Of the huge Amsterdam Thcatcr
in New York a short time a,-o and
found that her voice Cob, there were
many to tell herD scarcely carried be-
yond the tenth row.
The ncNt day she made the excuse
that she had had Il most trying voyage
and was SO weak that she had to sit
IN chair and read her lecture. Yet
i prima donna cannot give Of hey
best shc calls her concert of. rathc,
tnan take our money. Rather decent
thing TO do, when YOU think or it.
7df0 s'oNd aoon rocont stno,
1ad Whispcr. siAcc thcy are tic ,ooo
! lo' or bAtconltc rone Goa, leoy
SarS those - Q. I.chilv. si1 n.or.
ano yet 'ai,ih they're hc..ic5 <.ft;
FIho aer'y icor. orG 1crcI ,rfY
Another lnird rate Britisa novelist
comes over here and hires hall. and
luQs MS unknown wife to tha foot
lights aftcr his little speech. 10 ,uke .
curtain call with b:m.
/ do no: know by what process Of
reasoning lecturer comes to think
that his vife's personality has any par
ticulsr interest for US.
Our womea's clubs throuaaoa. th:s
democratic land OF ours are So snob-
bish that thoy VIII not book American
talent uHti! they see what speakers of
foreign origin TIE open season is 10
rod. We'll. they don't know what they
miss
WNich reninds me ina. tine other
evening hcatd Amy Lowell read thrill
InG.y, and spca}: as only she can speak,
before the Woman's COSMOPOLITAN Club
I wish she had aiYen Us thc amazingly
iine poem which occupies no less ;nan
thirteen pages in the current Cen
tury." as we'll as her vivid 'patisrns'
and tArec o. four shorter pieces.
And thon--Carl sanburg got up. too.
and his full. resonant voice ran,
through the room, and the men and
women responded 70 his poems, because
they felt his genius. Many .o;tered
afterward to hear his negro folk songs,
sung to the accompaniment OF Il guitar.
Edwin Arlington Robinson was on
view but remained automatically 81
lent, mose's the pity, und the Unter-
myers read and spoke, as did Stark
Young. who was both witty and wise.
aNd-therc WAS no charge. ladies and
gentlemen.
Yet hordes Will focn to see and near
the eagle-faced Margot wnen she is
admittedly not at her best, and try to
get their money back when thcy find
they have been fooled
Yes. and as they deserve to DC fooled
When the manager Of the bureau dis
covers that his star Is frost, though
not black, q makeshift talk" is hur-
riedly contrvcd, and announced in the
papers as the next sensational "lec-
ture.' Margot got better because she
had to-
It's all very amusing. But it doesn't
help the entente cordialc
hear from A. S. NJ. Hutchinson that
ne IS sailing soon, to enjoy the United
States, which has been so rood to him.
A shy. delightful man. lunched with
HIM last summer in London. when his
book was fresh from the press, and he
was not SO famous as he is to-day. He
could never face an audience. never
4 Yet
If Margot comes. can he be far be-
/ hind?
And speaking of Hutchjncon loro