New Britain herald., 1927-09-19

Vance frankly cync but he rarely bitter; his
hppant, Juvenaan cynicism. Perhaps he may best
be described bored and superclious but highly
scous and penetrating spectator of life He keeny
interested in all human reactions; but the interest of
the scientist not the humanitarian Witha he Of
personal charm Even people who found it difficult to
admire him. found equally difficult not to like him. His
somewhat quXotic mannersms and his slightly English
cent and necona heritage of his postgraduate days at
Oxford-impressed those who did not know him well,
afectaons. But the truth there very little Of the
poseur about him.
He unusually good-ookng, although his mouth
ascetc and cruel, like the mouths of the Medici
Portraits there slightly dersve hauteur
the lift of his eyebrows Despite the aQuine severity of
his neaments his face highly sensitive. His forehead
full and sloping-t the artists rather than the
Scholars brow. His cold grey eyes widely spaced
His straight and slender and his chin but
prominent, with unusually deep cleft When John
Barrymore recently in Hamlet somehow reminded of
Vance, and before in of Caesar and Cleopatra
played by Forbes Robertson received similar impression
Vance slightly under six feet, graceful, and giving
the impression of newy strength and endurance
He expert encer and had been the captain Of the
miversitys fencing team. He mildly fond of outdoor
sports and had snack of doing things we'll without any
extensive practice His golf handicap only three and
he had played championship polo team
against England Nevertheless he had positive antipahy
walking and would not go hundred yards foot if
there any possible means Of riding.
rect to the smallest detayet unobtrsive He spent
siderable time at his clubs his favoIte the Stuyvesant,
because he explained to its membership drawn
largely from the political and commercial ranks and he
drawn into discussion which required any mental
effort. He went OCCASIONALLY to the modern operas,
and regular subscriber the symphony and
clamber-musc Iecals,
incidentally, he of the most Unerrng poker play
ers have mention this fact not merely because
it unusual and significant that Of Vance's type
should have preferred democratic game bridge
chess for instance but because his knowledge of the science
of human psychology involved poker had intimate bear
ing on the chronicles | am about set down.
Vances knowledge of psychology indeed uncanny.
He gifted with nstincvely accurate judgment of
people, and his study ard reading had coornated and
tonaized this gift to amazing extent. lie well
grounded the academic principles of psychology and all his
college had either enered about this subject
been subordinated to it.
Vances mind was basicay philosophcal-that is, phil
osophica in the general Being ngulary free
from the conventional sentimentates and current super
stons, he could look beneath the surface of human
into actuatng impulses and motives Moreover he
lutte both his avoidance of any attitude that savored of
Righteousness and in his adherence to cold logical exact
in his mental processes.
Until approach all human problems" he
Marked with the clinical aoofness and cynical contempt of
doctor examining guneapg strapped board have
little chance Of getting at the TRUTH
Vance led active but by animated social life
concession to various family ties But he social
animal, and when he went forth into the social world
it generally under compuson. In fact, one of his
duty affairs had occupied him the night before that
memorable June breakfast otherwise we would have con-
suited about the Cezannes the evening BEFORE and Vance
groused good deal about it while Curre serving