Evening star., 1928-05-01
ARE THEY THE SAME AT HOME:
Beverly Nichols. George H. Dorar
Company.

ARE THEY THE SAME AT HOME:
Beverly Nichols. George H. Dorar
Company.
We are told in quite impressive grav'
ity that Beverly Nichols cannot help be-
ing clever. And this-I leave 1t to you
is one of the two heaviest handicap:
that mortal man can suffer. No sooner
is the brand clever" on the one hand
or "humorist," on the other. affixed TO 9
person than that one promptly enter:
upon a veritable dogs life trying to live
up TO his label. There is a still further
disadvantage in the situation. The pub
lie instinctively resists either of these
claims upon its appreciation. You re-
call Holmes truth-that there is gooc
deal of human nature in hog or
good deal of hog in human nature. JUS
simply refuses to be driven. So, facing
the clever man. or the humoriSt, the
public sits back. every line of II saying
We'll go ahead and be clever, ol
funny" as the case may be. Naturally
in such a situation the clever one cannon
Scintillate for the life of him, nor car
the funny man draw out a smile. Al
this TO say that it is decidedly unfair K
the Young man before us who here "dlf-
fidently distributes a series of bouquets.
perhaps half hundred notables. chiefly
in the field of writing. There is nc
question whatever about the good enter
tainment lying in this performance. Not
only that, there is no question about the
good substance of these passing inter
views. either in their personal appraisal
or in their critical accountlngS. When
Nichols gets through being clever-that
Is, when he gets through ramplng
around. digging his elbows into the other
fellows ribs. trampling on his feet. and
telling him that he is all out OF gear
both mentally and phySically-why
then he becomes delightfully."- penetrating
In his views OF this mans work or that
ones. He is then understanding ana
friendly, beautifully free in his express
Sions OF praise, boyiShly frank IN his
approvals and sympathies and outgo-
ings II is at such moments tnat you
suspect this young fellow of being de-
Signedly blunt and bulldozing-
This, no doubt. Is the pepper ana tne
spice, those biting, savory things thai
invite people to the feast. The real
dining Is another matter, as 1t Is mere
Just revolt against the dry ana Sefe
academician whom nowadays asmoSt
nobody will read And he is justified
IL SuNAl pG OpJNNkt AtA NAAAf - $780,
stun that permits no one TO turn his
back upon 1t IN WEAKNESS. AS for
picturesque writing. captivating AND
true. the young man Is good deal OF
u marvel This book is filled with PROOF
of that fact. Here is n single tonch III
the case of Suzanne Lenglen or Much
Ado About Nothing know nothing
whatever about tennis, and / am there
fore able to Judge Suzanne's game from
the only possible standard i'll when a
woman's game should be 1udged~~the
esthetic." (Mandarin and Punuii
rolled into one, but that is not the
point, So let us SO on Her game is
esthetically perfect. Ii arouSeS In me
emotions curlouSly similar 10 those
aroused by Pavlova. The delicacy OF
her rhythm the swift poiSe and hutter
the twinkling feet that seem hardly TO
touch the ground. the curving, sinuouS
1.-THE body, the hoyish grace OF her
repose'~~all these are a keen delight
which win remain long after her eccen-
trioities are forgotten And SO
you see. / prefer to think of her from a
purely eSthetic point of view, One
day, perhaps. great composer viii
create Suzanne ballet. And then this
troubled, tempeStuous woman will be
seen as God intended her 10 be seen
as dancer pure and simple"
Here are other portraits keen in edge
every last one OF them, Arnold Ben
nett" or "A Great Reporter. George
dershwln." or "A Drunken Sehuhert"
Anthony Hope" or Anything Hut
Senile". Lloyd George" or "'rhe
Worlds Spellblnder". Nv. j. Locke,
or An Intoxicated Ascetie"; FLORENCE
Mills, or "A Lonely Rlackbird' George
Moore" or "rhe Cause of All the
Trouble many more Of these
alternatives In a young mans apprats-
ais, All OF these you will find. ask for
a second reading Some OF them are
dne for many readings from me GER
tainly, aud almost as certainly from you
too. And upon the 'teenth going over
We shall find ourselves growing anxious,
l am sure, lest this young fellow should
take Il notion 10 let his youth SO hy
with It's bit OF hluster aud its quite
pereentlhe swagger and It's cock .sure-
ness and Its breath OF bomhaat and. ii
he should take such notion. why, that
would be u real disaster, for, after all
even II he cannot help being clever, "
he Is fresh breath no better than
that, ne Is n good west wind blowing
over our old and musty makevhelseVes