Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11

posture precaffously, called out: "ArG
ing?" 49,, p
All through his mature life that wa,
to be his self-determined role--to cheer
people up, TO make them laugh, t.
charm, TO arnuse, 10 entertain, to brina
those tender tears which are Teliel
rather than, . hurt TO the heart. He
built conduits Of escape to the land OF
make-believe. he. stood on. his head
and it was 50 amusing you had to laugh
through your tears and 50 touching the
tears wet your cheeks as you laughed.
He cut his literary eyeteeth first as q
/ free lance (not very succeSsful)3 oparat-
ing from Q poor lodging In Edinburgh,
aforementioned. He got the latter Job
through an advertisement. He Waa
alarmed when he found he was required
TO write "leaders," not being certain
what they were. He demanded news
papers. They were produced from
boxes and under carpets. Surrounded
by these" Gays Barrie, ct sat down and
studied how to become journalist"
Early Writings Died.
All this early stuff he has left to die
in the files Of old papers. It was juve-
n1lia. But, always the Scot, Barrie made
use Of some of hts early themes and
ideas in subsequent work. He never
wastes an idea or q phrase, has always
BEEN ready TO rewrite something that
did not turn out well at the FIRST 60, or
take up and develop into - play or .
full-length story an idea that formed
the theme Of sketch years before
He was encouraged TO go to London
and free-lance by getting seVeraA articles
taken by couple OF editors who liked
his Aud LIGHT sketches. This success
encouraged him to dig deeper in this
vein. He got his pieces regularly into o
religious minded but popular paper
boarding house in Bloomsbury amid
piles Of papers which he went through
for ideas of articles, keeping himself 50
busy that he seldom went out
This sort Of thing would happen.
Jerome K. Jerome, the author-plaT-
wright who later introduced him to the
actress who was to be his wife, came to
see him. 1T am going to write q letter
to the Times" They won't insert your
letter" said Barrie. why not?" asked
Jerome. Because you're not a married
man, replied Barrie. "They only print
letters from solid fellows, family men.
I've noticed It." Jerome went away con-
WINGED. But Barrie sat down and wrote
q gay article on the subject. Another
$40 for the old stocking.
Escaped Slave Labor.
Was he happy? Well, he had escaped
from slave labor, he was his own master,
he was doing what he liked to do, he
was making money-$1 500 In his first
year. Thirty-nve years later he told an
audience of students that "the greatest
glory that has ever come to me was to
be swallowed up In London, not knowing
soul and with the fun Of work.
ing till the stars went out The
major day when our article appeared in
an evening paper. The promptitude
with which I counted the ltneS@to see
how much We should getsfor it. /. :.
He came ct good time. Editors were
tired Of heayy-haTided Victorians. They
welcomed any one with light touch,
who could give comic twist to ordi-
nary things. Barrie, made more and
more aware Of the demand, supplied IL
quite deliberately, just as later on, be-
coming aware that the theater Is the
big gold mine, he turned to plays in
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