PERSONAL RUCHES ON AURHORS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19180, 10 December 1927, Page 13

PERSONAL RUCHES ON AURHORS.

I jptiflAL ARTICLE.

T w,mM »oa the raiss.) ( By J. *• JoTr;T ' MA-]

M tofus, probably, the main infa t the recently-published Diary & ° bte Arthur C. Benson will lie, •ll'inncb in its self-revelation, the * i and over-recurring analysis of Opacities, incapacities, literary *Z and the like: nor so much presentation of the exuberant »?L of 1» 3 wcativo power, such as \ t in the stream of more or * 'Creating and distinguished people Song it« Pages- As they pass, **L* ead' off in his rapid, vivid, jSoniit wa y, and not always with "5r pen- Let us glance at three S through his eyes: Henry James, S»e, and Thoma3 * n [ *L 1900, he paid a visit of a day fSAt to Lamb House, Rye, the Squi ted English I,OmC ° f HOnry •S The diarist begins: "Now let r*& my pen in rainbow hues—or *w let »8 bc exact > finished > deli " Wk describe the charm of this *il He thought James looking Sal old; but the, old fatherly, flit At dinner he was full of talk, *K|iing hifl hand over his eyes. father hopeless about the state of contemporary English I with great gusto how you know him, the rude, ly, headstrong Henley*") bludgeoned him because d Mrs Oliphant's "Kirsn was much touched by nd almost tenderness of ions to him. He saw 8 room, poked up 1 him on the shoulder, ugly into his eyes, and All his instincts are of lake me feel vulgar." (1b the station they met littlo ones jumped into 's arms, and Binothcrcd 3s; and their big dogs r him too, and slobbered . In the delicacy and wo hardly recognise the o Ambassadors." Later t James many times at Olub, and always found itionate greeting. At ing, in IDIS, he noticed 10 worse. But ho was ous"; "in a cheerful, ."; "ato a big lunch of ng." Hardy was there. 3 glanco at a very difPassing from Henry aburne is like stepping planet. It was the time was spending his declin'utney, under the grandof Theodore Watts-Dun-to his eating, and (os:irig, and took care that i proporly aired. Benson He found a vory com-'' ir-windowed, yellow-brick itprjpr was redolent of and not very clean lookres everywhere—many of B. Wattß-Dunton received. d, after a compliment or upstairs. Then he saw rather don-like man, quito huge head and dome-like agged red beard in odd all aquiline red nose." i*B innate cpurtesy strugshyness; his air was dis* Pbe room was crammed n the fender was a pair m drying, which Swinid to put on, whistling ime. At lunch he drank l»r. They talked of lossetti, the latter with i on Swinburne's part. tfotts-Dunton stroked nail, pink hand, which >le; and the poet gave Iboy smile. Alter lunch itor up to his own room, Uine down book after line talking delightfully, eicited he talked rheone of his own book*?, frm, beautiful pronuneitijnes, his voice passed iqpak. Then ho went and drank some medivery shabbily attired: ail-coati, greenish waistIte. collar, made-up tie. tame in and proposed | go: he is such an fellQW—like a schoolinburne begged hard to fend for Mr Benson one play whjch he held in yell, only one scene,' 1 tnonitor. It wns rend Mically, the little feet dically under the chair, ds, drumming on the le launched into other guardian dragged BenI. for two and a half iim to a flood of egotism can't understand, reIt, "how this egotistical, nan oan have establishons with Rossetti and !«.'' He was not the wondered. Sing between Benson and bis wise: Benson was sitHenry James at the m Hardy, who had been brought up a chair, and iwon's other side. Each other to break tho iceshyness, Bonson out of older and greater man "Hardy had looked at <l away, suffused by a 4 I presently gathered recognition: ho seemed ■peaking to him." Hero tween two deaf mon, <» could hear what the rested with him to keep f« They met again in idy came up to get an > a.t Cambridge, and Benin *at between Sargent Wd Hardy. Later in way came up again, to 1 Honorary Fellow of WBon'a College. The "Dined at the Lodge, *noma g Hardy, who was -my:, -J eT ry, and comfortable. 3e\™« eOremony of installa- * 'iKi*ifV W was afraid that ' In? LT j ke a religious Bcrvice. * I W* A hj? wasn>t afraid of a » 1 60 - He used to go * i lw7l V aes on a Sundnv. It ' Wmi he uite * w ent to St. 1 3 ffl&Jklifoii ehurches (' ; "ifi*. . and smoked; and the '* Wta * * b,t sh . v - ho prattled ; fTtf' Ml »ntly about books and fy*»lookB R very tired i Hs> his hook ■ SKI cyC8 ' ~is wia P s of * g ' s aml lo "i« lively t * m*»A « 80n took Mm to his "* 1 SMm* l var ious structural " W Wtf» couldn 't write now, *' 'KNktlUr!? e at intervals; and «* MiW*l|. Wlnß ' 0n to some verses I M&fi'flty-not an author, - -mrmta in wav distin;ll lu? . Prominently in this *MWJ?i*. U8 now a pathetic j Sw »« nDt then have been v < «K?N'n«Si . 8 / oun e raan ' for fc •p-WrlS;- * ee P and sincere * °* others, even his Wh, " pen was not always