"JUST SCRIBBLED. WITH A PENCIL."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 11

"JUST SCRIBBLED. WITH A PENCIL."

MISS BOWERBY'S REMARKABLE PLAY. Reader* who know the oharmlnj; children's books written by Miss K. G. BowJrby, and illustrated by her eister, Miss Millicent Sowcrby, will be surprised to learn that she hits written a play, "Kuthiri'ord and Son," which has set London talking, which .haa been described as a "most powerful, arresting work," and compared with tho plays of Pinero and Galsworthy. . And the contrast between Miss Sowerb/s personality and her play is. apparently as striking as the difference between her children's books and this her first dramatic effort. In the "Daily Hail" llr. Keble Howard writes;—" This new dramatist, about whom hall the playgoing world is already talking, is just, tho sort of young Englishwoman that you may meet, by the score on tennis lawns or up tho river. Tall, fair, with a pretty face, and a very pleasant voice, you might suspect.her'of eating chocolates and talking nonsense in tho shade, but you would never dream that sho could be the author of a play with the grim force of a Pinero in the story, and tho sureness of a Galsworthy in the characterisation. In point of fact, Miss Sowerby does not seem to realise herself that sho has done anything out of the common. I would not say that she is astonished at her success, for I doubt whether sho would ever bo really astonished at anything; but eho regards it entirely from a detached point of view. 'Well, you know, I just wrote it." That is her attitude. She' also considers it 'very kind' of the critics, and the public to be so interested. "'I wrote most of it up the river in a boat'; just 6cribbled it with a pencil, you know.' "I tried to get this ordinary-extraordin-ary young woman to talk about Ore characters in. the play," said Mr. Keble Howard. "I was met with a sort of apologetic wonder. "'l'm awfully sorry, you know, but I haven't any ideas about my characters at all. Sometimes at rehearsals my producer, Mr. I'oss, would ask mo what some line or other meant. I .couldn't tell him. Why should* I know any more about them than anybody else? There they are, walking about,' and Baying all. those things. That's really all i know about them.' " 'And what are you going to do nowi .

"'l'm going out to tea.' "'I don't moan that. ■ Isn't your head full of plays you mean to write now that you've got the chance?' ■"'iS'o. I haven't thought about that. I shall get to work to-inorrow morning on my fairy stories.' " ■'. _ : . " 'Fairy stories! Fairy stones! You 11 gend me crazy! Do you mean to say that you can sit down and vri'o fairy "stories with nil this going on? Aren't you dying to know whether Mr. Leigh can get n theatre to put your play on for a run?' " "'lf ho gets one/ said Afiss Sowcrby, Composedly, 'I shall know.' '•'But doesn't the very idea of it thrill you through and through?' . "'lt would be very nice.' "That finished me. 'Eutherford and Bon' is a marvellous achievement, but you would th'ink it ten times as marvellous if you could see that composed young English Miss shielding herpretty face from the heat "of the fire with her muff, and hear her deploring; the fact that some of her characters should b9 so horrid to one another. : And this is not a poso."