LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2976, 13 January 1917, Page 13

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

To Correspondents. Constant Reader—Letter handed to Editor. Old volumes of the "Gentleman's Magazine" are not worth very much, indeed long sets go nowadays for- a mere song. H.J.W.—(I) Cannot insert original poetry in this column. (2) Masefield's "Salt Water Ballads" (Elkin Matthews, N.Z. prico 4s. 6d.). (3) Lo Farm's "Uncle Silas" is procurable in Everett's sixpenny series (N.Z. price 9d.). The "Shallowed Years" of 0. Henry. Much has been written as to the sonii-vagabondago of the lato 0. Henry's earlier career before he settled down in New York to win dollars and fame by his brilliant short stories. There is, however, one episode in that earlier career upon which, until recently, a kindly silence has been observed by 0. Henry's v ' j, a silence, however, whin' jeen broken by Professor 0. .... so omith in his detailed "Biography of 0. Henry," published last October by Messrs. Doublei day, Page, and Co. It appears that 0. Henry, or to give him his real name, the lato Sidney Porter, acquired that curious knowledge of Honduras ' and Central America generally which he turned to such profitable account in his "Cabbages and Kings," as the result of a very serious trouble into which he got when acting us a bank official at Austin, Toxas, in 1894. To put the matter plainly, Mr. Porter left Toxas because he was summoned to stand his trial for alleged embezzlement of funds while acting an paying and receiving toller of the Ifirst National B&iSfc of Austin. The misappropriations charged against him wore three in number, and involved two sums of 299 dollars each and one of 650 dollars, in all, in Englisii money, . some £240. It appears, from Professor Smith's version of the aft air, that few people in Austin believed Porter had been guilty of intentional wrongdoing. "A victim of circumstances," was, it is said, "the verdict of the people in Austin who followed the trial very closcly." It was notorious that the First National Bank was wretchedJv managed. Its patrons; following an old custom, used to enter, go behind the counter, take out one hundred or two hundred dollars, and, say, a week later, "Porter, I took out two hundred dollars last week. Seo if. IJeft a memorandum of it. I meant to. Long before the crash, came, says his biographor, Portor bad protested to his friends that it was impossible to make the books balance. His predecessor in the position was driven to retirement and his successor to suicide. Unfortunately, instead of remaining to "face the music," Porter wont : away to Now Orleans and thenco to the little port of Trujillo, in Honduras. , -But he had left a wife and daughter,,

behind him, and his thoughts in his exile were ever with thorn. At length tho news reached him that his wifo was stricken with a, mortal illness. That changed everything, and 110 at once started) back for- Austin, arriving in February, 1897, and at once gave himself up to the police. Tho case was tried in February, 189 S. It was not, says I'rofessor Smith, tho ovidence adduced by tho Stato Attorney which convicted him, but his unfortunate flight to Honduras. Ho was found guilty aud sentenced to five years' imprisonment in tho Ohio State Penitentiary at Columbus, but only served three years and some months, good behaviour gaining him remission of tho remainder. It was when in prison that 0. Henry wrote the stories .included in tho threo volumes, "Cabbages 'and Kings," "Heart of the West," and "The Gentle Grafter." They were written in the long night watches, when tho author, whoso earlier experiences as a .chemist's assistant had gained! for him the post of dispenser and assistant to the prison doctor, was not going round the sick wards. Of what a marvellous detachment the author was capablo may now be perceived by those who read the threo books in question, with tho added knowledge that they were written in gaol! No doubt it was from some of the prison inmates that 0. Henry gathered much of tho material used in "Tho' Gentle Grafter," which deals, as may bo remembered, with the clever but nefarious deeds of a pair of travelling spielers or crooks. The ex-bank teller also employed his leisure in the performance of a personal and singularly pathetic task. His now motherless daughter, Margaret, was living with friends in Pittsburg, and was kept in complete ignorance of her father's position. To her j 110 wrote scores of beautiful whimsical letters, letters which contained delightful little fairy stories, exuberant with genial humour and picturesque fancy. The 0. Henry an humour looms up prominently in some of these letters to his little daughter. Here is one of tho earliest letters, written only a couple of months after the poor fellow; had donned prison garbHollo, Margaret,—Don't you remember me? I'm a Brownie, and my: name it ia Aldibirontophoatophormikophokos. If you see a star shoot, and say my name seventeen. times before it goes out, you will find a diamond ring »n tho track of tho first blue cow's foot you s£fi go down the road in a (Snowstorm while the red roses are blooming on the tomato "vines. Try it somo time. I know all about Anna and. Arthur Dudley, but they don't seo me. I was riding on a squirrel the other day and saw you and Arthur Dudley give some fruit to some train men. Anna wouldn't ooroo out. Well, good-bye. I've got to take a ride on a grasshopper. I'll just sign my first letter—"A." Another of tho letters is apparently ' intended to allay any wondering uneasinoss the pusszled little girl may be feeling ovor her father's continued ab--1 sence — My dear Margaret,—You don't know how glad I was to get your nice little J letter to-day. I am so sopry I couldn't come to toll you good-byo when I left ' Austin. You know I would have done so if I could have. Well, I think it is a 1 burning shame somo men folks have to 1 go away from homo to jyork and stay away so long, don't you? But I tell you what's a fact. When I come home next time I'm going to stay there. You bet . your boots I'm getting tired of staying away so long. I'm eo jjlad you and Munny are going to Nashville. I know ' you'll have a fine time on the cars and a good time when you get, to Uncle Bnd'e. Now, you must have the finest r time you can with' Anna and the boys, and tumble around in tho woo'ds and'go fishing and have lots of fun. Now, Mar- , gavel, don't you worry about me, for I'm well and as fat as a pig, and I have . to be away from homo a while yet, and while I'm away you can just run up to Nashville : and see the folks there, ■. 1 So you just be as happy as you can, and it won't be long till we're reading Uncle 5 Remus again of nights. . . . After his release, in July, 1901, 0. - Henry rejoined his daughter at Pittsburg, and in the spring of 1902 went to 3 New York, where the editor of "Ainsj lie's Magazine" made for the first time personal acquaintance with tho hitherto unknown contributor for whose real } name and address tho editors of rival magazines had so long and vainly sought.' i Henceforward, 0. Henry's career was one long success. He married a secf ond time and happily, and died in New York some six years' ago, having ' achieved a reputation which has by this time become world-wide. The 5 "shadowed years" no doubt provide e the reason for 0; Henry's well-known disinclination to foregather with his fellow authors. Even up to the timo of his death lie lived a life of semiseclusion. When not in his own home, J he was never happier than when wandering about the streets of his beloved r Little Old New York, from the comedy and drama and tragedy of whoso life he drew such wonderful inspiration. Of the sad experience which followed 0. Henry's return from Central America "Liber" was long ago aware, but tho exact details have only ' recently been made public in Professor Smith's ' biography. 5 Soldiers' spoken French. 1 .Messrs. Whitcombo and Tombs aro - publishing a useful little guide •to 1 French conversation, "Soldiers' Spoken ) French," by' Mrs. Helene Cross, of - Christchurehi. A review next week.