SIR J. BARRIE AS A ‘CENTENARIAN.’

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1925, Page 4

SIR J. BARRIE AS A ‘CENTENARIAN.’

FIRST MEETING WITH It. L. STEVENSON. ADVICE TO NAPOLEON. LONDON, November 18.

Prince Henry, who was the principal guest last night at the* 97th anniverysary dinner of the Printers’ Pensions Corporation, held tit Com,aught Rooms, announced that the King was giving a donation of .C. 30 to the corporation and that the Prince of Wales had sent a contribution of £2O ss. Mr Winston Churchill, who proposed the toast of “Literature and the Press,” coupled with the name of Sir James Barrie, said he did not believe there was any principle on which they could make n sharp dichotomy between

literature and journalism. Literature and the Press were Wood brothers and good friends. Sir James Barrie, after saying that though Mr Churchill had been very nice to them, he knew the reason why he (Sir James) had been asked to

reply to that toast, continued : It is because I am the oldest present. Many years ago J saw in Vi hitaker my name in the list as the head of a string of centenarians, f dare say sometimes one gets a little muddled between the past and the present, but then I notice you have done that already. You have been congratulating Mr C hurchill on being Chancellor ot the Exchequer. Aon thought he was Ids father. I may tell you the secret of what has happened to Mr Churchill. 1 think he is only wearing the laurels which his father so splendidly held. Referring to Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir James said: “The only time .1 met Stevenson was in the capital of Scotland, and I had no idea - ho he was. 1 well remember the win.t was blowing. I was on the way to a humanity class at the Edinburgh University. In crossing Prinee’s-street at a draughty corner I met another i\n\',farer. Looking up I saw he was a young man whose hair was already beginning to turn - black and that he was wearing a velvet coat, lie passed on when he had humped against

me. and 1 stood in the street regnidless of the traffic, looking contemptuously after him. He turned round and looked at me and I continued to stare, lie went on a hit and I was still glaring at him. He came backend said to me quite nicely: “After ~11, God made me, but after all He is netting careless.” Stevenson lifted bis cane and said. “Do I know you?” He said it with such extreme charm that I said: "No. I wish vou did.” AYe went to a tavern. where we drank what was the favourite wine of the Three Musketeers. Each of us wanted to pay It didn’t matter that 'neither ol us had

anv money. SNOWING HARD. When we got out it was snowing hard, and f remember Stevenson chased me that night from the streets ol Edinburgh. That is my only reminiscence of R. L. Stevenson, and I dare s., v even that will get me into trouble. 1 should like Major Aslor. who is presiding here to-night, to know that I was the. man who bought the first copy of the "Times.' I happened to lie passim' I’rinting House-square am the editor leant far out of the window • nid watched for the sale. And he exclaimed. "We have sold one copy, at ;uiv rate.” (Laughter.)

j never knew Napoleon in Ins great davs. but I elm need to be lodging at the same bouse with him "hen became to tins t ’ -.'try as a stripling, tust for a week when lie was trying to ■cot an appointment in the East India Gonipanv. I took him to Cremorne, where he met -ins Sedley. and it >s perhaps interesting as being the orst meeting of Hie two vagrants, whoiu-ie Her wards to meet in the tented «'"'*> Napoleon was to 'take up a poMlloii H. the East India Company, but I P*-' 1 ' suaded him against it. I consider that was one of my mistakes M,- C hurchill, he p.oceeded. ha. S', id a good deal about literature and the Press, and bad found that they were very .....eh the same Hung He used the expression about there being arbitrary line between literature and the Press. Literature, however, used to lie ■ quiet bird. Its authors now, however, nave from their looms much Press literature devised by cunning hands-, women’s equally with men’s, those voutm authors now heard the mghtmthe older authors thought They heard. They had a short way wit'll the old hands. W> forgive them for that, said . ir James. Perhaps they sometimes go a little to excess, treating even God as if He were, shall we say, the greatest of the Victorians.