TWO DOUGLAS SLADEN STORIES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 87, 24 September 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

TWO DOUGLAS SLADEN STORIES.

Mr. Douglas Sladen's book, " Twenty Years of my Lite," recently published by Constable, oi London, wnl interest a host of readers who would !ike to know more of the personal side of the innumerable writers and novelists of the day whose chronicler Mr. Sladen appears to be. So many literary friendsdoes Mr. Sladen refer to (tlicv are to be counted in hundreds) that some or his reviewers have jocularly suggested that the writer who is not referred to ought to apologise for his existence. Of the many good stories to be found in the volume we have taken the liberty of extracting two.

When I was in America. Eugene Field edited one of the great Chicago dailies, and was principal author of the West. My first meeting with him was a characteristic one. I was at an "athome" in New York, talking to the editress of a. fashion paper, who had also books of twaddlv gush about travel. The hostess brought up Field, and introduced him to the editress.

"Very glad to meet you, ma'am." ho said. "I think I may say that 1 have read all your books with tiie greatest interest." "Are you a writer, Mr. Field?" she asked. "I am sorry to say that I have never heard of vou."

"Nor I you, ma'am; but you might have pretended, same as 1 did."

When I met him .Mark Twain) he had just come off ship board. I asked him how ho was. ■'Better'n I ever was in my life. I've gotten a new lea.se."

"How?" "Well, it's a long «-t > \ Von must know that when I inn staying in a hotel, or on hoard ♦ship, 1 can't go to bed while there s one person left to talk to in the bar. 'I his habit, I don't know what ways exactly, gave me a rough that I couldn't get rid of, till dd Auntie from Georgia told n:e to try drops of rum on If took away my cough, and it grew to lie \a habit, and before I knew where 1 wa.s ray digestion had gone. I tried all the doctors I could hear of, at home, and in England, and in Germany, including Austria, to cure that. But it was not possible; all they could do for me waft tn find out what I :'k>d best to eat or drink, and tell me 1o do without it. 1 was waiting to a sludov, »e I sent lor my own doctor, and said to him. 'Doctor, I can't stand this any longer; life isn't worth living, what theie is going to be of it, and that doesn't seem to be much. 1 am going to commit suicide.' •jlaybe it is the best tlr'ng to do,' lie said. 'Do you know what is the mc.it painless form of death?' 'Yes.' said 1, 'I am ge ng to rat and dnnk everything I like best for a. week, an'J. according to a'l or you, it nignt to cake much less time than that. "So I uid, and T a.-suve you Mi. S!aden. before the week was up 1 - a as well as ever 1 had 1 een in my !. f o