HASTINGS WOMEN’S CLUB

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 270, 29 October 1932, Page 10

HASTINGS WOMEN’S CLUB

LITERARY CIRCLE. AN AFTERNOON WITH BARRIE. A delightful afternoon that will be long remembered was given by Miss Stollery to members of the literary circle of the Hastings Women’s Club on Wednesday, the rooms being crowded with an interested audience. Miss Stollery was welcomed on arrival by Mrs H. Baird, leader of the literary circle, and was introduced to the members by Mrs T. H. Lowry, president. Very pretty spring flowers filled the vases about the room, a lovely bowl of pink and mauve sweet peas adorning the table, and in tall ja>s was a profusion of blue "bee plant,” mauve iris, lupins, and marigolds. Miss Stollery had been asked to give a little talk about Sir J. M. Barrie and to read one of his plays. Barrie, as an author, was first spoken about, Miss Stollery saying that her facts were taken chiefly from Dr. Hammerton’s recent book, "Barrie —The Story of a Genius.” Barrie has written so far 16 plays, and only two novels. Dr. Hammerton ranks Barrie with the great Charles Lamb, Dr. John Brown,, and Oliver Goldsmith. A short resume of Barrie’s life was given, from his birth in 1860. His father was a weaver. The outstanding quality in Barrie's work is his whimsical sense of humour, and, as the speaker said: "He looks on all mankind with the pitying eye of humour.” Barrie spent five happy years of his youth at the Dumfries Academy. There he found congenial recreations, and took part frequently in amateur theatricals, being chiefly cast for feminine roles because of his delicately wistful face. He edited the school magazine, "The Clown,” and also spent happy hours in fishing. His great boyhood friend, the caretaker’s son, John Macmillan, always won the first prizes, while Barrie was only the runner-up. Even to this day the grave of that boy, who eventually became so famous, is tended by the runner-up—James Barrie.

A SYMPATHETIC EULOGY. Barrie wrote this touching description of his friend—- " One day there was a timid knock at the door of. the Rector’s room, and a thin, frightened-looking boy, poorly clad and frail, came in. No doubt we all promptly summed him up as of small account, but I should nqt wonder though he was the greatest boy that ever sat on the forms of the old Dumfries Academy. I don’t mean merely as a scholar, though in scholariship he was of another world from the rest of us; so he shone, pale star that he was, when he went' to Glasgow University, and afterwards to Oxford, until —someone turned out that light. He was too poor was that brave little adventurer. I think that explains it all. "The other boys felt that there was something winged about him, just as I did. He couldn’t play games, and yet we all accepted him as our wonder one. What was it about James MacMillan that has stayed with mq for so many years, and can still touch me to the quick! I felt, when we were boys, that he, was a Presence, and I feel it still. Literature was to be his game, and what play he might have made with it Yon lost might have been— His spirit’s bark is driven Far from the shore, far from the trembling throng, Whose , sails were never to the tempest given. I think the shade of Burns was restless on the night the caretaker’s boy died.” At Edinburgh University, later, Barrie was fortunate, for David Masson had the chair for literature and left the impress of his own simple sincerity on the students’ minds. Stuart Blackie —another famous man—had the chair for Greek. It was an El Dorado for earnest youth with degrees to earn. Stevenson was a friend of whom Barrie wrote: "Because of him the worthiest of us is a little more worthy and the meanest of us a little less mean.” Crockett was another chum who lived on 9s a week for three years—such was the Scots desire for education! John Neilson, the mathematical master, had a great influence on Barrie’s life and character. "He set us a standard of character,” said Barrie, "that kept a guiding hand on our shoulders when we went out into the world.’’ THE CALL OF FLEET STREET. In 1882 Barrie used often to visit his sisters, Sarah and Jane, and was appointed dramatic critic to the "Evening Courier” in Edinburgh. He later wrote leaders for the Nottingham "Journal,” receiving £3' weekly for two leaders of 1300 word s each, and other articles. After three years he left, to seek the adventures of Fleet Street, arriving there with no prospect of work. Robertson Nicholl, editor of the "British Weekly,” was a great help to him. Barrie wrote under the name of "Gavin Ogilvie.” When he spnt his last instalment of "The Window in Thrums” to the "British Weekly,’’ Nicholl’s wire came back back with the one word "Immortal!” "Margaret Oglivie” is a treasure that should be in every home. This perception of mother love seems to persist right through Barrie's works. Barrie as a dramatist was described briefly by Miss Stollery, as time was limited. The speaker touched on his sad expe/ence of married life, and spoke of the triumph of his drama. Different meanings are often woven round his fantasies. "Dear Brutus” and "Peter Pan” were used as illustrations. "Old hearts and old brains are stirred whenever they see a performance of ‘Peter Pan,’ ’’ said Miss Stollery. "The scenes are woven from l’"i"in’s own childhood. It will Iv.ayb' he immortal. ” In conclusion Miss Stollery described Barrie as a deeply religious man, though all his friends were pagan. A confession of Ms faith was read from

a tetter written in 1892 to the “Session and Congregation of the Free Church at Bower,” after the death of the young minister who was to have been in three weeks’ time the husband of his sister. Concluding this tetter, Barrie wrote:— “ Their’s was so pure a love that God was ever part of it. Let all the youth of Bower remember that there is no other love between man and woman save that.” Miss Stollery next entertained the members, holding all in rapt attention, white she read aloud “Rosalind,’’ a one-act play by Barrie. It was indeed a' pleasure to hear such a clever interpretation of his humourous and delightful comedy, and continued applause at the end showed the genuine appreciation of the listeners. Mrs Lowry cordially thanked Miss Stollery for her most entertaining and interesting recital. An announcement was made, after an interval for tea, that on Wednesday next, at 2.15 p.m., sharp, the playreading circle will present Sutton Vane's “Outward Bound.” This will be followed by a discussion as to why the play was banned.