J.M. Barrie in His Journalist Days.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 15 July 1905, Page 21

J.M. Barrie in His Journalist Days.

If I have not achievid (says a writer in “M.A.P.”) the. I believe, unique distinction of “interviewing’’ Mr. J. M. Barrie, it is not for want of trying. Mr. Barrie remains politely obdurate. However. I recently met a journalist who was employed on the “Nottingham Daily Journal” in the days when Mr. Barrie was a reporter on its stall’, and he gave me some glimpses of the famous writer as a young man which may be of interest. Mr. Barrie. I was surprised to learn, *was not popular with his colleagues. But his unpopularity was of a positive rather than of a negative order. If he made no friends, he sought to make none—at least, within the ofiice. Reserved and silent to a degree, he kept his ambitions and himself to himself. Outside the oilice, however, lie was intimate with two or three Scottish doctors set Heil in Nottingham, and one of them, who afterwards told the story to my friend, he surprised fine evening by throwing aside the mask and declaring with Hashing eye and uplifted fist, his determination to get to the top at, to use Barrie’s own words, “whatever cost to myself or anyone* else.” While waiting for a ••call” in the reporter’s room, Barrie never joined in the jokes or horse-play of the others, but sat steadily writing, writing, writing. Both in and out of doors he had a dreamy, abstracted air; hut. as a matter of fact, nothing escaped his observation. as his articles proved. Often at night he would be found standing at the corner of the main street watching, but without seeming to watch, the pass-ers-by. And, although the most abstemious of men. he made no “bones” of going into “gin-palaces” and such places to study bibulous human nature over a glass of lemonade. Of Barrie’s private life in lodgings little was known, but In* was reputed to live for something less than sixpence a day. As a reporter, Mr. Barrie’s work lay mainly in the police courts, ami he never failed to make the most of any humorous or pathetic incident that

cropped up. hideel. according to my informant. he had a marvellous capacity for making a great deal out of very little. After a time he began to contribute articles of a fantastic natuie to the ••.Journal.'’ One hue the cmious title of •N.T.P.D.X.r.1.L.. or some similar jumble of letters. Barrie professed to have been given this by hi< (ilitoi as the subject for an article, and ran on in characteristic vein, weaving all -orla of romances arotuid the possible meanings of the cryptic title. This article, as Barrie lovers are probably aware, was reprinted in the “Bookman” some limn since. To those vicarious memories of Mr. Barrie I may add what I believe to ho two new stories almut him. Mr. Barrie, as is well known, is p.n anient cricketer, if his achievement* in that line scarcely march with his ambitions. One summer Mr. Barrie and his friend. Mr. E. W. Hornung, another cricket enthusiast, were walking in the country when they came to a village green on which a number of very, very old men were playing cricket. “Ah!” said Mr. Hornung, jok iug. “you should bring your tram down io play this lot.” Mr Barrie turned the proposal over in his mind, and then answered with great solemnity: “No. no. Hornung; they’re too young. But they seem a healthy lot here: go and ask them if their fathers are alive, ami. if so. well challenge them.” When Mr. P. F. Warner brought the “ashes’ Home from Australia, the Authors' Club gave him a dinner, at which Mr. Barrie made a speech. “1 have only seen Mr. V arner play twice,'’ he said. “lhe first, time he made two, on the second occasion he—er —was not so successful.