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J. M. BARRIE AND THE THEATRE. INCE 1902, the year of S the production of The Admiuable Crichton, Sir J. M. Barrie has been-one of the most interesting figures in the British Theatre. No other dramatist has given so much delight to so many people and at the same time lived so apart from public life. The newspaper l interviewer has long regarded him as morbidly elusive, nor has the most determined roar of Author yet succeeded in drawing him into the glare of the footlights. He has probably never made a public speech which has not been l the speech of the evening, yet the number of his efforts in this direction could very likely - be counted on the fingers of one hand. Of self-advertisement, much less self-glorification, he has never shown the smallest sign. When, late in the day, he consented to edit a printed edition of his plays, he confined his commentary strictly to the plays and their characters, and gave us none of those fascinating accounts of their origins such as Sir W. S. Gilbert condescended to supply to certain printed editions of his opera libretti, and even Henry James, in all too small a measure, contributed to a definitive edition of his novels and stories. A reserved man, troubling himself little about society, taking a modest part in conversation, but when pleased with a neighbours remark, turning suddenly, looking him full in the face, and laughing like a boy - Sir J. M. Barrie has yet found honours fall thick upon him. Born on Maygth, 1860, at Kirrieinuir, in Forf arshire, and educated at Dumfries Academy and Edinburgh University, he was awarded the honorary degree of LL. D. by his University in 1909, made a baronet in 1913, elected Rector of Prologue St. AndrewsUniversity in 1919, and awarded the Order of Merit in 1922. Only three other men have been awarded this last honour solely as men of Letters George Meredith, Henry James, and Thomas Hardy. These distinctions, moreover, have been conferred upon him amid an ever-growing chorus of popular approval. The Times put the general feeling regarding him into a sentence the day the conferment upon him of the Order of Merit was annouhced Thousands have been charmed, charmed, charmed to tears, to laughter, to terror, to adoration, by the infinitely various cleverness with which he reveals his lovableness. Sir J. M. Barrie has made the village of Kirriemuir famous throughout the Englishspeaking world . as Thrums, but London has been the scene and centre of most of his triumphs. He was beckoned from Nottingham to the great city by one of the ablest and noblest figures in English journalism, Frederick Greenwood, the founder and first editor of the Pall Mall Gazette and the St. Jamess Gazette and his first article in the latter journal appeared on November 17th, 1884, and was called An Auld Licht 12 J. M. Barrie and the Theatre Community...

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