SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1924
The World- Looking Into Our Bierne
Artist E u iVoiffuls
ROBERT BARTRON HENDERSONE ucational NEWELL BEBOUT
Translator's Preface: Gifted with
mistaken for subtle literature and a precognition of impending events
prosey novelty regarded as great act-; and cursed with a propensity toward
ing; in this day, I say, when all forms "soft-buzzing slander," Hoffman von
of art iron novels to theatres are Seeing the Great American J 1iyth Harrold has raid the fine inevitably
overrun with fakirs of every des crip- of prophets: he is maligned and ig-
tion, there is one man, Edward Gor- nored. It might, in fact, be said that
don Craig,-the founder, strangely LISLE ROSE his obscurity in the world is his great-
enough, of all the present ferment-et proise of success. Very little
who is consistently advancing his FREEDOM AND THE COLLEGE. By cedents of a Latin Subjunctive of has been ascertained regarding his
theories and doggedly insisting on Alexander Meiklejohn. The Cen- Characeristic.}life and occuation; and nothwith-
his principals, tury Company., Three-fourths of college students standing the fact that he is a contem-
Gordon Craig's field is largely the I have yet to see an honest review hold this same realistic, matter-of-fact porary writer, probably still living in
theatre, yet his talents, are by no of this book. Most reviewers, like view. "How my managership of the his native Austrian village, his actual
Mr. Meiklejohn himself, fly in the face Glee Club helped me get a head-start whereabouts are a blank to us, as are
of the facts and keep prating idal- in business," "The money-value of a also his previous accomplishments-
istically about the humanistic purpose collegiate personality," "Why my four this tiny volume entitled "Bierne
of the university, about the "mad, im- years in university were not wasted" Voilfuls" (not to be pronounced "Beer
petuous vision" which should inspire -these are typical titles of articles and Waffles") being the lone asserva-
educators, about such academic ques- by alumni, that appear in student pub- tion of his genius. His utter disp
Lons a To Whom are ColegeFacul-!lications.pearance from society reminds us of
ties Responsible, and Is Our World Thus the average college student Ear Poe's escapade when for two
Christianis one step ahead of Mr. Meiklejohn years (1808-1810) he was utterly un-
No one will own the truth, that the in sophistication, because he has heard of, save for a tardy, unfounded
college of today is only secondarily learned to base his ambitions and irumor that he was traveling in Rus-
concerned with the "disinterested pro- theories on fact. si, or had gone to war in the Ba-
pagation of knowledge"; that both The average student is nevertheless kans.
faculties and students regard a uni- dumb because he has accepted his .
versity as a big business institution, iol surfetvl sMiljh Despite our deprivation of the man
ve t abg bo sisiuin world as unreflectively as Meikejohn himself, however, we haye one ei-
nterested in preparing men for prac- accepted another kind of world. ie
dene of ticffan von Harrold wichs
tical life, in furnishing them with a fails to see that all which matters is
-Proin"S by Gordon Crai imodicum of social polish, and in at- to live in bodily comfort and to pur- cannot die. That is to say, we have
fi-ding them a grand continuous sue whatever fads he is by nature in- "Dierne Voiffuls." This little book-
means limited to such a petty scope. four-ring circus. The pitiful part of dined to. I have no quarrel witli hardly more than a pamphlet-con-
ie was at one time a leading actor the situation is not that such is the the average student for going after tains the innnermost confessions of a
in support of Henry Irving. Later he truth, but that we refuse to admit money and social position; what is thinking and feeling man, and it is
became stage manager and director thait it is the truth. In spite of our wrong with his attitude is his assumnp- written in all the eloquence and fer-
for his mother, Elen Terry. Stil oasted common-sense, we are ail- tion that these symbols are itrinsi- vor of which such a sincere heart is
later iie worked with Eleanora Duse ciuba, stutents, legioltors-redy rally valuable. HI is committing the capable. He burdens to us his pre-
and the Hisrow Art Theatre ticyc-rs. to -ssc-rt loudly ttiat, in tie worids of caume sort of mistake as Meiklejohn: cious literary prejiiiicea and his deep-
until finally lie retired to edit his
'leiklejohn. 'colleges exist for teach- that is, he is erecting his private likes et affections of love, scathingly at-
quasi-vitriolic magazine, 'The Mask,"Ing and study; whereas we know that and hobbies into Immutable PrInct- tacks our commercial ideals, which
and to publish four books which are mty i xist for no suchl purpose. We ples, and the only words which de- he abhors, and illuminatingly com-
destined to become, if they are not are not concerned with the questions serve to be italicized in this world are ments on intellectual topics both of
already, the keenest and most scholar that agitate lr. Meiklejohns soul, Hunger and Comfort. The student icurrent and historical interest. The
ly contributions to the aesthetics of,
hy cotritis te are concerned with conducting a is right in going after wealth and so- book was first printed on a private
he theatre, business institution with most profit cial position because those are the press in Vienna, and is here trans-
These books conuin dogmas on and enjoyment to ourselves. only qualities held valuable in our lated for the first time into English as
every hinitation of the stage from its It would be idle to take up Meikle- society. And to conform externally literally as is consistent with the
present decadence to its growing to john's theories in detail and show- to the views of the majority is always spirit of the text-N, B.)
lure, in a style wtich would alone their great distance from the world a safe and helpful policy.
assure him fame as a dramatic critic of fact. It may be objected that an The man of real sophistication, how- "LIFE L "
ranging, let us sy, root a superior ideal is, by definition, opposed to a ever, will use riches and power asI
George Jean Nathan to a profound fact. Of course; but there must be a means only, well knowing that intrin- Marguerite has gone home for a few
Inigo Jones. Obviously, it is impos- possibility of rising-or passing-from sicahly they are worthless, He will days to visit her parents; so last night
sible to estimate in a fes paragraphs the fact to the ideal. But in a society not fly off to the clouds, because he Dorothy and I sat together in the rose
the significance of all the doctrines constituted as is the America of the realizes that a cloud is worth even garden. She was happy because it
developed in these volumes, but at present, there is no chance of realiz- less than a lump of dirt or a "correct- was such a delicious midnight and
least it is plausible to re-valuate a ing the ideals set forth in Freedom ly-cut" bit of cloth. Outwardly he she was humming exquisitely little
few of his researches in his major and the College. We are, in fact, get- will accept the standards of his group Musetta's Waltz Song, and I was his-
discovery, Scene and Movement. ting further away from those ideals : because in that action lies safety c I tening, my head in her lap. Suddenly
In the first place, the popular con- all the time. The average American comfort: inwardly he will pursue she spoke: "My Hoff," she said, "I'm
fusion that Gordon Craig is concerned does not care a continental about whatever hobby calls him-whether in love!" Thinking a moment to
with the many faddist isms of the the- whether our world is Christian or not; it be art or science or politics-and: gather my wits, I answered: "Verily,
atre-wrought on him, probably, by what he is after is some source of he will use the unsophisticated, who my Dort. I am in the same situation."
his many imitators-should be care- comfort in adversity. If he can get in their ignorance of what they really And then she stopped humming and
fully set aside. On the contrary, Gor- that comfort out of religion, well and want can be deluded easily, as aids we both went into the house-. Now
don Craig is one of the most thorough- good; and almost any form of religion and as sources of amusement. here is what has puzzled me ever
going realists the stage has ever will do. Neither can the average What is wrong with our system of since.
known, far out-distancing the eccen- American get heated up over the fact education is that we produce so few What power is it of a woman's
tricities of our local Belascos. When that football is the foundation of most men of sophistication. Most of us are which so easily masters the deepest
he shows a pair of steps they are real educational institutions; he accepts completely naive, and therefore com- difficulties of the profoundest phios-
wooden walkable stairs though they the fact, and is willing to help support pletely helpless before any one whoopher? She simply sighs and meta-
be as long as Jacob's ladder itself. a whole college faculty for the sake can conceal his real aims. Mr. Meike- r
If a setting requires several dozen of seeing some clever sport. Nor does john's ideals would only make stu- physics fades: she parts her lips and
Egypianpilarshe ay howtheology is dispersed; and shie hums
Egyptian pillars he may show you it trouble the business man to think dents more weak and helpless still. a wee oelodyi and the world grows
only one and let your imagination do that a lot of colleges hire their foot- The Michigan campus is crowded withifwe. ms itytath warld grcws
the rest, but that one pillar, neverthe- ball players: he does not wax melan- living examples of Mr. Meikejohn's .
less, will be as definite and as solid choly over our degradation, Mr. Mei- iideals; and what do those students
as the rock it represents. Again, in klejohn does, but considers it a sign amount to? or is it that in justice the vastest
the matter of lighting, rather than of business acumen on the part of That is one side of it; but the rest problem hides the lesser ones? What
messing his sun-flecked garden with college officials and loyal alumni. And of us cannot smile complacently on is difficult to conquer a heart or two
yellow and purple paint according to he is rather pleased than otherwise; the "poor, pale grinds"; for we are and expand them, or to write a book?
the laws of perspective he will throw when Son spends his time strutting little if any ahead of them. In the To feel, or to think? Obermann has
real light on the stage and let it his stuff at the Alpha Sigma Sigma first place, we have not learned the the answer: "Mon Ami! je reste en-
create its shadows according to the formals or heading the Reception ' real value-or worthlessness-of our core quel'ques heures sur la terre.
ininitely safer laws of nature. Committee for Visiting Coaches, in- own ambitions; in the second place, Nous somw5es de pauvres insenses
All this, of course, is merely pre- k stead of memorizing the Platonic by hypocritically pretending to ac- quand nous vivons; mais noes
(Continmied on Page Six) Theory of the Beautiful and the ante- I (Continued on Page Three) (Continued on Page Four)
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