Show 0 It Ss I G Genius of Barry Pain 1 By ALFRED NOYES NOVES I Which nations have produced the greatest short story writers Mr Noyes puts in a welcome word for the English foremost among whom he places Barry Pain LONDON In In the short story it is usual to say that France can claim preeminence and that America America- chiefly through h. h Edgar Allen Poe Poe Poe- comes second But if English criticism criticism cism would forget It Its itz coteries and its absurd habit of labeling contemporary work according to vague preconceptions preconceptions preconceptions we might discover that the tho art for which we vc envy France has achieved a L similar perfection among the En En- glish gUsh We Ye have hav for Instance one Independent Independent independent dent writer who could put a hundred new Intellectuals into his waistcoat pockets Barry Pain is sometimes re regarded regarded regarded re- re as a maker of humorous stories sto sto- ries rles without any realization that his art is Immeasurably finer than most of the stuff that monopolizes the r reviews TEARS AND LAUGHTER The Tho subtlety and power of his more serious tales were recognized by W. W E. E E Henley and his work has grown in power since then His stories are not only the achievement of or an artist but rich in experience and knowledge of the world loaded with original thought profound in their concealed psychology ogy touched with laughter and tears and entirely free from those affectations I ions which are too often otten the only at- at of the little gods of the cults In France he would be recognized IlSa as IlS asa asa a great artist who combines the gifts of the author of do Tarascon Tarascon Tarascon Taras- Taras con with those of l At his b best st in Stories in Grey he gives us the most artistic short stories of our time Ho lIo has no political or social propaganda He has not followed followed fol- fol lowed owed the illogical path of those mode modems moderns mod mod- e ems erns who while they claim an artistic monopoly drop their art entirely at atthe atthe the he first sight of a platform and scramble on It like shipwrecked trippers trippers trippers trip trip- pers fighting for a raft In a confused sea ea HALF A DOZEN WORDS It is easy to overlook these qualities In n the short story where nothing is ismore ismore ismore more Important than economy of style tyle where you must suggest far more than you can say and depict your characters by their own conversation conver conver- Barry Pain can give you the whole life and character of a man by putting half a dozen words into the mouth of the man himself Take an I obvious Illustration the arrival of the manager actor-manager at the luncheon partIn part party I. I in The Feast and the Reckoning Mr EU Eustace tace Richards made a spIel did entrance He lie was a quarter of an hour late and gracefully apolo apolo- getic An unexpected rehearsal my dear fellow rellow he said to Garth in a clearly articulated whisper that carried to every part Of the room Royal command command com corn mand fr next Friday Quite I I Gratifying eh And he displays displays' thIs power elsewhere elsewhere elsewhere else else- I where in far more subtle ways The very fry quietness economy of style and truth to nature a a. very different thing from violent realism of such stories as S Sparkling Burgundy have de de' delayed complete recognition of their mastery The technique is so perfect that it escapes notice and it is disquIeting disquieting disquieting dis dis- quieting to find that English criticism today Is far fu more often impressed by the machinery of the novice whose whoso I elementary mistakes are sometimes described as a new method than by the perfect mastery that works with the tho harmony a antI and d spontaneity of nature |