Cynthia's first book was about the upbringing of children, and writing it left her less time for her own sons. She also edited Children's Christmas Annuals and collections of new stories for adult readers. Her publisher stipulated that the collection must include a contribution from Barrie. The Princess Elizabeth Gift Book included a letter from Barrie to Princess Elizabeth, aged nine. His contri bution to The Flying Carpet (1925) was the story, Neil and Tintinnabulum, the main character based largely on Michael Davies.
From 1930, Barrie, now seventy, turned again to memories and scenes of his youth. The Greenwood Hat (1930) is a collection of articles he had written as an anonymous journalist ('Anon'), in his twenties, with comments by Sir James Barrie, Bart, 0 M. Mackail notes:
In his own way he was writing his autobiography; even though, in his own way,
2
’he had never done anything else.
Barrie reminds us that his grand ambition was "to do things instead of writing about them". Anon's hero was Joseph Thomson, the explorer, and Sir James Barrie's^
Captain Scott. The author adds:
No,I never went with either of them. You are right,it might have made a man 3
of me.
The Greenwood Hat was first published privately as an edition of fifty copies which were given to friends but Barrie was disappointed by the response to it. Farewell Miss Julie Logan (1932)^set in the same background as Auld Licht Idylls
(1888), its narrator a lonely minister, is a mixture of love story and ghost story. It was too short for a novel and Barrie offered it, without payment, to the editor 1 J M BARRIE ; LETTERS OF J M BARRIE (ed VIOLA MEYNELL) (LONDON : 194-2) p 198 2 DENIS MACKAIL : THE STORY OF J M B (LONDON : 194-1) p 632
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of "The Times". It appeared in a special supplement to the issue published on Christmas Eve. But when it was re-issued on special paper by "The Times", and pub lished by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933, it did not sell well. In August 1933 Barrie rented Balnaboth House in Glen Prosen, about twelve miles from Kirriemuir, and
entertained the Asquiths and a floating party of friends. He took great pleasure in showing Cynthia the scenes of his childhood. Ramsay MacDonald, still Prime Minister, drove over from Lossiemouth. The ultimate social accolade was the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York,who, with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, came over from Glamis. (Queen Mary had visited Stanway when Barrie was acting as host there in 1922.) On the following day Barrie paid a return visit to Glamis and had the privilege of sitting beside Princess Margaret, at tea, on her third birthday.
The remaining holidays of Barrie's life were also shared with Cynthia and her family. In 1934 and 1935 there were Mediterranean cruises, and a trip to Switzer land in 1 9 3 6. Barrie died on June 19» 1937. He had been in poor health for some time and the failure of his final play. The Boy David, in the previous year was an
1
additional strain. Dunbar deals in detail with Barrie's will. Cynthia Asquith was the main beneficiary. Barclay's Bank, Peter Llewelyn Davies (now a successful pub lisher) and Lady Cynthia Asquith were appointed executors and trustees, and Peter and Cynthia, literary executors. After numerous other bequests, Barrie's furniture, manuscript books, letters and other papers were to be divided between Peter and Cynthia and they were to share equally in his real and personal estate. In addition, Cynthia also received £30,000 and,with all the attendant problems, the most valuable bequest, all rights in his plays and books, other than Peter P a n ^which had been made over to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children several years before.
In this letter, written to Cynthia Asquith on May 10, 1920, Barrie placed her on the pedestal on which she was to remain till the end of his life:
Such a birthday I had, and all owing to you. I wonder how many years you knocked off me at that little table. I think I must have seemed to be getting young again to everybody at the other tables, and I was revealed to their
startled eyes as a stripling - I expect I looked handsome (I felt it), and I talked (this is the impression I carried away) like a Greek God, Here I sit, thinking of myself as a remarkable person - I could rush out and be photo graphed - I beg to state that I am a wonder. Of course^ it is you who are those things, you who are the wonder. You are an artist, and I am your chief w or k^ ^o think that you made this grand thing out of me in an hour or so, with the Ritz for your atelierI^
1 JANET DUNBAR : J M BARRIE, THE MAN BEHIND THE IMAGE (LONDON : 1970) pp 302-305 2 J M BARRIE : LETTERS QE J M BARRIE (ed VIOLA MEYNELL) (LONDON : 1942) p 174
The writer of this letter is the Barrie of Tommy and Grizel; like Sentimental Tommy his ambition is to win the admiration of a woman while he lacks the capacity to sus tain an intimate personal relationship with her. This romantic worship apart, for nearly twenty years Cynthia Asquith provided Barrie with friendship and support and the warmth of her own family life. While posing no threat to her husband and family, Barrie was able to admire Cynthia as a wife and mother, as he had admired Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, but Cynthia also acted as his hostess and secretary. In addition Barrie fulfilled his master/servant fantasy in having the object of his affections at his beck and call. The fact that Cynthia was a lady of title was an additional bonus which no doubt afforded Barrie a great deal of satisfaction when he looked back to his own humble family origins.
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