PARTISAN REVIEW
Jacob Cohen, recognized by all as the conscience or judge of the
circle, wanted to be a reporter, but there were few jobs for new–
comers. Ferdinand Harrap tried to be an author, but none of his
stories were accepted, and he supported himself by directing a busi–
ness agency. Francis French and Marcus Gross were teachers in the
public high school system, although this was far from their am–
bition; Lloyd Tyler, known as "the boy," was still a student, and
Laura made the most money as a buyer for a department store.
The circle was astonished when Rudyard's first long play was
rejected by Broadway, for all had been certain that Rudyard would
be famous and rich very soon. Rudyard had always been the one
who won all the prizes in school and did everything best. Marcus
Gross spoke fondly of the day, long ago and far away, when he had
first encountered Rudyard in public school. It was the beginning of
the new term and after the first hour Rudyard was regarded as a
genius by the teacher and the pupils. So it had always been; Rudyard
had been the infant prodigy, class orator, laureate, and best student.
When Rudyard's plays were refused year after year by Broadway
producers the circle was perplexed, for
his
dramatic works seemed
to them delightful and profound when he read them aloud to the
circle. Edmund Kish recognized the weakness of the pla}_'s, the fact
that Rudyard used character and incident merely as springboards
for excursions which were lyrical and philosophical, so that the es–
sential impression was dreamlike, abstract, and didactic. But he liked
the plays for just this reason, and his conversation about philosophy
did much to make Rudyard concern himself with the lyrical expres–
sion of philosophical ideas.
Laura was disappointed and after a time she concealed her
dis–
appointment by speaking of her brother's plays as just trash. Yet she
was patient with Rudyard, delighting in the circle as such and hoping
that among the new young men whom Rudyard was always bringing
to the house there would be one who would want to marry her.
Mter five years of the depression, the hopes of most of the boys
of the circle had faded slowly like a color or were worn thin like a
cloth. Their life as part of the circle was their true life, and their
lower middle-class poverty kept them from seeking out girls and
entertaining the idea of marriage. From time to time some of them
became acquainted with girls and went out with them briefly, but
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