Wodehouse suggests O. Henry only in that he has suddenly come into universal recognition as a remarkable humorist.  He wields a pen which commands an uncommon power of satire, without the suggestion of vitriol or bitterness.  His humor has a sparkle, effervescence and spontaneity which has put him in an incredibly short time in the front rank of writers, and since the materialistic barometer at least records the opinion of the editors and since the editors are supposed to know, has brought him into that envied coterie whose rate per word in the magazines has soared skyward.

P. G. Wodehouse was born in Guildford, England, in 1881, and while still an infant he accompanied his parents to Hong Kong, where the elder Wodehouse was a judge.  He is a cousin of the Earl of Kimberley.  In his school days he went in for cricket, football and boxing, and made for himself a reputation in athletics.

For two years Mr. Wodehouse went into a London bank and observed the passing parade from a high stool, but this was not quite in keeping with his tastes, and we find him next publishing a column of humorous paragraphs in the London Globe, under the head of “By the Way.”  Later he assumed the editorship of this department, and many of his paragraphs lived longer than the few hours’ existence of most newspaper humor.  Also since all writers experimentally venture into the dramatic, he wrote several vaudeville sketches which have had popular English productions.

Three years ago P. G. Wodehouse came to New York.  He liked the American field and wanted to see whether his humor would strike the American fancy.  It struck.  Mr. Wodehouse had tried his wings here only a few months when magazine editors were bidding for his manuscripts.  His short stories have appeared generally in the magazines, and while one often finds the delightful touch of pathos, there is always an abundance of laughter.  In Cosmopolitan, Collier’s Weekly, Ainslee’s, and many other publications these stories appear as often as Mr. Wodehouse will contribute.

His novel, “The Intrusion of Jimmy,” last year was a decided success.  In it Mr. Wodehouse demonstrated his ability to hold his sprinting speed over a Marathon distance.  The book, after giving the flattering returns of a large sale, found its second production on the stage.  In its dramatized version with the title, “A Gentleman of Leisure,” it has had its tryout on the road and has proven a success.  With Douglas Fairbanks in the leading role, it will be one of next Fall’s elaborate productions on Broadway.

In personality Mr. Wodehouse is quite as interesting as one might gather from his writings.  Physically a man of splendid proportions and mentally a fountain of spirited humor, he is, nevertheless, modest to the point usually termed “retiring,” and is well known only after long acquaintanceship.  He is fond of all sports, and on reaching America became truly the native in his enthusiasm for baseball.