Frank Norris Remembered

17. Ariana Moore

17 / Ariana Moore One of fewer than twenty-­ five women in Norris’s college class, Ariana Moore (1870–1963) from Carpinteria, California, entered the university in the literary course of study. A scholar of some distinction, she received a Phebe Hearst Scholarship, one of two given in 1894, the year the award was established by Phebe Apperson Hearst (1842–1919), the philanthropic feminist perhaps better known as the mother of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Moore spoke at the university’s commencement exercises, accepting the gift of a portrait of Mrs. Hearst by her protégé Orrin M. Peck (1860–1921), to be hung in the library as acknowledgment of her annual gift of three hundred dollars for scholarships for deserving “young women” (Jones 1895, 151). By her junior year, Moore had begun to embrace other aspects of college life when she was elected sec­ ond vice president of her class; the next year she joined both the Bushnell Union, a campus debating club, and the college chapter of the Young Women’s Christian Association. Her interests in literature brought her into regular contact with Norris. Source: Ariana Moore to Franklin D. Walker, letter, April 1, 1930, Franklin Dickerson Walker Papers, BANC MSS C-­ H 79, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berke­ ley. My dear Mr. Walker, I haveyourgoodletterwhichdeservesagoodanswer;thisitwillnothave. All that I could tell you about Frank Norris would be included in what Jessica (Dr.) Peixotto has told you, or will tell you; or the men of his fraternity , Phi Gamma Delta, (the medalist of our class was one,65 and loved Frank Norris as all the men in his fraternity did). Frank Norris was, when he matriculated, a slightly slim fig­ ure in the Freshman class; he was no older, but seemed so because of French maturity and French grace; at the same time oddly irresponsible and childlike in the prosaic matters in which sensible young Ameri­ cans are so competent. Part 2. College Years / 77 When we met to decide on plans for our first dance (called the “Freshman Glee”) he rose to suggest that it be conducted as a cotillion. We knew that we were not socially experienced enough, or anywhere near it to have our dance as a cotillion; it would have been ridiculous; yet we were not angry; no one thought Frank was putting on “side.” We knew in some way that the dark youth who bore himself so easily and was so unembarrassed was as friendly and likable as he was different. One of the Phi Gamma boys told me—when we were no longer freshmen —that Frank was pretty terrible about keeping appointments—so ut­ terly undependable that it took a lot of patience not to blame him; but no­body ever did blame him, or resent it at all. He had no capacity for keeping money, so they just looked out for him and loaned it when necessary, though he might never think of paying it back—generous and affectionate though he was. I think he had a certain amount of pride and pleasure in Yvernelle. I thought it trash. But Jessica Peixotto did not think so. She was much more able to understand an artist than anyone in the group; not so unformed and countrified. She could see how he turned with delight—for the time— to the color and lavish ornament of a medieval fantasy without ceasing at all to know that he had to be a realist and that realism was the really beautiful thing. I don’t know where he found mental mates, if he had any. Not in our class. Not in his fraternity,—I’m sure. Not in the student body, probably; yet he may have had sometimes, with a student and a faculty man, or two, or three, hours that were delightful. Mr. Syle was in the faculty then; so was Professor Gayley.66 I know Mr. Syle was not important; he was a half-­ failure, sensitive, of uneven brilliance, rather cynical and non-­conformist; as my instructor he fascinated me more than did his superiors. I should think he and Frank Norris must have been stimulating to each other, but I don’t know it. The play that Frank Norris wrote for one of our class enterprises, and in which Jessica Peixotto and Will Denman and two other handsome people took part, was very poor.67 It was an awful blend of French sophistication—­ which he had half forgotten—and Ameri­ can...