, 1870-10-02
WuKH COLLINS.
A Skctch OF tho Novelist ouu Drama,
tlAt.

/
WLKE COLLINS.
l Sketch OF tho Novelist and Drnsan.
tlAt.
From App1eton's Journal.
Tbs parentage Of Wilkio Collins accoun.s.
4 some degree tif We may believe 1fr. Gal
on's theory Of hereditary geuius>, for the
seslth of his fancy, and for tile success which
10 has achieved III a calling Which requires an |
power. He IL the elJeat son Of
he late William Collins. OF the Royal Acsde-
III. celebrated a. painter of rustic scenss,
Ind especially OF sea-cuast scenery and Eng
sl cottage life; and His mother was : sister
Of Mrs. Carpenter. than whom there ara few |
English rortrait~painters more successful. |
Wiikie vas born January !, 1924. Hia younger
brother. Charles Collins, married Charles |
Dickepe' eldest daughter, aud Is uleo known 4
% an artist Of no mean merit
For tho first 12 years Of Wiikie Collna' life |
he was taught 81 weli-reputed private school, |
teiDg mainly instructed IN tho rudments Of |
Latin aud Greek. '' which, he writes iu let |
mo in my after hie." In 1887 lis father de-
sermined to 60 to Italy in search Of fresh sub
jects for Afs brush among the people and
ecenery Of that country, and Mrs. Collins was
to accompany him. The question being xgi-
tated whether the bcya should 50 TOO, the
family friends, for tho most part, urged that
ton OF two boss Of Is and o. by
taking them to q foreign country, and
suLiectiug them to foreign inGu-
ences, at q time when they ought to undergo
tho wholesome discipline aud restraint OF an
English school Two friends, however, DIS
seuted from tue general opinion aud these
two hspprued to be remarkable persons. ca
palle OF seeing possibilities OF education in
systems nther than that conrent1oLully rccog-
nized they were David Wilkie, the famous
Scotch painter, who was Willie Collins god
father, snd Mrs. Somervilla au'horeas Of
Physical Geography" aud who has lately,
at oyer fou1score years, given 10 tho word an
admirable and profound ilosopll,ca1treatiae.
Darid Nilkie was William Collins dearest
friend and for Yrs. Somer>ilies opinion he
had great respect. They persuaded him slnt
would gain in knowing tie modern languages.
and in acquiring hahiss Of observation among
new perple or new ecencs; and so to Italy it
WAS decided tho boys should 60. They re-
manned abroad for two YEARS; and there. in
that way, tho elder picked up. in hts own
Of some real use to him. Returning from
Italy, he went back to private school and
lis unconganial classics. In due time it be-
came question whether he should bo sent to
Oxford and the clAaslca, OF to Cambridge and
the n1athematics- His father left him free to
il NIkie liked it, too. he would prefer to zee
hun IN the Church
cuous1Su AND 1Ea1SS1td PROFESSION.
Tho young man scarcely knew which he
most dis!ikett-goinG TO the university or into
the church. SO he cut the dotdian knot and
At II OF IL ne was placed in 3 merchants Of
! 1ce- In this pursuit he continued for four
| Tears; but, With lis tAstes, lie would hardly
| have remained so long, Lad he not laa = pur-
| suit Of Lis oHn to follow, which real1y engaged
Lis Interest," lie was already N author in se-
| dren should prraue literary or artistic career
as literary 1acu aud artists themselves; and
William Collins had doubtless used his powers
Of persuasion to divert lis son from the l1az-
aIEous venture Of letters. There WAS, hon
ever, hardly any form of audacious literary
hu11eputlonsIy venture, while he Was sup
posed to bo In u fair way Of becoming one Of
the solid commercial rsops Of tha city OF Lon
Gou. Toward tho end OF the four years lie
has grown Wisa enough Ito desceud feom epic
poems and blaok-vcrse tragedies" to unassuu1-
ing little articles and stories, somo Of which
found theIr way tnojcstiy into the s1uall peri
od,cals Of tho time. He was tins self-be-
trayed as unfit for j mercantile career. ab.n.
I loned commerce, and tried reading fol-
the h.r. This new occupation lasted. PER
haps, ni1 weoks; then he began novel by
| way VI AQpat1iuE HUG f4acty III LIS IcYAA
studiea: Nominally 10 continued to be mem
ber Of Ltncolu's lnu, at which he hsd beer
entered Is atndent, and (uo examination be.
lug necessary at the tiue} he was tya yoars
afferward called to the bar. IL am nov" ht
says, - bar1istcr Of Bonc fifteen years stand
having oren 20 1nnch as donuea wig and
gown" The novel which he began, will
which to beguile llis time in the cosy but no
wholly congental retreat Of Iiucolns Inn
whore he found no sympathics among his law
talking neighbors, md wheEe lc uttered man,
a siEh over tho poudernus law-calf tones
was. when completed, offered for safe anon;
tho London ptblishefs.
] THoESF Road.
I Wilkie Collins had to undergo tho sam
Er1lr4Iue rehuGs, snd to experience the sam
terrible siuking Of the heart. which Th.ckeray
C,'atte1ton and hosts Of others havo tuflare,
before aId after him. The publishers wo1t
not ventura to publish his first ambi;lons worA
Que after nnother declined tomake the exper
[ ment and one aud Ill gaye exE61scut reseon
for their decision. The beet reason in th
world is gwen in the authors own wores
Tho scene of tho story" sass lie, Twas |ai
J Il the island Of Tahiti before tho period c
its discovery hr European navigation! u
youthful imagination ran riot among tho uool
I savages, il tceue4 wh,ch cansed the zespecta
tito U1i,ieh publisher to declare that it IA
impossible 10 put his nhnle On tho titic-paE
. q anch novel. For tho moment wa, Il!
] | snosAaz novel" Thia simc tho scene Va
; Rome the pesiod, tho ffth century; and Ii
i. central historical event, the siege Of the Etc
t nal City By the Goshs. Al day te read b
authorities =. ,hs b., British y Museum rs, IN IL
Fes,as''@ st Tbs q SIT " valana ns. lid ~ set
I completed and he vas we'll on with Il
0 second, when his absorption IN !, waa broke
i rulsly BY his fathers death. He pnt y
Q writing Of anothes stoss, which Lay nea1er b
0 neat-the story at his falhnfs Lie. In II
X .'Nemo1ls OF William Collins, IL l., he 81
l. l,is name or the tit1o-paga Of printed Al
:; published book for the t5sst time. The BIO
when he wss q, and is considered one OF
best books il u full OF the enthusiasm
early youth and Jealous kuthorahio. and
interest Ia heightened no less By tlliaI pri
IL than By fiiial tenderness. 1t WAS valued, rc
re by m extensive circle OF c2rnest admirers
Mt the fAther's genius.
% As a xoyf1lsT.
he The biography finished. Collins returned
en snd completed his romance, tho third volut
rs Of whieli was written at Paris. Colou1u, i
TO pub!isher. refused the book; bat Bentley pu
ag h=hed it in 16s0. The ti:lo OF this. his f
Is, rovel. was 'Antonins. or the Fall Of ROM
d. Its success WAS such rs to Eise him at ouc.
as certain place ~ = novciist. 1he critics rece
en- ed it with \ praise which was uearly una
y. mons: while the favorable verdict Of the
90 "1uany Of my litetzzy,elders and betters lis
us II adding their special tribute OF encou1As
ment and approval" 'Antonina" opaif
ied him csxeer "a a novelist which he has c,
Iss tinued TO follow, with success and II
om taa steadily increasing to the present time.
snd in .he s.me yes1 be published nara,
iea of u walking-tour in Cornwall, called g r,
The blea beyond Raiiways." j" In 1854 appea
Hide and Seek, !" md. in 1850, collection
ehort stories. entitled, After Dark"
r. pen, shencsfosth, has known little rest.
- htst novel 10 attr7ct universal inter
thn and which exhibited his rare pow
~ Of invention, aud his genius for {
IS IS structing sensational plot, vas The D
INC $ Secret, issued in 1851 :; sud in the follow
'sss fies, collected under the bead Of "Qaee1
Hearts," It eas in 1860 that his greatest
umpu wss achieved. and that he gave to
nj. world his greatest work Of fctian-'
Woman n White" This WAS followed
; to 1862. b No Nams;" volume 81 cole
,uch t3Iy l,scenauiee;" ''Asmailalo was
End 3isLcd III 1866, THE Noouetone in
laay and, finally, "Man and WIFE" in 1870.
pfta As DRANA1Isr.
Desidta theee novels, Wiikie Collins
i II lten successful writer OF drama, and b.
alne facile hand IN rendering dramatic version
eyi- brother authcrs. His lint draus was ~
in a Lighthouse" which uas acted in privat
} did tie house Of Chafles DscSeps. waa
RED performed At Canden House. Keusius
onic lie rctidence Of Colonel waugh, for
I've, eft Of charity connected with tie
Vas IN tho Ctimea; and The audience Wss
Aud brilliant. Not less so tos peito1s
the Charles Dickens tae9<.1A 99sn~ Pa!s
;l1th aaron 'GnI.aSftss1kas4T Too1os, With l =
uato Wl}lie Collins
euch noth !: Jdco6
| oc- Lemon .kES
garth p:cke dg
slid cideas Atsa pisa7s"