Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-03-29
U.sLLI.s.n DR.s.v gOu.ELLS.

The last number of Hearth and Home
contains a portrait and biographical sketch
of William Dean Howells, the well known
magazine writer and editor of the Atlantic
Monthly. As possessing peculiar interest
for Brattleboro people, we reproduce the
account of Mr.. Howells career:
Mr.. Howells was born in Martinville,
Belmont County, Ohio, March 7th, 1887,
and is therefore just thirty-five years of age.
He has acceeded to the editorship of the
chief literary magazine of the country, in
the very prime of life, and we may fairly
expect from him some of the finest work
yet done In American literature. Prof, ssor
Schele de We're, said, in one of his crushed
OUT magazine articles, a while ago, that
whatever the self-made man might do in
life, he had "no place in literature" Mr.
Howells is one Of those shining examples
that contradict this assertion. When he
was but three years old, his father removed
to Ham 'lton, and he was worked into the
printing office at very early age indeed
and soon became an expert compostor. It
is told of him that he set as high as eight
thousand ems in one day, wfon he was but
twelve years of age. The family afterward
lived in Dayton, Columbus, and Jefferson,
in Ohio, but in none of these towns, laden
with the names of great m en-, did the father
of Mr.. Howells, as editor and publisher of
country papers on the unpopular and I'M
successful side in politics, succeed in bet
tering his fortunes. He could not send his
son to school, he ,ould not even spare the
money that he was able to earn at the case,
and so 1t came to pass that he who is, per-
haps, more remarkable for refined culture
than any other of our younger writers, had
bsolutely no school education after he
was ten years of age.
1t does not seem so strange, in country
where journalism and politics are so popu-
lar, that one should develop from COM
positor to great editor, but it is certainly
remarkable that so fine writer of pure lit
erature as Mr.. Howells, should be able to
point TO the printing-offi as his school
house. But Mr.. Howells the father was
himself an enthusiastic lover of books and
particularly Of poetry. He had an excel
lent library, and no mind 50 receptive as
with the companionship of the best writer's.
While yet in the printing office he studied
languages without master, acquiring
some Latin and Greek and more of Span
ish and German. But the man who does
double work must sooner or later paw the
penalty, and to save his health from the eff
feet of the harsh lake winds, Mr.. Howells
iaI in for lo
corr espondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, in
which capacity he wrote for two winters.
Then he became news and literary editor
of the Ohio State Journal, at Columbus.
TWAS fortunate for Mr.. Howells that his
father encouraged him by the most cordial
appreciation of his early poetic productions,
for II was as a poet that.he made his first
reputation. His first poems were publish
ed in volume composed of pieces by him
self and Mr. John j. Pratt, and was entit-
ed Poems, by Two Friends" In 1860,
Professor Lowell, then editor OF the Allan
tic Monthly, put the seal of his critical APP
proval on Mr. Howellss work by publish
ing six Of his poems in that periodical.
About the same time, we believe, he wrote
In 1861 he was appointed Consul to Ven
ice. Out of the fogs and winds of Lake
Erie to the Grand Canal II was precisely
such transpanting as was necessary to
bring his genius into bloom. For years he
studied and ripened under an Italian sky,
in an atmosphere full of memories, sur
rounded by life all but enchanted. But
when next he appeared after this interval,
1t was not in poetry but in prose. "Vene-
tian Life appeared in London in 1866, and
afterward in New York. This and his
next book, the "Italian Journeys" attract
ed great deal of attention in England, and
were very fully and most iavorably MOTTO
ed by all the great literary journals. In
the same year In which his first prose work
appeared he accepted situation as assist
ant editor to Mr.. Fields, on the Atlantic
Monthly, which position he held until last
October, when he came into the chief edit
orshp Of the first literary periodical in
America, and he has at once distinguished
himself by radical changes for the better in
that monthly, showing administrative pow
ers as an editor quite as remarkable as his
gifts as writer. We can not but regret
that the work of editing should absorb the
time and powers of so many who might
enrich our literature with masterpieces if
they had leisure. Who will endow few
writerships2
Mr. Howells made his debut as poet, and
we are not sure that he will not yet find his
greatest field in poetical composition. For
in whatever he writes he evinces passion
ate love for beauty of form, n love so strong
that he will scarcely be able to content
himself with prose. His prose essays
they are rather essays than any thing else
published recently in volumes, under the
titles of "No Love LOST lin $780, "Sub-
urban Journeys lin 1870, and "Their
Wedding Journey" 0his winter, are all
marked by purity of diction, perfection
of style, an artistic self-repression, and a
delicacy Of wit not TO be found combined
in any other of our American writer's. In
his latest book is one poem, "Avery,"