The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-09-06
GEORGE WILLIAM cuRFIs.

One of the very ablegt of iour-
nalists, Of English prose, one Of
the very gracefulest and most for
chile Of orators, is Mr.. George
William Curtis. Mr.. Curtis was
born in Providence, r. l., Februa-
~ "a, 1924, and is therefore about
forty-cight years of age He was
ono OF that remarkable company of
brilliant men and women who
formed the Brook Farm communi-
ty. This Brook Farm project
seems to hare fascinated almost
every young man of genius Of tho
day. At Brook Farm he spent
eighteen months in society that
must have strongly influenced his
tastes and his life. Thence he
won't to Concord, Mass, which was
almost as much as Brook Farm the
home OF genius. During his resi-
dcnce In Concord he lived with
farmer and took part regularly in
the ordinary farm work. At one
time he and his brother cultivated
a small farm on their own account.
This episode shows how open the
impossible young man was to the
ideas of his time. It was the day
of pastoral tastes, the time in which
the tilling of the soil was believed
to be the most healthfnl, the most
delightful, the most intellectual,
and almost the only dignified en-
ployment of human being. 1t is
probable, however, that the ideal
ism of those days Of Concord and
The Dial, did not effect Mr.. Cur
tbs SO strongly as it did his broth:
or, and others of that circle of en-
thusiastic young men who were
more or less swayed by Emerson
and Margaret Fuller, and who in
their turn have exerted so power
full an influence on the intellectual
growth of the country. Mr.. Cur
tbs went abroad in 1876, travelling
and studying in Europe for about
four years. On his return he pub
lished his "Nile Notes of Howad-
it," in which there is thatcombina-
ton of a delicate humor with q
perfect grace ofexpression so char.
acteristic of all his writings. The
book still holds its place in the
very first rank of works of travel
as does its immediate successor
"The Howadji in Syria" Like sc
many other of our brilliant jour
nalists, he served for a while upor
the staff of the Tribune, writing
the letters from the various water
ing places, now contained in the
volume called Lotus Eating" II
the autumn of 1852, Putnam'l
Monthly was commenced, and it,
projectors naturally turned fol
help to the young writer whose
reputation was rising 50 rapidly
Mr.. Curtis wrote a series of hu
morous articles for Putnam's, un
der the title of "Our Best Society,
better known now by their late
name, "The Potiphar Papers. -
The richness of the humor, tn,
keenness of the satire, the fresh
ness of the vein, and the original
ty of the authors treatment, a
once attracted attention, and thu
articles had much to do with tn,
early popularity of the magazine
Later in the history of Putnam'l
Monthly, Mr.. Curtis was one of it,
owners, and lost all his private for
tune when it failed. His "Prut
and T. was made up from contri
buttons to this magazine. But
long before Putnam's ceased to ex
list, he had begun that series O
contributions to Harper's Maya
zine which he has now continued
for ABOUT nineteen years, perhaps
the longest continued and certain
ly one of the best sustained series
of magazine papers known in the
history of periodical literature
The "Noctes" of Wilson LASTED
thirteen years, but for nearly TWEEN
ty years the ''Easy-Chair" of Har
per's Magazine has treated of ev
cry topic of the time, never flag
ging in brilliancy, never failing il
courage, never lacking in goo(
humor and fairness. Mr.. Curt:
is also the principal writer of tn,
editorials of Harper's Weekly, anC
whatever one may think of hi
opinions, his dignity and ability
are always admirable. AS if thes'
were not enough, there appears
now series of letters in Harper
Bazaar called manners Upon til,
Road" which are so evidently lii
the style of the "Howadji," tina
they have been universally Sc
down to his credit.
In the midst of this busy itera
ry life, Mr.. Curtis finds time Il
lecture extensively and of all the
lyceum lecturers is regarded as ont
of the most finished orators. HI
is not SO aggressive as Phillips
nor so erudite as Sumner, but ht
is more refined and polished thar
either. To this he adds a keeI
and active interest in national pol
itics, and is the head of the civil
commission. He is also an earnest
advocate. of various reforms, anC
was very early promoter of the
movement in favor Of woman'i
suffrage. Yet all the progress
iVeneGs of his opinions is tempered
by q conservatism of method; he il
progressive, but only aggressive
within limits; he is a man of pro
gress, but more, a man of culture
and refinement.
It is pleasant to be able to add
that in all that goes to make puri
ty and gentlemanliness of charac
ter, his private life is entirely wor
thy of his public career.-Heartf
and Home.
ASKING QUEsTIoNs.-The world
owes about all it has of good to