River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-03-10
Charles Shirley Brooks.

A cable dispatch from London an
nounces that Shirley Brooks. the
journalist, novelist, aud dramatic an.
thor, is dead. Mr.. Brooks was born
in the year 1915, and was consequently
80 years old at the time of his death
After achieving his education he
studied for the law, an avocation for
which his father intended him, and.
after passing with great credit to him.
self an examination before the Law
Society, entered upon the practice of
his profession. His tastes and inclipa.
lions soon led him, however, to neg
lect the law for the, to him, more con
genial occupation Of authorship and
journalism. He connected himself
with a London newspaper, and while
thus engaged as a journalist he also
wrote plays, which were well received.
The success which he obtained finally
induced him to abandon the practice
Of law altogether, and to begin that
literary career TO which he ever after
devoted himself. Although best know
in this country as a novelist, Mr. Brooks
success IN London as a dramatic
author was exceptional. Several of
his comedies and dramas not only en-
ioyed popularity when first produced
at the Haymarket, Lyceum, and Olym-
pic theatres, where they were brought
out, but also preserved their hold upon
theatre-gOers and were often revived.
Among his best and most characteristics
plays may be mentioned a comedy in
two acts, marked with much humor
and dramatic appreciation of charac-
ter, called "Our New Governess - an
other comedy, equally successful In the
outhor's treatment of the themes, wit
Z intrigue, entitled "Honors and
cks, and finally drama of the pas
ms, called 1.-The Creole" tAe scene
sf which IS laid IN Mauritius in the at
mosphere of slavery: As novelist, in
which capacity ne had secured his
widest repute, Mr.. Brooks produced
many works which display the posses
sion Of that prime necessity in a sue
cessiul writer Of fictiou-to- wit, the
power OF portrayirg effectively the
stronger emotions of human nature
His characters, also, are generally
vigorously drawn and stand out, as it
were, from the tableau Of the scenes
depicted with a vivid realism about
them which is apt to make them re-
membered when, perhaps, the memory
of the story itself may have passed
away from the readers mind. There is
usually a tragic undcrcurrent running
through the plots, which, while not
sensational IN the sense in which the
word is generally used, seems to bring
into full play the power and pathos
with which the characters whose for.
tunes aud mistOrtuHes are detailed are
invested. His works in this department
of literature have given him a promi-
nent position in the second rank OF con
temporary English noyelists. The best
known of his novels are "The Silver
Chord, Aspen Court. " Sooner or
Later, aud The Gordian Knot 8"
Mr.. Brooks's labors as "A journalist were
varied and M some cases important.
For five sessions of Parliament
he reported for the Morning
Chronicle, with which journal
he was connected, the proceedings OF
the House of Commons. At the per-
DDS when he was not thus engaged lie
vent at intervals to Russia, SYRIA and
Egypt ms correspondent for the Chron.
lcie, which was at that time treating
largely of the subject Of " Labor and
the Poor including in its inquiries
the labor systems of foreign countries
as well as that OF Great Britain. Sew
eral of the letters referring 10 Russia,
which Mr., Brooks then wrote as the
Chronicles special commissioner, were
afterwards reprinted in book form,
under the title OF 1.-THE Russians of
the South At the time of his death
he was editor of Punch, to the columns
of which he had long aud constantly
written m the past and he was also a
regular contributor 90 the columns of
the Illustrated London News. Mr.
Brooks as lecturer had also acquired
some reputation.