The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-01-03
Farjeon, the Young Novelist.

event In literary CIRCLES, was DOTH Ill
little street near Commercial road, in the
eastern district of London, in May, 1884,
and, while he considers England his
home, he has, during much of his life,
been wanderer over the face of the
globe. His father was Tunisian Jew,
of French descent, however, and his
mother an Englishwoman, and, while he
does not deny his race, his views, like
those of most of his religion in England,
are extremely liberal; so much so, in
deed, that he writes a Christmas story
annually. OF his immediate family
there are still living four brothers and a
sister, and they have all given a cordial
consent to his marriage with Miss Jeffer-
son, and the marriage, they say among
themselves, is the purest of love affairs
on both sides. Mr. Farjeon's literary
reputation has been of wonderfully rapid
growth, it having all been won within
half dozen years, but il is the result of
culture and special training from boy
hood, and his work is a passion. His
father was gentleman of unusually high
attainments, and his mother was an edu-
Gated woman. He learned the trade of
composition, but soon gravitated into the
editorial chair, where most of his life was
spent until his reputation rs novelist
became so great that his work in the new
direction obliged him to abandon his
profession. His best editorial work was
done at Daneiden, New Zealand, where
he went at the time of the opening of the
gold field, and started the first daily
paper in what was then an unknown
land. The Octago Times when started
ol,npt tha c;va Of n ordinary OH Of
letter paper, but such was the energy
and ability of its management that be-
fore it was a year old it had, by various
additions, grown to the proportions of
the London Times. While the paper
was still young its Office was burned
with all it contained, one Saturday night.
The only other printing office in the
city belonged to Scotchman of very
strict religious views, who would not
allow his office to be used on Sunday.
Determined to issue his paper on Mon
day, Nc. Fdrjeon and his men, with the
connivance of the police, broke into the
Scotchman's place, and the paper had
been printed before its owner found out
that they had taken forcible possession.
Euergy of this sort assured the progress
of the paper, and has made Mr.. FaIjeon's
success in whatever he has undertaken.
Readers are apt to gain impressions of
an authors personality from his writings,
and such impressions are very usually
wrong. But Mr.. Farjeon possesses, rs
man, much the same charm that delights
his readers in books. So great is this
that stranger to him and his books
finds an unalloyed interest in the hearty,
friendly way in which his acquantances
talk of him-and those who know him
cannot help talking of him. He is
frank almost to boyishness, and is ex-
tremely sympathetic. His work has
been the dream of life and his success
is its realization. With such passion
and absorption does he work, and so
keenly mpathetc is he, that he fell in
love with his heroine while he was en-
gagged on Joshua Marvel" and when she
died, which became necessary in the
sentence he tainted away, and remained
unconscious for an hour. When he
awakened it was with the words ad-
dressed to brother who was standing
beside him, II loved her" But he is
thoroughly manly withal, and INDUCES
in boxing, riding, shooting, fencing and
billiards with all the energy he displays
in his work He is an inveterate smoker,
and his bachelor quarters back OF tue
Strand and overlooking the Thames En-
uankment which he deserted for u wife
in June,was as full Of pistols, field glasses,
tobacco pouches, pipes and similar arti-
Giles as if he had been the Bohemian he
was not. He is theatre-goer and has
written several plays, which have been
iavorably received, and it is understood
that his own dramatiZition of "Grif'
will be presented in New York. The
works which have made his reputation
are Crit" Joshua Marvel which he
and most of his friends like best, Blade
o. Grass, "London's Heart" aud "Bread
and Cheese and Kisses. N. Y. Graphic.
SENSIBLE ALMOST TO THE LAsT.-Mr.
and Mrs. Tom Mulcahy lived on farm.
They were shrewd and thrifty, and had
the reputation of being "close." Finally
Mrs. Mulcahy sickened aud was about to
die. Finding herself nearing the end,
she expressed desire to put things in or
der before that event occurred, and old
Tom prepared to listen.
"Tom," says Mrs. Mulcahy, "there's
Mrs. Smith, up at the crossing, she owes
me 81 80 for butter; see ye get it,"
"Sinsible to the last, my dear; sinsible
to the last said Tom. "Ill get it,