New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-15
MR.. MARriN r. TUPPER At HOME.
From The Lond5n World.

From The Lond5n World.
Albury House. long the dwelling OF Mr.. Martin
F. Upper and his wife. wholly the way, are
cousins-must not be cenfOundcd with the " great
house, of the neighbOrhOod. AlbIry Park, feature
of tbe pretty country IN which il is situated. The
great house is still inhabited b the Duke OF North
cumberland. 10 whom II came win hls WE.
daughter Of the late Mr.. Henry Drnmmond. Per
haps no man of mark has been more lnercilessly
lampo0ned aud laughed at than Mr. upper, and
most a,suredly no living authors works nave OBJ
tanned a wider circulation. his Pr"yer0iai fhl-
losophvD which by no means made "A great hit when
il first appeared In 1887, has since then passed
through forty editions IN England and IN America has
been sold to the extent of million of copies large
illustrated edition Is again about To DC puDHshei,
and the total sale OF Mr.. IuppeTs principal work
may be put down AT five Thousand per annum. The
odd part OF all this is that tue success which en-
dures until now was made so long ago Ii requires
q mental effort 10 realize that the author OF Pro-
verbal Philosophy" was an h0mme diTire ana r. Is
s. 1--WE and thirty years ago.
The secret Gf the success Of the work with which
be is identified is probably to be found IN that
middle mental stratum at which Mr. Upper uncon-
scousy aimed. At tine carly age at which he
wrote his celebrated book he had most assuredIy
not grasped the formula wleh Mr.. Gilbert declares
to DO the result of prolonged experience. The latter
gentleman asserts that the dramatlst must neither
write quite up to the intellectual level of the stalls,
or he VIII be over the heads of the gods, nor down
to that of the pit. or he VIII offend the dress
circle He should aim somewhere between the
latter and the upper boxes; and If he can hit this
point accurately he will achieve his object that of
being understanded' and appreciated by the
greatest number Mr.. Upper Is one Of those fortu-
nate literary folk who are not compelled to i've ON
the produce Of their wares. he and Mrs. upper
were bey ond the reach Of poverty wneu they mar
RED and settled IN her old family house at Albury,
a charming dwelling. with massive oakcn staircase
aud low-browed old rooms fall of pictures, curious
cabinets and Chppen ale furniture. There, and IN
the course of hong tours on the LulCp IN and
American Continents, lie has written, is ne eX-
presses il, when he felt absolutely mpeled to say
sonething-now working vigorously for months at
a sketch row enjoying fair quiet and sweet rest for
years unmarked BY literary production.
Time and recent sorrow nave whItened the hair
of the man who Mt time might, save for his
lesser stature have been mistaken for his celebrated
contemporary. Sir. Harrison AnswOrth. who was
III the zenith OF his fame when Proverbial
Philosophy" was slowly making its way to popular
favor. Now Mr. AlnswOr.h vas Inquest Ionabiy-
batting, perhaps, D'O,,ly himself AM his - not
beyond lisputc-by tlT the Laudspmest man of The
DOrSay period, Of the curlcd, hr-chai"ec, and be-
ringed dandies whom Macise painted 80 admirably.
Nh Aiu-wOrth. however. hen we last ate roast
chicken aud eeI-sauoe ii his hosp. liable table, had
not yet allowed himself 80 run 10 beard, and re-
tanned oil the jUYcnllty expressed by clean shay
my and physical as well IS mental activity while
Mr.. upper still chershes the beard he cultivated
when the IA hon Tor retaining that ornament came
in. The two men have thus grown apart 80 10
speak. although It l. impossible to overlook the re-
scAUlance of the cean-cut features. Mr. AiuswOrth,
however. Is always dandy, while Mr.. luppcr has
oug since fors tken the "daIdidcdl body lis broad
white collar tells of one who does nJt tread On the
heels ot fashion. his conversation tells that al
though a dwc.lcT PrOcHl htgO,iB. as lie would say
fOT man better loves the antique sport OF Gaping
veIscS-Gnd lover Of fresh air. Inc is yet schOl al
vino lives III tho country, not a countryman