Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-11
Traits Of Charles Reade.

Inc editor OF clever journal, known
Tor its caricatures, once addressed a NO.
lite note to Mr.. Reade asking him il he
would like to sit to the distinpuisbed
Italian artist who, from week to week
amused the world with only too.livine
presentments of those who are CALEB
great men. Mr.. Reade declined the hon.
or in neat copy of verses, the point OF
which was summed up in one of the
lines =" shoot me flying"
He is an ambitious man, but look,
rather to the future than to the pres.
ent which has done him but scant JUS.
tice. The notoriety IF to-day he moi
only despises-he shrinks from it with
the timidity of born scholar. To Gu,
down trees before an admiring crowd
OF holidsy-makers to harangue thou.
sands of his fell0w.countrymen on one
of their own drizxly days, to receive 9
gilt pair OF braces from enthusiastic
ladies of the Baptist connection; these
things dwell not in his desires. He
has none OF the qualities of an orator
or popular tribune. And as he has
taken such slight pains to court the
public, the public, in its turn, has oc
cupied itself but little about him. Il
reads his books, but knows nothing Of
their author. Charles Reade is not 9
familiar personality to the great mass
OF Londoners, much less OF English
men. The likenesses of hundred
smaller men staad out more prominent.
ly from the windows of photographers
shops.
Charles Reade was born in 1914, and
went to Magdalene College. Oxford,
some twenty years later. He took g
third in Greats. and, l fancy, only
gained his fellowship under the old
close system, !. g., from having been q
deny, or because he hailed from q Ger.
tain county. However, Magdalene has
had no reason to regret its choice; and
Mr.. Reade is fond of his old college
In 43 he was called to the Bar ut LIN.
coins Inn. Curiously enough, while
there are some capital descriptions oil
University life in his works, notably il
Hard Cash." there is scarcely a
glimpse in them at that legal society
which he could have depicted SO well.
The law, however, he knows admirably
having proved his knowledge in courts
as we'll as in books. Indeed, French
man would say that he had the devil iu
his body perpetually urging him to file
bills and move for iDjunctions. Gener.
ally he wins his suits, but not always.
Unhappily, criticism, even of the gen.
tlest, is apt to goad him to fury. A per.
son finding fault with any of his books
is q Ounce, Ignorant of the difficult
art of writing" One of Mr.. Rsade'
pet theories Is that men should be able
to make as good use OF the left arm At
of the right. A gentleman. unknown
to the author, took the liberty to ad
dress him a letter, pointing out whal
Mr.. Reades printed arguments on this
subject. Mr.. Reade replied by doc
ument studiously relieved of the weight
of courtesy, and divided into section,
with pleasant little headings. such rs
II. Your Stupidity" II. Your Men
dacity," etc., etc. And yet. in persona
intercourse, there is not kinder OF
more lovable man.
When Mr.. Reade speaks of writina
not talking at random. His books ar,
constructed with an amount of labo
which superficial observers might no
detect. ITO avoid describing Hyde
Park" he observed to Mr.. Hewitt
and calling it Australia, read some
thirty books about that country"
may add that he works by fits and
starts. He feels that he must be "in
the vein" to do anything. Occasional.
ly he forces himself; but the results are
Indifferent. Herein he differs from Sil
Walter Scott, who went steadily tc
work every morning at six.
Scott, by the way, is a favorite Of
Reade's, who calls him "the British
HOMER" Perhaps the test OF true ap.
probation of Scott is that man should
love Rokeby;" and Reade can quote
with zest from that moderated poem
With respect to Scott the novelist, ad
mirers of Mr.. Reade will scarcely be
disposed to allow that 1.-THE Cloistel
and the Hearth" yields in excellence to
q single one of the great Enchanter'f
productions. 1 think Reade went to
Holland and Germany on purpose to
collect materials for that masterpiece
Apparently his Thoughts took a more
serious turn from the date of that voy
age. An old comrade Of his observed
gloomily: 81 He used to be such jolly
fellow; then he went to Germany and
had his hair cut; and I don't know
what it was. but he seemed to be
changed" The sentence is mystic;
leave it to the initiated to guess what
was meant. At present, his appearance
is that of model old man-hale, hearty
and withal L" of a stately courtesy"-ex'
cept, Indeed, in some minor details
For instance, an author of some renowr
recently dedicated a novel to Mr.. Reade
and received, not till after some delay
an acknowledgment Of the briefesi
kind on y torn fragment OF foolscap.
Mr., Rsade is perfect French scholar
having even accomplished the notable
feat OF writing comedy in that Ian
guage. Y. Home Journal.
The Lewiston, Maine, Journal says: