New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
CHARLES READE Al WOKR.

Fi-oD, The London World
In the airy-and dnstv-region Of the Txhridys
Road a little way beyond shepherds Bu-h Mr..
Charles Reade has pitched the tent removed from
NaOOths vineyard, wnere, during his absences
from OK d. he abode for several years. Il IL
characteristic OF the that has house is absO-
lutely unpIetentous III appearance. lts only
noticeable feature IS q large lawn and narrow
flower beds, the latter protected by wire network
froln the hares Mr. Reade has resolve ed % dOmcstI-
cate after the manner of Gov per.
the inside Of the house Is also Characteristic.
10 is a strange mixture OF the purely individual
and The con yentiOUal commonplace. a II mind had
encountered matter Offering resistance 10 theories
of decoration. " hen lt Is Onsdered now long ana
how Justly Mr.. Reade has occupied a high rank IN
the Eugi sh literary hierarchy. it seems absurd
that the walls Of his dining-rOom and drawing
room should he uuadOrned by irsJ-class paintings
or ctchlngs. Il be had been lucky enough 10 be
born Ffenchman. instead OF an Engishman. lac
would probably be living 10 a marble hotel,
enriched with paintings and sketches BY the most
prominent artists OF the last thirty year. but there
is no air of art N Nj Reade house. Tue few pic
lures be has however, are fhlrlY treated. Accord
ing to his principle that decoration shOgld not be
pat upon decoration. Just As heralds dlsalOw metal
metal and color on color, has drawlng-roon walls
are painted white and those Of hIs dining room
mauye All who know Mr. keade are assured THAI
paint be the same mauye or white Is a mere con
cessIOn the condition Of MS house. For MS own
part he abhOrs pant, having Keen appreciation
for the beauty OF Gods woods as tie has made
them -; theory fully carried out Ia old days az
oxford. and IN the snuggrry actually occupied bz
Is 10 itself 50 highly decorative IN the opinion OF
Mr. Keade that IL reeds no paint. rs good wine
needs no bush. This oplnlon-qute 1t gariance
with that OF the late Mr. W Burgess A. X. A. VINO
could ,e painted the finest wood IN the worlds
quite irrespective Of the fancy woods specially
used tOr decorative purposes. In maple or Ia req
deal there enough and to spare of beauty. II they
be only planed, not sand papercd, 10 proper sur
face II nav be recollected that Mr. Reade IN hi.
rooms at oxford one OF the INST 70 relieve his
walls of the coverings imposed during many taste
less ears. strata OF paper and paint were stripped
away until the original paels Appeared. with the
accurate mOuldlngs. long disguised 10y pant gfalning
ard VarnIsh. Ia hi new wrlting-rOom everything
is of red deal and the effect Is undOuDte, ly hand
some or rather would be 50 If any attempt 1t
ensemble ~ ere made.
TO the mind OF the literary workman there are
few more interesting places than tue writing room
Of Mr.. Charles Reade. The occupant - unques-
tionably q handsome man, with clear.cut textures,
bright eyes aud gray HAIR longer than present
fashion admits the beard IS cut To sharp point
IN Louis IreIZe fashion. anu frames the Dtle lace
admirably. 4 certain grace OF manner recalls the
gentleman of the old school, and terse puugent
phrase displays the philosopher well as the lit.
erary workman. II it were sought 10 express he
salient peculiarly OF Charles keade talk n a few
words 10 mlglt be sad 10 be a curious faculty OF
accurate cOudensation-that condensation winch
atta.ns brcyltY without sacrificing vlearness. lie
Is able 10 find words which express with precision
ideas such as the law Involves, WIN 10, harb1rOus
unscenthc termlnO0gy. IN profound confusion.
In the course OF Of his stories Nj. Rcade
thought iii 10 tell his readers between the lines,
how lie did ms work. he pictured man VINO
for h. H0rHng tdcertlsf a newspaper remark
able for the variety Of Information which t con.
taius. HIS mag nary perS0uage Thought every.
thing worth knowing graNitdted 10 the Iiler,"
and would be found IN rs clearly printed pages.
Now Mr. Reade does not cCnhne himself 10 4 h
Morning .3Grerbser but skins vast amount OF
journalism. His method l. exactly tue opposite Of
that approved, If not practlsed. Dy lneopmle
tiautier and jules JaniD who protested that the
accumulation OF facts paralyzed the BRAN aud an
nab latrd the faculty 81 Invention. Iheir plan was
to distribute what my Lord FOpDingtOn called the
90 sprouts OF their BRAIN, while Mr.. keade appar
emily Il 10 converge human experience upon hIs
His shelves aud bookcases OF rel deal ale hllec
with almost Innumerable volumes OF newspaper
and other cuttngs aud extracts, all duly classified
and iudeXed. la this idea OF classification Mr.
heade Is AKIN 20 the Astronomer Royal, VINO under
one heading has grouped evidences OF contempO-
rary superstition IN whlrh II WoLd DE almost iln-
possible to believe with ocular demonstration.
Mr. Reale has gone on collecting and classifying
Until he has found 10 convenient 10 print key 10
his curious collection. IN his Mlscellanea CIass-
fcauda one finds the most curious headings Tor
instance. Kiss. Price Of, the same supported by
long list of tie penalties aud circumstances attend
lug the capture Of a KISS from unwilling maid Oh
matrOn. | nder the heading, Crushed Ribs
Naahousen j. a number of cases by winch L vas
once shown by Mr.. Reade that mad patent can
NOT reak several ribs by fall unless something OF
somebody fall upon him. tie succeeded 10 estaD-
fishing that even If a man fall from Il considerable
height t II the bones of the limbs, and not the RIBS,
which are broken and that therefore. II patient
died of broken Ribs IL was because III nurse OF
warder crushed them with his knees lis accumu-
larou OF evl lence on tins point Is CurlOus.s CON-
plete All this fOndneSs for facts arises from
firmly grounded belief that similar eases produce
SIMILAR effects. and that any incident drawn from
actual history must bee true. and may be repeated
b. nature 10 the great increase OF the writer's repu-
tatlou In one instance this theory received sin
rular confirmation. When 10 occurred 20 Mr.
Lrade 10 employ the I'M, nieut OF the Sheffield nun
datou he vent % the spot. aud IN the course of
collecting all the evidence ~ hand. came on the
fact that a man rode IN front OF the water &c WI the
valley The water albeit Its speed appeared
tremendous went no faster than eighteen EIiles an
hour and the man. tor the distance lie went. could
GALLON at the rate of twenty 20 lac kept well
ahead OF the food: but II was always AZ ms heels.
Mr. Reale used tie incident III the magnificent
cbaoter in Put Yourself in HIS Place and was
much graiied TO find that year or two ago, " leu
a similar reservoir burst IN America, hUrseman
rode on ahead Of the food TO warn tie inhabitants.
Tie pace of watec down "a straight zIglag valley
would naturally vary but Nh. Reade's incident
had rccurrrd and the fact made hlm-as an old
student of AristOtl---yerv happy. On TIL, and.a
thnuslud other subjects Mr. kcade IS the most
charming of conversatiOnallsts. There ~ noC
merely manner, but matter Ia his .stores and re-
system of cOnvergence or the Tier method has
paid In the long run. It's inventor. VINO Is the
must candid of men. admits that lt has not an
s,Sered propOrtIOnaselg" 10 the trouble and
bore ION it has CAUSED. Tue c4prrlencc has pro, ed
rather curious than valuable. II l. the old story
OF the camel. and the way IA which a / renchman,
an Engli,hman and 2 German would wrte about
that animal. As tine celebrated RIgo.boche Is said
bv ner iiograDher 10 have remarked, r cT) thing
depends on temperament" To tins 10 may DO
"a ed that good horses run IN all forms and
that every good writer has his own way Of doing
his work.