Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-19
ANTHONY TIsOLLOPE.
something About His FOrthcOniIi
AutphtnUr aulv.

something About His Forthcoming
autobiography.
From the New York Herald
Tro'lope was even more unfortunate in a
father than Dickens. The elder Trollope
was born TO fail and was cursed with au
exccrabe temper. lie was n chaucery law
| yer. Ills temper drove all the attorneys
| away. lie la II little money and consider
able ambition. Having abandoned his hopes
OF professional Success il occurred to him to
try his fortune at farming, for which his
Chief qualification was absolute ignorance of
| country matters. Anthony was sent to
I Harrow scho as day scholar then to
Winchester, then again to Harrow. What
he endured he tells with all the fresh
ness of painful memories and the
simple palhos of truth. He had
no pocket money. In his rags he
always looked disreputably dirty. Once he
Was stopped in the street by Dr. Butler head
master, who sternly asked him whether it
was possible that Harrow school could be
disgraocd by so dirty a boy. AT Winchester
his bills were left unpaid and tradcsmcn told
to stop his credits. He could not even pro-
vide the few shllings for college servants
When he went back to Harrow he had to
walk twelve miles . day through muddy
lanes to his daily tasks. His holidays were
spent at his fathers dismal chambers, Lin
coins Inn: The dirty, pennicss and ap-
parently dull boy, wherever he went was
treated by his class fellows as a social pariah
yet withal he had an intense craving to be
loved by every one,
After leaving school he became clerk in
the general posioilicc. Colonel Nabcry, the
secretary, disliked him. On one occasion a
letter containing bank notes was missed from
Maberly's table. Mr. Trolope writes -
"A letter has been taken said the colonel,
turning angrly, and, by God, there has
been nobody in the room but you,' and MS he
| spoke he Numbered bis fist down upon the
table. Then said |, by God you have
taken it, and also Numbered my fist down,
but accidentally, upon the table. My fist
came on the table, aud the ink flew up, COW
erlng the colonies face and shirt front. AT
that moment came in the colonel's private
secretary with the letter and money, and l
was desired to go back to my own room"
There were other troubles. A young wo-
man in the country had determined TO marry
Anthony Trpllopc, but he refused. At last
the woman's mother appeared at the post
| Office. MY hair almost stands on my head
now" he says, 'as | remember the figure of
he woman walking into the biz room in
which i sat, with six or seven other clerks,
having large basket on her arm and an I'M
mensc bonnet on her head. A messenger
vainly endcavorcd to persuade her to remain
in the anteroom, bu, She followed the man
in, walking up the centre of the room, and
addressed me in loud voice, Anthony
lrollopc, when are YOU going TO marry my
daushterT We have all had our worst mo-
ments, That was my worst. | lived
through it, however, and Gid not marry the
young lady. These little incidents were
against me in the Office
Then there was money lender into whose
clutches tho young clerk fell and whose
daily visits at the flee were terrible. lie
had always the same words Ia say Now,
| wish you would be punctna!. If you would
only be punctual should like YOU 10 have
anything you want" For seven years Troll
lope remained at the r0stoilce. During that
time he was wretched, hated the Office, hated
his work, hated bis idleness.
But the only career within his reach was
that of author. His mother, the author Of
American Notes, " introduced his first book,
"The Macdermo,s of Iailycloran," to the
publishers. 1t brought in nothing For his
third novel, 'La Nendee," he got 800 but
it was failure. Then he wrote play call
ed "The Noble Jilt" hut George BARLEY,
the actor, condemned it SO strongly that it
was not even offered to manager. The plot
afterward was used in "Can You Forgive
Herr "rhe Warden" was begun, put
down again and not published till 1855. The
profits were about S4j the first year and $50
the second. Trolope had been writing arti-
Giles from time to time, but mt the end of 1857
he had received only S215 for the hard
work of ten years. The greater part Of "Bar-
chester Towers was written in a train, and
subsequently, 1'rolope got into the habit of
writing IN railroad carriage. II made for
myself little table and found after few
in Il railway CARR 'ge a. at my desk. | work
ed with pencil, aud what wrote my wife
| copied aftcrward. The only objection to the
practice came from the appearance of literary
| os,entation to which | felt myself inject
when going to work before four or five pas
| sengcrs'
"Barchcstcr Towers was published on the
hall profit system, and the author received
| $500 in advance. From this his reputation
was assured. The largest sum he ever re-
ccivcd for q novel was $751; which was
realized by ''Orey Farm" But he obtained
higher rate of pay for n shorter story
| The Clavcings" was sold for ! 1000
| lie writes: Il have moi once, through all
my literary career, felt myself even in dan
ger Of being late with my task. | have
known no anxiety as 10 copy. The needed
pages were far ahead. have almost always
lad in the drawer beside me little diary
with its dates and ruled spaces, its record
that must be seen to. Its daily and weekly
demand upon my industry has done all that
for me-" lie wrote more books than any
man of his time. lie filed more volumes
than Noltairc.