New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-25
MIR. F. MARION CRA WFORD.
A NOVELIST BY ACCIDENT.
From The london World.

NOVELIST BY ACCIDENT.
yyor The London World.
To the so;ourner In Rome it is easy to lind the
the Palazzo Attempts so called after the German
family which founded it, Athens has grown slhco
the Renaissance into Attempts, ine that II is into
Thompson Here, some sixty steps nlghesI Id NJ
roofs of the remainder of the building end air
Crawford in the enjoyment of ample space an1 , a.
as well as an unrivalled view over the Eternal City
From the half-dozen windows lIuniLnath as soan
apartment some osin 81 Peters the
CanitoI and magnificent stretch OF the Campagna.
1t Is a large apartment for writing roonl' anu 10
numbered with very few books. =, -, ,:oa
From the red armchair rises q tall, dark halredi
blne-eyed Young man. whose feet are ncased III [eu
slippers and red silk stockings, ana aiound mno; =;
throat is n red and blue cravat. his wecome ID
hearty. and his voice has bright Engnsn zone.
His powerful shoulders and muscular limbs make
him less than his true TT o S the moment
at rest the glance of the blue eyes frank and merry
the laugh at Quip jest long and ringing the
quick and ent and pTeSsoD Which in
some Americans convey the impression I'M. aI
they always speaking dor b Tep9dLsSeN North.
erner endowed with all the high spirits ana sense
of humor as well as force and tenaclty OF pnrp9se
characteristic of the North Yet MI GIa%I Saut1
nine years ago. and by accident the recipient Q, a
cosmopolitan education, if there ever were one, Dut
although he has pursued ms S1u ond Rome he re-
mains true American, loving Newport among the
of the earth and 0elftihg Win
Francis Marion Crawford is the son OF MT ihoI ON
as Crawford of New York, the sculptor OF a tne
died vonng after having married Miss Louisa Cut
Ter Ward the sister of "Uncle SAM, VINO mas Sl9ee
married Mr.. L. Terry, and resides in Rome. WI" NJ
Italian and French as his native languages, nj,
f,rawford was sent to New-HamnshIre to
learn the English tongue and, from the age % oi
twelve to that of Fifteen studied o @nuer fer I
three boyish years in America, Mr.. Crawford wenI
back to Rome to his family, and there STUDIED ~
Greek and he came RpOsd 90 in Fssex
where his schoolmates were Leslie Goodwin, son ot
the Bishop of Carlisle, and the son OF Mr. Goodal,
easy to Trinity College, Cambridge. where Mr..
Crawford passed four terms in boxing and tandem-
driving, passing, however, his little 60" EeTy
susges to be his strong point. and
acquired rapidly German, Swedish and spanish
His fondness for Oriental languages made him &C
quainted with Mr.. j. G. .Da Cunha, who won the
first prize at the Oriental Congress at Florence IN
1875, and who is now practising as physician III
TO the East studied Zend with Parsee high priest,
and lead the Zendavesta. .,.,
1t was IA India that Mr. Crawford, aiter ms Poly
papers are greedy OF writing by young men fresh
from Europe and from fio Times Of India the tran
launched at Allahabad. As editor of ,he latter
Journal started in the native interest, Mr.. Craw-
ford did much hard work fora little more than
wear Then his health compelled him 70 leave lndia
and he came home to Rome, where his mother has
lived for nearly forty years. In India he had nm
proved his Sanscrit and learned TO speak Hndus-
tani, and to read and write Urdu. Returned to
Italy in delicate health, he passed many months
in wandering in the Abruzzi; where, thanks TO
his disguise and good knowledge of the language,
he passed as native vine dresser. IL was rough
time there was nothing to eat in the AbruzA but
milk salt-fsh and corn-cake: Family reasons then
called Mr.. Crawford to America, where he remained
OH a visit 10 Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, IN Boston In
that pleasant city he inscribed himself as student
of Harvard University. and hnally tCok a dlpIolna
in Sanscrit after studying under Professor Charles
Lanman. He wrote on the silver Question
pamphlet for the Bankers Convention, at Niagara,
Magazine, and a long list of reviews concerning
political, social and economic philosophy, but
never touched fiction. either as creator or re-
viewer. The young athlete thought ne had no
imagination He believed in his knowledge rare
aud varied, an Orientalist, and, had at various
tunes and seasons attacked the TheOsophsts who
are Every difficult fellows to understand" The
now famous novel, "Mr. Isaacs" was an accident,
Just like the late Nj. Feydeaus Fanny" Everybody
now knows that philosOphc reading and writing
bring little grist to the mill, and that popular hc-
ton is the most lucrative form Of literature. Mr..
Crawford was unmindful of such things when
he wa" sitting % same at table ths Old T News w.
York Club in Madison Square. Gossip turned
on India, and in particular ON Mr.. Jacobs
diamond merchant OF Simla, Mr.. Jacobss roman
tic story told over CLAIMS aud terrapin 50 seized on
the mind of Uncle Sam that he insisted on its be-
ing put in type. lie brought his nephew h0me 10
Clinton place, over against the Breyoort House,
and set him to work then and there. Like young
hands at anything. Mr. Crawford worked hercely
on, aud finally saw his way to a plan; wrote ON
again aud finished his book in thirty-tve days.
While his first work Of fiction begun in the
spring If 1882 was in the hands of Messrs. Macmil
Ian he wrote the second, 'Dr. Claudius" This more
carefully composed novel was by no means the con-
sequence of the success of mir lsaacs was rather
the result of a newly acquired taste. II has been
said of scribbling generally that qui a tu bord and
the writing of fiction had a similar effect on Mr..
Crawford, As MIR. IsaacS' was suggested by the
story of Mr.. Jacobs. q diamond dealer Of Simla,
SO was CDR Claudius" by events which actually oc
Cured, if not under precisely the same circum,
stances as in the narrative. Mr. lsaacs appeared
just a year ago, while the author was
busted in writing articles on Indian
architecture. TO secure the copyright.
ne made a journey TO Canada, and then, on his re-
turn to Boston, undertook The Roman Singer" for
the Editor of The atlantic Monthly. Begun in J0nu-
ary this novel was completed in the following
month and on the appearance and success of DR..
Claudius" the author went TO his natural home IN
italy, and drifted in the hottest weather TO SOITen
to- At Sorrento ne did his days work every day
the seashore. He swan before luncheon aud rowed
when work over; but in the meanwhile he
wrote his last new novel, ITO Leeward" dealing
with what may be roughly called the young lady
nhilaaonhv of the DeriOd.