Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-12

Some of the NoveIist's Traits-Eei> Cen.
erOsity-kfON lie Works.

Some of the NOveIist's Trai,~-Eei, Cen.
erOsity-HOW Ee Works.
From the New FORK Tribune
The family TO which Charles Reade, the Eng
lish novelist. belongs. is one of the Oldest coun
ty families in England. There are two branches,
one with its country seat In Berkshire and the
other about fifteen miles from Oxford II is 10
the latter that the novelist belongs. and In the
rambling old-tashioned house which has been
its homestead for generations, he born.
The present squire is his second brother. his
eldest brother. who succeeded to the property
at their fathers death. having died several
years ago. Some five generations back one OF
the Reade family settled In this country Init
mate communication between the families has
been kept up ever snce. The American Reades
dropped the final c In the name for some reason.
Gen. j. Meredith Read. well known In the
diplomatic and consular service of the country
is a cousin Of Charles Reade and has from Ills
boyhood been intimate with the novelist.
II have just received u telegram from Eng
land" said Gen. Read Yesterday. which states
that my cousin has rallied and that there is
ray or hope. sincerely trust this may he the
case. but bronchitis is treacherous enemy and
Charles Reade is i'm his SEVENTEEN year. You
would not imagine 40 were you TO see him. for
he is a man Of splendid physique and does not
10y any means look his age. In fact, before the
death of near relative to whom he had been
more than kind. and the subsequent death OF
his favorite nephew, both of which shocks aged
him considerably, he always looked q good ten
or fifteen years younger than his actual age.
He ia a large man. tall and broad-shouldered.
Indeed, he used to have a theory that he was
not as constitutionally strong "a he would have
been had he been q few inches shorter He
claimed that the heart had to pump the
blood a longer distance. and therefore its
action would In the long run be impaired.
But then he IL full OF quaint notions and
conceits. l think Charles Reade IL OF the
best. kindest and most truly great men | have
ever known. To appreciate him fully it is nee
essary to know him intimately. Generous to Q
fault, he has been ever ready to assist those In
distress, not only with his purse, but with his
time and energy. Any hint of injustice reused
him to q leOnine Indignation. and he could not
rest until he had done his best to set things
right. have often thought that the bitter war
he waged on those who did him personal injury
did not proceed SO much from selfish consider
atoms as from the sense he had that Injustice
had been done TO an Individual. Ii was a mere
accident that that individual was himself but IL
was that fact that rendered him more cognzant
OF the details Of the particular Injustice Many
people know OF owe not only their means OF
livelihood, but their reason and life themselves,
to Charles Reade. The very relative whose
death so broke him down was restored to the
full possession Of her faculties by his constant
care and attention.
his friends demonstrated with him and Induced
him to look after his own interests more than
he had been In the habit Of doing When he
applied himself to business he was keen and
own worke. He made good deal of money BY
purchasing leases. He would see q notice Of .
house to let. go in. examine the property and
form his own conclusions as to Its value. III he
thought well OF it he would buy the lease, and II
was In but few instances that be did not realize
q good profit by selling It again In . very short
time.
81 remember meeting him In Paris once, and
his saying to me: Those fools Of London man
ayers have obliged me to make lot of money
lately. You know I dramatized The Wander
ing Heir and they would not accept II: 40 I
had to take It myself and bring it out In the
provinces. 1t was q success and now, after
forcing me to put El2. 600 in my pocket, they
are eager for it,
81 once asked him what he thought Of the
American system OF interviewing. He declared
himself strongly in its favor. Just think, said
he, what fne thing an interview with Shakes
peare would have been!'
''He was great reader Of newspapers Any
thing that struck him as Interesting, or any fact
which tended to support one Of his humanita-
rian theories. was cut out. pasted large folio
scrap-book. and carefully indexed Facts of any
sort were his hobby. / had o commission from
him once. which took long time to fill. He
wanted a complete set of the Gazette tfes Tri-
bunaux, or record OF crime in France for years
and years. got 1t, but at the expense OF much
time and trouble.
His way Of working is peculiar When he
has decided on a new work he plots out the
scheme, situations, facts and characters on
three large sheets Of pasteboard. Then ne sets
TO work using very large foolscap TO write on,
and working rapidly, but with frequent refer
ences to his store house Of facts In the scrap
books, which are ready to his hand. Pe used
to live in little house In Albert Gate, the win
dow OF his study looking out over the park.
Some corporation wanted to get possession OF
the property, and used all manner of mems to
get the tenants out. Reade resisted this and
fought them for four years. finally winning the
battle. He christened his house on this account
'NabOth's Vineyard As I said. he wrote in a
room looking over the park. In his garden
which was covered with wire netting he
kept some tame deer. for he was pas
siOnately fond Of dumb animals. He had dog
which looked like a sheep, and thought like
Christian. Half dozen times day 1t would
jump on his table as he was writing. hold out
one paw, and patiently wait until its master had
gravely shaken 1t and pronounced the formuaI
How do you do, sir? You must excuse me to-
day, as | am very busy Then the dog would
Jump down and hold commune with ITSELF
Some time ago his brother induced him to leave
'Naboth's Vineyard as that side Of the park
Is damp and unfavorabe to bronchial troubles.
He now lives In house next TO his brothers,
ON the Uxbridge road. He has been troubled
with bronchitis for years. He is fellow OF
fellows rooms there. When he had an attack
of bronchitis in London he used to rush down
to Oxford, wait there until he had recovered
and a fresh attack came on, and then back to
London for the change to restore him again.
and then the same program would he gone
through.
"He was devoted to the country, and his AZ
lection for his old home was touching. He
knew every soul in the village; and not only
that. but he knew the name Of every field for
miles around and would frequently discuss the
origin of the pastoral nomenclature. lie even
projected a sort of dictionary of these names
with brief accounts OF their history. He began
an article too on the influence Of climate on
family characteristics, based ON the difference
observable in the portraits Of the English and
American branches Of our family for the last Ave
generations
"Charies Reade is q brilliant conversational
list. He has a peculiarly beautiful eve. OF a
limpid brown. which can on occasion flash fro
like steel. He has large share of humor and
I can see now the twinkle in that large brown
eye Is he hears the point of . funny story"
why There Wasn,< a LyachfnR.
From the Bismarck Tribune
At station In Montana the other day a
Boston girl stuck her head out of a Northern
Pacific car and exclaimed: '.The bewilderinr