The Evening critic., 1884-11-24
FRANCES HoposoN BURNETT.
Her Home ana Ser Habits.

Mrs. Burnett lives In Washington In 1T
t'o houee on a eide ttreet, aud ia at homo In
formally on Tuesday evenings II Is a single
house with drawing-rooms and diningroom
or the first floor, bedrooms on the seponi,
aud ON the third big writing-room she calls
her DEN
The house is full OF etchings aud odd bits OF
sketches In pretty, careless arrangement, n
plano, where the ArbuthnOt OF her washing
ton story eings to her blue eyes, whilo she
Glands posed against the door-n pleasant and
effective Dgure In yellow gown OF oid-fasn.
Toned cpt, holding a peacock fan against her
She is a little under the medium height and
Of pleasing plumpness,has rather large and
clever head. Intensely keen blue eyes, which
talking, rather sharp cut features and mop
uf yellow hair. DR.. Burnett Is a quiet gontle-
man, who is quite @ successfui ocullst and
has IA hobby for etchinga, aud their two boyB
are very nearly OF q size, big, handsome ur-
cbins with yellow hair, which she curls In
paper over night and which falls very prottlly,
" not quite naturally, over thcir little slnshed
velvet costumes.
Thete picturesque children she gathers
about her skirts III q pretty little way wnicn is
somewhat maternal and wholly effective, II
little affected. Bertha In zone Admiuistra-
tiOp," who IA very clearly herself In mauy
wayp, says, II have always congratulated my;
This ia certainly n novel way Of considering
ones offspring, and doubtless Mrs. Burnetts
Kindness to them is as elaborate and original
as her very extraordinary aud artistic treat.
ment OF them as accessories. IL is said that
one OF her early stories, called "Dolly," is n
history OF her early life, hor family aud her
own love afrairs and marriage.
II is the old and pathetic story OF young love
fettered by the worldly lack OF money, It's do.
lays and final fulnllments: The simple aud tell
ing naturainoss OF this early tale, MS we'll as tho
ensily recognizable outlines OF herself aud her
husband, lead one to believe that this Is real
life and her own story, keeniy and personally
felt. Her stories have had quite large Eng
lish sale. Her Fair Barbarian was an i'm
meDse hit, and when IL came out one could
hear 1t called over by the train boys 10 oil the
provinces and dialects OF England. With the
one cad and notable exception OF hor last book
with which she has left us, her work ia all
done with clear and vigorous touch.
There 10 no hopeless completely OF charac
ters, such as all but Dickene, Thackeray or
George Eliot fail in handling firmly. Her peo-
pie are life sized figures boldly painted on a
big cBnvaP, and che has splendid use OF both
action and contrast In light and shade. She has
the trick OF many another successful novelist
OF taking some characters from primitive
life and Introducing them into IN utterly con-
Trusting environment, while yet they are young
and impossible, and then letting tho reader
SEQ how they behave. This is an analytic
method worthy OF our critical and analytic
age, but It presents q very interesting specta-
Gle under whatever conditions.
Her poetry, OF which che has published but
little, ie very sincere and sweet, almost her
best and ciearest note. 1t is very sympathetic,
almost pathetic, bringing the thought that IL
was done for loves sake, some day while tho
thoughts IN nef Bentie, WOmunly neart wore
deepest and most unframed, and the thoughts
OF the magazines next months installment of
her story had been for the once forgotten. Her
play -writing has been successful, and hor only
mietako seems to have been yielding to this
literary vogue Of an analysis which approaches
vivisectiop, certainly a cruel process, for In II
all healthy action OF brain and heart dies.
In the modern novel thore Is no plot, no
stirring life, no emotion, no heroism, no no
roes. We fain would return 10 "rhaddeus Of
Warsaw" and "Arabella" in tears, but rather
we want more such creatures as Mrs. Bur.
nett's splendid "Joan," who saves mon with
her young, strong arne, and would die FOR her
love II need be. We hope she Will give us an
other such.-C htcd0o RdmJler. ,srA