The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-12
END OF A WELL-SPENT LIFE.
Death of Charles Reade, the Great En-
glish Novelist and Playwright.
Sketch of His Life-His Methods of Work
Personal Peculiarities and COnscien-
tiOus Treatment of Subjects.
LONDON, April 1-charles Roade died this

the Ninerian fellowships in 1872 The following
year he was called to the bar by the society of
Lineoln's Inn, but soon after gave his attention
wholly to literature. In l847 he received the de-
gree of D. c. L. from the university In 1852
he published his first story, "Peg Wellington"
which Immediately gave him rank as writer of
fiction. In the following year Christie John
stone" was issued, and this work met with in
creased favor. These works were the precursors
of long list of powerful and dramatic novels,
all of which are too we'll known to the reading
public to need mention in this place. Among
h is later literary engagements was contract
with the New York Tribune to furnish short
stories of heroes and another to furnish a series
of stories for publication by the Harpers.
Some of Mr. Reade's Traits-His Generosity.
General Meredith Read, in Wednesdays New York
Tribune,
"Charles Reade was al large man, tall and broad
shouldered Indeed he used to have theory
that he was not as constitutionally strong he
would have been had he been few inches
shorter He claimed that the heart had to pump
the blood longer distance, and, therefore its
action would in the long run, be impaired But
then he is full of quaint notions and conceits.
think Charles Reade is one of the best, kindest
| and most truly great men l have ever known.
To appreciate him fully it is necessary to know
| him intimately. Generous to a fault he has
been ever ready to assist those in distress, not
only with his purse, but with his time and en-
| ergy. Any hint of injustice reused him to a
| eonine 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 pro
| coed so much from selfish considerations as from
| tha ba had hat i'm IL
| an individual 1t was a mere accident that
that individual was himself, but it was that fact
| that rendered him more cognizant 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 restored to the full possession
of her faculties by his constant care and atten-
| ton
| so open handed was he that in late years 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 shrewd, as
| you may imagine from some OF his own works.
He made good deal of money by purchasing
leases. He would see notice of a house to let,
| go in, examine the property, and form his own
| conclusions as to its value If he thought well
| of it he would buy the lease, and 1t was in but
| few instances that he did not realize good
| profit by selling it again in very short time.
II 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 dramatized the Wander
ing Heir" and they would not accept it; so had
| to take it myself and bring it out in the prov
| nces. 1t was success, and now, after forcing
me TO put El2, 900 in my pocket, they are eager
| for it,
Il once asked him what he thought of the
American system of interviewing. He declared
himself strongly in its favor. Just think said
| he what a fine thing an interview with Shakes
peare would have been9
''He was a great reader of newspapers. Any
thing that struck him as interesting or any fact
which tended to support one of his humanitar
ian theories was cut out, pasted in large folio
scrap book, and carefully indexed. Facts Of any
sort were his hobby. had a commission from
| him once which took a long time to fill. He
wanted complete set of the Gazette des
! Tribunaux, or record of crime in France for
| years and years. got it, but at the expense of
much time and trouble.
His way of working is peculiar When he
! has decided new work he plots out the
scheme, situations facts and characters on three
large sheets of pasteboard. Then he sets to
work, using very large foolscap to write on, and
working rapidly, but with frequent references to
his stOreh house of facts, in the scrap-books,
| which are ready to his hand He used to live in
| little house in Albert Cote, the window of his
| study looking out over the park. Some corpora
| ton wanted to got possession of the property,
| and used all manner of means 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 'Naboths
| Vineyard AS | said, he wrote in a room look
ing over the park. In his garden, which was
covered with a wire netting, he kept some tame
deer, for he was passionately fond OF DUMB AMI
mails. He had dog which looked like sheep,
| and thought like Christian. Half dozen
times day it would jump on his table as he was
| writing, hold out one paw and patiently wait
until its master had gravely shaken it and pro
nOunced the formula: How doyou do, sirs You
| must excuse me to-day, as | am very busy.
he would I'M
mune with itself Some time ago his brother
induced him to leave Naboth's Vineyard,
as that side of the park is damp and
| unfavorable to bronchial troubles. He now lives
in Il house next to his brothers. on the Uxbridge
| road He has been troubled with bronchitis for
| years. He is a fellow of Magdalen College, Ok
| ford, and always kept his fellows rooms there.
| When he had an attack Of bronchitis in London
he used to rush down to Oxford, wait there
| til he had recovered and fresh attack came on,
and then back to London for the change to re-
| store him again, and then the same programme
| would be gone through.
He devoted to the country, and his atfec-
| ton for his old home was touching. He knew
every soul in the village; and not only that, but
| ne knew the name of every field for miles
| around and would frequently discuss the origin
of the pastoral nomenclature. He even projected
a sort Of dictionary with these names, with brief
accounts of their history. He began an article,
| too on the influence of climate on family char
| actersties based on the difference observable in
the portraits of the English and American
branches of our family for the last five genera
| tons.
| Charles Reade is brilliant conversationalist.
| He has peculiarly beautiful eye, of a lmpid
brown which can on occasion flash fire like steel.
| He has a large share of humor, and / can see
now the twinkle in that large brown eye as he
nears the point of funny story"
The Great Writer at Home.
| Letter in Cleveland Herald
The curiosity with which would naturally
seek for strange and interesting objects of art,