Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-12

afternoon.
Charles Reade, the great English novel
ist, was born at Ipsden, OxfOrdshire, in
1914. He graduated in 1885 at Magda-
Zen college, Oxford, where he was
elected to one of the Vinerian fel-
lOwships in 1912. In 1S43 he was call
ed to the bar by the society of Lin
coins Inn, but soon after gave his atten-
tion wholly to literature. In 1S47 he re-
ceiyed the degree Of ID. c. l.. from his uni
versity. Among his earliest literary ef-
forts was drama i'll five acts, entitled
''Gold," which appeared in 1850. In 1852
he published his first story, ''Peg Voting
tom Which Immediately gave him rank
as writer of fiction, and in the following
year "Christie JohnstOne," which met
with still greater favor. These stories are
simple in plot and unpretentious in de-
sign, but are full of dramatic force, richin
incident, and marked by peculiar ten
derness and pathOs. In 1854, in cOniunc-
tion with Mr.. Tom Taylor, he published a
volume of plays, containing "Masks and
Faces" the plot of which is identical
with that of ''Peg WOfliRgton,v ssTWO
Loves and a Life" and ''The Kings Rival"
"ClOuds and Sunshine" and art Dra-
matte Tale" two noYellettes, appeared in
1850. All these works We're received with
tiattering welcome, and in 1856 he pub
iAoliCO Il IuOiC dliiDlllOi6 uONPl. Gntlbleu III
is Never too Late to Mend.' in which he
aimed to show the possibility of the refor-
nation Of a criminal. This. which was
the first OF series 0frOmances, each writ
ten to illustrate some social or public
wrong, aroused attention to the brutali-
ties OF the English prison system, and was
instrumental in effecting their ameliora-
tion. His later works are: 1.-THE Double
Marriage, or White Lies" "The Course of
TFna Love mayor did rim Cpaoofl, >, eCI.o
pria Qu9 Maribus, and the Box TunneP'
(lS3O; Cream: Jack of all Trades"
and the autobiography of a Thicf''
(lS5o); Love Me Little, Love Me Long,
and "A Good Fight and other Tales
(1o59); "The Eighth COMMANDMENT
(1S60); "The ClOIster and the Hearth, or
Maid, Wife and Widow (1S61): "Hard
Cash" (1S63); "Griffith Gaunt, or Jeal-
ousy' 1860; "Foul Play" in connection
with Dion BOucicault 1853; "Put Your
self in his Place. 1870; "a Terrible
Temptation" (1S7l); "The Wandering
Herr (1S12); "a Simpleton; a Story of a
Day" (1S74); and "a Hero and a Martyr''
(1SI5) of these, "The Cloister and the
Hearth" Incorporates the greater part Of
a previous story, GA Good Fight" =" but the
plot soon changes and iustihes the secOn-
dary title of "Maid, Wife and Widow"
The chief characters, Gerard and Marga-
ret, are the parents of Erasmus. Hard
Cash" was written with the object of call
ing attention to the abuses of lunatic
asylums; and so fOrcibly did he put the
facts which he had gathered that it
awakened official investigation and led to
a change in the English lunacy laws. "PHt
YOurselfin his Place" is an exposure of
the system of terrorism, vulgarly called
''rattening," practiced by the trades
unions in English manufacturing towns
for the intimidation of independent work
men. Many Of Mr.. Reade's stories have
been successfully dramatized, and nearly
all of them have been translated into the
different languages Of Europe. Mr.. Reade's
style is characterized bygreat terseness
and vigOr, and by wealth of incident
which few writer's Of fiction have pos
sessed: and though marred by occasional
peculiarities, which in some instances de-
generate into literary trickery, it won
him great popularity and place among
the foremost nOYelists of the age,