New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-08
w. D. HOWELLS.
HIS CAREER AND HIS HOME.
tCoDvrioht. 1851

y "
happens not one OF these is Bostonisn Henry James
was born In NewYork; Aldrich Port smouth
N H., and we'd for years in New York. where he first
gained reputs as author; and John BOYLE O'Reilly
was born physically IN Ireland Intellectually in
| Australia, and POLITICALLY Boston. Mr.. HoweIs first
the light OF the In Ohio In 1887 Another fact
worth noticing 10. that they are none
OF them college graduates complete course OF college
study Is sometimes ADVANTAGE to Imaginative
author. hut Is often dsaivantsgs and hardly bs
called essential As an Illustration OF this Mr. Howelss
| career Il instructive As a boy he had only q
rev years vi common schooling.
IL the plain. life Of an American hoy in what
was then the West hut the sportive period did not last
long While yet boy he a place a. tyne setter on
me Oht' STAT Journal conducted by his father learned
printing, and began TO write Under President Lincoln
he went to Venice as Consul, and while IN that Office
married MISC Mcaee Of Bratleboroush sister OF Larn
Meade the sculptor This l. the and simple record
| Of the years preceding the time when he became q
professional author Most Of his education he got for
| himself He became accomplished italian scholar
| and formed reading acquaintance with German,
French and Spanish He had already in Ohio. made biz
debut poet. IN a volume 10 which his friend J.
Patt also contributed: but Venetian Life first
prose work with which he appealed to the public. HA
experience with this at nrst dscouragng He sent
1t Ia The Ahanc Monthly, and It rejected by James
T. FIELDS. rhen the editor large part OF 10 finally
| printed - letters in The Bosn Daily Ldreras>r.
Starting for hume 1862 he met with small enconr-
aseuent in England for the project OF hringtng
book there He arrived In York. where" he once
said to the writer literally bsred my into the
| newspapers AMI finally cot position The Iatonv
He hat not given up the hope Of issing Venetian fe"
but with difficulty induced II. o. Houghton 4 Co. 10
rrint an clifton OF l,J0o copies from type which was
then distributed In fortnight every copy sold and
plates had to be made for new edition. The
marked that Mr.. J. 7. Fields discovered
mis- rejected conrit utJr valuable ally engaged
him tb become assistant editor OF The ApaD6c After
couple OF years Mr. Fields withdrew, leaving Howes Ia
full charge. Ever since then he has either held an
editorial position post OF equal security in relation
with a publishing house. This. while It has entaIed
ruch drudsery, has been OF great him, enabling
him to continue his devel pnent steadily without the
Ofanxous uncertainty which nders Amer
lean authors who lack independent from doing
their Howells editor permanently freed from
the panGs and dsappointnents Of conributorshp But
his literary ambitions by means satisfied He set
ont to train his hand as novelist From the av when
Their Wedding Journey appeared uniil The present
he has written story after story without rest gradually
hs G ssT ,u an s91 Sr hts sop until
force " complete novels Instead of tie Jn'sse OF
unrrnittng wnrx Ia bring him 10 the pOins where this
grssth Was fully r'cognizri
a little in tile shoulders. lie 10 hardly rob.ist and
dshkes e1ercise-eyer walking being dsta.teful TO him
nc-@slntlv many hours day FOR fifteen years. tarniag
out quantities Of uAsaTae papers asd crtio. articles
besides his longer WORKS, TRANSACTIONS comedy and
romtc ouera; although he has sn8er-d severely from
writer's cr.ulp IN his right baud anil arm This
anent has played havcc with hand~rIiing which was
distinguished fCr cleari"ss snd compact elegance
slight tinge OF his otherw, coluriess face
suggests something Italian about him; and the resduess
n hs laugh and smile wLIch are null Of b.yi,h enjoy
| Inent. help the snSgestion. But with his strongly
m uideJ and short heavy mTstache, he would have
| ot the prusiye I remember when were CaubrLi9s
together he used to take particular pleasure IN null
berry TIRE North ave which perhaps fnd.d him
italy and also Of tie Mulberry Of hts boys"i B onio
He To speak nf the social and int ilectual
eide" ana cornpLinet. in looking form or
home OF his that there seemed "a be grass the
staneh Amcrica airI bas proved himself so by scSias
this country In spite of dream which he cherished
| long ~ going 10 Italy To- sTrnd some years.
As said ahove, he rIsle his dom'cile IN Boston
only Hboat four years ago Tbs vas on bis from
a sud ard exteEe Eugi sh reputation. Before that
| he had lived IN Cambridge and at Belmont. some four
miles further out froi. Boston. He night easily make
| chaptet the various houses he has occupied The
.ccond which the present VIZ tr him, he had
built himself We watched it closely day by day, az
1t grew from cellar t" floor. thence To tue second story
and roof; and the interest which silas La ham, II
the powell iev tss Ia Lis unfinished dwelling. mAJ
ay' s GT r. reaG tnosh Mr Howe 0H n is a
and IL is p.in that he draws almost rely from
rowing traits FROM people whom he knows, for in the
characters Of his tales An instance which shows
novels was appearing serlly .undry alert IA kativs
realers thoutht they detected in distinct p"rtraiturs
OF neighbor The talk 80 busy and g"sspns that
finally to tho Of Mr.. HOwells himself He
seo o. w, ", pcr sn "a s sass %
AMI that the idea of It had nor even entered bis miu1
until tAe ace Isation made. To show wa how I'm.
willing do that sort II thing" he salt I'll
| hle 10 you that in writing this book one OF the
characters TrDinded mo of fr"nd-a nan knew
| time sgo. A. soon discovered that. him
asking him II he would mind my making some Use OF him
AZ a moecl he REPLIED good uaturetIy snd Jave used
him little; but would not have done hat without
n t s S' ssS seeS o' M he r .Ts
that story 10 book form n he suppressed
y,i ,h g, false accusation % 6- repeao-d
Vt" The third house in which Nj Ho~es homo
was the charmiaZ little villa 81 Wellington Mn, IN Bel
mont which rhshited tor two three 10 com.
| handed a wonderful view 81 he amphheatre In which
aud glimpse OF sea blue hey ond This villa called
,efop; partly IRON the prevalence there OF sind Of
Ohio der the OF rel and
partly the fact that he long sloping roof OF the
house was covered with sEineies Of Csfor red wood
Insi te house small miracle Of design lined
With hsni wror ght panelhng. wooGen op-a-"ork ana
delicate Queen Anne monldrnes: There were open IRE
places small scryao'y. and everything shas codld
make tes htfal inteS, b. tas n, no ssst IN seeking
When he back from Europe the last ~ e be laid
his Straight for the heart of BOSTON FRS, he hired
a housc IN old fashioned Loui.brg Square. Beacon
nm: and he has bought house on BEACON 81 the
o. Which 1s cf fs an srss
This dwell has none of IN of the de-
seTea VIVA What might he ca-d as regards s interior
| nnI.h. carpenters bous, Adorned with woodwork
II f" aoo at or two Of oTrr Wendell HOLINESS
honse where the Antocrat found material for poen.
Az over the Bay. And Mr. Howells, moreover has
the advantage Of small elevator ny which he can hoist
hjms. M or himself down. FROM roor e. noor-or
story story according a. Inspiration may require
ru caat upon editors often severely critical
and the righ 10 state his opinions orcby
/ whch contributors regard their pfivi
leres Ye. he was nearly always gentle. couSfersts
tolerant Once to yonng writer who offered MIN
| poem IN which this line occurred
| And the frogs at evening erosk -
,s said. DO yeu think yoa can snori introduce the
frog into terstrer He lookec serious ard medi.
tave In putting this query; aud the young writer fe
trsr,u,nns and abashei. but answered boldly; Yes.
va,, the f, TO STAY there" And Mr.. Howels strsights
way showed mercy unto the frog AMI the frog rehsnes
J IN the poem and printed accordingly.
nan rouki be free from anecta.ion ana as
.nmnton than Mr. Howells He never puts .n Literary
snp. a,,nnr nthnr people. Re Is always simple, un-
| aan a GENITAL and nnsbtrtlsive companion. He
i ..s through sEams. and 10 quick 10 perceive
puni sa serune crit He knows what II Is 70 labor