St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-24
MRS. HopG,ON BURNETT.


Rosc She Lises in Her Pretty Home at
HGSh HTtOH
In this interval of publishing which Mrs.
Burnett has allowed herself it is to be hoped
she has learned lesson--tHat is, that in her
last Book she departed from her native heath,
and found herself in strange and unnatur-
al land. Among all the masters OF dialect
aud strange painting which we
have she has been one of the strongest and
best, and it is only in the hands of a master
that dialect is effective.
This can easily be appreciated and recog-
uized if one remembers that splendid novel,
''Tnat Lass O. LoWrie's,'' and her touch
ing and beautiful little story Of
louisiana In this sort of characterize
ton of people who have been developed in
some far Locality where habits and customs
have modelled character into something sim
pie and original she works in perfectly IN
affected and thoroughly artistic manner.
This is far different when she essays 10
paint the complex vapidities and insinceri-
ties Of modern social lie. In the effort to be
strong she is affected, and the Whole manner
of work Is 50 Fictitious and artificial that the
soul is weary. and one longs for Lancashire
or South Carolina once more. Mrs. Brunette
herself has certain ecccntricities almost to be
called failings which are seen in this later
stvle OF work She is of English blood, al
though born in this country, and has all the
INCONSISTENCIES of that downright race. For
instance sue poses SO pal pabiy that one is al
most compelled 10 smile and try TO Imagine
| how 4 woman that can bring into existence
| as splendid and simple, AID strong crta-
| ture as JOan could be guilty Of posing against
2 portiere and calling her unfortunate and
unruly BOYS Lionel and Vivian, wnile she in
| forms everyone with pleasing naivete that
they are said TO look like the Princes in the
| tower, She lives In Washington, has her
| own little circle of indlscrin L ate adorers,
/ who seem 10 possess as the bond winch
unites them in this circle the one fact that
! they adore her This is pity, for she might
/ nave better things. And to be more explicit
when we note the fact that when Henry
james came to Washington he never met
Mrs. Burnett in her viii ly swinging orbit, it
becomes apparent that pity TITS It's true" "
! SIZE lives in little house on side street,
and is at home Informally Tuesday evenings.
It IL a single house with drawing rooms ana
dining room on the first floor, bedrooms on
tue second, and on the third big writing
room she calls her den.
The bous, is fun Of etchipgs and odd bits
| of sketches in pretty, careless arrange
meut. A piano, where the Arbutnnot of her
| Washing ton story sings TO her blue eyes,
while she stands poised against the door-a
pleasant and effective figure in q yellow
gown Of old-fashioucd cut, holding peacock
] b..r Inns he hi.nn
and listens She is a little under the medi-
um hight, and of pleasing plumpness, has
q rather large and clever head, intensely
keen blue eyes, which she opens little too
widely and nervously in talking, rather
sharply cut features, and mop Of yellow
hair Dr. Burnett Is quiet gentleman,
who "a quite a successful Occulist, and has q
hobby for etchiugs, and their two boys are
very nearly OF a size, biz, handsome urehins
with yellow hair, which she curls In papers
over night, and which falls very prettily, Il
not quite naturally, over their little slashed
velvet costumes. These picturesque children
she gathers about her skirts In pretty little
way whlchis somewhat maternal and wholly
effective, II a little affected. Bertha In 'On'
Administration, " who is very clearly hcrsel
In many ways, says. Il have always con-
gratuiated myself that my children were be-
coming 10 me" This is certainly move
way Of considering one's offspring, ant
b. doubtless Mrs. Burnett's kindness 10 them
is as elaborate and original rs her very ex
traordinary and artistic treatment OF them
AS accessories. It's said that one OF he
early tories called Dolly is a history o
! her early life her family. and her own low,
D. affair aud marriage. Il Is the old and pa
p thetic story of young love fettered 10y tht
, worldly lack Of money, lis delays and fna
! fuhllmeut The simple and telling natural
ness of this early tale. as WILL as tn efs'iy-
r recognizable outlines OF herself aud her bus
band, lead one TO believe that this is rea
l life aud her own story, keenly aud person
ally felt.
Her stories have had quite a large Englis
, sale Her Fair Barbarian" was an i'm
meuse hit, and when II came out one coul
hear It called out by the train boys in all tn
D provinces aud dialects of England. Wit
. toe one sad aud notable exception OF be
i last book. with which she has left Us, he
- work Is all douc with clear aud vigorcu
e touch. There Is no hopeless completely q
h characters, such as al but Dickens, {
i Thackerv, or George Eliot fail in handlin
g FIRMLY Her people are lfe-sized figures
boldly painted on a big canvas, and she Ia
!. splendid use OF both action and confirms. /
e light and shade She has the trick of man
a another successful novelist OF taking som
a character from primitive life and intfodGc
ing them into an utterly contrasting envi
=, ronmeut while yet they are young aud irr'
r pressible, aud then letting the reader 81
e how they behave. This Is an analytic az
hut Il presents very interesting spectacl
ie under whatever conditions Her poetry, c
Re which she has Published but little, Is yer
sincere aud sweet. almost her best an
- cleArest note. Ii is very sympathetic. 4
Is most pathetic, bringing the thought that
II was done for loves sake, some day while tl
1 thoughts in her gentle, womauly heart we
e, deepest aud most unframed, aud the thoug
a OF the magnEiue's next months instalmeu
/ OF her story had been Tor the nOnce forge
5. ten. Her play-writing has heeu successiJ
"a and her only mistake seems 10 have been
Welding TO this literary vogue II an analys
n which approaches vivsection, certainly
At cruel process, for in it all healthy acton
n brain aud heart dies. In the modern NOS
:. there is no plot, no stirring life, no emotion
- M heroisr. no heroes. We fain would r,
ID turp 70 Thaddeus Of Warsaw, and Arabcl
u In tears. but rather we want more such ere
tures as Mrs. Burneiis splendid Joan. y
re saves mau With her strong young arms, Al
ge wnuld die for her love II need b.. We DO
she will give US anotaer such--ErsbIags.
% story Of Sgairrsls.
Tue Evan Ssliss
he In frout % the telegraph office al Stoc