Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-27
HIS wIFE's RELATIONS.
Why Brother HOwells is so Popular In
Brattleboro.

From the Neao York Sun.
BRATTLEBoRO, May 23.-We were here
the night the May Century came to town,
and were somewhat surprised to see the
numbers of people who passed the hotel
window where we were stationed who
were turning the leaves OF the dun-brown
pamphlet, or reading hastily, as they
walked slowly along. Presently / re-
marked to a garrulous, white-haired old
gentleman, who comfortably filed the
large armchair by my side:
"The Century appears to be favorite
here?"
Anything is a favorite here that has
one of Howelrs stories in it, replied the
old gentleman, crossing his soft, white
hands on the top of his gOld-headed cane.
"Perhaps, sir, you don't know that Mrs.
Howell is a native of BratteborO. She
was a Meade, sister of the artist, Larkin
G. Meade, whose fame is worldwide. and
will 90 down through the centuries as
long as the marble that he has almost put
a soul into retains its marvellous beauty.
"Ah, sir, the Meades are an exceptional
family. They are allied with those old
Hunts, the first Governors of Vermont,
from whom the artist Hunt descended.
They are as bright and sparkling as
and pungent as old-fashiOned red roses on
a dewy June morning.
"Oh, | assure you, sir, to appreciate
HOwells you must know the Meades, for
it is an open secret here that everyone of
his vivaciOus, capricious girl characters is
a sister or cousin or aunt. 1t takes the
Brattleboro people to talk them up and
give them their proper names. Seldom
has an artist struck such paradise of
IN
Meade family.
penelope Lapham is the present sem
sation, and you can imagine, perhaps,
with what anxiety the CeuttlB is waited
for, and with what ayidity The Rise of
Silas' is seized upon. The Meades are ex-
ceptionally cultivated and refined, so you
see, of course, that none Of the Laphams,
with the exception of Penelope, are drawn
after the supply of models. Yet, in GER
tain particulars, the Laphams have
Meade characteristics; for instance, they
appreciate each other, they care little for
general society, and, az a lady upon High
street said last night, they enjoy their
own fun and have an ineXnaustible store
of delight in good-humoredly satirizing
the world lying unsuspiciOusly about
Them You have seen how Penelope runs
on when the Colonel gets fairly set down
to laugh at her.
THE Careys, in their dainty, luxurious
exclusiveness, are modelled after the
Meades. Do you remember that point
where yoGng Carey felicitated himself
that he was a Carey? l suppose there
never was Meade nor a Hunt that didn't
feel just that way.
81 remember, sir, as II it was only yes
terday when Mrs. HOwells started for
Italy to meet her gifted lover. They were
married over there, you know. AS was
strOlling up Main street here after the
train had left l met one of our society
ladies who spoke OF the fitting,
and added 1T is really deplo-
rable to conjecture what society
here will subside to without that
brilliant, fascinating, original young girl.
She is just like the girl in the fairy story
from whose lips diamonds and pearls fell
continually, and her associates picked up
her gems and bon mots, and passed them
along as their own / assure you, sir,
BrattlebOro is not the only village where
the Meades have given piquant, refined,
artistic tone to society. / wonder some
times that no newspaper man has got
hold of HOWells' secret, and let IL out.
It's nothing against him as l see. Thou
sands Of people have known the Meades,
but it took a Howells to immortalize
them,N