Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-05

novelist who writes the great, distinctlvely
american novel;" if such creation be
possible, must come here to study his fact
and his fiction. There is a subtle
ty about this life which eludes
the grasp in the most exasperating manner,
and the writer who would penetrate to its
inner core must live here and breath the at
mosphere. Time upon time it has been an
nounced that this or that novelist was max
ing the round of Washington society for the
purpose of doing it into novel, but each
one of these eminent novelists has grown
timid touching the effort in proportion as
they dipped farther and farther into the
subject and discovered that Washington life
can be understood only by those who live
in it.
A DIFFICULT SUBJECT.
am informed that one famous novelist
finished a realistic work dealing with social
and political affairs at the Capital, which
was so ridiculed by noted official to whom
he read portions of it, that it never got
farther toward the publisher than the
authors secret drawer.
These two names suggest that we are not
wholly without literary element. The
impetus Is in this direction. Almost every
year some new name is added to the list of
well-known persons engaged in literary pur-
suits, who takes up residence at the capi-
tai. There are, to begin with, host of
delivers in scientific and other mines of
learning who are not widely known, but
who are regular correspondents to scientific
and technical publications. They have
here fine field for research In the great
law and medical libraries, and in the vast
collection of the National Library, COM
monty called the Library of Congress.
1t Is an interesting sight to watch the in
vestigators and students who come day after
day to dig among these collections, in the
reading rooms of the Libraries, working
from the opening of the doors until the
closing of them, never turning aside, their
whole minds bent on the treasures beneath
their eyes. Not few of these workers are
women, and even some young girls, not out
of their teens, are already old in this fas-
cinating hunt after hidden wealth.
NOTED NovELIsTs.
Among those engaged in the production
of work of fiction Mrs. E. D. E. N. South
worth is doubtless the Oldest resident. Mrs.
Dahlgren is another lady who has become
well known through her novels. Mrs
Frances Hodgson Burnett is as prominent
oOClcIy uCIO do 10 III Luc W1uc WOTlu
OF fiction. Even as L write these lines on
this glowering first day of March she is lend
ing the grace of her presence to distin-
guished company at the residence of Hon.
Smedley Darlington, of Pennsylvania, read
ing portions of her works for the benefit of
Wellesley College, and recitations by her
young son, Little Lord Fauntleroy," are
being applauded to the echo
Gail Hamilton" has oftener than not
been resident of the capital, and now that
her relative, Mr.. Blaine, with whose fami-
ly she usually resides, is about to re-enter
public life, the presence of the somewhat
irascible Miss Dodge is again expected.
SHARED CLEvELAND's FATE.
A lady relative of Mr.. Cleveland, en-
ployed in the departments, has taken dash
into literature in the form of first novel,
but the fate of the infant work seems to
have retired her from the field, as the fate
of politics has retired the President. Mr..
George Bancroft, the eminent historian,
occupies one Of the old mansions on H
street, near the almost palatial home of Mr..
John Hay.
Some years ago there appeared without
any flourish OF trumpets little novel of
Washington life entitled Democracy" 1t
is mainly a satire. and not little
overdrawn, but 1t is, in many
features, the smartest thing that has
been written Of Washington ways.
More than one of the characters were so