Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-07-26
ONE GENT
LITERARY CHIT CHAT.


The manuscripts of Popes "Iliad and
"odyssevn are in the British Museum.
Nearly all the lines are written on the
back Of letters from eminent men.
Robert Louis Stevenson, few years
ago, found il very difficult to get any of
ais stories accepted bv the magazines
Now he can not Write them fast enough
His health is delicate, but his imagina-
ton vivid AMI romantic, andall his stories
have a weird an ghostly background.
The latest contribution to the literature
of the Father of Waters" is The Mis-
siss'ppi AM its Fortv-four Navigsable
frilutaries--a Descriptive. Commercial.
and Statistical Review, Illustrated with
Three Diagrams, by Mr.. Alex. D. An
derson, author of Mexico from the Ma.
terial Standpoint"
Ferdinand j. Dreer, of Baltimore. has
the orig nal copy of Campbell's beautiful
poem "What Hallowed Ground, also,
Leigh Hunts "Abou Ben Adhem.
Among the treasures of his magnificent
collection are Il. Buchanan Reads
Drifting" and "Sheridan's Ride. Mr..
Dreer has original letters of Calvin, Eras-
mus, Henry III and ~. of France. and
James /, of England.
Bret Harte became a novelist 10y acci-
dent. 1t happened in this way; He was
the editor of the OpeFdnd Magazine, and
failing to secure a story of California
life, he wro'e one himself. Ii was "The
Luck of Roaring Camp, which was re-
ceived with a storm of abuse on the Pa
cific coast. In the East howe> er. il had
an immense success, and was the COM
mencement of his literary fortune.
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was very
poor when she wrote "Uncle Toms
Cabin. The last cha Ter was written
in the Office of her publisher in Boston.
1t was a cold winter morning. and she
arrived at the store half frozen. She
stood over the stove half an hour before
she was sufficiently tIawed to hold her
pen. Three months from that time she
received check for $40, 600 as the first
payment on the sale of "Uncle Toms
Cabin.
George W. Cable was bookkeeper in
New Orleans cotton brokers' office,
working from morning to night, on n
pitifll salary, when he was discovered
by Scribner'S Magazine. and his first
story of creole life was published in that
periodical. Previous to going into tho
counting room he had made a miserable
failure in a newspaper office, his religious
scruples not allowing him to go to the
theater to criticise play. lie has, how
ever, bravely overcome these early
scruples, for he has since written plays.
George W. Childs has one of the most
valuable collections of autographs and GU
rios in the United States. Itcomprises let
ters of all the Presidents, complete manu-,
scripts of Sir Walter Scott. Dickens,
Thackeray, and Hawthorne, letters Of
Byron, Moore, Gray, Burns, Pope, Schil-
Ter, Lamb, etc. Mr.. Childss library con-
tains wealth of rare and curious books,
many Of which are enriched with auto
graphs and notes. The walls of the
library are adorned by portraits of George
Peabody, Henry w. Longfellow, etc.
Donald G. Mitchell, who is perhaps
better known by his nom de plume of Tx
Marvel has fine, clear cut, and decidedly
aristocratic features, reminding one Of
an antique cameo. He dresses in pict-
uresque style, is fond of gay clothes, and
looks like a literary man. He has gath
cred at his home at Edgewood fine
library and some choice pictures and
beautiful things from many lands. He
has a large family, for his reveries have
been broken in upon by 10 children, and
their mother is just the gentle lovely
lady that belongs TO an authors home.