The Washington critic., 1890-01-27
MEN or JfERiT.

without the miseries which belonged to the
days OF johnson and Goldsmith. From
choice, rather than necessity, he has settled
down In two rooms. Paiatial as these might
have seemed TO pact generations of literary
strugglere. they are Quakerlsh In COM
parison with the idealistic abodes OF modern
geniuses. They are TO Alfred Place, a little
by-way Of Bedford Square, Just quiet
enough TO be paradise for hsnd-orgaus,
which Field abhors for the noises they
make but gives pennies TO for their inten-
ton to make the world brighter. It is to
the bowling discords of these ambulant
operas that he is composing his "John
Smith" and other patriotic gems.
Though he went to England with dys-
pepsla, he has suffered most from home
sickness. The former complaint ran
savage course until he quit smoking box
of cigars a day, took to chewing gum ani
found himself deprived Of his favorite vices
Dock Reilly and minee pie. No American
eats minee pie in England, because miuce
pie doesn't grow there, and Dock Reilly
lives away off in Chicago. What the Lon
doner calls mince pie is underdone plum
duh with an upper and lower grease cake
for crust. These changes of habit, together
with the bracing fogs and the diversions OF
society, have well-nigh restored Fields
health. The nostalgia which troubles hi
is aggravated by the absence OF his three
little boys and daughter In Germany, where
they are being educated. From all accounts,
the boys will not, in their career at Hano-
yer, acceDtuate by want OF subtlety and
merry mischief making the fame their father
made among the guileless professors of the
Missouri Valley.
Fields chief occupation is paving
and avoiding calls. His wit aud de-
lightfnl mimicries are the surprise OF
the London drawiug-rooms. Nothing else
displeases him so much as 10 be posed for
an entertainer, and just as certain as fate
he viii he reyenged for the sacrifices he Is
making in series of descriptive studies of
English evening and literary life that will
make Dickens "American Notesn wish
they had never been born.
Not long ago he was the lion of meet
at the home OF Andrew Lang. His patience
had been severely tried for weeks previously
by the questions of intellectual Britishers
than once he had been made to feel that he
was fair representative of that spot of the
universe which is producing the missing
link. A rational chat he was enjoying with
Mrs. Humphrey Ward was interrupted by
the wife of a distinguished iurist of the
Crown.
"Ah," said she, II didn't know till this
moment, Mr.. Field, that you are from
from--n
"Chicago,' y he kindly suggested.
Dear me, yes, Chicago. And you don't
suffer for the comforts and pleasures of
civilization away oil tbere?"
mot at all, assure you. The fact is,
madam, I'm not accustomed to them. 1t
is only ten years since lived in tree.''
In an hour or so, after considering the
matter, she returned and beamngly con-
lded to him that his last remark was very
funny.
There is considerable curiosity among
the followers, in the telegraph columns OF
the daily press, of Mr.. Stanley's fortunes, to
know something more definite about the
New York Herald correspondent who went
fshes-and the wine which that humble
traveller never drinks. That he is queer
fellow may be presumed by those who are
familiar with Mr.. Benefits genius for
selection; that he is wanting in the
higher faculties of the American news
gatherer was made apparent in the ex-
tremely sharp rebuke Mr. Stanley admins
tered In his letter written to the public
only after the explorer concluded that the
man who met him in the name of Jour
nalist didn't know what he wanted to know.
The fact is that Vizitelly was an accidental
choice. In the early spring Of last year,
before the Herald had published Stsnley's
letter from the interior, Mr.. Bennett, who
is simply magnificent in his humors, made
up his mind to have little fun with the
man Stevens, whom the World, in one of
its fits of Punch-and-Judy enterprise, had
sent TO rescue Stanley and Emin Pasha-
and to break up the slave trade-with ST, 900
and bicycle. Mr.. Bennett, be it known,
detests Mr.. Pulitzer more cordially than Mr..
Pulitzer likes himself. He contemplated
hurryng an expedition across the country
by way of Khartoum, but, In the absence of
precise information as to Stanley's plans,
abandoned the idea and decided to scout
Stevens trail instead, until such time as he
could see his way clear to carrying out
someproject of relief operated from Zanzi-
bar. Indifference to danger, great power
OF endurance, knowledge of the country
and Its Inhabitants, were needed for this
mission more than newsgathering methods
nv stata llaaf .aI nj.
was casting about for the man his minds
eye had conceived, Vizitelly was suggested.
1t is told in London that Vizitelly was re-
ceiyed on Mr.. Benefits yacht in the Medi-
terranean; that the anchorage was infested
with sharks; that upon arising the very
first morning at sunrise he deliber-
ately stripped off and dived into the
sea, despite the warnings of the crew, and
that, upon clambering back npon the
deck unharmed, Mr.. Bennett exclaimed
with great delight: 'Ths is the very man
have been looking for" Heroic as it Is,
however, the tale is not precisely true. 1t
is one OF many of the kind which have glo-
rified Vizitelly-stories with which MIR.
Bennett was doubtless familiar.
Vizitelly had the record of the scape-
grace, the prodigal, the daredevil He is a
son of the London publisher, brother OF
the artist war correspondent Of the London
Netrs, and has talented sister. Though
he shared the renown of his family, he en-
joyed few of its honors. He had survived
the most desperate adventures In Northern
and hastern Africa, without profting IN
the way of either fame or fortune,
| Equipped for the softer side OF evening