The Portland daily press., 1892-07-09

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Mr.. Howells is in the neighborhood OF
fifty years of age. In talking with him
you give him the benefit of being on:
the right side of fifty, no matter what
his biography may say. He is Of medi-'
um height, and is quite stout, round
and contented looking His face is
round. Nearly all the lines of his fig
ure are curved. His hands are fat and.
dimpled. His round face has the look
of refinement, experience of the world.
the good natured indifference and the
cynically happy disbelief OF a diplomat
of experience and high position. His
eyes are dark gray and deeply set
His forehead is broad and high, covered
nearly to his eye brows with iron gray
hair, combed down in what might be
called bang, if There were not a SEM
blance of party to destroy the charac-
ter of suoh definition. An iron gray
mustache shades his frm-iined mouth.
The nose is straight and not large His
chin is smooth shaven and forceful. His
voice is very agreeable. There are GER
Tain notes of contentment in the tones
of his voice which argue that Mr.. How
ellis is satisfied with his career and with
the success he has made in life.
When at his new post as joint editor
of the Cosmopolitan Msgazinen he oc-
cupies small den in the Madison
Square Bank Building, New York city,
where there is room for huge desk. a
stuffed leather chair for Mr.. Howells,
and for three or four chairs for the
literary aspirants who come in trem-
bling to submit to his Judgment the
samples of spring poetry, essays and
stories which come in endless process
sion to every recognized publication.
Sketches of proposed illustrations
standing about relieve the plainness of
the office, which is rigidly business
looking, much like the corner of the av-
Grace managing editor of daily news
paper.
1t has been my pleasure and good for
tune to interview many men prominent
in politics, financial circles and the
world of science, art and literature. 1t
has been my expe rience that the most
contented men are those outside of the
world of politics and finance. A success
greater happiness than in any other.
Mr.. Howells is one of the best evidences
Of this contentment of well-merited sue
cess.
The interview with Mr.. Howells was
not confined to one visit. The questions
were asked during two visits. There
were many left to be asked, but
it would have been unreasonable to
push his courtesy too far. He was
much more frank than a politician He
refused to answer no questions put to
him. These questions covered number
of widely varying topics. He was first
asked what led to adopt literature as a
profession. He said he could not an
swer such q question as that, and gave
al specific reason. He could not re-
member a time when he was not
in literature. He could not recall
the day when he began to read,
So far back as his memory goes
he has always known how to read. His
father was a man of books, and in tho
printing Office of the elder Howells his
literary tastes were stimulated He
said that his first writing was an essay
upon the subject of life. This was not
written, but W as composed at the case.
He does not know what has become of
this contribution to American literature.
His next step in the direction of liter
airy study was when he discovered the
laws of prosody. That opened up to
him the possibility of writing poetry,
and lot of previous rubbish he said it
was that he composed at that time
In speaking of his career in literary
development, Mr.. Howells dwelt upon
Europe as his university. He thought
nothing that could have happened
could have done him more good than
the four years of tranquility in a world
stepped in tradition, world OF art, SUBJ
ject to the powerful influence of the old
civilizations which make such deeu and
lasting impressions upon the minds of
those who come from the newer world
to study. Here he had four years of
perfect freedom, freedom from all fnan-
cial care, and with perfect surroun lings
for the development of writer lie
had sufficient leisure during his occu-
pancy of the post to travel all over Italy,
and to visit some of the other countries
EuranA 1t is ITALY. however. which