Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-17

the Capital He is noted for his tact and
his kind-heartedness, and he has something
of the literary bent SO strongly shown in
his mother. He is going to school here,
but he publishes at the same time little
newspaper called The Noon, which gives all
the social news about the young people of
Washington society, and which on its edi-
torial page states that it is published in the
Interest of the dancing class and its pupils.
This paper is about the size of a page of
ioolscap. and it costs cents per copy. 1t
is packed tull of good news about the
Young people for whom it is published, and
Is not bad little newspaper.
Mrs. Burnett tells me he will have his
type for her book set up under his own
supervision. She originated the club, upon
which it is founded, herself during her stay
there in honor of her son Lionel, who
died, and she furnished it with a reading
room and library. The club is one COM
posed of poor boys.
Doesn't Believe in Realism.
Mrs. Burnett Is very fond of writing for
children. During nv call upon her the
other day l asked her as TO what she con-
sidered her mission in writing, and she told
me that she felt that she was doing the most
good when she was writing good books for
children. She does not belive in the
realistic school OF fiction, and she says
that the realism of today consists of paint
ing in all their horrors the vices of mankind.
She believes that we should look at the
better side of man rather than at his worst
side, and that by idealizing his good quail
ties we can make those who read about him
better. This is especially the case with
boys. Every boy is naturally a hero
worshiper, and even the worst boys try to
initiate the heroes they admire.
"As to being a reformer," said Mrs. Bur-
nett, 81 am not one in the sense of attempting
srecial reforms such as Charles Dickens or
Charles Reade did when they wrote of great
public evils Dickens did great good by his
pictures of Dotheboys Hall and Oliver
Twist, and Charles Reade opened the eyes
of England to the corruptions and cruelties
of its Insane asylums and prisons In this
line of reform have done nothing, and my
stories have not been written with such an
idea though / aim to do good in my own
way"
Inside Mrs. Burnett's Homo.
talked with Mrs. Burnett in her den in
the third story of her beautiful home on
Massachusetts avenue. This home Is a
large three-storv house of pressed brick and
brown stone with wide bay window reach
ing from the ground to the roof 1t is
within 4 stones throw of Blaine's mansion
on Dupont Circle and it lies between that
and the big red brick of Vice President
Morton, surrounded by the most handsome
houses of fashionable Washington. You
enter it by wide front door and find your.
self in great hall filled with old-fashioned
furniture of carved wood, some of which
Mrs. Burnett picked up in Italy. Rare old
Turkish rugs lie upon the floor, and at the
right is the parlor furnished in blue and
gold.
Winding stairs of Georgia pine conduct
Won by many landings to the third floor,
and here in a large room, with its windows
looking out on Massachusetts avenue, you
find the literary workshop of one Of the