The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-04
ISrco:al Correspondence.

NEW DIRK, Nov. 1u.-Onc of the AmCri-
can novclists who holds his own is T.
Marion Crawford, who has recently come
to the United States to read in public from
some Of his novels Mr. Crawford was
born in Italy during his parents residence
There, his father having II sculptOr's studio
In Ronc and it is on account Of his foreign
experience, much of his life having been
spent abroad, that his novels are ALWAYS
studies and stories suggested by European
or oriental life.
Mr.. Crawford says that he really Stun
bled into novel writing. He was educated
for another vocation, but he happened to
tell an uncle of his, II man who was dstin.
guishcd in his way, the story of Mr..
jacobs, whom he had met somewhere in
the orient, and the uncle insisted that
young Crawford should write the story
out. Crawford did this, celebrating n lii
tie, changed the name of the hero to Isaacs.
and when his uncle read the manuscript
he declared the story was good enough
to publish. 1t was published, and "lir.
lsancs" became one Of the famous novels
of the time.
Since then Crawford has continued the
writing of fiction, has published nearly Il
dozen novels, all of them with profit. ami
~ now about To initiate the example of
Charles Dickens and others and read from
his own works
The uncle To whom Mr.. Crawford told
the story of tho original of Mr. Is:iacs
was sam Ward, Il character who might
well serve as IL study for any novelist. In
his way Mr.. Ward was one of the most
famous men Of the time in which he lived
Connected by marriage with the Astor
1annly, and being one of the most delight
1ul OF hosts, man of wide reading and
liberal culture, II charming wit and above
all, not only an epicurc, but actually u
consummate cook, Mr.. Ward had every
thing that Il man could wish in the way of
society or the friendships of cultivated men,
1t was in the war time that IL certain as
ISOLATION of capitalists being anxious to
procure some Legislation from congress-
suggested to Mr. Ward that he 20 to WASH
lngton and look after their interests
lie did SO, and he made lobbying nm cx-
Quisite art. He came to be known rs the
king of the Lobby" His approaches to
members of congress were something u:,-
usual. He reached many of them through
their stomachs. He gave the most en-
'Quisite dinners ever known in Washington
lie was able to cook II canvasbac!l duck or
terrapln rs no professional cook ever Of
fered it to guests, and his method of cook
ing Virginia hams was such us To make
epcurcs delight in that roast almost as
much as they did in canvasback duck.
Wards tact was something marvellous; he
never gave oiTcnsc, never bored, but he be-
came the most popul man in Washington.
The business of lobbying became un-
profitable about 1876, and Mr. Ward re-
turned to New York. Soon after some
thing occurred in his experience out of
which his nephew Mr.. Crawford, might de.
velop a delightful story. James K keenc.
the famous SPECTATOR, had during Il time
of awful panic on Wall street sustained
the market single handed and put an end
to the panic. He did this in one day The
mental tension WAS something awful
y reaction followed after Mr. kecnc won
his victory, and he WAS brought very near
TO deaths door with threatened paralysis
of the brain. His family were in Europc
1t was midsummer, when almost all his in
Innate friends were in the country, and Inc
lay therefore unattended excepting BIZ n
nurse, on Il bed in II New York hotel
Mr.. Ward hearing of his illness called
upon him, and finding that no friends were
about him gave up all his own engagements
and watched and nurscd Mr. Kcene for
nearly II month, or until he had almost re-
covered and his friends came. One day us
Mr. Ward was leaving Kccne's bedside the
great Spectator handed to him letter.
bidding him not to open it until lie had
reached Wall street
When Mr.. Ward opened the letter he
found it contained II statement of IN ac-
count with Il firm of brokers. 1t showed
that he had bought Il large number OF
shares of railway stock Mt Il certain uricn
some weeks before, and that on the dny
previous the brokers had sold the stock ut
his order. and had TO his credit us his pro
fits some $50, 900.
Mr.. Ward had never had Il financial op-
Grafton of that kind. He had bought no
stock, and had given no order for settling
it, and he did not underst and the meaning
of it until he was told that the stock had
been bought in his name by Mr.. Kecnr
Then he understood that Kecnc had taken
this method Of acknowledging his kind.
ness to him.
When Charles Dickens proposed to read
from his works many of his friends Thought
that it would be undignied to make II
public show of himself Yet he earnc,!
from his American readings in one season
more money than he had received in roy
alties for all the books lie had ever written
Thackeray's lectures, which his friends
thought were unbecoming for n novelist,
earned for him enough to buy the house
which he coveted, and to give him a perml-
nent income of some IS, 600.
George w. Gable has earned more from
his readings than he has from his novels
Edward Eggleston has found readings
from his own works profitable, and the
temptation ior SUCCESSFUL authors to read
from their own works is now very great.
since the promise of pecuniary rewards is
usually most alluring.
Mr. Crawford is said to be good reader
and rs he is Il man of fine physical pres
cncc, who is almost unknown personally
to Americans on account of his long ab
scncc, it is quite possible that he, too, may
find that his public readings bring him
larger returns than his writings have done
Il. j. EDWARDS.