Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-01-26
BosToS. Jan. ~, 1898.

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BosroN, Jan. ~, 1898.
To the Editor EHsrorth .imertcrn:
DEAR Mr.. CHILCorT As many OF your
subscribers are, no doubt. readers and ad-
mirers of the works of f. Marion Craw-
ford | will attempt TO describe to them a
personal meeting with the author of MIR
I-aacs." Don Orsino." The Witch Of
Prague" and many other books.
Monday evening, Jan. ., being guest
at a reception and supper tendered Mr.
Crawford at odd Fellows Hall. by the
Catholic Union Of Boston. had the pleas
ure of meeting this interesting man face
to face and listening to an informal talk by
him.
Able artists who had kindly volunteered
their services out of compliment TO Mr..
Crawford rendered the following program 4:
Piano solo Polonaise. chopin.
Mr. Gerard Tallandier.
Soprano Soio-Dust Know: i,Dtoli
Mrs John " O'Mealey.
Tenor solo, De horen.
Mr.. james q. M'Cabe.
Reading, Selected
Miss Eleanor Sullivan.
Contralto Solo, Selected.
Miss Teresa Magenni-.
Song, Selected
Mr.. Ivan Moraw. XII.
Mr.. Francis Martin. secretary of the
Union. read pleasant letter from the Rev
ton College, In which he spoke Of Mr..
Crawford in terms Of the highest praise,
and regretted his own inability to be
present. The lion of the evening was then
introduced by President Macdonald Ones
first impression of Mr., Crawford is GER
tainly very pleasing He is young man
about thirty nine years of age, tall, finely
proportioned and very good looking.
la regard To his ability as speaker,
Mr.. Crawford is by no means an orator,
but speaks with little embarrassment, or
rather hesitancy, which shows that he
Is more accustomed to expressing his
thoughts by his pen than by his tongue.
After thanking his audience for the
warm welcome and reception that had been
given him, he called attention, and took
exceptions, TO q sentence in FIR. Fulton's
letter which described him as the great
American Catholic author" Now" said
Mr.. Crawford, I'm an American, I'm
but I'm not yet great" He then told US
the story of his early life and struggles.
He was born In Rome, but Of American
parents, his father and mother being ma
sculptor, Thomas Crawford, and his moth
er belongs 10 the talented Ward family,
being a sister of Mrs Julia Ward Howe
His parents removed to Rome on account
of the better advantages afforded by that
city for the study Of sculpture, and it was
there in the Eternal City" that young
Francis Marion first saw the light Of day.
His early life was spent in Rome, and it
was there that his first work with the
pen was done, he being for short time
reporter on the London Daily Telegraph.
The family at this time having met with
reverse of fortune and young Crawford
being thrown on his own resources, he
listened to q friend who persuaded him
that fame and fortune waited for him in
India. borrowed money enough to take
him there aud went.
The opening, as is always the case, did
not look as bright after he reached there
as he had expected. and he was obliged to
wait long time before finding anything
to do. At last he was offered the editorship
of q small paper which position he accepted
with alacrlty, but his description of life as
an editor in India is not calculated to in
spire one with particularly feryd desire
to go and do likewise, even if one got the
chance. Imagine working fifteen hours q
day with the thermometer at lis deg. and
that with fans going all the time and the
windows covered with grass screens
dripping with water! l am afraid you
will hardly credit Mr.. Crawford's story
that even that was such change from the
temperature outside that he was obliged to
put on an extra coat for fear Of taking
cold.
1t was while in India that he met the
hero of his first novel, "Mr Isaacs," which
was published ten years ago. The mans
real name was Jacobs and it was twenty
years ago that Mr.. Crawford first made his
acquaintance.
After leaving India he came to this
country and to New York. While there he
told the story of Mr.. Jacobs to his uncle,
who was SO much pleased with it that
he advised his nephew to make . lit.
tie sketch of it for some magazine. 1t
was with this intention that the famous
book was started, but the author got so
interested in his own work that when the
facts in the case gave out he brought his
imagination into play and gave US his first
novel, "Mr. Isaacs."
The book was published in London, but
before it came out Mr.. Crawford had an
other ready, and the first met with so
much success that third was ordered ,and
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