The Washington times., 1894-07-22
OUIDA'S WEALTH is GONE
The Famous Novelist Said to Be
Nearly Destitute.
HER HOUSE IN ITALY SOLD
Her Bitter Views Of Life and Her Love for
Ornaments-Not Q Favorite in Florence.
But People Arc Afraid Of Her Sharp Pen
and Tongue.

FLORENCE, July 12.-It hardly seems credi-
BILE that Ouida, one of the most noted and
prolific of writer's, should be nearly destitute.
Such is the fact, however, and at the present
time she is in pitiable condition. Her
house and all her personal property in Italy
have been sold to pay her debrs, and she ID
getting too old to start afresh.
Everybody in and about Florence knows her
by sight. Sheis rather striking figure OF a
scanned and wrinkled face, and having old
fashioned ringlets hanging in front Of her
ears. She dresses handsomely and expen-
sively, but in an unconventional manner and
not always In good taste. At times she Is
overloaded with color and ornaments, and
then again she is simple in attire to the point
of severity. 1t would seem that she enjoys at
tracing attention and making sensation,
although she pretends otherwise. The bent
OF her mind is somber and cynical. In fact,
most Of her literary tastes are what would be
denominated unheathful. Her views OF life
are not cheerful. and her countenance is gen.
orally marred by an expression Of unamiabil-
ity. What has made her bitter no one knows.
1t Is due partly to temperament and partly to
circumstances. Her early life has probably
been such as to sour her. Moreover she is an
idealist, and consequently doomed to disap-
pointment in all her relations with the world.
She Is of French extraction, her grand
father having been n Frenchman, but she is
English on both sides of the house, having
been born at Bury st. Edmunds, Suffolk. The
story runs that her father and mother, being
in harmonious in their domestic relations,
separated during her girlhood-he coming to
the continent and she remaining in England
Ou;da's youth was passed in various coun-
tries, SO she may be said TO have no particu-
lar nationality. She speaks French, Italian
and German, rs well as her native tongue,
and writes all Of those languages with facility.
She has often declared that she had no child
hood, and, indeed, no youth: for her expert
ences were unpleasant and forced her when
very young into kind Of morbid nature.
For years she has beeen overfowing with
cynicism and bitterness. dlsliking men and
distrusting women. and giving the most un-
pleasant pictures Of fashionable society, indi-
eating that sefshness. rascality and wanton-
ness are the distinguishing traits OF humanity.
She is even more OF misogynist than a mis-
anthrope, for she never allows an opportunity
to pass without arraigning her own sex at the
stern bar OF her warped judgment.
Her name OF Ouida she took from the child
ish pronunciation of her name of Louisa de Ia
Rance by her little niece. She is very pro-
life writer, having written about thirty-tlve
novels. besides any number of magazine arti-
cles and contributions to newspapers. Her
pen is never idle. 1t might have been better
for her if it had. for she frequently repeats
herself. and is careless in construction and
the development of her characters, which are
decidedly prone to resemble one another. She
invariably introduces two or three rich, bad
brutal men, and several handsome. artificial
impure, aud mercenary selfish women, all of
them in high social positions, i'll contrast with
a good. noble. self-sacriflcing woman. whom
nobody understands and who is commonly
prosecuted.
"9Ioths" and Friendship" two OF her best
works, exemplify her tendency to repeat.