The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-09

1T Is common saying among the wise
people. an especially among those who
give counsel to youth. that the habit Of
indulging in dreams and reveries is not
only Improbable. but positively injuri-
GUS to both the mental and the moral
fibre. As statement of a general truth,
this saying is doubtless correct. 1t may
be safely asserted, however, that no one
has ever seriously thought of charging
Mr.. Donald G. Mitchell elk MarveP')
with exerting an injurious influence up.
on the youth of his time. although he
has certainly led more people, young and
old, into the shadowy land of dreams
and reveries than any other writer of
his time. A steady diet of such reading
as Dream Life" and "Reveries of
Bachelor could hardly be commended
or desired by any one, and the same
might be said for that matter of such
writings as Adam Smiths Wealth of
Nations" or the latest treatise on agri-
culture. Sentiment and feeling have
rightful place in every we'll ordered life
as we'll as facts and figures.
The course of Mr.. Mitchell's life, on
the whole, has run very smoothly. He
was born at Norwich, Conn.,, April %,
1922. His grandfather was first Rep
resentative and then Senator Of the
United States, from Connecticut, and
afterward Chief Justice of that State.
His father was Congregational minis
ter at Norwich, and both, like Mr.. Nit
chell, were graduates of Yale College.
The authors introduction to literary
work was made through series of let
tiers from Europe, which appeared in the
Albany Cultivator-now the Country
Gentleman-in 1844-6. He was then
abroad in search of health. and the ex-
periences of the two years. wanderings
furnished the material for his first book
Fresh Gleanings" which appeared in
1847. Returning from Europe, he
studied law in New York, but owing to
i'll health, he went abroad second time
the following year, and was in France
on the eve of the Republic, impressions
of VIII b he has given to the world in
his second book, 81 he Battle Summer"
Returning again to New York, he wrote
"The Lorgnette," series of satirical
society sketches which reminded the
readers of those days of Irving's SAL
magundi Papers"
The Southern Literary Messenger had
the good fortune to publish part of the
"Reveries of Bachelor" which has at
tanned the widest circulation and the
most general popularity of all Mr.. Nit
ehe]l's books. A brief connection with
the New York Times, as literary editor,
was followed in 1853 by another trip to
Europe, this time to take the position of
Consul at Venice. The following year
Mr.. Mitchell returned to this country,
and purchased the estate on the out
skirts of New Haven which he has since
made famous as Edgewood.
Time has dealt gently, as it ought to
do, with the genial proprietor of Edge
wood. His love OF outdoor life, and
more than all the possession of happy
nature and contented mind, had much
to do with bringing Mr.. Mitchell past the
limit of three score and ten with eyes
yet undimmed and step still as vigor-
GUS and figure as erect as in the days
of his youth. Although he has with
drawn almost entirely from literary
work. he is active in many other direc-
tions. He was one of the judges of in
dustrial art at the Centennial Exhibi-
ton of 1876, and Commissioner from the
United States at the Paris Exposition
of 1878. His taste and experience in
landscape gardening have been called
into play in the laying-out of the city
park at East Rock, and at many private
grounds in New Haven and elsewhere.
OF late years the University has had the
benefit of his services in one way and
another. He has been one of the Coun-
ell of the School of Fine Arts, since the
establishment of that department, and
has lectured before the School on nu-
merous occasions.
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