The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-22

burnett FIRST saw heE-H uhhtAtNOs
in Harvard.
From the New York Press.
Washington, Sept. 14-Mrs. Frances
Hodgson Burnett's separation from her
husband. Dr. Swan NJ. Burnett. has been
regarded by the friends of both for sew
eral years as inevitable. Last winter.
when Mrs. Burnett returned from Europe
for few months stay in Washington,
It was known TO be the last time that the
husband and wife would meet under the
Little Lord Fauntelroy roof-for the
handsome home. No. no Massachusetts
avenue. costing a cool $4,000, was built
entirely from the proceeds Of that fasci-
mating story which made Frances Hodg-
son Burnett famous.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett owes
everything in the world 90 her husband
her education. her culture. her tender
care, the training. of her literary talent
and her fame and prosperity.
The daughter of a factory hand, raised
to prominence in literature and enjoying
the friendship and admiration of such
women of rank as the Princess OF wales
that is the remarkable history in brief OF
Mrs. Burnett.
She was born in England, where her IA
Their was foreman of a factory IN Lam
cashire. 1t was there, and unconsclously,
that the now famous authoress secured
the plot for That Lass O. Lowrie' 5.
Frances HOdgson was a tiny girl when she
accompanied her parents, who came with
the colony brought to Tennessee from
England.
one day a ragged, barefoot little girl,
with very blue eyes and light hair, came
to the home of DR.. Burnett's family to
sell berries. She said she wanted to my
paper to write a story on. Young Bur
nett, whose family were among the plue
bloods of the town, saw the child and I'M
mediately got his mother TO take an IN
terest in her, and afterward he had edu-
Gated and, of course. like the real ro-
nance married her.
DR.. Burnett and his fair young wife then
went abroad to live, while he further pur-
sued his medical and scientific studies. A
few friends assert that DR.. Burnetts ed
ucation was completed with the proceeds
of one of Mrs. Burnett's first stories pub
lished in an American magazine, but the
story can be denied on the best OF author
ity.
The ideally happy pair lived first in
Paris, in the Latin quarter, where Mrs
Burnett wrote the story Of that title
founded on facts, and where the eldest
son. Lionel, was born. He was the joy and
pride of both parents, and the first great
grief the mother ever knew was IN the
death of this, fine young lad from CON CON
sumption, a few years ago, while they
were travelling in the south of France in
the vain hope of saving his life.
Mrs. Burnetts love for her husband was
marked and noticeable to the outside
world; not that she was ever foolish, but
often among intimate friends, when she
was fatigued, she would lay her head
upon her husbands shoulder in g1rllsh
fashion calling him terms of endearment,
and seeming TO be satisfied that her
greatest comfort was in his protection
and love
Vivian. the next child, was the hero Of
Little Lord Fauntleroy," and to-day Is a
Harvard student, being educated in this
country, much against his mothers
thoroughly English and a Cambridge or
oxford man, of course But like MS
father whom he extravagantly admires,
he is bubbling over with Amerlcanlsm
Dr. Burnett. who completed his studies
in Paris and Germany, is regarded as an
authority by those two nations. He is in
love with his profession, and his favorite
patients are the poor, hundreds of whom
he treats every year without receiving a
cent.
The family came to Washington to live
late in the seventies. Here Mrs. Bur
nett was ambitious to surround herself
with the stars of literature and high life,
but in her haste she chose 100 many ora
nary, everyday people. The consequence
was that foreign circles in which she al
terward moved, were far more brilliant,
and Mrs. Burnett in Washington ana
Mrs. Burnett in London ana Paris were
two different personages.
She always kept Sunday evenings as her
reception nights, and at these informal
"at homes the guests had glimpse OF
| the "dens" of both husband and wife. for
they each had one models of comfort and
| luxury. The house was somewhat gaudlly
/ furnished, for Mrs Burnett is fond of
bizarre things, and dresses herself rather
| showily, always wearing striking effects.
Mrs. Burnett enjoyed her every day
| American friends and her very American
husband until foreigners took her up, so
| to speak. She used to entertain her
| friends with the abandon of a school
| girl. She regarded her husband as au-
| thority on all things, and acknowledged
| that she was never successful with her
| stories until they were revised by DR..
| Burnett. DIT. Burnett believes his wife
to be genius, and is always anxious to
! add to her every glory, but he is NOR
| bidly sensitive. He comes Of real Amer
lean fighting stock. and one of the re-
| to his affliction-he is lame in one leg
! he was not able to accompany the zoo
| young men who went from near his home
\ to the war and were imprisoned in An
Jacksonville, many of them dying for the
| flag.
The admiration Of English titled women
| and those of rank for a poor country
woman of their own. born in the direst
poverty, has done more than all else TO
| break the tie between the once happy
husband and wife. Last summer, during
the dedication of the Keats memorial
| in London, Mrs. Burnett was the guest
| of Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Besant, and
! one of fourteen to a luncheon which they
| gave to literary notables. Du Maurier
| was also of the party, and discussed
| "Trilby" and his sudden, and to him sur
] prlSlng fame. IniS is the atmosphere
| that Mrs. Burnett Graves.
! DR.. Burnett has left the home of his
wife in the city and taken up an abode
| elsewhere The separation is purely ami
/ cable on both sides. and while the friends
! of both deeply regret it, they can ascribe
! only the reasons given.
/ Cambridge, Mass, Sept; 14,-Vivian Bur
! nett, the original of Little Lord Fauntle-
! roy, is not the sort Of youth any reader
| of his mothers most famous story would
| suppose him to be by this time. One would
| naturally expect him to be either an OBJ
! jectionable, grown-up sissy boy or a
! bowling tough. He IS neither and no
| a likeness TO Lord Fauntleroy. The young
| man is about q, and is probably on his
| way to Cambridge just now to join the
| Harvard sophomore class. He got through
/ his freshman year without attracting
| much attention and without becoming
! identified either with the grinds or the
| sports. He cares precious little for ath-
| letics and is an excellent French scholar.
| He is neither lusty nor a weakling, neither
/ Y,Orl1lar nor unpOpiIl1r nathan short nor