The Opelousas courier., 1895-03-23
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Lord Rosebery recently visited
Lord Spencer, and during his stay at
tended with his host the parish church
at Althorp. The preacher seemed 20
be inspired by the occasion, for he took
for his text: Art thou he that should
come, or look we for another?'
In abandoning the church for lit
crature, Rev. S. r. Crockett, of "Stick-
it Minister fame, follows the example
of a number of clergymen who have
found the pen more c~ongenial and
profitable than the pulpit, among them
George Macdonald and Edward Eg-
gleston.
Henri RocEcfort's life of exile in
London is not without its compcnsa-
ton. Having an income Of 10000 a
year to spend he is able to maintain a
handsome home in Regent park and to
indulge in works of art and fine horses.
He is very h~ospltab!e and very gener-
Gus. His personal habits are most
temperate, and he is extremely popular
in London.
Stanley J. Weyman, the novelist,
practiced in London as q barrister tor
about ten years and with fair success.
II never really liked his profession,
however, and was a poor speaker. Mr..
Wcyman writes slowly. He considers
a thousand words a day sufficient. lie
hunts once a week during the season;
is an unmarried man and lives with ~,
mother and sister.
The heroines of Robert Louis StGf-
enson, however they might hae
pleased some of his readers, were, al
cording to an English paper, the de-
spair of the novelist himself. When a.
young lady. a great friend of his, once
asked him why he did not create some
really nice woman, he replied: "Ihave
tried my best, but they all turn to bar
maids on my hands"
-Anson Cory, who lives in Lafayette
county, Mo-, probably is onc of the
oldest e~x-slavcs in the United States.
He was born fifteen miles from Knox
Vile. Tenn, in 1883; went to st. Louis
with his master in 1895, thence to Fort
Sibley; was present with his master,
bort Hicklin, when the site where
Kansas City, Mo, now stands was pur-
chased from the Indians. lie also ac-
companied his master through the
Mexican war.
Abby Smith, the oldest woman in
Connecticut, died recently near Nor
witch, aged 113 years. For more than
100 years she had worked in country
homesteads, faithful house hand, who
toiled as hard as ever a woman could.
1t was not until she was Ito years old
that she ceased to be able to support
herself and do all her household duties
and chores. She was a sprightly, clean
bEilt, cheery-faced. helpful old lady,
who by turns trotted into one house
and then another among 1.-THE neigh
bors," 'jest ter help EN- on with the
work" and her coming there was a;
good as a sunbeam twinkling in at the
windows after dull and cheerless
weather.
Robert Louis Stevenson used to
tell this story of his early days. lie
was entering in an absent-minded way
the famous secondhand book shop of
James Stillie when he ran into a FUN
ing old gentleman who was leaving
the establishment. The latter ejacu-
lated in an angry tone: Man, can you
not look where you are going!' Stew
enson apologized for his awkwardness.
and vas then confronted by Mr.. Still
lie, who was also excited. The book
seller exclaimed: THE cratur has
been trying to make out that an old
book sold him is spurious! He may
be able to write, but he knows moth
ing about black-letter, books. He's
the most d~isagreeable customer that
yer entered my shop who is he?'
asked Stevenson. ooh, that's the great
Mr.. Thomas Carlyle" was the answer.