The morning times., 1896-06-07
TALK OF THINGS LITERARY
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe
Will Celebrate a Birthday.
TRIAL AT PLAY WRITING
Two Unpublished Essays of Ralph
Waldo Emerson Recently Unearth-
ed-NeW Rhetorical Fad

THE I4th of this month is the eighty
fifth birthday anniversary of Harriet
Bcecher Stowe. Mrs. Stowe lives III
Hartford. Conn. her home Is petty
brick cottage painted gray, and is sit
dated liz the western part OF The city, kno VII
as Asylum Hill With her are Ter two
daughters Mrs. Stowe is devoted 10 lie
freSH air and takes walks in the adjoining
wooc and along the BANKS OF a nearby creek.
Visitors TO Hartford are always shown her
home and the LoncS OF William Gillette,
The actor: Charles Dudley Warner, and Dr.
Richard Burton. when are all IN the same
block. Mark Twain's home Is also in the
same vicinity Rather a famous neighbOr-
hood this, and what capital talk there mast
Toe around certain firesides or on certain
pOrCheS, for these people are congenlal!y
democratic to the extern Oh throwing down
tie fences between their lawns aud present
n Tor each other Convenience "A consider
abe park. Mrs. Stowe is especially fond
OF rowing throu gn her ncighhors yards.
II SHOW forty ave yeas SIaCe M:S. Sluwe
wrote thu story when stands EEK, ~ tie
Bible as the most widely read TOOK written
IN tins or any other language Gic SOS then
a woman o. forty, IN the NlgOr # w'.nlan-
HGuu. ami the VIE OF ii country physician
%. moderate practice and even nor"ilUder-
ate means. She lived quiet d"Illrs,tr lie,
surrounded by hut few books, ana n reality
slig ana even retiring. Ste sold 20 =, nal
rights 10 "Uucie Toms Cabin tor $500.
ana j! was printed netveen une. Sol and
April 1882 II was a " ,siitI%J"1 PAPER,
tie Era. which first recpGnI5hl ntcrl in
the greatest storg OF the language. ana here
IN Washington the tale was first put in
tpye.
Tne public did not seize UPON the story
with any avidity in serial form. hut he EcXt
year II was printed rs d hook and tie
toHiShing sales began. Three thousand
copies were sold the first day, ana the
entire first edition went off the first
week 4 second edition was printed,
and again was sold within a week.
Then a third edition was issued. and
the demand increased 10 such an eX-
tent that reprint after reprint was made.
The presses were kept running day and
night. printing he book, and tie publishers
tried ia every way TO satisfy the marvellous
ana uul rcCedentcI call for the story. Mrs
Stowe : first royalty was received atJhe end
OF four months IN a check Tor $4,000
Within wear 20 editions OF tie book were
sold. ana she received royalties, at the end
OF The !lT>i twelve months on over 30O,OUU
copies.
ii IS irC&lCulahle how many copies have
been Sold since. II has Teen, translated IN
To every Language and before ard since
1898, wien the copy right expired nun
d,-d> al various edition have been printed
A a play its success has been almost -
great, at least gre atcr jEan any other play
except those Of Shakespeare.
The success oI Uuc-e Tom has eclipsed
tine memory OF Ms. s. ives other works
which are 10y no means IHfCriCr, Though
less Known. There are many who cen
slider her Southern story Pred as SUI
Icrjgr to ''Uncte Tom" but ii i only the
lew who know il was ever written She
w:s In tie iIelG oi New England character
GeIineation long before Mary Wilkm or
sara 0rme Jewett and n Tine Minister'S
WOoing." old Town Folks" ard III The
Pearl of 0rr's Island she reproduced the
lie aud character about her n q nasterl=
way. The ouce swift pen j. now resting,
having done a good work, except 10 ne
taken up occasionally to write a personal
note or CRAFTY the request of IN autograph
collector.