The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-18
Literary Kinships.

One of the most curious and interesting
studies in the world Of letters is the re-
lationship of authors. When some new
aspirant for literary honors appears IN the
| field # lends an added interest IL he OF
she bear an honored name, or is remotely
| related to some Nestor of the pen. Thus
| our interest In Mrs. Humphrey Ward Is
| intensified when we learn that she is the
| niece or Matthew Arnold, and our belle.
! IN heredity is strengthened when we re-
call the fact that the apostle Of sweetness
| and light was n turn the son OF old r
Arnold, Of Rugby fame.
I One readily recalls many striking in
| stances of this heredity in letters or reia-
| tionship OF authors, as for example the
| Bronte sisters, all three remarkable writ
| ers, and two of the trio brilliant novefists;
| in our own America We have two famous
s:ster-authors, Phoebe and Alice Cary,
while in France the de Goncourt brothers
| long stood pre-eminent in the literary
world. In England again we recall Antony
| and Thomas Adolphus Trollope. the latter
| a really clever writer, though oyershad-
owed by Artony's fame.
Famous brother and sister authors we
know, too. as Charles and Mary Lamb. and
| the matchless Dante and Babrel Rosetu
there are also many instances Of direct de-
scent OF genius from father TO son, as that
of Samuel Taylor Colridge and Hartley
| Coler:dge, though the fame of the latter.
as one of the most exquisite sonnet writers
in the English language, pales beside that
of his brilliant but erraic father.
Dumas pere and Dumas fills come next
to our minds and difficult, indeed, would
it be to decide which of the two crea-
tons, the Count of Monte Cr:sto or the
.ill-starred Camille is better known to the
world at large In French literature we
again have Alphonse Daudet and his son
Ernest, who, though by no means the peer
of the author of ''Sappho,' gives brilliant
promise for the future.
Sir Edward Bulwey Lytton and his son
Owen Meredith, the fame of whose 'Lu-
cille'' at one time almost equaled that OF
the brilliant novelist, are again noted IL
Illustrations Of direct heredity in letters, as
are Israeli the elder, author of ''Cur:os:-
ties of Literature and the statesman-au-
thor Benjamin, whose "Lothaire'' set the
literary world agog, scarce more than a
generation ago.
OF the direct inheritance Of genius, or,
perhaps, we had better say talent, from
father 10 daughter We have several in
stances-that of Bronson Alcott and that
most spontaneous of all girl-story writers.
Louisa VI. Alcott; of Thackeray and his
daughter Mrs. Richie of william Dean
Howels and his daughter Mildred, a most
promising young writer; of the statesman
Necker and his thrice brilliant daughter.
Madame de Stael; of Charles Dickens and
his daughter Mary. who shows decided lit
erary ability, and last Bryan Walter Proc
TOR, better known as Barry Cornwall and
his poetess daughter, Adelaide Anne Proc
tor.
There are rarer instances of several
members of one family where inherited
talent has evinced itself, as witness G..
p. r. James, Henry James and Henry
James, Jr.; old DIR. Arnold. Matthew Ar
mold and Mrs. Ward, already noted; Ma
thaniel Hawthorne, Julian Hawthorne and
Gwendoline Hawthorne, the last named a
clever young magazine contributor; here
in our own city Mrs. Rebecca Harding Da-
Wis, Richard Harding a nCdharles Harding
Davis; and doubtless many others of great
er or lesser note.
So though the query whats in name?"
may be quoted again and yet again. we
are fain to answer much, An inustIious
name is spell to conjude with, and many
a writer has owed his first opening in the
world of letters, not to his own talent, but
TO the fortunate fact that he was the son
of his father.