The times., 1898-11-06
MRS. WARD AT HOME.
fieasant Personalities About the
Author of Robert EIxmere.

rieasant Personalities About the
Author of Robert EI.mere.
During an informal chat with Miss lane
Adams few days since she made manv
delightful references to her recent meet
ing with Mrs. Humphrey Ward I'm Jon-
oon. ASIDE from much-needed recreation,
Miss Adams main purpose In visiting
Europe was to study settlement work on
Its native soil and to meet some OF the
great teachers Of modern sociology.
She first met Mrs. Ward at the Pass
more Edwards settlement, opened onIy
last February. The settlement is, as far
as may be. a realization of the brother
hood which Robert Elsmere founded and
in its building, general equipment and the
spirit OF It's ceworkers seeks to epbody
! the Ideals of that hero. as well as those
Oh the later heroine, Marcella. From its
nrst inception Mrs. Ward herself has
oeen one of its moving spirits and Is now
us honorary secretary The munifeent
sit Oh $4,000 from Passmore Edwards. for
whom the settlement is named. and
smaller donations from the duke ~ pad-
ford and other friends enabled NJ
Ward, with her coadjutors, to achieve
this new university settlement in West
central and Northwestern London Of
Toynbee Hall and the Peoples Palace In
the East End.
1t was natural that this newest settle
ment In the old world should be eager to
near directly from the Oldest settlement
IN tne new world, and should press Miss
Addams into talking to them of Hull.
House On the same evening of her ad
dress, Mrs. Ward gave the people a tax
upon Italy, where she had been for sew
erai months collecting material for her
last novel.
AS speaker Miss Adams saws thar
siis- ward seems to suffer sonewhat
from shyness and reserve. Her manner
is more or less hesitating and restrained
and her delivery lacks that snIe,,did ,,,,-
ency OF dietion that carries one along so
tremendously in her books She did NOT
.iik 10 the people of the beauty of ItaIy
10 Wnicn she is so sensitive of its nature
OF arr Of which she has such grasp; but
Oh the every day life of its every day
people.
The meeting of these two ardent later
uay soclolosists was Immediately follow
ca oy an invitation to Miss Adams IN
dine with Mrs. Ward in the usual formal
Ehshsn manner, two or three weeks from
uate- II was fortunately. however. NOT al
100 distant a time for Miss Adams 10
accept.
Upon her introduction into this nagni-
ncent home, rich in works of art in
DOCKS, in rare collections and In the yery
atmosphere which generations of culture
bring. and being met by her hostess in a
VIVID yellow satin evening gown, Miss
adams had momentary fear that she
might be in for an ultra-fashionab.e din
ner. Nor did this feeling pereeptibly di-
minish upon being taken out 10 su-
perbly laid table
Hardly was she seated. however before
all stress OF formality utterly vanished.
and rattling fire OF brilliant conversa-
tion began. which lifted one upon a plane
entirely above and beyond the sordid Or
fashionable. Besides Miss Adams. the
guests of the evening were James Bryce
and Augustus Berriil of "Obiter DictaH
fame Mr.. Bryce took Miss Adams out.
10 dinner and was forthwith easy. natu-
raj. brilliant. informal and delightful
Mr. Ward, a man of extraordinary learn
ing and culture. could be nothing less
than charming host while Mrs Ward
though outwardly the natural exponent
of her conventional English training, is,
according to Miss Adams. the real pro-
totype of the impulsive ana emotional
Marcella-her enthusiasm and sympathies
as easily kindled. At one moment she is
the self-repressed woman of the world.
and the next breaks into the conversation
with the unrestraining impulses of a
child.
Miss Adams was, for instance. talking
most earnestly OF the condition OF Kan
sas, whose peculiar hardships and limi-
tations she has very much upon her
heart. While acquainting her English
listeners with some of its specially hard
conditions. Mrs. Ward, greatly moved.
her with the exclamation:
20. Miss Adams. must people in K4nsas
be wretched. too? London seems all thas
we can bear!'
OF the other guest. Augustus Berrin.
Miss Adams says that his conversation
was so distinguished so brilliant, so
with wit and poetic flashes
that she felt inclined to stop him at every
sentence and implore him to preserve it
in permanent form; that 1t seemed a
sheer waste of splendid material to IA K
such phrases instead of keeping them TO
adorn one of his delightful books
Altogether, Miss Adams counts her
evening at Mrs. Humphrey Wards home
as one OF the most interesting and mem-
orabIe occasions of her European trip
which was repIete with significant expe-
riences