Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-24

The exterior is that Of the modern villa so
popular in Surrey. All of the decorations
are in light tints. The drawing room and
chambers are also furnished in light de-
sign. and with the numerous windows it may
very properly be called IA sunny home. The
front door opens into a square hall large
enough to a sofa and numer-
Gus chairs. A generous fireplace as to size
suggests TO the attractiveness of this part
Of the home during the long cold evenings
of winter and as a gathering place for the
family and friends. Opening into it are the
billiard room, drawing room, library and
dining room. Probably the good wife selected
for the author the location of the library,
which is one of the pleasantest in the house.
From it he can look away down the valley
with its ever varying hues upon a picture
which nothing enters to mar its peaceful
beauty. Near at hand he can see his own
grounds partly level and partly hillside, the
latter covered with gorse and heather and
alive with rabbits. The long writing table
of oak, upholstered in leather, contains the
necessary room for writing material, also
for a box of tobacco and an assortment OF
pipes, as well as a dictionary and one or two
other reference books. Each of the two
cases against the wall holds perhaps a hun
dred books of poetry, history, travel, biog-
raphy and fiction, including several of his
own works, also an elaborate edition of
Scott. But the selection is very miscellane-
Gus and is principally for family reading.
Perhaps the most notable feature of DR..
Doyle's library is a bust of Sherlock Holmes.
the detective whose marvellous performances
as depicted by the author have been the
wonder of the English reading world. 1t
has been questioned whether Holmes was a
true parsonage or whether he was a myth
ppniure5 I'm IN D1nv HE mart In tho roroIir,',
several dramas, such as The Sign of the
Four" etc, 1t was well known that
Holmes friend, Or. Watson was none
other than the author, but the identity of
Holmes himself was questioned. The writer
can positively state that he did exist, al
though the name of Holmes was naturally
fictitious. The man, whose right name was
DR.. Belden, was a Scotchman residing in
Edinburgh. His study of human nature led
him TO play the part of detective and he
met with success in hunting down several
noted criminals who had eluded the pro-
fessional detective force of the kingdom. DR..
Doyle CHANGED to make his acquaintance and
an intimacy sprang up between the two men
which resulted in the production of the
detective stories which have been so inter
esting because the reader was forced by the
narration to believe that they were true.
The famous character was a man of medium
height, and though delicate in appearance
very wiry and muscular, He was what
Americans would call a dead" shot with a
revolver, and the knowledge of his skill
among the criminal classes undoubtedly
saved his life on several occasions when
tracing out the perpetrators of crimes.
Evidences of WOmnn's Presence.
Throughout the home the evidences of
Woman's presence are numerous-in the
dainty ]rosettes and other on the
furniture, in the tasteful arrangement of the
draperles in the apartments, in the touches
here and there TO convert the commonplace
into the ornamental-al Indications of a
woman's pride in her house. And the mis-
tress Of undershaw is truly what one i'm
AGNES after seeing her haudiwork. She Is
decidedly petite in contrast to her big ath-
letic husband, and her delicate appearance
Is an indication of her health. For years
she has suffered from weak lungs. The iii
mate OF the greater part Of Britain Is not
helpful to pulmonary troubles, and the doe
tor has taken his wife 10 various places on
the continent recommended by specialists.
The south Of France has been as
beneficial as elsewhere, but has not
entirely relieved her. Through friends tho
author heard OF the Haslemere valley, with
It's combination Of sea and mountain air.
with the result that his wife has found at
last a place which affords her permanent re-
lief, while II Is especially suited 10 his taste
and mode OF life. Her Illness has net in
any way affected The spirits of the lady i'm
who has the rare faculty OF making
those who cross its threshold feel that at
least for the time they are a part Of the