The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-03-04

4 teenth Century.
H'Tis coming up the steep of time,
And this old world is growing brighter" !"
"Long may thy name remembered be,
Thy story told from sea 10 sea,
Till man with man for man unite,
Thy vision be the common light.
Then hope in every heart shall reign,
And truth break every CALLING chain;
Then Looking Backward all shall see
Thy dream fulfilled, Equality"
!" DWARD BELLAMY was born in
d. a house on East street, in the
village Of Chicopee Falls, in the
town, now city, Of Chicopee, Common
wealth of Massachusetts, March &C.,
1850. Later the family moved to a
house on Church street, where the
widow of Edward Bellamy lives with
her two children, a son and daught-
ser. Bellamy's father was clergyman.
Edward was the third of four BROTH
ers.
AS a youth Edward was fond of
boyish sports. He was an expert
skater and swimmer, skillful hunts
man, and remarkable good shot.
He loved comradeship, and the Bell
amy homestead and grounds were
a great haunt for the boys of the vii
lage. As he grew older he became re-
tiring and reserved. His time was
passed in meditation, study, and writ
ing. He developed a remarkable pre-
cocity. When he was eighteen his
articles found place as editorials in
the New York Evening Post, whose
editor at the time was IAmerica's
greatest poet, William Cullen Bryant.
At twenty he became an editorial
writer on the Springfield Union, where
he continued for eight years. While
in this position he began the compost
- : i IL g.
ton of stories for magazines, and
about this time he wrote his. first
book, considered by some his master
piece in romance, .'Dr. Heidenhoff's
Process
Mr.. Bellamy did not obtain college
education. He learned what he could
. in the schools of Chicopee, and then
went to Union College for one term;
but evidently college methods were
too slow for him. He came home,
and by himself learned three or four
modern languages, read an immense
amount of literature and history, and
secured much more than the college
could give him. He was able to mas
ter whatever he undertook, and had a
wonderfully retentive memory. He
also found time during these busy
years. to study law and gain admis-
sion to the bar, although he never
practiced his profession. His travels
included trip to the Hawaiian Is
lands and to Europe.
The literary style Of Mr.. Bellamy has
been pronounced perfect by good
Judges. If this term overstates it, it
would be hard to find another that
does not equally understate it.
IF any one thinks otherwise, let him
attempt to improve it. His literary
method forms an interesting study.
He was most laborious, painstaking
writer. His style was not an inspir-
alton, but the result of the severest
application. His first draft was never
satisfactory. His early, books were
written in his fathers study at his
fathers desk. As he wrote he would
drop the finished sheets on the floor.
One after another they would rapidly
fall until the floor was nearly cover
ed! then on his knees he would gather
J them up and arrange them. After
this followed the sternest criticism.
The manuscript as<:saaterlined, cross
ed out, sometimes entirely destroyed,
and all done over again. -Four, six,
eight, and even ten times he revised
the work, reversing the order of SEN
tences, rearranging paragraphs,
changing words, searching for days
for the exact term, until at length
lie was satisfied. With him genius
meant the hardest, most conscientious
labor. This method he continued to
the end.
There is but one person i'll American
literature with whom TO compare Bel
]amy the ronlancer, and that is Haw-
thorne.
Z TO say writer resembled Haw-
thornc is to pay a very great compli-
ment; but in some particulars Bel
lamp surpassed Hawthorne. We must
remember that Bellamy died at the
age of only IS. Before he was 80 he
wrote 'Dr. Heidenhoff's Process" a
greater work than Hawthorne had
produced at an equal age. Then fol
lowed Miss Ludington's Sister,. an: