The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-13
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
topography and Letters Of Mrs.
Margaret OIfphnnt.

-AS' -hdfSdISt Ollpndnt, WHOSE hdioc4i
name was Wilson. was in her time one of
the most prolific and popular of English
novelists. She also wrote popular works of
biography and history. She was born in
1873 and died in June, 1897, in her sixty-ninth
year, after a life of remarkable literary
industry. Although her life was pre-emi-
nently a sad one, owing to the faults or
vices of others. her books were all cheerful
and wholesome, and few modern writers
nave done more 20 brighten the lives OF
other people. She began to write when she
was eighteen years old, her first nevel be-
ing published in 1s49. Its success was such
as to incite the author to fresh efforts, ard
from that time she wrote necessarily until
the last year of her life, producing a long
series Of works of fiction, which secured
for her a wide reputation both in England
and America. Her stories are chiefly of do
nestle and still life. Astounding in skillful
delineations of Scotch life and character,
and While they belong to an old-fashioned
and almost obsolete school they are still
worth reading. On her deathbed she en-
joined upon those near her that no biogra-
phy OF her was TO be written, but the in
junction did not prevent the publication Of
some interesting autobiographic fragments
which she left and which are now published
under the title Autobiography and Letters
OF Mrs. Oliphant" The work Is fragmentary
and does not cover nearly the whole of the
authors life, but the portions it does cover
are IuiI OF interest, and the frank, COM
munlcatiVe style of the author gives her
narrative special charm. Ii some parts of
II are less interesting than Others it is due
10 the natural tendency of all autobiogra-
piers to go into details which interest them
more than Others but there is very little
OF this defect in Mrs. ELEPHANTS work. Her
caarning personality and the fine touches
OF genius that made her novels so popular
IN their day appear throughout. OF the be-
gimings OF her authorship and her habits
OF literary work she says:
Il had no table even to myself much less
a room to work in, but sat at the corner of
the family table with my writing book,
with everything going on as if | had been
making a shirt instead of writing a book
our rooms n those days were sadly wanting
Ia artistic arrangement. The table was in
yne middi@ Of the room the center round
lamp upon IT. My mother sat always at
needlework of some kind, and talked to
whoever might be present, and l took my
imaginary persons, these other talks, evolv-
ing themselves quite undisturbed. II would
put me out now to have some one sitting at
the same table talking while 1 worked-at
least L would think it put me out, with that
sort or conventionalism which grows upon
", i
osen shut up in separate room or hedged
OH with any observances. Ny study. all the
s.uoy L nave ever attained to. is the little
nine) life of the house goes on: and / don't
tnlnk have ever mad two hours undis-
in be, tds Hr;n at night when everybody is
Mrs; ELEPHANTS life was one of self
sacrifice. Part of the proceeds Of her
nfst novel went to get her brother out of
a scrape, and all her life long she toiled
ana wrote to help others or pay off debts
ior which she was not responsible Trou-
pies seemed to pursue her. Her husband,
In Rome, leaving her with three little chill
dren and several thousand dollars of debt.
AS soon as possible she returned to Eng
her little girl died, but she could hardly
stop TO mourn Besides her sons she had
on on her hands her .ne'er-do-weel brother.
two sons died, one after long illness and
the other after he had grevously missed
nus ms; !, footngIand her ambition died alto
culatlng library to me?" she cried. 1t
irr ,It1 her that people should think it
could be any consolation. All she longed
the house and serve my children with
my own hands. My God, what is the
good done by any work such as mine or
even better than miner" But her auto
biography is not overshadowed by sadness.
1t is mostly bright and cheerful.
During her long literary career Mrs.
BILE people. authors and others, and her
Dook abounds with interesting "reminiscences
or these. Here is all anecdote of Tennyson,
whom Mrs. Oliphant met for the first time
at his own house. where a Mrs Stewart
took her TO call. Mrs. Tennyson was feeble
and lay on sofa. Mrs. Oliphart says:
I am afraid, however, that 1 did not
! attract the poet in any way. to Mrs.
Stewards great disappointment and an
noyance. She was eager to point out to
me that he was much occupied by q very
old lady-a fair, little, whte-haired wom-
an, nearly eighty. the mother of Tom
then going to America to the settlement
I'm the backwoods which was called
Rugby. in Tennessee, where the young
Hugheses Were, which was going to be
the most perfect colony on the face of the
earth, filled with nothing but the cardinal
virtues. 1 think the old lady died there
and / know the settlement went sadly to
pieces and ruined many hopes. However
feeling had not been entirely a success
a feeling very habitual to mel was glad
of Mrs. Stewards sign of departure and
went up to Mrs. TennySon on the sofa, to
which she had returned. to take my leave
/ am never good at parting polteness, and
dare say was very gauche in saying that
1t was so kind of her to ask me; while She
graciously responded that she was delighted
to have seen me, ETC., according to the
established ritual in such cases. Tennvson
was standing by. lowering over US with his
ragged beard and his saturnine look He
| eyed US while these pretty speeches were
| being made with cynical eyes. What liars
you women are!' he said There could not
have been anything more true; but. to be
| sure. it was not so civil as 1t was true
| The book Is full OF similar interesting
passages and is, altogether, a charming
| revelation of remarkably attractive per-
sonality. 1t is intelligently edited by Mrs
parts. with biographical sketches of heI
own. and is published by Dodd Mead e