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

"'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 lighr.
Then hope in every heart shall reign,
And truth break every CALLING chain;
Then Looking Backward all shall see
Thy dream fulfilled, Equality
IN DWARF BELL\AIY was born in
H. house on East street, in the
village of Chicopcc 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 BelIamy lives with
her two children, son and a dauglt-
er. Bcllamy's father was clergyman.
Edward was the third of four BROTH
ers.
AS a youth Edward was fond of
boyish sports. lie was an expert
skater and swimmer. skillful hunts
man, and remarkable good shot.
Lie loved comradeship, and the Bell
amy homestead and grounds were
a great haunt for the boys of the vii
1age. AS he grew older he became re-
firing 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 jAmerica'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
ton of stories for magazines, and
about this time he wrote his first
book, considered by some his master
Process"
Mr.. Bellamy did not obtain a 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 Il
wonderfully retentive memory. Tie
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 a trip to the Hawaiian Is
lands and to Europe.
The literary style Of Mr.. BelIamy has
been pronounced ''perfect' by good
judges. If this term overstatcs 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 Il most laborious, |ainstaking
writer. His style was not an inspir-
alton, but the result of the scvercst
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
+; until the floor was nearly covcr~
ed. then or his knees he would gather
them up and arrange them. After
this followed the stcrllcst criticism.
The manuscript was s;"ttrlined, cross
ed out, sometimes entirety destroyed,
and all done over again. -Four. six,
eight, and even ten times he revised
the work, reversing the order of sen
fences. rcarranginw paragraphs,
changing words, searching for days
for the exact term, until at length
he 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 10 compare Bel
lamy the ronauccr. and that is llaw-
lhOrlIr.
TO SAY :, writer rcscmbled llaw-
thornc is to pay Il very great compile
nenl; but in some part lrulars Bel
lamp surpassed Hawthorne. We must
+, member that Btlamy died at the
age of only Is. Before he was so he
wrote DIR. IiridcnhotfS Procc>s.' Il
greater work than Hawthorne had
produced at an equal age. Then fol-
lowed Miss Ludinytuns Sister, an