The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-01
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.


Miss Lillian Whiting, versatile writer
in some lines of journalism and author OF
several published works, tells in preface
how she came to write "A Study of Eliz-
abeth Barrett Browning" She says: ION
a brilliant August day of 1856. while en-
gagged in asserting some papers. there fell
upon me out of the air, so to speak,
suggestion to go to Europe and visit the
scenes of Mrs. Brownings life and write
of her. With that disregard Of terrestrial
condition and limitation that invests ones
dreams, the instant decision to do came
and was mentally registered as mat
ter to be accomplished" Accordingly in
due time the author did go to Europe and
spent two summers in and near Florence,
among the very scenes which Mrs Brown
ing had known and loved. which she has
embalmed in her poetry, and where her
spirit still seemed to lnger Amid these
scenes Miss Whiting absorbed the animus
of the present work. which. without add
ing much to public knowledge of Mrs.
Browning, is a beautiful and loving tribute
to her character as a woman and an en-
thusiastic estimate of her rank as poet.
Of the latter it may be remarked that it
scarcely seems fixed by the permanent
verdict of time and posterity, for while
during life Mrs. Browning's fame out
shone that of her husband, their relative
places have changed until now his far
eclipses hers. However opinions may diner
as to the quality of her genius, all will agree
that she is one OF the most interesting ana
attractive figures in modern English liter
allure, and her life and character both be-
fore she met and after she married Robert
Browning are eminently worthy of study
and commemoration. This book gives III a
running way an account of Miss Barretts
early life, of the beginning of her ac-
quaintance with Mr.. Browning, of their
their subsequent happy life and of the en-
vironments in Italy, amid which Mrs.
Browning wrote some of her finest poems
In doing this Miss Whiting draws freely
from other biographers of Mrs. Browning
without adding much to facts already
known. Thus in telling how Miss Barrett
first made the acquaintance of her future
husband the author draws on another biog-
rapher. Mr.. Kenyon. The publication of Mr..
Browning'S "ParacelsuS' drew Miss Bar
rett's attention to its author, but the first
letter that passed between them was a
note dated July, 1916. Miss Barrett was al
ready attracting attention as a poet. Mr..
Kenyon says:
Their meeting was directly due to the
publication of the Poems of 1874. CHANGING
to express his admiration of them to Mr.
1899, and his fathers schoolfellow in years
long distant. Mr.. Browning was urged to
write to Miss Barrett himself, and tell her
of his pleasure in her work. He
took Mr.. kenyon's advice, and in January,
lSi5. We find Miss Barrett in ecstasies'
over a letter evidently the frsD from
Browning. the poet; Browning. the author
OF "Paracelsus," and King of Mysteries.
In the course of a month Miss Bar
rett tells Mrs. Martin that she is getting
deeper and deeper into correspondence with
Robert Browning, poet ana mystic and
we are growing to be the truest of
friends. -
AT this time Miss Barrett was thirty-nine
years old, and the next year she was mar
ried to Mr.. Browning. Owing to the
strange opposition of her father to any
of his children marrying her marriage was
clandestine. Miss Barrett, at the age of
forty, really clipping to meet and wed the
poet OF her heart. The recently-published
correspondence between the two has shown
how thoroughly congenial they were and
their married life was continuous poem.
These facts are presented i'm this volume
In way that enhances ones opinions of
| MRS. Browning as a woman, even if the
estimate OF her as writer is somewhat
fervld. As study OF Mrs. Browning the
DOCK is somewhat marred by a too free
Introduction of the authors own views
regarding spiritualism and other phases of
the occult. The book has a frontispiece
portrait of Mrs Browning and is published
by Little, Brown & Co.. Boston.