The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-19
The Mysterious vr. Lang.


a mystery has been solved. For the
past i've OF six years ID has been a CON
tiuual source OF wonder 90 the reading
world chat any one man should DO SO many
things as Mr. Andrew Lang is supposed Co
have done First ne became known as an
essayist and literary critic Then he wrote
poetry Then he bIossomed out as a writer
OF rainbow-huod fairy books for children.
He was also a novelist i'm his spare mo-
mnts; and he wrote letters to dead au-
thors and living ones and pieces for the
English papers-aud 20 write an article for
an English newspaper is serious and
solemn undertaking
The myriad accomplishments Of Mr. Lang
led TO the conviction. which became gen
eral among literary men ON this side Of the
atlantic. that he was not a person. but a
syndicate. u seemed impossible that any
one should 90 so many things unless he had
several brains and could run one typew-itrl
with his mar $. another with his feet and
dictate 20 g. -tcnosrapher or two at the
same time. nIt after while pictures
of Mr. Lang were published. ana inter
views with him appeared. and it was ex>
planned that the syndicate idea was so far
correct that many articles which were pub
lished over his name were written by an
other son OF Scotland named Andrew Lang
who was an entirely separate and distinct
person from the essayist But the things
which Mr.. Lang. the first and foremost Of
the name. Acknowledged 90 be his were stil
so numerous as 10 excite the incredibly OF
the multitude.
It was then reported that ia addition
10 his literary labors the author was an
ardent golf player and might be seen al
most any day scurrying over the links. fol-
lowed by his caddio and munching. at in
tervals Scotch scenes. This was a bone
OF contention thrown into the midst of the
critics and they seized IL with vigor Some
contended that the syndicate idea must
after all. l.o the correct one, that according
90 every thoroughbred Scotchman, the play
ing of golf was religion. not an accom-
plishment aud that no man could under
stand golf tn roughly and know very much
else. They declared that If the true An
drew Lang played this game his writing
must certainly Oe done at a litcra urc fac
tory But others expressed the opiI ion that
golf was like the Latin language. and that,
rs everything else was easy 10 The Romans
because they had begun life by learning
their native tongue thoroughly. so the man
who knew the pet game Of bonnie Scotland
from start 20 finish must be able TO do al
most anything he chose.
But Mr.. Lang himself has spoken now
We have it on good authority-and his re-
marks do much to dispel the cloud of mys-
terry which has gathered about this simple
and wcll-meaning utIeman. He says hat
American tourists cone TO The town v acre
he lives and express an earnest desire to
see him. Then the local huUorisis. of
whom there are a great many. point out
somebody 10 the traveller and assure him
that that is Mr. Lang. When these various
persons are described in the American pa
pers one naturally sets the idea that the
original Of such pen-portraits is a person
Of numerous and extremely varied attain
ments. It appears that among the people
who have been pointed out to Americans as
Mr.. Lang are golf enthusiasts. who spend
on the links all OF their time except that
required for sleep and are attended BY a
caddie with a bag fun OF scenes to be eaten
on the march. The supposed Mr.. Lang has
been pictured as tall, short. lean. tat. dan
difed and slovenly. clean-shaven and
bearded. This Is all the work Of the local
humOrists. Mr.. Lang's home seems to be
a sort Of Drumtochty or Thrums. The wit
Of these proceedings reminds one Of the
reconcile and hsggis- favored humor Of