The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-03-31
Biographer y -
y ~ for the Pope.

r. Msrion Crawford. the novelist, has
been appointed hlographer to Leo XIII,
the present Pope. who entered upon the
twenty fourth year NJ his papai reign last
week, This great work. which will. nee
essarily, he history 81 the times as well
as the man. is already well Under way.
though Il can not, Of course. he completed
or published until after the rope's death.
Mr., Crawford told me yesterday that he
had been engaged on 1t several years. and
that, when finished, II would hil at least
two, and perhaps three. large volumes. 1T
Is somewhat OF an undertaking" said he,
hut with the wonderful facilities OF the
Vatican placed at my disposal, as they
have been, the task is materially light
encd.' II Is not strange that this honor
should fall to Mr.. Crawford, and It Is
gratifying that an American shonld be
the reclpient-for he Is an American. al.
belt he was born and has lived the greater
part OF his life In italy! For many years
he has known the Pope as few others
outside Of the Immediate household
could Their relations have been those
Of friends and the Vatican, with Its price
less treasures OF art and literature. has
been to the novelist the home of friend,
In which he could wander at will. His
knowledge OF Leo, the man. is wide anu
Intimate and his almost constant resi-.
dence In Italy since the day he was pres
ent at the elevation of Giacchlno Pecci
TO the papacy In 1878, has given him
rare opportunity for studying the per-
sonalitS he is writing about. The i'm
portance Of such work is obvious when
one considers the widespread dominion OF
the Church OF Rome. For this reason
TOO, IL must deal with many lands and
powers, and when 1t is remembered that
Leo XIII was born in 1870 almost dc.
cade before the late queen, the extent of
the biography can be imagined. 1t will
doubtless be translated into many Ian.
guages.
Few authors are so prolific as r. Marion
Crawford, aud still fewer do half so much
preliminary work In the writing of their
books-whlch makes the FIRST fact the more
remarkable. He showed me recently pnrl
OF the material he has collected for his
next historical romance the scene OF which
VIII be laid In Florence. There were whole
volumes of closely written notes, giving
tue histories and genealogles of all the
great families living In that city during
the times of which he will treat; there
were numerous copies Of old maps
of the city, showing the roads and
Locating the Important palaces as they
then existed and extracts from rec
ords Of those days, and even photographs
Of some of the paintings which have a
place In Florentine annals. In addition to
all this Mr.. Crawford said he had col.
lpCf oil and road II ~
them cid and rare, which were written dur
ing the period or about IT, And l am not
done yet" he added. smiling. 1t Is to he
wondered If some Of the popular historical
ronancers who have sprung up like mush.
rooms Of late devoted so much time and
research 10 the historical side of their
stories! And this man has published two
hooks within a year. and In addition to the
works mentioned In this and the proceed
Ing paragraphs is also engaged upon an
e> hsustiye history OF Venice, and doing
other things beside!
49,
Around the walls Of the great room when
holds most NJ Laurence Hutton's books
and literary treasures In his home In
Princeton arc placed tho casts NJ the hand'
Of many men famous as writers or otner
wise Mrs. Hutton has Of late been put
ting under these appropriate bits OF senti
ment. and thus far she has succeeded
| charmlngly. Beneath ThackeraY's hand
the cast shows in what agony he died,
| for the finger nails have acerated the
| pnlnl-is that line from 1.-The Pen aud thS
Album" stranger, ] never writ n fiat
! terry nor signed the page that registered 4
| lie" Under Whttiers are his own lines:
And while my words are read,
Let this, at least. be said:
"Whateer his life's defeatures,
He loved his fellow creatures
stedman's tribute to the Rail. splitter
Is placed beneath Lincoln's big hand:
Look on this cast. and know the hand,
That bore a nation In its hold.
From this mute witness, understand
What Lincoln was, how large OF mold.
Mr. Hutton himself composed the line
thai are placed by Helen Keler's hand:
She is deaf to the sounds all about MS,
| What she sees we can not understand,
| But her sights al the tip Of her fingers,
And she hears through the touch OF he
! hand.
The editor NJ the Automobile. youn,
| magazine published in Lawrence, whicf
Is the seat of the University of Kansas
adds this hitherto unknown chapter u
the history OF Mr.. Kipling; During Rud
yard Kiplng's attendance at the Kansa
university he had constant difficulty IL
making passing grades on his Englisl
composition He would write OF 'slnok
ing seas and the department would sub
stitute misty informing Rudyard tha
sens do not Indulge In smoking. Far FUN
battle line was converted 10 read far OK
tended Rudyard had habit Of nslnj
both the active and passive voice in on
sentence and the department lsborcd lonI
10 break II. Finally he hunked In Engls
and went his way. Pretty soon the win
brought back the echo OF a voice slngln
Of he smoking seas, and the English teach
ers crawled down from their musty chan
bers 10 join the rest Of the world in II
clamor Of approval" BY the same au
thority We are also Informed that Elber
Hubbard also attended the same unlversit
and also hunked 10 English
~
Charles Major, the author Of "whe
Knishthood Was in Flower" is spendin
several weeks In the South. He has ar
Ished a new novel. also dealing with tn
days OF chivalry. which will probably b
~.