The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-07
Some Vie1us :. y
y ~ and Revie4u.s.

or writers 20 which Read and Trollon c,l-
Inns and Blackmore belonged. He was ~
their day, and he has lived to see them one
by one pass from the stage upou which no
had stu his part to play. Stevenson. who
was more than half score OF years his
junior. has gone before him, and Of his
literary contemporaries Meredith ana HARDY
alone remain.
| Ills earlier stories appeared first In Once
Week. with the editor Of which, Mr.. Rice.
he formed a literary partnership, but upon
whom he manifestly In no way depended
for aid In the preparation OF his novels.
This association puzzled even his friends,
one Of whom finally interviewed Besant as
to it's terms. 'Rice uses a golden peu.
steel one" was the only explanation
vouchsafed.
Sir Walter was wont to say, IN response
to enquiries regarding the pronunciation OF
his name, that "it rhymed with pleasant"
ana he might truthfully have added that
ms nature did so likewise. He was spon.
| taneous IN his Kindness and cordial In his
ieehngs' while not exactly gcuiai man
nor one ever given TO much hllarlty; thlA
arose NOT from lack Of sympathy VITA
his kind, but because he was SO absorbed in
efforts 20 amelIorate the surernrs and
Tighten the burdens OF humanity that he
could not ind time for Jest and song.
| II was natural that he should have con.
Sldored "Ail Sorts and Conditions Of Mem
his best work since &c WAS undoubtedly
that into which he put his heart. Before be
| lifted his voice in behalf Of the great army
Of labor I'm East London they had no
champion and their district was a terra
incognlta to the mcn and women who lived
In ease and luxury but stones throw
away The tide ~ prosperity and improve
ment had long since swept westward, leav-
! Ing these tolllng thousands without park
or pleasure ground mr. any similar place
| OF public resort wherein the weary bur.
/ don of unremitting work and care might he
/ llghtened.
| Sir Waiter Besnnt set for himself tho
task of providing wholesome and rational
amusement for these fellow ctlEcns Of his.
When he had prepared HIS appeal in their
behalf he read the manuscript OF "AIl Sorts
and Conditions Of Men" to his friends. who
promptly decided that his cause was hope.
less and his effort predeEtined to failure.
| But he resolutely refused 70 he deferred
! from his purpose, even IN the face or uni.
| versni disbursement, and his story ~
! East London went forth ms a cry for help.
Today the Peoples Palace stands, In al
ifs detail. as he had planned &, monu.
ment TO his love and philanthropy,
~
For his associates IN the Geld or letters
his interest was cordial and sincere and
now that both are gone, It is recalled how
one day az the slyille club No wrote
very generous letter OF introduction for
t - A.
windus. mis- own friends and publishers,
and It was a most substantial help TO the
young novelist. upon whom. ny to that
time, fortune had not smiled Nor was
nif sympathy ana esteem bounded by the
narrow limits or his own land; no one sent
hcartior or hpdllcr greetings across tho
Atlantic than he. But lately he has given
Us his estimate Of Enckleherry Finn. that
IT placed tia author in the very front
of English writing humorlsts. white no did
not think that any one had presented 20
tho world SO hue portrait Of loan Of Arc
ar Mark Twain" THIS Afforded the lat.
ter opportunity 10 remark as a climax %
mis- speech Of Acknowledgements, that since
England and America have been Joined to.
gether In Kplin, may they not be severed
in Twain"
or the many tributes which are being
offered 90 the memory OF Sir walter
Rcsant. mono more adequately expresses
the estimate in which be was held than MIR.
| elders laat words: 'Sir walter Besaut
was a man of brains and man Of cultiva.
fion, a delightful story teller and an ac-
complished biosrapher and historian. But
what is pourned today and will be re-
memhered In the years TO come, Is the
| big warm heart that made II impossible
for Its owner TO SEE oppression and In
| Justice without working valIantiy 20 correct
IT," No man could ask nobler epttapn
| than this.
! cordial wave OF commentator follows
In the wake Of the little romance called
''Tho Inn Of the silver Moon" which comes
to US FROM the press Of Messrs. Herbert
stone & Co. 1t is an ldyl of summer time
md sunshine In the pleasant land Of
/ France A we read It we are convinced
/ that the author has gone awheel along the
| broad white highways between the avenues
I Of popars. past the fields Of scarlet pop-
/ pies and golden wheat. Of which he writes
/ 80 naturally and sympatheucally that We
arc almost persuaded we have borne him
company as we'll There Is an old and
graceful Proyeucal dltty which gives lis
name 20 Mr Vlele's bright little lone story.
! A story OF two young people who. being
| hethrothed from childhood after the ortho-
COX fashion OF France, have never laid
eyes upon one another dnrlng all the years
they are supposedly serving noviuate IN
propagation for spending the remaining
three.fourths OF their lives together. Mean
| time she. IN her convent and he AZ hts es-
tate at Gaeslin, decide with a unanimity
the logical outcome of the circumstances
by which they are bound. that under 20
conditions do they Wish TO carry out tne
destiny arranged for them BY their respee-
TIVE parents. Then fate takes a hand IN
the game and conducts them through =
series OF delightful adventures, NOT one OF
which we would Willingly miss, while IN
terspersed are snapshot gnmpses OF cneer-
ful market places or quiet convent gardens
and shady hooks beneath the greenwocd
tree. There are stories which seem Al.
ready mounted and ready for the stage
ana ono OF these will be found between
the covers Of Mr.. yiele's dainty volume,
his people are very much alive and SO
bright. happy aud wholesome that we Join
heartily in the gay chorus Of their song
.,what care II the day
j n. s,.~ra1 IN gray.