Rock Island Argus., 1902-11-01
GAME and HIS WORK
Some Facts About the Literary
Lion of Two Worlds.
ORIGIN OF "THE ETERNAL CITY"

writes HIS BOOKS In u Secluded
Room.
The literary man of the moment,
both in America and Europe. is Hall
Caine, whose novel, The Eternal
City," made into drama, has created
a sensation in the old and new worlds,
says the New York Evening World.
| The presentation of his play in London
brought 4 storm of resentment against
the author for having dared to put
Pope Leo NH. before the footlights,
and that storm is still raging. No such
| feeling was engendered here when the
/ play was presented in Washington q
few night ago, with Miss Viola Allen
as the heroine and Mr.. L. NJ Holland
as the pope.
/ Mr.. Caine while in this country will
personally supervise the New York pro-
ductiOn of his play.
"The Eternal City, owes its origin to
a dream, as the author states in the
preface to the new edition of the novel
just issued in London. 1t was some
ten years ago, while in Russia. whittier
lie had gone, to quote from that pref
ace, with some idea (afterward aban-
doned of writing n book that should
deal with the racial struggle which cul-
minated in the eviction of the Jews
from the holy cities of that country,
and the scenes of tyrannical admins
tration which / witnessed there made
painful and lasting impression on my
mind. The sights of the day often fol-
lowed me through the night, and, after
more than usually terrible revelation
of official cruelty, / had n dream of n
Jewish woman who was induced to de-
nOunce her husband to the Russian po-
lice under Il promise that they would
spare his life, which, they said. he had
forfeited as the leader of q revolution
airy movement.
THE husband came to know who his
betrayer had been, and he cursed his
wife as his worst enemy. She pleaded
on her knees that fear for his safety
had been the only motive for her con-
duct, and he cursed her again. His
cause was lost, his hopes were dead,
his people We're in despair, because the
one being whom heaven had given him
for his support had delivered him up
to his enemies out of the weakness of
her womanly love. l awoke in the
morning with a vivid memory of this
new version of the old story of Samson
and Delilah, and on my return to Eng
lnnd l wrote the draft of play with
the incident of husband and wife as
the central situation From that
dream grew the novel.
For the writing of the novel Mr.. Hall
Caine spent four winters in Rome. and
his house is that described as the house
of the heroine Donna Roma Vollona.
3 t.. laI of Enur.
Winds" and stands at the top of the
steps of the Plaza de Spagna.
Greeba castle, as every one knows,
is the name of Mr.. Hall Gaines English
house Ii derives its title from the
fact that it is built on the side of
hill named Greeba. In spite of the
suggestion of antiquity about the name
ard its appearance, it is compara-
lively modern residence, being less
than Il hundred years old. 1t is perched
only some fifty feet higher than the
road, and the hill towers perhaps tif-
teen hundred feet above its roof, thus
completely sheltering it on one side.
Sheltered, however, it now is on all
four sides by trees which are the de-
light of the owner and which reach
half way up the hill. So great love
has Mr. Hall Caine for the trees that
he will not have them touched, and
one practically walks through leafy
tunnel to the house. where he and Mrs.
Caine dispense real hospitafity. .ss Sun
day afternoon, in particular, is devoted
to receiving visitors. who come in large
numbers, among them being n great
sprinkling of Americans.
Every one who cares for Hall Gaines
books will naturally be interested in
knowing that they have practically all
been written in secluded room built
some few hundred feet higher up the
hill than his house, on the edge of the
plantation which extends behind the
house. 1t is. perhaps. % feet long by
Il feet wide and it's interior is charac-
terized by Spartan simplicity. True.
it has floor and a great old fashioned
fireplace, with n little shelf on which
lie some favorite books, but, with the
exception of one chair and a deal Ia
BILE, it is innocent of other furniture.
There is not even an inkstand, for the
reason that Mr.. Hall Caine writes with
q fountain pen. Here absolute quiet
-eigns, and the author is undisturbed
while weaving those brilliant webs OF
romance in mhich he enchains the
heart. brain and sympathy of his read
ers. How unpretentious is the room
dedicated to the goddess of literature
may be judged from the fact that the
drivers of the wagonettes point 1T out
to the tippers as 1.-The cowhouse
where Hall Caine writes his books"
The Future Newspapers.
e.