Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-06
AND THEIR CLOTHES
io Costumes Adopted by Writers
When Working Gray Matter.
|Dfk CALCULATED TO INSPIRE IDEAS
s.at PecuIIarItIes Mark the Meth
#|4 Of Literary Fayorites as Wen
as Composers, Painters
and scuIptOra.

Neuy writer's, composers, painters and
H|uIptors have believed that their flood Of
Meas was helped by the adoption Of some
I1cuIlar style OF dress. Dumas, for ex-
#|p|e, used to take OF his coat and vest,
|1f4Hten his shirt collar and turn up his
f'teres to the elbows before beginning TO
write. Probably he would have preferred
~ 0ispense with clothing altogether II he
could have had his way.
EUfon, on the other hand, when writing
III Natural History" attired himself in
x1E court dress. rufies. frills and all. htly
~ 1nstain the dignity of the subject.
Manager used to get himself up to look
Ne IN old concierge, and he always wore
3 ft1 rose in his buttonhole in order to
1raH attention to the fact Of his not being
led. It is said OF Scribe that he
8ttt4 TO grasp his subject unless he were
4.||f dressed and splck and span.
4tnartine, with curious perverslty. pre-
||f|&d to be known as a politician, architect
Inancial authority, rather than as q
4.tI and he used to dress, In accordance
#,f1 these aspirations. in a tightly but
1eued frock coat. Victor Hugo, who was
slHtys bent on calling attention to his
Etn'uB, startled the world at one time by
<e<|nk as his model the figure OF the
HNItator" in Michael Angeles frescoes.
A. fancy costume Of black velvet was al
uuTs doomed by Wagner when he was COM
414,ng, and a kind of Tam O'Shanter cap.
4 sIenet ring presented to him by Freder-
s1A OF Prussia was worn by Haydn while
~ was working, and Beethoven would wash
ne hands dozens OF times before beginning
he composition.
~Sardou's Working Togo.
Victorien sardou composed L Tosca"
Is we'll as most of his other works, clothed
n a little gray jacket, tight trousers and
scotch cap,' seated close beside a blazing
64o. being the most chilly Of mortals. fires.
nulaner as well as winter we're always in
e4sdence. Mascagni, while working on his
: 1tIAnese opera, arrayed himself in a flow
ing robe, OF eastern style. with all his
6orroundings Oriental in character. oceans
Il coffee being consumed as necessary to
Expiration.
Cimarosa, the celebrated Italian COM
8oser, turns out his very best work when
81 Is surrounded by a bevy of children
making day hideous by their noise and clat-
ter. Mendes is the most absent minded Of
Hortals and often has three or four cigars
hight at the same time, while composing,
through excessive absent mindedness.
Some odd tricks are also credited to DR..
Conan Doyle, who is another absent minded
mortal.
Red was a color detested by Lewis Car
Foll." and a little girl who came TO visit
him was absolutely forbidden to wear q
red frock of bright hue. while out in his
eompany. Pink and gray were his ~favorite
Examinations of color, In personal matters.
BE had a great fear OF extravaganza and
could only wear cotton gloves. He never
wore an overcoat and always wore a tall
bat, whatever might be the climatic con-
4itions. He was devoted to the cup which
bheers, but not inebriates and while writing
rAlice In Wonderland" he consumed tea
enough to float the English navy. While
composing he used to walk up and down
the room swinging the teapot back and
forth, while the tea STEPPED.
Inspiration for Omar.
Edward Fitz Gerald, of Omar Khayyam
fame, when he wrote always sat In a high
backed, low-seated. red-covered arm chair.
often In dressing gown and slippers. and in
Farlably kept his hat on, which. indeed.
be seemed never to remove except when he
wanted a red handkerchief from the in
terior. In texture his clothes are described
. resembling that worn by pilots; his
trousers were short, and he always wore
low shoes and gray stockings. He generally
wore a stand-up collar. with a black silk
bcarf carelessly tied In a bow. and his
white shirt front was unstarched. and did
mot suggest recent acquaintance with the
ironing board. In cold weather he wore
p large, gray plaid shawl around his neck
and shoulders. He was a smoker. but the
same pipe was never used twice. as he
always broke 1t after the tobacco was con-
sumed.
While writing or debating his stories.
Thackeray used to walk up and down In his
bedroom, pause at one end, pace back once
q more and then stop at the foot OF the bed.
where he would stand for som moments.
rolling his hands over the brass ball on the
end Of the bedstead. He usually dictated
his stories-his daughter being his amen
uensis-but when he came to a critical
point. he would send his secretary away.
and write for himself. saying that he could
think best with a pen in his hand. "A pen
to the author is like the wand Of the NEGRO
mancer, 1t compels the SPELL"
Washington Irving was equal to the seven
sleepers-always being able to fall asleep