The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-15
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
GEORGE DOUGLASS TELLS OF HIS
LIFE AND WORK.

Authors Gathering I'm indianapolis.
Indinnn's Pride in Her Writers.
James Whitcomb Riley's Fear of
Losing His POpuIarity-CIara Nor
ris DiscOurages Stage Ambitions.
BY Herbert Brewster.
OF George Douglass (Brown), author
of 1.-The House With the Green Shut
ters," it is literally true that he not
Only awoke one morning to find him
self famous, but he also came suddenly
to have his desk piled with letters
from all kinds of people in ALI parts of
the English speaking world. 1t is said
that women especially write long
screeds to him about what he must
have been thinking when he wrote his
first book; ministers of the gospel
have demonstrated with him for the
pessimism in his view of Scotch life,
and men in various occupations have
praised or blamed him for his work.
1t, may be little satisfaction to these
unsolicited correspondents to learn
that Mr.. Brown pays little attention to
their letters. The particular indiffer-
ence of the author is given to newspa-
per LOT
himself. He prefers to be let alone. 1t
happened, however, that the editor of
Saint Andrews" the official publlca-
ton of the Scotch Established Church,
was an old friend of the author, and
when the editor insisted upon a sketch
of the authors life, the following re-
ply was given:
You ask for some details of my life
IT'S a clean sheet, sir: 1 have abso-
lutely no past. am clothed with mine
own innocence as with garments Of
exceeding brigEt ness.
II was born on the 26th of January
1859. l have only the vaguest recollec-
ton of that happy morn. But tradition
hath 1t that | gave particularly Wig
orous squawk when first | set eyes
W on the beauteous world.
Il was a cherubic child, and thereby
hangs a tale. Returning 10 my native
village after a long absence, 1 was met
by an aged crone, who remembered,
when
Trailing clouds of glory lid come
From my celestial home.
Mercy upon u.s. she cried with the
engaging familiarity of the Scots
peasant; can this be Geordie?' I grim
ned an assent with my usual modesty
" Eth me- she said in sad reminis-
cence; 'eh me. you were a Draw wee
boy, but Gade kens you're anything
but thot now
That's not the only gag that has
been worked off at my personal APP
pearance. 1 happened to meet Froude
the historian, once in the house of an
Oxford Don. It's astonishing he said
to me. it's astonishingi You're the liv-
ing image of my dear friend, the late
John Conington.'
II said | was glad to hear I was so
like the great authority on Virgil. For
a moment the old mans thoughts
seemed busy with the sacred past
'Conington,' he said dreamily was the
ugliest man ! ever clapped an eye on
II was a pious child. / remember
being bribed with a shilling to read
Baxter's Saints Everlasting Rest
often wished the book in everlasting
rest with its author, but won the
shilling.
1.-THE first thing / ever read on my
own account. however. was Death and
DIR. Hornbrook.' spelling IT out by the
light of a great kitchen fire. I blum
dered at the word 'scythe. pronounce
ing II SIXTH and wondering what on
earth IL was. Ca 1t heuk and gang
on said a grinning plowman. AS TO
reading in general can read any
thing / ever came across except Ale
bra, Elements of Logic and the
speeches of the late Mr.. Gladstone.
For the rest. be they 'pome. tome or
rome Gas a friend OF mine calls poe
try, history and romanee). they are
equally acceptable 10 me. As Charles
Lamb says. Bless my stars for a taste
so catholic, so unexcluding.'
What other details can / give your
In my green, unknowing youth / had
already injured my eyesight for ex-
aiming too closely with lighted
match the properties Of gun powder
II went on, and 1 went up, both Of Us