The sun., 1904-06-05
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Charles Reade.

and impulsiye temperament Of the aulho
OF 1T Is Never Too Late to Mend and o.
.The Cloister and the Hearth were tnads
familiar to his readers by lawsuits and ny
controversial contributions to newspapers
very little hitherto has been really known
about his private life. although this. as
matter OF fact was sin9ulnrly interesting
not to say romantic, from some points OF
view. Here was q man who by bir'h ana
preeding Was an aristocrat. YET turned
his back upon society: barrster who'
II we mist axe not, prver held brisf, ex cept
In single case and tina, WAS one IN Which
he was personally interested; an Oxford
don who etested residence mt the uni
versity and spent almost the whole OF MS
adult life among theatrical people, a noveif''
who underrated his remarkable atbieVe-
ments in prose fiction and cherished the
belief that he was born to be dramatist !
q man who for many years loved = woman
30 devotedly that he was unable long TO
survive her, vet who forbore to marry her
lest he should forfeit the stipend attached
to his college fellowship. which long seemed
to be his sole certain means OF subsistence
He was, indeed. a bundle Of strange contra
dioti ions. fated 10 be misjudged by, ordinary
aoquaintanoes yet singularly winning when
he chose to be. and cordially liked ny fne
few who knew him thoroughly. Few. IN
deed, they were; and many we're HIS foee.
Long before Whistler be had Invented
.the gentle art of making enemies. Some
times Il seemed as II, through n perverse
twist OF his nature. he deliberately tried TO
excite jealousy and envy; certain 1t II thaa, /,
Il the sight of those ugly passions gave him
pleasure, he must have had his fill Of it.
That detailed biography Of the creator
OF Peg Woffington,' considered as man
o. well as author has long been desired Will
be undisputed, and his readers will learn
with satisfaction that such work IL forth
coming in large octave volume OF more
than four hundred pages-Chdries Redde,
as Kner Hun by JOHN COLEMAN, himself
q we'll known actor and author tE p. Dutton
4 Coz. In a foreword the reader who
expects to discover In this book an erudite
disouisition on Reade's literary achieve
ments is recommended TO turn to the en-
cvc}op@dias, while he, on the other hand.
who merely wishes to see the man in his
habit as he lived" is invited to glance at
the notes and memoranda put together in.
this cursive unpretentious narrative. The
contents OF more than half the volume.
which carry us from 1914 to 1858. may fairly
be described as autobiographical, for they
we're taken down from the novelist's own
lips. In the rest of the book. which is
untitled Random Recolections, and which
brings ,is to Reades premature and grief
caused death in 1884, Mr.. Coleman writes
in his own person. and not only tells us
mr,Sh that we want to hear about Reade.
hut gives lis a conspectils OF the, English
tage during the lastsix teen ears of Reades
ttfe. II must not be inferred that there is
alry padding IN this stout volume. We do
but render its author justice when we say
tb at II has no dull pages. -.
Always eccentric, Reade was not infre-
o,iently stern az a stole deaf as an adder,
dumb a. an oyster. unbending and severe.
How did it happen that such a man. gen
orally TO a strangers eye frozen and re-
peliapi, was induced to run through the
story Of HE life, even from hi- ,eyish days?
Mr Coleman, who. though much younger.
csp,s in time to know Reade batter per
haps than any other 1nenter Of his se1,
tells us THAT although a. rnlA. the novelist
wss wont TO growi. II don't throw my
pearls before swine; yet. If he ~happeped
10. like his ihterocntor especially. II they
we're alone together-thf ice would thav.
and he would show himself glad TO open his
heart. It was in these more genial mo
ments that a, various intervals he con-
fided 10 the author Of this book bis own
reminiscence. NJ his early trials and strug-
gles-and of his later joys and sorrows-
which are here set down. as nearly as pos
.ihle in the form in which they were related
originally.
: Charles Reade was the youngest Of
eleyen children. His father was John
Reade, Gentleman Commoner Of Oiel Col
Iege, Oxford; Lord of the Manors of
Ipsden, Huntercombe. Ipsden- Bassett and
Of half the manor Of Checkenden, Oxon.
His mother vas Ann Maria, elder daughter
Of Major Scott Waring, II. p, military
secretary to Warren Hastings when the
latter was Governor-General OF India.
After the death OF Mrs. Reade's mother,
Major Waring took second wife. who il
said tot have been a distinguished actress.
She came to an untimely end some two or
three years before the novelist was born,
whereupon the widower ventured upon
yedlock third time--this time with
Ia0y WItn d HhsV- pIVNiShSiy w ''Vi
marriage, bad graciousiy presented the
eighth Duke of Hamilton with daughter,
who ultimately became Lady Rossmore.
Reade recalled that spouse No. 3 mar
RED and buried grand dad inherited the bulk
Of his property, and died in the odor Of
ssnctity over 100 years Of age That her
father should have put play actress
into her mothers place WAS a sore subject
with Mrs. Reade, and was the reason why
the theatre was taboo at Ipsden, except
when she spoke Of Miss Farren, who. 1t
will be remembered, married the Earl of
Derby. Her son would not pretend to say
whether his mothers appreciation of Miss
Farren's Lady Teazie' arose from the
genius OF the actress or from her having
become an ornament Of the aristocfacy.
or one thing. at least. Reade felt assured:
Grand dads infatuation for the stage had
evidently overleaped one generation and
aIighted on the next. Hence his youngest
grandson became the theatrical maniac Of
the family. and 30 he remains to this
day This Internal profession Of yours"-
Reade il speaking to Coleman-"has a
delightful, diabolical fascination for me,
To be a great actor is to inherit a gift of the
gods'-
After Charles Reade had remained at
private schools until he had reached his
seventeenth year. his mother urged his