The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17

A curious link connects the literary
group of the middle century of Eng
land with our present day New York.
The original of several of the most fa-'
niliar characters in fiction. whose
names are household words, lately was
,or some years a resident of the6cfty
without being recognized except by
certain literary group The name
If this quaint literary wanderer, AL
red H. Louis. means nothing of itself
20 the reading public But under the
alias of Mordecai in George Eliots
Daniel Deronda" or Ben Raphael in
Charles Kingley's "Hypaia" he be-
comes an object of the greatest curl
isity, and. according to ones race or
temperament. of affection.
The original of two of the most IA
nous Jews in fiction is, of course.
Hebrew Himself a writer, by natur-
al affinity he has been much in the
company of authors on both sides of
the Atlantic. In the famous literary
group in London of twenty years and
more ago he was a CONSPICUOUS figure.
He was a regular visitor. for instance.
at the famous Sunday afternoon at
George Eliot's home in London. He
was much the friend of Herbert Spen-
Ger and of Charles Kignsley. He was
on terms of easy familiarity with
Dickens, Thackersay and many 9TH
ers.
His figure, a very striking one is
familiar at many Now York publishing
houses. He has been described by
both George Eliot and Kingsley with
a fidelity which his friends have no
difficulty in recognizing. His is suffi-
GENTLY unusual figure to attract at
tention in any setting. Both great
writer's mentioned have told no less
than the truth about him in portray
ing his as philosophre who could meet
the greatest minds on terms of equal
fly. His knowledge of the literatures
and PHILOSOPHERS of all ages is per-
haps his chief title to distinction
That he should have been chosen as
a type in more than one great romance
is no more than his due.
The most faithful portrayal of this
quaint old philosopher is probably
to be found in the philosophical poem
Captain Craig" by Edwin Arlington
Robinson, the brilliant young Ameri-
can poet. In this poem of more than
two thousand lines considerable liber-
ty has perhaps been taken with the
philosophers actual life but the point
of view of Captain Craig is, believed
to be very faithfully reproduced. In
This poem. as in Daniel Deronda" and
other portrayals of Mr.. Louis, the phil
osopher in the end dies a philosophic
death
The Philosopher I'm New York.
Mr.. Louis is today nearly eighty
years of age. The greater part of his
life has been lived in London. where
he came in intimate contact with many
prominent literary characters. His
first visit to America was made about
thirty-one years ago He lived in New
York for several years, finally return
ing to London. His second visit to
America was made in 1900. He lived
in New York until a few months ago,
when sailed from England where he
is now living. On both of his visits
to New York he brought with him let
ters of introduction which made for
him the acquaintance of many prom
inent literary men. notably Mr.. Ed
mund Clarence Stedman, the late James
Russell Lowell. Mr.. William Dean
Howells MI Alden, the editor of Har-
per's Magazine, an others.
pher which has literally stopper out
of the pages of much famous fiction
has done considerably literary work
of merit. He has published a volume
of verse and has contributed from
time to time considerable verse to the
leading magazines. One poem in par
ticular, entitled "A Night Song" which
appeared in Harpers Monthly some
twenty years since, attracted much
attention 1t was in his conversation
for the most part. however, that the
old philosopher was most happy in
the expression of his genius. His
charm as a conversationalist was rec