New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-15

literary agents, and Gissing was an unknown
scribe He laughed long and loud when the bill
came IN s1r printing an edition OF his book,
which left him with few shillings in his pocket
Only few copies were sold: he was now face
20 face with hunger. and restitution" He sent
a copy 10 Frederic Harrison and one to John
Morley. and both agreed as TO its power and In
terest
An interview followed; my father was deeply Inn
pressed with the forl Torn figure Of the young
scholar and writer. and so by fortunate GOMEZ G
dencs my brother and | gained a tutor. ana the
tutor livelihood Gissng taught us from i ina.
and l make claim TO affirm that from that moment
the story of Gissng starving in garret ana cellar
for his nOurishment and the wooden boards for
his pillow is the fiction Of fiction 80 PSe ss man never ever
starved" as he is commonly represented 70 have
done Through us he taught a son OF Mr.. Mon
tague Crackanthorpe. X c., the daughters Of Mr..
Vernon Lushington. and various other pupils whose
ing is that from the year lss2-two years before.
that IS. Gissings first novel, me Cnclasseo, sp-
rriva6ie nom teaching. Which he could always in
Gf he at xs g this @ Of
work, while devoting the whole Of his leisure ana
When hts iiteTaIv career in fact began Previously
without doubt. he had experienced very rough
umes-in America, where he nearly starved ana
Ma IN wish S point 6n nGt is3 was
not PSST not 5h9 s ne d whole hof f % not
more or less Of a struggle 70 make . Swo snos
classed" and subsequently during the whole OF his
literary carer he was not the necessitous STARVING
writer convention has depicted him.
In all practical things he was idle and inspt,
Mr.. Harrison says. Work which he could DO 20
perfection he wouldn't do He could not be
practical He used to fall into fits Of despond-
ency and gloom when he would sally out into
the streets and walk through the night He
was an outrageous pessimist. Four days in the
week he would write from IN the evening TIL
a. m. and on the fifth day he would marvel
that what he called the bilious fever had fallen
upon him. In all affairs OF the world he was
a very child, with a child's Obstinacy and i'm
providence" BY nature, we are told. he was an
idealist. dreamer. an impressionist. scholar
He worshpped the old, the dusty volumes Of dead
languages Vellum and parchment have seen
him take up a worm-enten copy OF an old ShronleIe
or Greek author ana earess II as co WI ss b;
a garden or roses; he loved books as women love
But in truth Gissing looked. and had 70 look back
Unlike other men, he practically began me win 10
OF pride and revolt which struggled md EXPIRES
sion. Gssing philosopher. no socialist re-
was as he himself says. an ''egolst in grain lie
deliberately regarded himself as sort or social
outlaw. making virtue OF self-indugenee and self
ostsFHg IN, me hunger o. 2eTSSSs
Sion. In Literature lie thought Of poverty in avoir-
dupOs. he reyelled in the gloom OF London mis-
cry Livery 4lDAS VI DotiayVG bAo "a
because he artist he was also sn aristocrat.
His delight in poverty, in misery and IL vice was
artistic And in lie same way Gssing took
an artistic pleasure in physical pain. This body is
put as the cottage or clothing or the mlnd. Let
Il the very l. will stand apart. lord OF myself
Once. can recall. Gissing was suffering from Sc
we're too,hache and my mother urged mn 10 nave
the tooth taken out with gas But tissing would
and on the next day at luncheon he save us a VIVID
description OF ihe agony ne had endured. mus ms
scorned the carpet-authoi, writing AT leisure on
fat salary.
\ genter nature. a more delightful! cOmpan-
ION. never lived. il we may believe his old pupil.
The two little boys were lazy and impisE
enough" Vet Gissing never during the two years
instruction punished them. once only when in
imitation OF frogs we both chanted an Aristo-
phsnic chorus. seated on the table. and de-
clined 70 move or desst, did Gissing lose his pa
thence. Re rose. put on his hat and strobe In ST.
lence from the room and the house. After that
his every wish was. | am glad 70 think now
riously obeyed' IN spite Of his pessimisn ne
would laugh and shout with gee when his sense
Of humor touched. His love for music
was reverontial-its sound seemed to stun and
soothe him" Pictures as well as music afforde5
him a keen. almost ecstatic pleasure He adoreI
nature and had an extraordinary knowledge IF
plants and flowers lie abominated sport az all
kinds but 70 would walk an day through any
weather He VAS fond OF cats ana his soIare
and companion for some years was Grin, a
big black common tom-Ais lonely confident
To Grim he would discourse aloud. OF Grim Ia
would talk 10 Us as OF an old and dear fris,d
when Grim one day went the way OF cir.
,or,s Gissing quite broke down. and he v,ro,e
an eIegy 10 its memory" lie was a poet If
&C. cd he is remembered as sitting in n -.
on the river and writing verse.
iisslng was not good coGyersatloualist Tor
- iiys1 700 much alone. He loved sllenc. 80
M. hated noise, tie camor OF the Etr1~
S on-e We took un 10 garden party a. IT,
-N-.-,- -.siacrre OF Lady Gisslng saT ~ :,
cIi y - corner OF the room, mute and detec:ei
md scream Of idiot mrth rendered -,
nc a. sal TOR hour for all Tie Tvi,rtd
- ,,r. Of a wet bird amid the rustic OF sIiS
@ ,'ef md never smiled cll We left the Ioiss
silo 'y,sTved him. Bat on the hills Ia SYM
$780, I'm nanV Gissing WAS a wonderful talk@r
ptiHf,s sstic, suggestive, imaginative. and
~ ,.Sors ,youId dow I'm torrents from his mouth
1o,S Hetoar S6akespeare. art ana poetry. Cissln.
rose % i'ghs n % sense OF the word: poitieS
Lot.5 ID SesDlsed. but ooubt 10 any man
te abo,'I SbSkespeare and MS country IN Words
1900 ~ many reasons when make me glaa
. I1-H .en horn in England. one OF the first is
49, reed Shakespeare in my mother tongue
Lot every land have JOY VI 'N ''s'' Tor the