Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-06
WRITER'S IN ITALY
Latest Gossip of Books and
Authors From Florence.
D'ANNUNzIO "SOLD OUT
Melted italian Lives Beyond Means and
Creditors Act.
MoRICHINI BEATEN BY FISTS
Publication Of His Novel Attacking
Roman Society Leads to Assault
in a Club.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

opeclal correspondence OF The Star
FLORENCE, June 20. 1907.
Rumor has 1t that the affairs OF signor
Gabrielle dAnnunzio have reached that
stage which Wilkins Mcawber was won't
to describe "a crisis" The author
of Francesca di R,mni" has received I'M
mense Sums for his writings. but, large as
his income is, he spends more than he
makes and now he is to be sold out. Hs
has extravagant tastes In most things es-
pecially In matters sartorial. Here is q
little inventory OF his wardrobe, which APP
peared In Neapoitan Journal:
Shirts. -; socks of all kinds, IL dozen:
hats, evening suits, smoking coats, shoot
Ing jackets. innumerable; gloves for walk
ing, As pairs; evening gloves, "a pairs; UNI
brellas of violet hue, s; parasols. green,
10; handkerchiefs 20 dozen; cravats re-
splendent and varied. 100; wais,coats 10,
| shoes for walking, IA pairs: slippers, soft.
silent and -tremulous." 2 pairs.
When d Annunzlo went to Egypt his
boxes contained among other hings -
night shirts and $50 neckties. While he also
carried with him 10 green sunshades and
| 8 violet umbrellas. He liked Egypt, but
| the camels objected to him, and lie almost
moved the Sphinx. In the gay set with
which he consorts In Florence there have
! been two suicides this season due to pecu-
| mary embarrassment. D'Annunzio Is
pessimist. of, the pessimists, but / imagine
| he finds too much In life to minister to
his vanity to contemplate putting an end
| to his existence because his creditors are
| after him. But 1t Is rather ominous that
| one of his latest fancies TO order q
costly marble tombstone for hims-lf
New italian Books.
Mario virgliano has just published q
| book entitled eli Allegri Compar di Bor-
| godrolo," In which the hero is called Sig
| nor Pickwck Pckwick in his second and
| Italian existence is a poet and endeavors
to conduct two opposing newspapers In the
] town of Borgodrolo. The book is lively,
! highly amusing and abundant in the
humorous and farcical element We have
| learned to call Pickwickian.
4 There are two books just now very much
before the Italian public. The first is de
Amicis' Mel Regno delrAmore," the other
| Semi Su Pielre :, by U. l.. Morichini the
latter has exhausted its first edition in less
| than eight. weeks and has made stir in
| Roman circles perhaps unequaed by a
modern novel The story concerns the life
Of the BLACK" gentry Of Rome and is
written by young man of remarkable
ability who in it has set forth ideas Of
| reform in the church entirely different
| from those of III Santo." AT sixteen ne
appeared on the stage of scholarship with
| the translation of Greek document OF
| extraordinary Importance: The Doctrine
! Of the Twelve Apostles" accompanying
1t with polemical articles. which appeared
! in various periodicals.
| Born in what is known MS the black
set in Rome, he observed closely its ways.
| and, when still pursuing his official studies.
he planned the volume which on Its APP
pearance rent Roman society asunder and
gave birth to a scandal still the talk OK
| the day. The author proved himself too
much of a realist. Certain ''blacks" who
| recognized themselves refused to accept
| truth as his apology. He set forth his idea
of Catholicism, and his own high clerical
set, offended by his large minded and mod
ern religious views. denounced him as a
rebel. On the other side the christian
democracy" who greedily read the book
| found in 1t a condemnation of their systems
and began a violent attack through letters
and criticisms. On the 14th OF April Signor
Morichini was assaulted in the 'Circolo OF
ST Peter" of which club he is member
His 'assailant, an. impetuous young man
who had misinterpreted the spirit OF the
book 'fts1f on the author, striking him with
his fists and insulting him with coarse
| epithets. =" ""''"-
| Signor Morichlni has brought an ac-
| ton against his assailant Himself in
| tensely religious, possessed of confidence IN
his jokes, Signor Morichini welcomes tho
publicity of trial as affording him an OPP
| rortunty to prove the truth of his picture
| Of Roman society. At present he is en-
gagged upon a poetical dramatic composition
| Of great importance.
Foreign Authors in Italy.
| Among foreign authors now talked OF in
| Italy is the famous ELLEN Key" Both In
| Germany and Italy this Swedish writer nnd
exponent Of the woman's cause is hailed as
a prophet She lectured lately at Milan and
was received with lively applause. At pres
ent she is at Rome, where she Is detained
by a slight accident which interferes with
much walking She expects to spend next
autumn In Florence.
| Among the authors who have spent part
| of the year In Florence was Winfield Scott
Moody, whose stories Of life among art con-
| poiS purchasers
Scribners.
| Mrs. Anne Crawford Flexner, who drama
| tized Mrs Wigs Of the Cabbage Patch
and who began her career by arranging
| Miranda OF the Balcony" for Mrs. Flske, IL
| living now in Berlin Her husband, ProI:
A." Flexner. brother OF Dr. Simon tiexner OF
the Rockefeller University, and discoVerer
of the cure for spinal meningitis, is pur-
suing studies in that city. Mrs: Flexner,
| like the author Of Mrs. Wigs Is from
Louisville ,,
Few outsiders know that there Is still
| living in Florence the American auth9r
| whose fame was made by one single Iittle
| book and at a word from Ruskin Some
| twenty or more years ago 1.-The Story OF
Ida, was read everywhere. The author.
Miss Alexander, always known as Fran
cesca" IN now an elderly lady, and with
her mother Of ninety, lives in n wonderfully
| artistic apartment in the Piazza Santa
Maria Novella. more ambitious work
en~art.-illustrated by herself, is her CHIEF
production. but the world knew her only Us
Raskinis ~.Francesca."
Among the American writers residing In
Ffurence--is Mss Eva Madden Of Louisville,
author of 1.-THE Little Queen" Little Cru
satiers'santf other historical books for young
people. She is sister of Mrs Atwood
Martin author Of Emmy Lou" Miss Mad
denis next book 1.-TWO Royal Foes story
! 81 Queen louisa of Prussia and Napoleon,
will be brought out by Mcclure Mt Christ
mas In company with Mrs Atwood Mar
tin S "Letita" now running In the Amer
lean The first of this authors short stories
-pieturiug- the life of the German woman In
her present narrow conditions will appear
1.-The Century.
Where Anthracite Comes From.
From the philadelphia Record.