Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-16
OEATHOF TX MARvEL"
Donald 6. Mitchell, Author,
Dies at Ripe Old Age.
LED PEACEFUL POETIC LIFE
Passed Away at Marvelwood, in a
Suburb Of New Haven.
Went From Books to Fields.
Rejected by Yale-Career Typi-
fed by Writings.
LED PEACEFUL POETIC LIFE

NEW HAVEN. Conn. December 10
Donald Grant Mitchell. eighty-four years
old. the well known author, who wrote
under the pseudonym TX Marvel. died at
his home. Marvelwood, in Edgewood, a
suburb of this city. last night
His illness dates to August last, when
he suffered an attack Of acute indigestion.
From this he rallied so that he was able
to walk about his home unattended until
two weeks ago. when he began to fail
slowly. Sunday his condition became
rapidly worse. and the end came shortly
befofe . o'clock tonight. due to the grad
ual breaking down incident to age.
At the bedside at the time of Mr.. Mitch
elis death Were his sons, Harold of New
London and Walter Of New York, and
| his daughters. Mrs Walter Hart of Rye
| n. ": Mrs. Mason Hoppin and Misses
Elizabeth. Bessie and Harriet Mitchell
all of New Haven.
Led Quiet, Poetical Life.
Donald Grant Mitchell. better known as
TX Marvel" furnished an instance of a
quiet, literary, poetical life. lived pictur-
esauely out of keeping with the glare of
publicity which characterizes the literary
calling today. Tx Marvers' life, in fact.
was we'll typifed by the quaint. charming
Reveries of a Bachelor and Dream
Lie. which won him fame and a place
IN the hearts of readers nearly half a
century ago. These charming volumes.
published In 1850 and 1851, may still he
seen in holiday dress on book store
counters.
Born at Norwich, Conn. in 1922. Xix
Marvei' belonged to the older generation
or writers He came of sturdy Puritan
ana revolutionary stock, his father being
the pastor Of the congregational Church
at Norwich, and his grandfather a MEM
Der of the Continental Congress and for
many years chief justice of the supreme
court of Connecticut Prepared for col
lege in boarding school, he entered Yale
and was graduated in 1871. His health
oeinR poor. he passed the three years fol-
lowing his graduation on his g-andfather's
estate IN the country near Norwich.
Left Books for the Fields.
Fresh from the world of books. he went
to the fields, and in them found not only
health. but doubtless. that love of nature
which led him in after years to prefer a
rural life to all others. His sojourn in the
country was followed by eighteen months
of ieisurely travelling in Europe, at the end
OF which he returned to New York to
study law. Soon after he published Fresh
Gleanines." a volume of travels. under the
pseudonym Of Xix Marvel" in ls47.
The following year found him in Paris
in the midst of the stormy times of the
revolution of 49, described with some-
what too much Carlyiean imitation in his
Battle Summer" 1S49 These volumes
were followed by the ''Reveries of Bach
elor." 1880. and Dream Life" 1851, which
appeared originally in newspaper. but
became instantly popular when published
in book form.
The literary prominence thus ac-
quired led to his being appointed
United States consul at Venice in 1858:
travel and observation. He retained
this appointment only six months.
when he resigned for reasons which
he has inimitably described in his VOL
ume Of Seven Stories" 1854.
Sought Home on a Farm.
OF course, he had long before aban-
doned all idea of law as Il profession
and returning to New Haven he became
the fortunate possessor of a beauti-
full farm about one mile from that city,
where he has since lived. How he found
his farm he has described in the
charming volume. My Farm of Edge
wood" 1868. and other glimpses of his
home life there are obtained in Wet
Days at Edgewood." 1865. and Pic
lures of Edgewood.'' 1869
Soon after removing to Edgewood
the professorship OF English literatu
at Yale became vacant and Xix Marvel
became candidate for the position.
But Yale, unlike Harvard in the case
of Longfellow and Lowell. did not see
fit to honor her most illustrious son
In literature. and has had good reason
since to regret her lack OF literary
prestige as compared with Harvard-a
prestige that Would at least have been
greatly increased by the selection Of
Donald q. Mitchell for the chair Of
English literature.
Mr. Mitchells volumes have grown
more and more infrequent of late
years, his last being English Lands
and Letters: 1ss9-9O volume that
deals lovingly and appreciatingly with
our English heritage of customs and
letters.
Scholar and Dreamer.
In appearance Tx Marvel combined
the scholar. the dreamer and one who
knows the charm and health of the
fields.
His face" says one who visited him.
lis the countenance of one who has
bent over books for a lifetime; and it
is perhaps the handsomest head of an
old man that any of our aged littera
tours can show 1t is
grand head which he carries on his
shoulders. and it seems a shame that
through diffidence or some sensitive
motive he will not permit the lens to
be fixed upon him.
He had a comfortable income from
his books and farms, and there are
few more beautiful prospects than that
which stretches away from his door on
one side across Long Island sound in
the distance. and on the other the soft
mountains dense woods. running
brooks. little surprise bridges. huge old
trees and broad, grassy terraces" of his
farm at Edgewpod.