Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-28

OSWALD G. Mitchell, Who Gained Fans
Throuoh Two Wondrous Books.

peMaId G. Mitchell, Who Gained Fams
Through Two Wondrous Books.
Donald Grant Mitchell, better known
By his nom de plume. TX Marvel
who recently died at Edgewood. his
country home near New Haven, will
have an enduring place in American
literature. More than half a century
ago his "Reveries Of q Bachelor" and
dream Life" had touched q sympa-
thetic chord In two continents and
many of the now dead American writ
srs had pronounced his style as an
Fivaled among his contemporaries.
His Life. and his writings were always
in sympathy with all that was pure
and beautiful in the world, and recent
visitors to his Edgewood farm found
him at the age Of eighty six the same
sweet natured man Of many years ago.
Nj. Mitchell was born In Norwich,
Conn, April II. 1922, his father then
having been Congregational clergy
man Of that place. He was graduated
from Yale and began his literary work
with series 81 letters from Europe
for the Albany Cultivator, published in
1874. Following this first effort came
another series Of letters from France,
under the title Of Fresh Gleanings,"
which attracted some attention.
Returning to America, he studied
law in New York city, but found that
distasteful to him and again returned
to France, being In that country dur
1ng the formation OF the republic The
stirring scenes Of the period gave him
the impressions for 1.-THE Battle Sum-
mer." which was his first book OF any
importance.
After that he wrote 1.-THE Lorgnette'
and several other short stories, which
Arst appeared In the Southern Liter
Ary Messenger. THE Reveries Of a
Bachelor" appeared in 1850 and
~Dream Life" the following year.
These created n particularly favorable
Impression and gained for him the
warm friendship Of Longfellow,
Holmes. Lowell. Poe and other writer's
Of that period.
In 1883 he went as consul to Venice,
but returned to the United States after
one year and purchased the 200 acre
farm near New Haven, where he after
ward remained. All of his later books
were written there. Among the best
known of his recent works were "Wet
Days ut Edgewood," Rural Studies"
English Lands, Letters and Kings"
and american Lands and Letters"
He wrote very little during the last
twenty-five years and passed the even
ing Of his days surrounded by his kin
and his books. !
us It lonely in my garden Of q sum-
Aler's evening? Have the little patter-
ing feet gone their ways--to bed?
Then people the eooseberry alley
With DR.. Primrose and his daughters,
Sophia and olivia. Squire Burchell
eomes, ana sits upon the bench with
~ under the arbor 40 smoke my
Dlpe. How shall we measure our in.
1ebtedness to such pleasant books that |
poOple our solitude 70 many years
sitter they are written3 Oliver Gold
anith. thank you. Bob Crown. I |
shank you" 6s
n II Marvel wrote In my Farm at
Dlgewo0d" In 1863. In spirit and AZ
1actiOn be never grew old. In 1853
- married Mary F. Pringle Of Charles |
loN. a. c.. and two sons aud ave
daughters were born to them.
Mr.. Mitchell was great believer in |
walking. for It saved his life. When |
- was Z young man and his friends |
Dgophesied that he would early be-
come victim to consumption, which |
Was hereditary In the Mitchell family,
lbe spent two years tramping over Eu-
rope. In England alone he travelled |
600 miles on foot, stopping at night at !
the country inns and proceeding again |
on biz way the next morning. The or
binary traveller visits only the cities. !,
Mr.. Mitchell reversed the custom, and |
be was not wholly unwise In doing 1t,
Those cross country tramps he kept up !
oven In his later years.
For dye years past his friends had
been conscious that his physical health /
was falling very rapidly. but mentally |
he remained as alert and cheerful as
ever.