The Detroit times., 1909-05-22
MARION CRAWFORD
LEFT MARK ON ITALY
Italian by Birth, Famous Novelist
Endeared Himself in the Hearts
OF His Countrymen.

ROME. May 22-More than any
other writer OF the English tongue
Francis Marion Crawford has left his
mark behind him in ltaly. Italian by
birth anu almost Italian in tastes ana
mode OF lite. he knew how To endear
himself TO Italian hearts. and his death
has left a blank that cannot be rlled
In the little village OF SAINT Agnello.
near Naples. where he had fixed his
home.
HIS love FOR Italy aud its customs
WAS great, though the Italy he loved
and wrote about was Italy OF the past
and the lives OF the Roman mobiles
who figure in his romances are those
OF former generation. He knew
nothing OF the Italy OF today. or else
he ignored H. The modernizing OF
Rome was hateful thing To him. as
was that bureaucracy which is the
Italian government of today.
In his little village OF Sorrento. sur.
rounded by his children. his dogs and
his books. he lived an ideally philo-
sophie life For some time he had
been In weak health and his work sut'
fered in consequence. The marriage
OF his elder daughter. though an ex-
cellent one. deprived him OF her So
ciety. and the chronic bronchitis which
had bothered him In the preceding
winter seemed 10 take a firmer grip
on him
The earthquake at Messina was a
severe blow to him. as the estates or
his son-in-law, Sig Rocca. were great
ly damaged by the catastrophe. and
the prolonged absence OF the latter
In Messina was a source or anxiety 10
him in his feeble health.
His youngest daughter Claire, how
ever. was a great consolation 10 him.
and II was a 10Y to him TO encourage
her literary tastes.
Since last November he had suffered
from emphysema, or dilation or the
lungs. and the long. hard winter gave
him pneumonia Still, no one imag-
ined that the end was near. though
his sufferings from asthma (relieved
by inhaling oxygen) had weakened his
vital force Only a few days before
he died Mrs. Crawford telegraphed TO
New York that all danger had passed.
and that Mr.. Crawford was on the
road TO recovery. But the heart was
weakening, and the day before MS
death the novelist knew his fate.
His one grief was that his two sons.
one OF whom is at oxford and the 9TH
er In India, were absent. His two
daughters. his wife, and his wife's
mother. Mrs Berdan. where with him.
Lying down was painful. SO he was
propped up in a chair al the window
gazing al the setting sun behind Capri.
AS he heard the bells ringing for the
Good Fridays three-hour service, he
said
Il die with Jesus Christ
He was a devout Catholic and he
had duly received the last rites OF the
church. His favorite book. "Platos
Dialogue on the Immortality OF the
Sou" was read TO him by his wish. as
no died. As the sun dipped behind the
great rocky mass of Capri and the
night came on Marion Crawford
breathed his last.
Il go peacefully into eternity he
whispered.
His banker. French, OF Rome, trav-
-dewn-te- -Sant. .Agnello with his
will.
The aristocracy OF Rome loved him
and many Of them telegraphed their
sorrow and sympathy The queen
mother. by wnom Mr.. Crawford s
books were much appreciated. also
sent messages OF comfort and regret
TO the family.