Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-10
81 Enter SereneIy Into Eter-
nifty" Authors Last Words.
ASKS SIMPLE 0BsEQUIES
City of Sorrento Wished to Conduct
Public Funeral.
VILLAGE SHOPS ARE CLOSED
Notable Career in Letters Begins
When Uncle Suggests That Young
Scholar Write Story.

SORRENTO, April 1O.-The funeral Of
F. Marion Crawford, the American novel
list, will take place next Monday. Mr..
Crawford died here at 7:3O O'Clock last
night.
Mr.. Crawford had been i'll for some time.
one of the symptoms of his affection being
fever. Which tended greatly to weaken
him.
Prof. Enrico di Renzi. director Of the
American clinic Of the University of Ma
pies. was called into consultation ten days
ago and found serious bronchial and pleu-
retic complications. His illness had its
origin in an attack of influenza.
Crawford's Last Words.
Mr.. Crawford's last words were: Il en-
ter serenely into eternity"
According to the attending physician.
Mr.. Crawford collapsed Thursday night
owing to extreme weakness. He then was
without fever
Sadly he expressed the presentiment that
he was soon to die. but almost immediate
ly afterward. when abiding to the APP
preaching Good Friday, he said: L die
with Christ
Then, at his request, his daughter read
to him Plates dialogues' T., He ae.t said they
Harold, the eldest son. who is in the
far east was the only member of the
family not present at the deathbed.
The fishermen and peasants. among
whom Crawford was most popular. on
hearing the news went to the villa to eX-
press in silence their sorrow. All the
shops in the village OF SAINT Angelic. In
which the villa stands. were immediately
closed each door bearing card inscribed
.sC1oSod for puhlip MOurning'
The mayor and the aldermen also went
to the villa to present condolences, and
a detachment Of the city guards was
placed on duty at the gates.
Asked for Simple Obsequies.
The municipality desires to conduct the
funeral, but II was Mr.. Crawford's wish
to have no pomp or ostentaticn.
The news of his death has been cabled
to Mr.. Roosevelt at Port Said as he and
Mr.. Crawford we're intimate friends.
When Mr.. Roosevelt was in Naples Mon
day he inquired as to Mr.. Crawford's con-
dition.
Ambassador Griscom last night tele-
graphed to Mrs. Crawford:
ACCEPT this expression of deepest SYM
pathy from my wife and me. Your grief
is shared not only by personal friends;
public, who will sincerely regret the loss
Of one of the most brilliant and most
lovable figures of our time. who. more
than any other, contributed to make IA
miliar to the American people All the
charm and interest of Italian life and
character.
Signor Nathan. the mayor Of Rome,
also telegraphed:
Accept my deepest sympathy. both per-
sonally and as mayor OF Rome. whose
name and the character of her people
Marion Crawford's magic pen carried
throughout the world"
Notable Career in Letters.
Francis Marion Crawford. author of
nearly two score novels. was born at
the Baths Of Lucca, italy August 2,
1854.
| He was a son OF Thomas Crawford,
| the sculptor. whose figure Of Liberty
crowns the Capitol dome at Washington.
He was a nephew of Julia Ward Howe.
When Marion Crawford was two years
old he was sent to this country. and lived
with some kinsfolk on farm near Bor-
dentown n. ]. His father died in Lon
don in 1857, and soon after that Marion
was sent back to Italy, where most or ms
youth was spent.
When he was about twelve years old
| he was sent back to America again, and
| for two years was student at ST. Paul
| School. Concord, N. H. The boys knowl-
edge of Latin surprised the masters. He
| explained that he had been taught the
dead language in Rome by a tutor whose
| favorite diversion was to carry on con-
versations In Latin with his pupils.
Later he took a course at Trinity Col
lege. Cambridge. making a special study
| of mathematics, and taking very active
! part in athletic sports and boating.
Studies in German Universities.
From Cambridge he went to Karls-
ruhe and Heidelberg, where he learned
German thoroughly although he was
even a better French scholar. He fin
ished his regular studies at the Univer-
sity Of Rome, where he took special
course in Sanskrit and became deeply
interested in Buddhism and oriental lore.
When Crawford finished at Rome his
family lost a great deal of money and
he was thrown on his own resources. He
determined to go to India and learn
Sanskrit thoroughly and become a pro-
| feSSOr OF that language In some uni
versity.
He borrowed $500 and sailed for Bonn
! bay. There he found it such hard work
| to get along that he resolved to enlist In
application when he received letter
| from the Allahabad Indian Herald Of
| fering him the editorship of that paper.
| He edited the paper for eighteen months.
Afterward he said 1t was the hardest
| work of his life.
| He returned to Italy. and then came
to America again In 1881. being nearly
shipwrecked on the voyage. He entered
Harvard as student OF Sanskrit, con-
| tributing special articles to periodicals
| and writing book reviews to pay his ex-
| penses.
In May, 1882. Crawford was dining in
| New York one evening with his uncle,
| the famous epicure and raconteur. Sam
| Ward. After the dinner Crawford told
| his uncle about queer character he had
met at Sima. India, diamond mer-
| chant.
Uncle Suggested Novel Writing.
Ward said when his nephew had fin
ished:
THAT is good two-part magazine
story You must write 1t Immediately"
Crawford thought well Of the sugges-
ton and started to write the story. but
as he wrote the manuscript outgrew the
! short-story stage and became his first
novel. MIR. Isaacs."
| That novel had such an Immediate and
| enormous success that the young author
wrote another. Then he made novel writ
| ing his lifework.
| He went back to Italy married a beau
tiful American girl Miss Elizabeth c.
| Borden bought a magnificent estate near
nnH ri mn