Newark post., 1910-11-23
FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
BORN NOVEMBER "a, 1S4o.

pealing to such a wide circle OF friends
as Frances Hodgson Burnett Like
the characters OF her creations her
own lie story is OF abown life story
is OF absorbing interest. Her child
hood was almost as charming as her
own lite Sara Ciewc's. As we love
her most .or her chldrens stories it
is OF her life as child | shall tell
We find her at the age of four in a
large and comfortable old house, on
the suburbs Of the great English manu-
featuring city of Manchester. The
home faced Islington Square which
was surrounded by great iron fence.
Through gateway the weavers pass
ed night and morning on their way to
and from their toll.
The little girl for years was close
observer OF all this lie.
Her grandfather hao owned great
cotton mills himself. Her mother told
her many stories OF this heroic old
man. He lived at the time when ma
chinery was being introduced into the
mills and the feelings between manu-
iacturer and operator were very strain
ed, indeed His daughters, including
Frances mother, were hooted at by
mobs OF angry weavers whenever they
went upon the streets. The old gen
tleman himself was constantly in dan
ger.
Frances had never seen this good
old grandfather but the grandmother
still lived and she was the childs great
est delight. All the family said the
beautiful old lady with her snow-white
hair, di9n,hed carriage and kind face
and the little granddaughter were much
alike, and that may account for the
great cilulns which they came to be.
They both loved stories and books.
The little girl early learned to read
and the two spept happy evenings to-
gether. Frances would read aloud
from some weil-marked and much
loved book, so as to save the old
lady's eyes Then the grandmother
would take her turil-not to read, but
to tell true stories.
Her family had belonged to the gen
try who had intermarrled with these
manufacturing folk. She charmed the
little girl with stories of aunts and
uncles-ladies and lords.
One of these was of Lady Alice
Clegg who married some mysterious
stranger and suddenly left with him
for the continent The country folk
spied lights flashing here and there
about the hall and many were the
tales they told about the haunted cas-
tie. A band OF London detectives
spoiled all these stories by discovering
the ghosts" to be band of counter
feiters Oh whom they had been long in
search
Another story was OF beautiful
girl, Miss Clcgg. After an unhappy
love affair she resolved to- kr-a aee,
,dupmb, and for seven years., nenlcw !
pf Minduced her to sIsy of t. tt,aoeIoni I'm
was hlild. 30 KatE,s -, ~ ~ p'.ao -
ing It St Johns C~"N ~ ''''''' W.
man o. ><-,ar o.
One afternoon she surprised the
maids by walking into the kitchen and
preparing tea. She then, as the cid
est of family OF sisters, took her
seat at the head OF the table and led
the conversation upon the affairs OF
the day During her long silence her
only occupation had been writing, but
she had always destroyed the manic
cript upon its completion.
Frances, like all the little girls she
as q woman has pictured, loved to i'm
agine in her play. She read and
dreamed over books. then got her
dolls and enacted some fine new play.
One day she read Stevens book de-
scribing explorations in Central Amer
ica Immediately her dolls were
turned into explorers who plunged
into all kinds OF startling adventures.
Upon their returns Frances talked for
each, playing they were telling OF their
journeys in way that was indeed
unique.
She enjoyed Uncle Toms Cabin and
Immediately Iy clamored for new black
doll. This was at once converted into
Topsy and clothed with all the mis-
doines and virtues of that little in
corrieible Of Mrs. Stoves. One day
she even improvised whipping post
and played the roe of Legree.
More and more she loved the books.
AT first too much reading was forbid
den, but the little book worm secreted
her volumes in all the hooks and cor
ners of the great old house. Punish
ment after punishment only resulted
in repeated offenses. AS time went on
financial troubles began to overtake
them, and the mother left the little
gili very much to herself.
She went to an England young lad
les school and after hours the giils
would go for walks. They would
Come upon the weavers and listen to
their talk in the broad Lancashire dia-
lect Tie girls delighted in initiating
It, i,s the habit soon become discov-
cred and the teacher forbade it.
While such little girl she began
that character study which has enabled
her to write books so close to the
human heart
The rear yard at her home extended
to narrow street where long rows Of
wor.lmen's houses had been built Lie
in these homes. SO different from her
own, soon came to be one of the
child's most absorbing studies. She
would steal from bed before break of
day and watch with fascinated eyes,
fle urcv.-ratiOu of the Si1nDle morning