New-York tribune., 1912-01-13

.u racently to recall that Emily
- - Lessons on the piano. Laetitia,
bovever was the only one OF the sisters
,ybo entered into intimate relations with
C,ar,otto and Emily, and although there
go =, row people still alive who saw, or
-. .,o,. saw the Bronte sisters at Ha-
worth. or Charlotte during her visits TO
ordon. the whole Of the Bronte circle Is
nor broken. Lady Ritchie, who as
hid once met Miss Bronte, is probably
,ho orIv surviving literary link with her.
Perhaps in this connection the following
letter from Miss Wheeiwright to me
hitherto unpublished-may interest my
readers as affordng a non-literary view
of two great women who had not at the
time. become great writer's;
~ am afraid my recollections OF Emily
Rronta will not be OF much value; ! SinpIy
disliked her from the nrso' ner trastIne so
stranEeIv with Charlotte's small, neaa,
trim person, although their dresses, aT
alike, always answering our loKes W." "ttsa"'ioht
yyisb To be as God made me- She tdusiil
foT four months-until her return noinc,
music to my three youngest sisters |" I'm, @
snnoyance, as she would only take - ~ ba,
I'm their play hours so as not TO curtain H. III
n,,n school hours naturally a great troupio
IN three small children, the eldest TEN teii1.nd on
Youngest not seven Happily she retui tI,,lnss ne
home i'm November for her aunt HbaT-
nnd djI mot return to Brussels with Cuaii
Iotte to nv relief. Charlotte was Eun,6Iy
iV attached TO her and thought very ISS ISS NY
ce her talcnts-not musical certainly
The Prototype Of Jean Christophe'
Who is or was the original OF Roman
RoIland's Jean Christophe' is ques-
tion very much discussed abroad. some
have contended that Beethoven ana MS
Iiro gave NJ ROLAND the idea FOR MS
novel but now NJ. Paul Seippel, VINO mas
beon Iecturing on the book in Zurlch'
comes forward with the statement 'la'
NJ. RoIland's original is living person.
that his father was musician py Plo-
fcssion and tried to compel his son 10
adont similar career. and that the lat-
ter, after trying his hand at literature
finally discovered, like JEAN" that ne
really had ability as composer All
this has only served to heighten interest
in the question, Who is the prototype ol
NJ ROland's hero?
Meredith in Youth
The Rev. Augustus Jessopp, who has
lust celebrated his eighty-eighth plrIh-
day in England, is probably the only
man now alive who remembers ana
smoke with Charles Lamb. George
Meredith was also among his frlehas'
When the doctor first heard of him'
saws "The star" It was as young, Al
most unknown poet. Afterwards he met
the author of Modern Love" which
professor at Cambridge University had
put into young Jessopp's hands anu
then began a lifelong friendship. lie
gives this glimpse Of Meredith as
young man:
"TTe was genial impulsive young
man. He had a great respect for physl-
cal strength, although his own was NOT
Great And at games l don't think he
was particularly good. We both con-
tributcd to the Ipswich Journal 1t
was the time Of the American civil
War. and was hot for the Southern
crs. and / believe Meredith was rather
inclined to their side, too. think ne
aspired more than anything else to be
novelist. Besides. he found that writing
roetry doesn't pay a mans expenses
Although he wrote Richard FevereF
twice don't think he held 1t in the high
estimation | and others did. Meredith
had but few intimate friends. John
Morley was one of the most intimate
and Meredith was always glad to have
him down at BoXhill.'
Among the treasures of DR.. Jessopps
library, which he disposed OF at auction
the other day, were six letters written
to him by the novelist, and also one to
Mrs. JessOpp.