Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-21
FAMOUS WOMEN OF HISTORY.
JANE AUSTEN "a BRILLIANT CHRONL
CLER OF THE COMMONWEALTH 775-1817
Copyrighted. 1913. by Willis ]. Abbot.)

| The appreciation of Jane Austen.
writes one Of her eulogists, has come to
| be one of the marks of literary taste.
| Perhaps ii was always so, although
George IE-"the First Gentleman of
Europe and incidentally one OF its
greatest observation-disclosures so captivated
by her writings that he graciousiy invit-
ed her to dedicate one of her novels to
him. But over against the rather unde-
sirable admiration OF this cock fighting
and woman-chasing prince we may set
the tribute of really great critics of
literature. Goodwin Smith compares her
to Shakespeare. Her hand. he says.
could have drawn Dame Quickly and the
Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. /"
Sir Walter Scott said, with graceful and
mi-humorous disparagemen of himself,
that young lady has talent for descrlb-
ing the involvements of feeling and char
acters of ordinary life which is to me the
most wonderful l ever met with The
big bow-wow strain | can do myself like
any now going; but the exquisite touch
which renders ordinary commonplace
things and characters interesting from
the truth of the description and the SEN
timent is denied to me-"
Chorus Harmonious In Praise.
First and foremost" said George
Eliot .1et Jane Austen be named as the
greatest artist that has ever written,
using the term to- signify the most per-
feet mastery over the means to her end.
l. : Only cultivated minds fairly APP
preciate the exquisite art of Jane Aus
ten"
Seldom has so harmonious chorus of
voices of the great been raised in praise
of an author.
DIR. Jonson once remarked, with char
acteristc vigor, NO man ever wrote eX-
cept for money" This particular induce
ment did not influence Jane Austen In
writing the series of novels which won
for her a measure of immortality. She
began writing in her teens" and was
SO little affected by the authors normal
eagerness to see herself in print that her
first book lay unpublished for eleven
Years. Her entire receipts from author
snip hardly exceeded $500. and for
Sense and Sensibility, one of her most
successful books, she was paid $50. She
remarked that it seemed a lot of money
for so little trouble-the work having oc-
cupied about year of her time. North
anger Abbey" was. sold for $50, but the
publisher evidently repented of his bar
gain, for he put il away in a drawer, and
after many years sold 1t back for the
lOe1ltfcdl sum ne ndu palu IOr IT, by SOiilc
oversight he neglected to charge the au-
thor interest for the use of the money
meanwhile.
Father Was a Clergyman.
She wrote whenever and wherever the
fancy seized her. In the family circle OF
the rectory-her father was a clergyman
of the Church of England-she would sit
writing while those about her gossiped.
Apparently her pen sped on as steadily,
as little veXed by the Chatter, as the knit
ting or embroidery needles. Only when
some guest dropped in was her work in
terrupted. 1t was not quite good form in
English country circles at that time for
a young woman to write. How, indeed,
could she describe affairs of the heart,
and even domestic difficulties. unless in
secret she had had a long and dark ex-
perience Of them? So in the presence Of
the stray caller d discreet sheet of blot
ting paper hid James clear and regular
manuscript, and she Joined in the village
small talk just as il some terrible liter