The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-22
Thy FRANK &. CARPEHTER.O
copyrighted, 1913, by Frank G..
Carpenter)
WASHINGTON. d.

WASHINGTON, ID. 4.
The selection of Thomas Nelson
Page as our ambasa sdor to Rome is a
worthy addition to the long list of
eminent literary men who have been
chosen to represent us at the great
courts of Europe. The fashion Of
such appointments began in the days
of George Washington. when Joel Bar
low. the author of The Columbiad."
was made our consul to Algiers, and it
was continued during the Jefferson
administration when Barlow was APP
pointed minister to France. Even be-
fore that we had Benjamin, the news
paper man n the author Of Poor
Richards Almanac" to represent us
Quincy Adams, the author Of the
longest diary known to literature, be-
gan his diplomatic work as secretary
of our legation at the court Of st.
Petersburg.
Father On down the list come
Washington Irving, who got the ma
terialS for his Life of Columbus and
other volumes while serving in q dip
lomatic capacity at Madrid, and Bay
ard Taylor, the traveller, who. with his
many other volumes, wrote studies in
German literature and a translation Of
Faust during the time he was min
lister to Germany. While John Hay
was in Spain he penned his delightful
"Castalian Days" and w. D.. HowellS
wrote his beautiful Italian sketches
while he was consul at Venice.
As TO Germany. another diplomat
who was also "a literary light was
George Bancroft, the historian, and at
the court OF st. james w have had
such men at John Bigelow, James
Russell Lowell and Whitelaw Reid.
Every one of these men has filled well
the DlaCa tn which he wa annNipto1
and l predict the same for Thomas
Nelson Page. Like the most Of his
predecessors OF literary note. he is
almost as we'll known in Europe as in
the United States. His stories have
been translated into many languages
and they have delighted the English
speaking world.
wish | could make YOU acquainted
with our new ambassador TO Rome
No. l do not mean that 1t is not tn.
Ambassador that | wish you to know
Ut is the author Of "Marse Chan
"Meh Lady" the stories OF the Ole
Santa Claus" "John Marvel. Assist
ant and that wonderful Life o
Robert r. Lee, Southerner.' 1t i
Thomas Nelson Page. the friend O
the north and the beloved of tn,
south, the man whose thorough Amer
lcanlsm and broad sympathy with tn
people and the country stand StriE
inely out among those who know hin
best. 1t is Mr.. Page, your friend an,
my friend. a. well as the friend an,
servant of the public in the highes
sense of the word. and that notwith
standing 'he ardous literary work h
has always in hand.
Mr.. Page has always been a har,
worker. and now, when he is ap
preaching the age that DR.. Osler ha
fixed for the chloroforming process.
he Is doing more Of actual literar
composition and has more work O
hand than when he left the practic
Cf the law to devote himself TO liter:
ture. almost a generation ago.
you will look on the book counter
you will see a volume of delight,
stories entitled The Land of tn
' Spirit which has just been put
lished by Scribner's. He has also
book OF essays which is almost con-
pleted, a long novel which is we
under way, and "a history OF Washing
Ton city. upon which. he has bee
working for several years. and. or.
third Of which is yet TO be done.
At the time of Mr.. Pages marrias
to Mrs. Florence Lathrop Field, no
Z over twenty years ago, il was pr,
dicted that his labors as an auth,
"a. were ended. and that he would 10
the n Of 00T gentleman loafel