The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-08
TAKE LIFE AT THE
 RIGHT ANGLE" SAYS
 VENERABLE WRITER
Woman Who Published First Novel in 1857 Talks
 Interestingly

London, october T.-(Speciai.)-Few per sons in this country are following the progress of the war with keener interest than that wonderful old woman, Miss M. Betham- Edwards. the doyenne of British authors, who published her first book in 1851 and had a new one out only few weeks ago. and who as her writings show unmistakably. knows France and it's people as well as she knows her own land and fellow-countrymen
 For her writings about France, indeed, and her work in promoting the entente eordiale, the French government in 1891 conferred on this venerable authoress the title of 'tofficier de rInstruction Publique de France" and Lord Fitzmaurice. writ ing from the war office in 1so7 said. We have done all we can to promote the en- tente cordiale, but those who, like your self. have labored for the same object in the field of literature have really done more than the politicians, because you have prepared the ground"
 Incidentally, Miss Betham- Edwards, whose mother knew Charles and Mary Lamb well, and who counts Henry James among her closest friends, is the only liv- ing English author to be included in the famous collection of masterpieces, The Worlds Classics that delicious 1dyl of hers, as her friend Frederick Harrl- son called It. The Lord of the Harvest being the work thus honored. Her latest work a volume of sketches, Is called, "From an Islington Window.
 Celebrities Visit Her Home
 ,ch which she calls Villa Julia" stands on the heights near Hastings. from which drowsy downs bil- low in grassy waves to where deep in the hollow Coventry Patmore used to live On the hill opposite, George Macdonald dwelt once on a time, and almost next door is the house once occupied by Mark Rutherford, now the home of Harry Fur ness, the caricaturist In the shadow Of Miss Betham- Edwards villa Is the most delightful of old cottages (belonging to herselD, with a garden all "a blowing and a growing with hollyhocks, sweet william, and other old-fashioned flowers
 Miss Betham- Edwards drawing room "vibrates" with "reminiscences. In par ticular armchair Henry James lwhen he calls) always sits and admires the lovely old seventeenth century chest, one of Miss Betham- Edwards most treasured herr looms. All too infrequent she holds his N1S1fS-' rare lnttllctludl tlCdlSt hS thoS are Other literary notabilities are con- tinually coming and going from the cele- brated corner house on the hill. She speaks of Frederick Harrison as the last of the masters" and regards his friendship as one of the highest privi- leges of her life.
 Miss Betham- Edwards looks so young and is so mentally alert that 1t is diff cult to realize she knew George Eliot She vividly recalls the famous novelist. It was in 1857, or at the age of 2l. that she had her first book. 'The White House by the Sea-" published by the house that also published Thackeray-Smith, Elder & Co. ''I had no difficulty in finding a publisher," said Miss Betham- Edwards Everyone was at that time talking of Charlotte Bronte, and the publishers were keenly alive to the possibilities of the country girl as novelist"
 This book, by the way. had had most interesting career, having had no fewer than three reincarnations Here is its history in brief:
 1S57-Published in two volumes at s5. 1s91-Published as a yellow back at soc. 1911-Appeared in the Tauchnitz edition. 19l3-A sixpenny novel.
 Miss Betham- Edwards possesses the complete set--the yellow back having a most definitely early Victorian picture on the cover-a man with Dundreary whis- kers carrying in his arms a gentle look ing creature in a fainting condition.
 Books About France
 It is however, for her books about France "Home Life in France" Liter ary Rambles in F'rance," and French Men, Women and Books," that Miss Be- tham- Edwards is best known. one feels she says, too keenly on the subject of | i. .;.;t< ,.1r. I