The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-29
CHESTERTON FOUND
BELGIAN OF HIS SIZE
Latter Was Fitted Out Com
plete to Joy of Both
THE LOST PRINCE"
How New Story BY Mrs. Burnett
Originated-Man Who Published
Bernhardi's Book Made For
tune Out of 1t
THE LOST PRINCE
BY HAYDEN CHURCH

London. November 17.-(Special) -One
happy result. anyhow. has arisen from
the war. A we'll known authors sister,
having undertaken to care for some
Belgian refugees, had sent to her a
male Belgian of girth beyond belief, n
veritable mountain of a man. His need
of clothing, trousers especially, was
desperate, but where were garments
half big enough to be found?
Then the author had an inspiration
end wrote to his friend, G. K. Chester
ten, asking II he hadn't some discard
ed trousers? The delight of &c. X. c."
was touching, for 1t seems he, moved
by sympathy for the Belgians and wish
ing to do his part had been searching
In vain for some refugee who could
wear his castoff clothes without being
lost in them. The garments were
passed on forthwith and fitted to a
marvel, to the JOY of one Belgian, the
relief of one charitable lady. and the
infinite credit of one G. X. c.
Origin of Story
Mayhap you are reading Mrs. Hodg-
son Burnetts new story 1.-THE Lost
Prince" which is now running Sc
rally in well known American mag
azine. and IL SO you are likely to be
interested in some details about it's In
ception which were told me the other
day by Mrs. Frank VerBeck, who, with
her husband, the renowned American
illustrator, is now resident In the ia
nous artists colony at st. Ives, in
Cornwall, but who runs up to London
row and then. Prior to the war, of
course, Mrs. VerBeck had the privi-
iege of being the only passenger car
ried by Zeppelin in a special flight,
End her husband is now incre sing his
reputation in this country by means
Of some mighty clever war cartoons
in the London Chronicle.
Mrs Hodgson Burnett, 1t seems, ac-
companied the VerBecks on their trav-
els in the fatherland and Austria She
had had the plot of THE Lost Prince"
in her mind for some five years, but
never had been able to discover suit
able locale" for the story. On arriv-
ing at Salzburg, however, the creator
of Little Lord Fauntleroy" clapped her
hands. "This," said she, rs exactly
the scene for my Lost Prince" and
she commenced getting local color
forthwith.
This famous capital town, so miles east
of Munich, stands, as you may know, on
a site which is largely hewn out of the
surrounding walls of massive rock. Just
at this point the Salzburg river flows
between the two lofty masses OF stone
nearly 2OOo feet high, one of which, tho
Monchsburg, or Monks Hill, is crowned
by the old citadel which dates back tc
Roman times. but frequently has beer
rebuilt On the west bank of the river
the old city, with many dark, winding
streets, gets access to the valley anc
pains on the north through a gallery
440 feet long. hewn in the solid rock OF
the Monchsburg. In the graveyard ~
the old Romanesque abbey church, too
are a couple of chapes cut out of tho
Monchsburg. as well as some wonderful
catacombs, and all this amazing rock
work gave Mrs Burnett exactly what
she wanted. Like Gustav Flaubert, Mrs
NerBeck says. the author of 1T TEN.
harom'' writes on all sorts of odds and