The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-06

years. Like his .Sriehd. Mark Twain,
EMr Howells Il aSuativessog tho M,jddl1
west. He was born at Martins Ferry,
Ohio. in 1887. the son OF Wlliada
Cooper and Mary Dean i5owAlss. whosa
he was still small child his parents
moved to Hamilton. land II was There
that he grew mp. living tho free life c1
an American boy whose seasons arc
marked by marble playing. kite.fiying
and skating--the life he has described
in "a Boys Town." In this book he
gives also the story Of his sclAool days
land tho fuller education which cASao
TO him through his love Of reading.
Ills father waa q country editor and
the future writer served his appren-
ticeship Ia the world OF letters az CONF
(posltor. as editor ana 40 correspondent
or several Ohio newspapers. "
- s@.
In 1861 Howells was appointed u. s.
consul at Venice. when he began his
intimate relations with italian litera.
Fture. He held this post until 1885. ana
it was in 1869 that ne was married in
Paris to Miss Elinor 6. Mead Of Brat.
tleboro. VI. On his return to America
he become an editorial writer and sub.
sequently assistant editor Of the New
York Nation.
From 1877: to 1881 he was editor Of
the Atlantic Monthly. and made his
home In Cambridge, Later ON no was
editor Of the Cosmopolitan and then
editor OF ''The Editors Study" In
Harper's magasine. From 1901 to the
present time ne has been editor Of
The Easy Chair In Harrer's.
/ He began his literntry career. with
poems contributed to- the Atlantic
Monthly. Then followed the, tong line
Of poems. novels. larces ana essays
which have won him the tile Of Nean
of American literature"
Z: u =:
The influences on .HoWells' early life
were sineuiarly favorable. The hard.
ships which encompassed his boyhood
gave him a sturdiness of soul which
served him we'll. His fathers influ.
ence. too, was gracious. A little story
Howells tells in MY Year in q Log
Cabin" reveals his father well II sup
pose 1t took day or two to put the
improvements which have mentioned
upon the cabin. but am not certain.
At night We laid our mattresses on the
sweet new oak plank Of the floor. and
slept hardin every sense. Once I re-
member waking. and seeing the man
who was always the youngest Of his
boys sitting upright on his bed.
i''What are you doing?' asked.
\ ooh. resting!' he answered; and
that gave us one Of the HEAVIER. blessed
laughs with which we could blow away
almost any cloud OF care or PAIN"
Howells learned in his fathers shop
to print before he could write. In.
Years of My Youth" he. says: "But
as for the printers craft with me, 1t
was simply. my JOY and pride from the
first things knew OF It. know when
could not read. for recall supplying
the text from my imagination for the,
pictures found in books. hut l do not
know when could not set type. My
first attempt at literature was not
written. but put up in type. and printed
off by me- ~
Howells was 20 when he won his
first real success. ut was about two
years yet" he tells in "Years OF My
YOUTH" before that poem was trying
for the Atlantic was tit. and sold to
the magazine for s25 thought 1t was
three pages long. I was GLAD Of tho
pay, but the gain was nothing to the
glory: and with the letter which
lowell wrote me about II In the pocket
next my heart, and felt for to mike
sure of its presence every night and
morning and throughout the day. I was
Of the potcnsiality Of immeaaureanle
success" /
Perhaps the rarest of the influences