The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-12
Rowed with Wordsworth.

1t gives one a vivid sense of the length
of Mrs. Bars life TO know that as a
child she rowed on Lake Windermere
with INSTRUMENTATION, by the way
she described as an ugly. disagreeable
old man" Wordsworth was friend OF
her father, who was a clergyman OF the
Church Of England. 1t was at INVERSION.
Lancashire, that the future writer OF
novels was born, and like George Eliot
she absorbed the SAVIOR OF English life In
close companionship with her father.
He loved the working people, used TO
preach for them and work among them
finally he became a Methodist, giving up
his living. In later life MRS. Barr did
not nave much use Tor ministers who.
she said, squeezed her out OF her fair
profits when, as young girl, she did
her first writing for a religious paper.
But her fathers humanness showed al
ways in his daughters life, and her
books too through all the prolixity and
commonplaceness of style that often
married the latter.
1t was minister, by the way. who
gave Mrs Barr her first start In writing
in America-Henry Ward Beecher She
saw the pastor OF Plymouth Church once
when he visited Glasgow and he said to
her: III you come to America hunt me
up and will do what can for you"
Married at Aye of 10.
Amelia Huddlestone as she was born.
was married at le to Robert Barr. a
Scottish business man. Several years
previous TO that she had taught school,
her father having lost HE money She
studied much too All through her life
she studied, and when she was n young
mother and in straitened circumstances
she could often be seen studying with a
baby on her lap. 1t was a happy mar
riage, Mrs Bars one complaint against
her husband being that he told her moth
ing about his business
at was n Scottish trait for man to
keep his wife outside his confidence in
these matters" Mrs. Barr said in her
last years. Indeed when I remember
the position occupied by English and
Scotch wives sixty years ago my heart
burns with indignation. and wonder
not at any means they now take TO
emancipate themselves"
A somewhat contradictory old lady
was Mrs Barr, by the way, for in an.
other conversation about that time she
condemned the English militant SUI.
fragists severely. She was a suffra gis,
herself but a very moderate one, fearing
that womsn's getting the vote would
tend TO make her lose interest IN home
and motherhood, which Mrs Barr re-
garded as woman's job.
Had Thirteen Children.
Mrs Barr herself had thirteen chill
dren all born in America, whittier Mr.
Rarr brought his wife when his business
| IN Glasgow failed. Presently after som'
time spent in Chicago the Bars founc
themselves in the South. and It was here
| in Galveston. Tex, that the tragedy o
her life descended upon her. In 1871
yellow fever struck down the family an'
| the husband and two sons died.
Mrs. Barr In that same year lande
| in New York with three daughters (
support and no money. Then sh
thought OF Henry Ward BeecheI
| Through him she met Lyman Abbott an
began to write for a living. Soon sh
was turning out such a quantity of ma
terial that she used three pen names, S
the editors shouldn't have too much Q
any one name. Doubtless 1t was he
Joyous disposition that enabled her I
get along so well. She didn't worry.
| When she had moved into few room
in n house at 27 Amity street-whic
Edgar Allan Poe once occupied--sh
found after paying the rent that she ha
but SIS in her purse. We'll, gLcs,' sh
told her daughters, well have n goo
beefsteak dinner. and tomorrow wi
take care OF itself" II isn't everybod
who can feel. as she did, that God an
! are n multitude" But her life Shove
the virtue OF that attitude.
Her First Novel.
Mrs. Bars first. and. some think, he
best novol-"Jan Vedders Wife" writ
ten from her recollections OF an earl
visit TO the Shetland Islands--was orig
irally done as a short story, but Robel
Bonner advised her 20 make n book OF 1
It was published in 1884, aud was an II
slant success. From that time on sh
produced at least two novels year, an
at her death she did not possess on
unsold manuscript,
Her series OF tales founded on III
history Of old New York. THE Bow
Orange Ribbon" THE Maid of Made
Lane" SC, had a great run Sometim,
she went for subjects back to her chile
hood life in England. as In THE Pap'
Cap" the tale of a Yorkshire workman
fight for suffrage.
In spite OF being English born Mr.
Barr had little sympathy with Englar
in the great war. saying openly that III
trouble with that country was that thei