The sun., 1919-03-09

near Philadelphia, MI. fennypacKef
says that it is grave question whether
"The Scarlet Letter" or 'Fhe Story OF
Kennett" holds the higher rank among
American novels.
Mr. Shackleton recalls the fact that
Leigh Hunt would have been Phlladei-
phian chad it not been for Phila-
delphians." His father, loyalist in the
Revolution, was mobbed for his out
spoken sympathy for Britain, and he fed
penniless to England, where Leigh was
born a year later.
Mr.. Shaekleton remembers that Scott
drew the character of Rebeeca of York,
in "Ivanhoe," after Irving had described
to him the beautiful Philadelphia jew
ess, Rebecca Gratz, who was the friend
Of Irving's fiancee, Matilda Hoffman.
Thackeray wrote of Philadelphia that he
found good and kind friends there, and
"the prettiest girl in Philadelphia, poor
soul, has read Vanity Far twelve times"
While he was in Philadelphia Thackeray
called upon Pierce Butler, hoping to
bring news of her children to Fanny
Kemble Butler, but Mr.. Butler was not
to be drawn out. Irving had warned
Fanny against marrying Pierce Butler
lest she be "ereaking door," But she
married, and she ereaked, and then there
was the divorce.
Philadelphia made a fuss over Thack-
cray and Dickens, but James Russell
Lowell went there without making a stir.
Even q Lowell is not taken notice Of IN
Philadelphia when he commits the crime
Of living north Of Market street. The
Lowells lived in a room on the third floor
of house at Fourth and Arch streets.
The poets Boston reputation, then fairly
large. helped him little in naughty Phila-
dclphia. True, the Pennsylvania Free
man offered him So for an editorial every
two weeks Mrs. Lowell translated poems.
The couple soon gave up the effort of
making q fortune in the Quaker town and
returned to Massachusetts and to God and
the CabOts.
The cottage where Poe and his wife
lived still stands in North Seventh street,
and is now Inhabited by the Philadelphia
Society of Free Let's. Mayne Reid, says
Mr.. Shackleton, seems to have been the
principal visitor and friend Of the Poes
at that time Reid was then q local jour
nalist ard was later to serve'in the Mexi-
can war, to join Kossuth and to write his
great stories for boys.
It was in Philadelphia that Thomas
Moore found "the few agreeable moments
that my tour through the States afforded
me-" Fairmount Park has a "Tom
Moore's cottage probably so named,
says Mr.. ShackletOn, because the Irish
poet occasionally visited houses that were
within what is now the park.
OF course, Philadelphia had Ben Frank
lin, and of course it claims Walt Whit
man, for didn't he live in Camden, and
isn't Camden really a part Of Philadel-
phia? There are also Richard Harding
Davis, who Stumbled over Edwin For
rests equity foot in Philadelphia horse
car when he was a little boy, and Re
beeca Harding Davis, the noYelist's
mother Mr.. Shackleton notes. as a COM
mentary on the Philadelphia habit Of
mind, that Rebeeca Harding Davis is re-
membered in her home town not as a
short story writer Of distinction but as
the wife of l.. Clarke Davis, the editor.
Here is another sidelight on the Phila-
delphian's mental slant, and particularly
his fine sense of certainty Mr.. Shackle-
ton says:
"One Of the historical writers Of the
city-therc are several, so it may be any
one of them-was telling me of work
on which he was engaged which was to
cover a period which, as knew, is no
table for the conflict of authorities. /
made some obvious remark regarding the
difficulties he had set himself to surmount,
but he only replied, calmly: There will
be no difficulties. | shall merely write it
all inst rs II WAS