Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19
Peculiarities of
Famous Writers

PRET HARTE, when the inspira-
ton was on him, would hire .
cab for the night and drive without
stopping through the darkness until
the struggle for ideas was over and
he grew calm enough to write. Moth
ing pleased him more than to be taken
for an Englishman.
est weather. never wears an over
coat When he gives an afternoon
lecture he removes his vest and but
tons his Prince Albert coat close -
spends all the time possible on the
links.
Count Tolstoy went barefoot and
hatless during the greater part OF the
year He was fond Of French par.
sachet powder. There always was .
flower on his desk as he wrote. Az
though very wealthy, he wore the
cheapest clothes he could buy.
Voltaire. as preliminary to his days
work. would sharpen an even dosen
lead pencils. He would unite and re-
tie his stock whenever an idea con-
corning his work particularly pleased
him.
oliver Wendell Holmes used to
carry a horse-chestnut in one pocket
and a potato in another to ward on
rheumatism. He had a great fond
ness for trees.
lola would never accept the invita-
ton to dinner.
Darwin had no respect for books 40
books and would cut q big volume In
two for convenience in handling, or
he would tear out the leaves he re-
quired for reference.
Bjorsson kept his pockets full Of
the seeds of trees. scattering hand
fuls broadcast in his daily walkA He
tried to persuade his associates to do
the same.
F. Marion Crawford carried his own
stationery. pen and ink and never
wrote with any other. He wrote every
word Of every novel with the same
Disraeli wore corsets The older he
grew the greater became his desire to
dress like a young man. He had q
pen stuck behind each ear when writ
ling. slf
I Thomas Darlington Macaulay kept
| his closets crammed with elaborate
embroidered waistcoats. and the more
gaudy they were the better he liked
them.
Hawthorne always washed his
hands before reading a letter from
his wife. He delighted in poring over
old advertisements in the Newspaper
files.
Washington Irving never mem
toned the name OF his fancee after
her death, and IL anybody else did he
Immediately left the room.
Longfellow enjoyed walking only
at sunrise or sunset, and he said his
sublimest moods came upon him At
these times.
Robert Browning could not sit STILL
| With the constant stunning Of his feet
holes were worn in the carpet.
| Robert Louis Stevenson's favoffte
| recreation was playing the hute. In
| order. as he said. to tune up his ideas.
Edmund Clarence Etedman had his
favorite cat sit in a high chair at the
table every day at dinner.
Alexandra Dumas, the younger,
| bought a new painting every time
he had a new book published.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson pos
sessed a singular power over wild
birds and could easily tame them.
Thackeray used to lift his hat when.
ever he passed the house in which he
| wrote Vanity Fair"
| Victor Hugo spoke little; his Re.
marks usually were made in the form
of questions.
Daudet wore his eyeglasses when
| asleep.
Walter Savage Lander threw the
dishes around to relieve his mind.
| Ernest Renan wore his finger nails
! abnormally long.
Joaquin Miller nailed all his chairs
| to the wall.
Dickens was fond Of wearing nashy
| jewelry. ,.-
Sardou imagined he had a perpetual
cold.
Keats liked red pepper on his toast