Evening star., 1946-08-13
Wells
Continued Prom First Page

latest technical and scientific dis
coveries so as to advance his own
views on politics and sociology.
No task was too big for Wells to
tackle Yet he was often wrong In
his estimate of the reception his
work would receive at the hands of
the public He was surprised by the
success which his Outline of His
tory" attained. 1t turned out a gold
mine, was translated into almost
every language. and is still to be
found on bookstails all over the
world In one year it sold more than
half q million copies in America at
a dollar a throw. and for q while
even outstripped the Bible as q
best seller"
Earned Sl00, 900 With Novel.
The Outline" was followed by
THE Science of Life and The
Work, Wealth and Happiness OF
Mankind" The latter was a monu-
mental study of the present situa-
tion of mankind in $1,000 words.
OF his novels, Mr.. Britling Sees 1t
Through" achieved the greatest sue
cess in the United Sta tes, earning
its author about 500 900. Here again
Wells was surprised by the popular
taste. In his opinion the less widely
read Joan and Peter" was by far
the better piece of work
From history and sociology he
turned with ease to the production
of gripping scientific romances.
Among these his Time Machine"
was considered outstanding, al
though The Invisible Man" (which
was adapted for the SCREEN, The
First Man in the Moon and The
War of the Worlds" were highly
praised. In another book, The War
In the Air published in 1909
Wells became a prophet and pic
tured the role of the Zeppelins of
the World War with astonishing
fidelity.
The novels "Kipps," Love and
Mr., Lewisham" and The History of
Mr., pPolly" showed yet another side
of his talent--the portrayal of Eng
llsh lower m1ddle-class life
Born September 2l, 1866.
Mr.. Wells was born September Al,
1866, in room behind the china
and crockery shop kept by his par
ents at Bromley in Kent When, in
1927, that old home was pulled down
to make way for building improve
ments, Mr.. Wells declared that he
had given up hope of ever becoming
a world-famous figure. His vision
of pilgrims flocking to the little
shop to see Wells relics In the years
to come had been ruthlessly swept
away.
Mr.. Wells father was a gardener
who turned professional cricketer
before becoming shop keeper. His
mother was an innkeeper's daughter
who was in service" as a lady's
maid before her marriage.
At the age of 13 Wells was ap-
prenticed as Junior clerk to a dry
goods store at Windsor. He found
the work irksome, and, after an
undignified fight with a Junior
porter. he was dismissed. In the
years that followed Wells was in
turn pupil teacher" at his uncle's
school in Somerset, a clerk In a
drug store, student assistant" at
a grammar school, and again a store
clerk
Won First Class Honors.
Finally turning his back on trade
Wells went to study under Prof
T. H. Huxley the great 18th century
scientist. at the Royal College of
Science in South Kensington. There
he took his degree as Bachelor of
Science with first-elass honors. and
absorbed that enthusiasm for scien-
tlfic investigation that formed the
background of so many of his later
works.
After graduation Wells returned
to schoolmastering. Alfred Harms
worth dater Lord Northcliffe) and
A. A. Milne fthe playwright being
among his pupils at that time. A
few years later he entered journal
ism as dramatic critic of the Pail
Mali Gazette and, finding that his
writing would yield substantial re-
turns, abandoned the teaching pro-
fession TO give his whole time to his
literary work. His first published
novels, The Stolen Bacillus" and
The Wonderful Visit" appeared In
1895.
Wells married twice-first his
cousin. Isabel Mary Wells, whom he
had known since his early student
days In London, and later, after a
divorce. Amy Catherine Robbins.
who had been student In one of
ms biology classes. She died in 1927.
There were two sons of the second
marriage, one being G. P. Wells. the
biologist who cola hora ted NTH III.