Through the Year With Famous Authors Part 11

--_George Ebers_.

GEORGE MORITZ EBERS, a famous German Egyptologist and novelist, was born at Berlin, March 1, 1837, and died August 7, 1898. Among his noted works are: "The Sisters," "The Emperor," "Serapis," "Joshua," "Cleopatra,"

"h.o.m.o Sum," "Uarda," "The Bride of the Nile," and "An Egyptian Princess," his most celebrated work.

Until after the war we had no real novels in this country, except "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This is one of the great novels of the world, and of all time. Even the fact that slavery was done away with does not matter; the interest in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," never will pa.s.s, because the book is really as well as ideally true to human nature, and n.o.bly true. It is the only great novel of ours before the war that I can think of.

"My Favorite Novelist,"--_Munsey's Magazine_, Vol. 17, p. 22, 1897.--_William Dean Howells_.

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS, a celebrated American novelist and poet, was born at Martinsville, O., March 1, 1837, and died in 1921. Among his numerous works are: "Italian Journeys," "Poets and Poetry of the West," "Poems,"

"A Day's Pleasure," "A Little Girl Among the Old Masters," "Indian Summer," "Modern Italian Poets," "The Shadow of a Dream," "A Little Swiss Sojourn," "My Year in a Log Cabin," "My Literary Pa.s.sions,"

"Impressions and Experiences," "A Previous Engagement," "Certain Delightful English Towns," "Through the Eye of the Needle,"

"Fennel and Rue," "Imaginary Interviews," "The Seen and Unseen in Stratford-on-Avon," "Years of My Youth," "A Modern Instance," "The Lady of the Aristook," "The Rise of Silas Lapham."

Much like a subtle spider which doth sit In middle of her web, which spreadeth wide; If aught do touch the utmost thread of it, She feels it instantly on every side.

"The Immortality of the Soul,"--_Sir John Davies_.

SIR JOHN DAVIES, a noted English poet and judge, was bom in Tisbury, Wilts.h.i.+re, March 2, 1570, and died December 7 or 8, 1626. He wrote: "Know Thyself," "The Orchestra," and "Hymns to Astraea."

Of the generations of American statesmen that followed those of the Revolutionary period, few will live as long in the memory of the people, and none as long in the literature of the country, as Daniel Webster.

"Library of the World's Best Literature," 1897, ed. Warner, Vol. 38, p. 15725.--_Carl Schurz_.

CARL SCHURZ, a famous German-American journalist and statesman, was born near Cologne, Prussia, March 2, 1829, and died in 1906. His most celebrated speeches are: "The Irrepressible Conflict," "The Doom of Slavery," "The Abolition of Slavery as a War Measure," "Life of Henry Clay," "Eulogy on Charles Sumner," etc.

Go, lovely rose!

Tell her that wastes her time and me That now she knows, When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be.

"Go, Lovely Rose,"--_Edmund Waller_.

EDMUND WALLER, a renowned English poet and parliamentarian, was born at Coles.h.i.+ll, March 3, 1605, and died at Beaconsfield, October 21, 1687. He published a volume of poems in 1645, and another in 1664.

O woman! lovely woman! Nature made thee To temper man: we had been brutes without you.

Angels are painted fair, to look like you: There's in you all that we believe of heaven,-- Amazing brightness, purity, and truth, Eternal joy, and everlasting love.

"Venice Preserved," Act i, Sc. 1,--_Thomas Otway_.

THOMAS OTWAY, a noted English dramatist, was born at Trotton, near Midhurst, Suss.e.x, March 3, 1652, and died in April, 1685. His famous plays include "Don Carlos, Prince of Spain," "The Orphan, or the Unhappy Marriage," "The History and Fall of Caius Marius," "Venice Preserved, or a Plot Discover'd," etc.

When money represents many things, not to love it would be to love nearly nothing. To forget true needs can be only a feeble moderation; but to know the value of money and to sacrifice it always, maybe to duty, maybe even to delicacy,--that is real virtue.

--_De Senancour_.

ETIENNE PIVERT DE SeNANCOUR, a distinguished French writer, born at Paris, March 4 (?), 1770, and died at St. Cloud, January 10, 1846. He wrote: "Reveries on the Primitive State of Man," "Love According to Primordial Laws, and According to the Conventions of Society," "Free Meditations of an Unknown Solitary on Detachment from the World,"

"Isabella," and "Obermann," his most celebrated work.

I have always believed that success would be the inevitable result if the two services, the army and the navy, had fair play, and if we sent the right man to fill the right place.

"Speech in Parliament," January 15, 1855,--_Sir Austen Henry Layard_.

SIR AUSTEN HENRY LAYARD, a celebrated English traveler, was born at Paris, March 5, 1817, and died July 5, 1894. Among his publications are: "Nineveh and Babylon," "Early Adventures in Persia, Susiana, and Babylonia," "Nineveh and Its Remains."

Deep brown eyes running over with glee; Blue eyes are pale, and gray eyes are sober; Bonnie brown eyes are the eyes for me.

"October's Song,"--_Constance F. Woolson_.

CONSTANCE FENIMORE WOOLSON, a well-known American poet and novelist, was born at Claremont, N. H., March 5, 1848, and died at Venice, January, 1894. Her princ.i.p.al works are: "Rodman the Keeper," "For the Major,"

"Anne," "East Angels," "Horace Chase," "Jupiter Lights," and "Castle Nowhere."

As when, O lady mine!

With chiselled touch The stone unhewn and cold Becomes a living mould.

The more the marble wastes, The more the statue grows.

"Sonnet," Translation by Mrs. Henry Roscoe,--_Michelangelo_.

MICHAELANGELO BUONAROTTI, one of the greatest of Italian sculptors and poets, was born at Caprese, March 6, 1475, and died at Rome, February 18, 1564. His "Poems" were published in 1863, and a volume of "Letters"

in 1865.

G.o.d answers sharp and sudden on some prayers, And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face, A gauntlet with a gift in't.

"Aurora Leigh, Book II,"--_Elizabeth Browning_.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, a famous English poetess, was born in Durham, March 6, 1809, and died in Florence, June 30, 1861. Her princ.i.p.al poems are: "The Drama of Exile," "A Vision of Poets," "The Seraphim," "Romance of the Swan's Nest," "Aurora Leigh," "The Cry of the Children," "Lady Geraldine's Courts.h.i.+p," and "Sonnets from the Portuguese."

A little work, a little play To keep us going--and so good day!

A little warmth, a little light Of love's bestowing--and so, good night.

A little fun, to match the sorrow Of each day's growing--and so, good morrow!

A little trust that when we die We reap our sowing--and so, good bye!

"Trilby,"--_George Du Maurier_.

GEORGE DU MAURIER, a celebrated ill.u.s.trator, cartoonist, and novelist, was born in Paris, March 6, 1834, and died in London, October 8, 1896.

He wrote and ill.u.s.trated three noted stories, "Peter Ibbetson,"

"Trilby," and "The Martian."