JOHN OLIVER HOBBES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1143, 2 June 1911, Page 9

JOHN OLIVER HOBBES.

"The Life of John Oliver Hobhes," told mninly through her correspondence, but provided with a biographical sketch by hor father and. an introduction by the Dean of- Manchester, will interest readers who have followed the. course of recent literature (saj's an Australian writer). Dr. Welldon describes how a happy accident led to his acquaintance with Mrs. Craigie. ■ Afterwards, when lie was at Harrow, the novelist paid him several visits, and a warm friendship matured. He writes: "As I sat in the Church, of the Jesuit Fathers, and the candles held by the mourners irern suddenly extinguished, it scorned that a light had gone out of my own Ufa." He does not know whethw "John Oliver Hobbes or Mrs. Craigie was the greater personality. Inhis opinion she was a woman of remarkable gifts, and no less remarkable personal chiii-Bi. The father's biography of his daughter is delightfully done. Pearl Kicharils was born near Boston in ISG7, but Mr. Richards almost immediately settled in England. An American colony had not then been founded, ami to the consequent isolation of the home life some of Pearl's early precocity must bo attributed. She could read well at fiv?, , and reading soon became her chief delight. But she w.is healthy and active, and was allowed to wear boy's clothes in tho hon.se for several years—a subtle little suggestion of her (-mancipation from sex. She had an alert imagination, and showed a gift for story-telling it a very i-nrly n?D.- ; --"".V7]KMi -I-prow-up," she said, "I am: goimr'to write'little toy books for children." Curiously enough, she did goMrito print in her ninth year—in "The Fountain," a paper edited by Dr. Parker, of tho City Temple. Another early literary occupation was the writing of love-letters for tho maid-servants. Tho recipients may bo forgiven for not always appreciating them. liy the time she was H her reading was quite unrestricted, and she saw every important theatrical production of the day. Her school years wero uneventful, and she married R. W. Craicie when she was little more than 19. She had then fully determined to make literature her prcfes-iicn. and began to contribute to various journals—mainly humorous: and satirical sketches. Thackeray early became her favourite author. Her- married life was unfortunate. She separated from Craigie in 1891, and subsequently- obtained a divorce. There was ono child, John Churchill Craigie. Scon after this she- wrote her first book, "Some Emotions and a Moral." It was an immediate success. A year later "John Oliver Hobbes" was rewired into the ■Roman Catholic Church, which in her distress proved a helpful sanctuary. But she. found sohce also in work, and a long series of brilliant books and plays wns ths result of assiduous industry. But the strain wa= too great to last, and she died rather suddenly in l!MI6- at the early a?o of 38. The letters that form the bulk of tho present book throw much light on her literary life, and they nro characteristically bright as well as characteristically shrewd. They are full, tco, of references to books and plays and people. Mrs. Craigie was a gifted woman and a devoted friend. As lord Curzon said of her in unveiling a memorial tablet at University College, few could remember her career without a pang of deep omo- . Hon. It was fo brilliant, so crowded, so lit with iridescent gleams, so short. Shp was a sincere epiprammatist. She could write a letter in Greek iambics. She was sparkling as the sunlight, but in her still soul .were desp and silent pools. She faced sorrow with courage and success irith simplicity. Her sympathy was strong and real. It is not .wonderful that she was loved even more thun she nas admired. (Murray, through liymcck and George Robertson.)