A MEREDITH ORIGINAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 10

A MEREDITH ORIGINAL.

The latest volume of chatty reminiscences is "The Fourth Generation," by Janet lioss, who. as tho daughter of Lady Duff Gordon, glow up amongst interesting people I'm haps tho most interesting fact revealed is that Mrs. lioss is the original of Georgo Meredith's Hose Jocelyn. The Dull' Gordons and Meredith became very intiiuato about lifts, when they lived near each other at Esher. The chief literary result of this via that Meredith drew tho whole family, _ and put them into "Evan Harrington," soon afterwards lo bo published in "Once a Week":—

'".Evan Hnrringlon' (which was first called "He Would bo a Gentleman") was niy novel—wiles Mrs. Jtoss—because Eos-e Jocolyn was myself. (Sir Frank and Lady Joe.elyu were my fathm and lnotliei, mid Mi=s Current was Miss Louisa Courtenuy, a very old friend of my parents, who often stayed with us at Eshor.) With the magnificent impertinence of sixteen I would interrupt Meredith, oxclaiminc,. 'No, I should never have said it like that;' or, 'I should not havo ilotio so.' A young Irish retriever, Petor, which J vr.\s breaking in and afterward? wvn lo littlo Arthur, was imuiurUilised in tho pases of tho novel at my special nquesl." This portrait seems to be no fancy on the part of Mrs. Boss, becuiwn references In Meredith's letters, printed hi her book, prove it to bo well founded. The chief instance is from n lellei written after Miss Duff Gordon's lniu'rivkit to Mr. Eoss.innd it is interesting an introducing the Inte Admiral Maxsc, lli'i friwid whom Mereditli mndo the boo of another novel, "Beauchamp's Caiwr":— "Maxse is a very nico fellow, with stronsr literary tastes, lie ivas, naval aide-de-camp to Lord Ljons in tho Crimea. 1 daro say you havo heard of him, You would like him. He is very anxious to bo introduced sonio day to lioso Jocelyn—l tell him that Jtinit Ross is a finer creature. If Ilos* Kutislio-i him, hew will not Janet? Ho )u\s taken a cottage at Molesey, and wo mako expeditions together on foot. Talking of Hose, did you see the 'Saturday' ? It says you arc n heroine who deserves to be a heroine."

AI the end of If GO, before she was 19, Miss Huff Gordon married Henry Eoss, a man twice her u?o, a partner in the old banking firm of Briess and Co.,'of Cairo and Alexandria. Henceforth, for a time her life was chiefly passed in .