Page:One of a thousand.djvu/341

HOWELLS. HOW LAND. 327 pursued no collegiate course, but his ex- tensive reading, his inherited literary tastes, his contact with thoroughly demo- cratic society, and his early habit of self- dependence, with other peculiar factors that went to make up his environment from sixteen to twenty-one, doubtless gave him his orthodox Americanism, his pro- found sympathy with the realities of life, and his charm as a writer. r WILLIAM D. HOWELLS. His early life work was made up of the different departments of journalism — type-setter, reporter, news editor, etc. During his residence in Columbus, Ohio, he published five poems in the " Atlantic Monthly " during one year : " The Poet's Friends," "The Pilot's Story," "Pleasure Pain," " Lost Beliefs," and " Andenken." He was appointed by President Lincoln consul to Venice, where he resided from 1861 to '65, devoting his spare time to the study of the Italian language and litera- ture, and the general cultivation of letters. The first fruit of his labor was " Venetian Life," in which his original style was at once caught and appreciated by the read- ing public of this country and Europe. Re- turning home, Mr. Howells was for some time editorial writer for the New York "Tribune," the "Times," and the "Na- tion," and in 1S86 he became assistant editor of the " Atlantic Monthly." From 1872 to '8 1 he was editor of that maga- zine. During this period he was a contributor to the " North American Review," and was a member of the coterie that gathered at Longfellow's home in Cambridge to con- sider his translation of Dante. Latterly he has pursued the career of a profes- sional man of letters, devoting himself mainly to fiction, with the occasional pro- duction of plays, travel sketches and literary criticism. Since 1881, the "Cen- tury " and " Harper's Magazine " have given preliminary publication to the greater portion of his works. After a second sojourn in Italy, the residence of Mr. Howells has been in Boston and New York. To him this is a new era in fiction. Realism is the keynote, and in his opinion this idea is best exemplified in the fiction of the Russian novelist, Count Leo Tolstoi. Mr. Howells was married in Paris, De- cember 24, 1862, to Elinor G., sister of Larkin G. Mead, the sculptor. Of this union were born three children : Winifred, John M., and Mildred Howells; the eldest, no longer living, contributed several poems to the " Century." Among Mr. Howells's later works of fiction, " The Rise of Silas Lapham " perhaps is best known, although twenty- five or thirty of this author's books have delighted the readers of this and other countries. HOWLAND, WESTON, son of Weston and Abigail (Hathaway) Howland, was born in New Bedford, Bristol county, June 18, 1815. He received his early educational train- ing in the private schools of New Bedford, and the Friends' school at Providence, R. I. He started out in life as cabin boy in a merchant ship ; rose to seaman, officer and captain. His first connection with mer- cantile business on shore was as ship chandler and general commission mer- chant. From 1 860 to '77 Mr. Howland was en- gaged in the manufacture and refining of petroleum. He is now collector of the port of New Bedford, under appointment of President Cleveland. Mr. Howland was married in Dartmouth, May 14, 1846, to Rebecca S., daughter of George and Abby (Smith) Kirby. Of this union were twelve children : Mary S., Thomas H., Rebecca, Weston, -Jr., Rachel, Abby S., Thomas H., George K., Abby S.,