Famous Authors (Men)Harkins, E. F. (Edward Francis)
General
Famous Authors (Men)
Harkins, E. F. (Edward Francis)
Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography
Mr. Grant left Harvard with a budding reputation. In company with Mr.
F. J. Stimson ("J. S. of Dale"), Barrett Wendell (now professor of
English at Harvard), F. G. Attwood, whose untimely death has bereft
our literature of one of its happiest decorators, and Mr. John T.
Wheelwright, now a lawyer in Boston, he had polished _The Lampoon_
considerably. Perhaps his most popular work at this time was "The
Little Tin Gods on Wheels; or, Society in our Modern Athens," a
burlesque after the Greek manner, which appeared in _The Lampoon_,
with illustrations by Attwood. In fact, it was to be found in a book
published by Sever, together with the young satirist's other promising
works, "The Wall Flowers," "The Chaperons," and "Oxygen, a Mt. Desert
Pastoral," squibs dealing with the foibles of fashionable society.
Thus favorably introduced to the reading public, he lost no time in
striking the iron while it was hot, and in 1880 gave out his first
novel, "The Confessions of a Frivolous Girl," which, by reason of its
remarkable exposition of the character of the leading lady, as she
may be called, and its popular attractiveness, won immediate success
at home and abroad. Three years later his second book, "The Knave of
Hearts," the autobiography of a ruthless young man, was published; and
the same year appeared in _The Century_ the articles which make up
"An Average Man," and a satire on Wall Street entitled "The Lambs, a
Tragedy." In 1883, too, it may be mentioned, Mr. Grant read at the Phi
Beta Kappa reunion at Harvard a poem called "Yankee Doodle." In 1885
"A Romantic Young Lady," another skit on fashionable life, made its
appearance; and that year he also served as the poet of the two hundred
and fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Boston Latin
School.
The following year, 1886, he finished what, up to that time, was by far
his most serious work, "Face to Face," which was published anonymously.
In it Anglomania and the labor problem are touched on boldly and
brilliantly, and even to-day the points of the book are fresh and
sparkling. Later came "The Reflections of a Philosopher," "The Opinions
of a Married Man," "Searchlight Letters," "The Art of Living," and,
last of all, "Unleavened Bread." "He says," once remarked a man, "what
you have thought and wanted to say yourself"; and a better compliment
could hardly be paid his philosophy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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