FAMOUS CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 11, 23 December 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

FAMOUS CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

NOTABLE THINGS GIVEN TO THE WORLD AT CIIRTSTMASTIDE. The splendid literary work of Mr. Justin McCarthy may be said to have had its start at Christmas, for that veteran author made his debut in the Christmas number of an Irish newspaper in 1848. Though it can hardly bo truthfully stated that he leaped into fame at a bound, yet his efforts soon began to attract attention, and his fine work since then as novelist and historian is now recognised by all the reading public. Another very famous author who first saw the light in a Christmas number. so far as her literary biith was uoueerned, is Miss Braddou. Her initial efiort in print was a Christmas story in Ib(jl) f and it was exactly five years later, on Christmas morning, that she finished the last chapter of ‘‘ Lady Aiidley's Secret, ’’ the book that made her name and fame secure.

Yet a third novelist who owes much to the ‘2sth of December is Mrs. Humphry Ward. This lady, as is fairly well known, owes much of her celebrity to the sensation created by her “ Robert Elsmere.” and that popular novel was commenced at Christmas. ISSB. Curiously enough, toe, Mrs. YVaid's other notable story, " Marcella,” had its last chapter completed on Christmas Eve in IM-1. Inms has also been signalised by j m v-i' than one great success in art. For > it not on Christmas Eve that n ; painter, then not nearly so widely • known as ],■<■ riftorwarils became —one j W. P. Frith— on 's-hixl a large picture on vilii'.’i h< l,:ri been engaged for over six months?