E-text prepared by sp1nd, Chris Whitehead,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()
from page images generously made available by
Internet Archive
(https://archive.org)

The cover image was restored by the transcriber and isplaced in the public domain. The photograph on the cover image is of Mark Twain.

[1]

FAMOUS AUTHORS—MEN

[2]

Reproduced, by permission, from "A Pair of Patient Lovers."—Copyright, 1901, by
Harper & Brothers.

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS.

[3]

[4]

Copyright, 1901
By L. C. Page & Company

(INCORPORATED)

All rights reserved

Fourth Impression, February, 1906

COLONIAL PRESS
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, U.S.A.

[5]

PREFACE

The aim of this book is to present tothe reading public sketches of some ofits American literary heroes. Thereare heroes young and old; but in literature,especially, age has little to do with favorites.At the same time, it will be noted that thesubjects of these sketches occupy places in ornear the centre of the literary stage. Thelately dead, like Maurice Thompson; the heroof the last generation, like Edward EverettHale; the young man who has made his firstsuccessful flight—these do not come withinthe scope of the present work. So, if somereader miss his favorite, let him understandthat at least there was no malice in theexclusio