141
MRS. PEATTIE'S BOOK OF STORIES.
Under the title, "A Mountain Woman," Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, as heretofore noted, has issued a book of short stories which we believe will win for her a place among the most eminent American writers.
Mrs. Peattie for several years has written for an ever-widening circle of admirers. Her work upon the World Herald day by day has given her a reputation in the west equaled by no other woman, while her occasional contributions to the magazines of the country have made her known to the rapidly swelling multitude of magazine readers in all parts of the United States.
The literary critic of the Chicago Times-Herald has written such an admirable critique of "The Mountain Woman" that we republish it on this page in lieu of a review by the World Herald, which might be considered somewhat prejudiced in the author's favor.
Without setting itself up as a prophet the World-Herald ventures the prediction that Mrs. Peattie has now formally entered upon a literary career which will make her a wide reputation.
142
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W. Peattie.)
The garden flowers are almost gone, but a few of the late ones are still in bloom, and will be very welcome at the flower mission. Mrs. Hoagland wishes her friends to know that no contribution of flowes will be too small. There are a few suff suffering persons whom she particularly wishes to present with flowers this week.
The frist manscript prepared by Alfred Tennyson, and his brother is still in existence, and lies in a little box at Louth, Two or three times a year it is reverently lifted from is place of safety, examined and replaced. The title of this manuscript is "Poems by Two Brothers," and it was published in March, 1827. Perhaps it would never have got into print but for the interests which an old family servant took in the writings of his younf masters. With them writing was only a diversion, but the desire for seeing the name of his his well-belowed young friends in print fired the breast of the old servant, and he induced them to send the manuscript to the published. Charles and Alfred took the manuscript to J. & J. Jackson of Louth, who after reading the poems consented to purchase the poems of $50. Typographically speaking, the little volume is poor. It appears without the names or initials of the authors, nor is there any means of telling which poems were written by Alfred and which by Charles. A well preserved copy of this book is not worth $500 and had brought that price.
It is strange that the manscript should have preserved. It was, however, and is said to be very poor manuscript indeed, from a printer's point of view. It is written in the chiography of the respective authors and in scratchy characters. It covers both sides of the paper. Sometimes the apges are disfigured by rude, school boy charcters. On some pages whole verses have been struck out by heavy back lines running in all directions: The lines overrun a good deal, and as many verses as possible are crowded into each page. On one small sheet of note paper the writer has managed to crush no less than ninety-one lines. This boyish manyscript-prepared in a house where there was evidently a greater abundance of idea than of note paper-is now, of course, priceless.
Mrs. Eva A. Weed of Brooklyn is known as a "daughtswoman." She has received an appointment as assistant in the draughting department of the bureau of sweres in that city, having taken the civil service examination a few months ago with 180 men and eclipsing them with her average of 94. Mrs. Weed is but 25 years of age, and a very attractice and vivacious woman. She has had a lifelong experience in draughting. Her father was a city engineer, and she grew up with a draughtsman's tool for her playing. When she was of the proper age she took the course at the Cooper insitute.
Massachusettes have anovel campaign this year. It is over the question of women sufferage, using the referendum to decide the question The last legislature passed an act giving to all persons qualified to vote for school committees an opportunity to express their opinion at the election as to whether or not it be expedient for women to be given the municipal franchise. In casting this ballot the vote of the women are to be kept separate from the men, in order to arrive at the desire of the women.
143
MRS. PEATTIE'S CANDIDACY.
Fremont Herald (dem): The Bee, in its remarks about the candidates on the populistic state ticket, is narrow enough to make an unkind allusion to Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, one of the candidates for regent. It says that she is "probably as well qualified as any woman who would accept the nomination." A great many people may not know the animus that controlled the Bee in this case. Mrs. Peattie happens to be a newspaper writer whose husband is a newspaper man who edits a republican paper in Council Bluffs. Mrs. Peattie is employed on the World-Herald. This is not the first time the Bee has sneeringly referred to this estimable lady.
Mrs. Peattie is not running on the ticket supported by this paper, but The Herald is liberal enough to concede that there is something good in the candidates on opposition tickets. The populists might have searched the state from Douglas county to the Colorado line without finding a better candidate than Mrs. Peattie. She is the peer of any man in Nebraska in education and ability, and she understands decent politics as well as any writer on the Bee. She is deeply interested in the work of building up our educational institutions, and the state university has been the subject of several interesting articles from her pen By tireless energy Mrs. Peattie has made a name and a fame for herself in literary circles, and through it all and above all she has found time to rear an interesting family as only a fond and loving mother could do.
"As well as any woman who would accept the nomination!" Of course, and better than most men. Why not be fair in politics? Why not concede what every one knows who knows Mrs. Peattie, either personally or by her writings, that she is a woman of wonderful ability, wrapped up in the one idea of uplifting humanity and tireless in her efforts to make other happier and better. The fact that she is a woman should have no part nor place in the race she is making for the office. The republican party will have to seek a long time before it will find in its ranks a man better qualified for regent than Mrs. Peattie.
Nebraska City News (dem): The Omaha Bee is never charitable to its political enemies or those with whom it differs, but in its editorial on the populist convention it went directly out of its way to cast a slur upon a lady who is honored and respected throughout the state It says, "The woman nominee, Mrs Elia W. Peattie, ran for the Omaha school board on a democratic ticket last year and failed to secure the necessary votes to elect. Her qualifications for the position are probably as good as those of any other woman who would be willing to run." That criticism was entirely unnecessary and uncalled for. The News has no love for populists, but we do admire honest and noble women, such as Mrs. Peattie, and so far as brains are concerned she has not an equal in the state. We admire her for her actual worth, and simply because she is in the employ of an opposition paper is no reason why dirty flings should be made at her. Should she be elected she will fill the office with ability. But she won't be elected.
Crete Herald (dem.), At Lincoln, Wednesday, the populist state convention nominated Judge Samuel Maxwell for supreme judge, and Mrs. E. W. Peattie and James H. Bayston for regents of the state university. Judge Maxwell has a long and honorable career on the bench that will make him a strong and popular candidate. Mrs. Peattie is the versatile writer of the World-Herald, and has been an ardent worker for the organization and advancement of her sex.
144
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
Miss Grace Ford, daughter of Mr and Mrs F F Ford, will return from Wellesley tomorrow
Mrs Benjamin of Michigan, the national parliamentarian of the Women's Christian Temperance union, will give a free address a week from Saturday at the Woman's club room, at 8 o'clock.
There is one thing that marred the otherwise auspicious banquet given to General Coppinger at the Omaha club the other evening. This was the speech of Mr Rosewater as reported in the morning Bee. The making of a speech in which the occupation of the general was unfavorably compared with that of Mr Rosewater certainly showed but a sorry idea of courtesy. Mr Rosewater said that while the new rifle might shoot a mile and the new fangled cannon might send a projectile five miles the projectiles from the press carry infinitely farther--in substance that the pen was mightier than the sword and that after all army trappings were only fol de rol. It must be remarked that General Coppinger is the last man in the world who deserves to have such a remark made in his presence, for under no circumstances would he ever abuse an occasion of hospitality Mr Rosewater will never hear any invidious remarks concerning his profession from General Coppinger. General Coppinger is a gentleman, with whom courtesy is a fixed habit and he probably did not even permit himself to reflect that such a speech as Mr Rosewaters was flamboyant, spread-eagled and far from the point. The occasion was one on which the career of General Coppinger might well have been mentioned and the career of Mr Rosewater forgotten.
Some one said the other day:
'Why is something not said about the Cleveland baby? You ought to be patriotic enough to make some remarks about the baby of the president."
Now to tell the truth, in a republic the baby of a president is of no more consequence than the baby of anybody else, and as there must be several new babies every day somewhere over the country--tho' I do not often hear of it- it is evident that I cannot keep up with the course of events and congratulate all the people who are so fortunate as to get them. No one would ever feel like being tions where Mrs Cleveland was concerned. there never was a woman with more tact, with better taste --excepting in one instance--or with more dignity and sweetness. May she have many daughters to sweeten her life and fill her heart! For she was made to be a mother. There is a fair, maternal light in her face, and all her personality breathes of domesticity. One wishes that she might have shared that domesticity with a young, amiable, handsome and charming man, instead of a man with an ambition for power, a passion for epigrams, and an inscrutable obstinancy. This refers to Mr Cleveland, the man. As to Mr Cleveland, the president--but that is another story, as Mr Kipling knows very well, and one takes off one's hat though it consist of nothing more than two fluffs of chiffon and a red, red rose. Women can say things, if they please, which are not logical. They have the discredit of doing such things, and might as well have the amusement which
attaches to it. It is therefore, no breach of patriotism--or of confidence--to say that there are men--one mentions no names--to whom one would much rather be married than to the president of the United States. We do not congratulate Mrs. Cleveland--on the baby! May it nestle close to her heart "with the touch of a flower" and perfume her life.
145
A STORY OF MYSTERY
It Will Be Written by Mrs. Peattie and Will Begin Next Sunday.
Large Prizes Will Be Offered for the Best Forecasts of the Last Chapter.
A Tale of Romance, Adventure and Ambition With a Plot That Is Hard to Unravel.
Next Sunday the World-Herald will begin the publication of a story of mystery.
It will be written by Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, who needs no introduction to the readers of the World-Herald.
The story will run through this month and next, and will be published only in the Sunday World-Herald.
The title of the story will be "Jan Paulson, the Bookman," and it will be adapted to the reading of old and young. Being a story of mystery, the last chapter will not be published until the readers of the World-Herald have had an opportunity to unravel the plot and offer solutions for the last chapter.
In addition to the natural interest which readers will feel in a story of romance and adventure from the pen of Mrs. Peattie, the World-Herald proposes to offer several large prizes to the readers who come nearest to forecasting the closing chapter of the story under rules and regulations which will be published next Sunday, in connection with the opening chapters of the story.
Watch for the opening chapters of Mrs. Peattie's story next Sunday.
Watch for the rules and regulations.
Watch for the offer of prizes.
In short, watch for next Sunday's World-Herald.
TRAILING HIS PRISONERS.
Sheriff of Butler County in Ashland **News and Personals.
Special Dispatch to the World-Herald.
Ashland, Neb., June 8.--C.H. Derby, the sheriff of Butler county, was in this city yesterday, trailing three prisoners who escaped from the jail at David City last Monday night. It is said they were seen floating down the Platte in a boat near this place.
Hon. T.J. Pickett, ex-senator, is now a resident of Wahoo, having purchased a controlling interest in the Wasp. He moved his family there last week.
At a meeting of the citizens it is decided to reorganize the base ball team and put in the field one of the best amateur clubs in the state. A board of managers was elected, consisting of Alex Laverty, Giff Railsback, James Oliver and John Knight. It was also decided to retain Mclivaine and Hays the Omaha pitcher and catcher, who have been here on trial for the last week, for the rest of the season. A large amphitheater is being built, and everything will be put in good shape.
Mr. George D. Lawson, who for the last three years has been cashier in the national bank at this place, moved to Omaha this week.
Prof. R.D. Overholt, principal of the city schools, will spend his vacation in Omaha.
Mr. M. E. Gibbs, an old Ashland boy, but now of Tarkio, Mo., is here on a visit.
Most of the teachers have left for their various homes, where they will spend the vacation.
Platte river near Mr. John Schmidt's was over its banks and coming down the bottoms. No great damage was done.
The Oak Leaf club (colored) of Omaha will picnic at Ashland June 20. About 400 are expected.
The following students returned from the State university this week, having completed the year's work. Messrs. Wilson, Bell, Du Boise, Duts, jr., and Belle Mansfield, Dean and Earnest Wiggenborn, Martin Miller, Harry Shedd, Bert Meredith and Arthur Pancoast.
Ray Brush was in Omaha this week attending the annual session of the Nebraska State Pharmacutical association.
Mrs. A.W. Meyer of Watertown, Wis., who has been here on a week's visit, has returned home.
F.F Blakealee left Monday for Burlington, Ia., on a week's visit.
Miss Anna Payne of Cleveland, O., is in this city visiting her sister, Mrs. Woodberry.
David Dean went to Kansas City on business Monday.
Miss Mattie and Mac Catlin returned from Lincoln after a week's visit.