Elia W. Peattie: Memory of a Visit
By Irene C. Byrne.
A FINE personality is composed of
such intangible elusive qualities
that like a delicate flavor or a
subtle odor is difficult to
analyze. It is hard to tell just what
constitutes an interesting woman's charm
but when a large circle of friends of
diverse sorts if not colors unite in recognizing
that charm we know that it is
even though it is not named. So in
speaking of the people who know her
best we can gain perhaps some idea of
Mrs. Peattie whose latest book 'The Beleaguered
Forest, has recently been
highly praised for the beauty of its literary
[?].
To her home, marked by the refinement
and individually distinguishing every
thing that is an expression of her that
[?] come men and women who are of
the best, intellectually, to be found in
Chicago, that great, gray city which
seems to be a gigantic maelstrom drawing
to itself the talent which has birth in
smaller and more secluded places.
My visit with her was a short one but
so much was crowded into it that in
[?] seems that it must have
been longer. One day we devoted to the
clubs. We took luncheon at the Woman's
club in a quiet, homelike dining from to
which only members and their friends are
admitted in a city of magnificent distances
like Chicago it is a great boon
to the women to have this cozy retired
place of their own. Here was served a
dainty palatable but essentially 'womanish'
lunch for the very modest sum of
25 cents. There was no public meeting
of the club but in the spacious parlors
there was an exhibit of paintings. Most
of these were like the lunch, 'womanish'
-- that is dainty and delicate rather than
strong and forceful. But one or two were
discussing the advisability of buying one.
Miss Ada L Sweet well known throughout
the west as a pension agent who is
at once [?] and successful was while
talking to us, asked if she would contribute
to pay for it.
['Nobindned,'?] she said in a most busi-
ness-like was ' I do not believe in in-
dividual members of the club Daving for
anything while we have a large [?}
fund in the treasure I believe in [?]
ing not hoarding the club [mones?]
Thin started an argument as to the difference
between hoarding and [?]
[?] and we left them like club
[?] were late comfortable, well
legends furnished There were good
pictures on the walls and some chuming
bits of Miss I [?] Putters modeling on
the tables But they were not no beautiful
as the rooms of the Fortnightly,
which were in the same building indeed
everything was in this building its very
name the Fine Arts, showing for what
purpose it is used it is devoted to
studios and club rooms The Fortnightly
is perhaps the most exclusive of Chicago
intellectual clubs and though social
position and wealth are not conditions
of its membership many of the
women belonging to it have both These
women have attended to each detail of
the furnishing and old mahogany and
old china old wood prints and carved
blackwood days chairs, exquisite silver
and fine color scheme of walls tugs
and woodwork make up an aesthetic and
distinctive interior
After a peep into the Fortnightly we
went to Ralph Clarkson's studio where
we found The People Mr Clarkson is
a well known portrait painter and his
studio is a most int resting one in it
oaoh [?], meets The Little Room,
so called from a link written by one
of its members, Mrs Woane who is not
only a writer but a charming women
and article willer smith who makes
most exquisite and [?]silver work
The Little Room is not a club in the
sense that it does anything at its meltings
it is [?] a gathering of the
brightest and most talented people, artists
writers sculptors and doors, who
for an hour or tao retain from being
clever and talk in a most model was together
each one trying hard not to say
all the good things which is indeed,
unselfish Whenever a writer or actor
or artist or musician of repute come
to Chicago he is inited to meet theme
people at The Little Room This week,
my visit was three years ago, remember,
the guest of honor was Hall Caine
Really, between you and me, I think I
was the most distinguished person present
for while everyone else had printed
a book, or painted a picture, or played
a play, I was unique in that I had done
none of these. Amid so many clever
people dull one was anomaly, the
bright and shining light Hall Caine,
most ' Svenguliesque" in appearance, was
most human in datercourse, being very
unlike Zangwill, who the week before
had followed the Bibileat Injunction literally
and said only "yen.' and "pay"
and that with the most bored manner
possible Mr Caine expressed giant pleasure
at the cordial manner in which the
American public had received him and
spoke in some surprise of the warm hospitality
that had been extended to him
We explained to him that this was not
because he was English, but because we
were American One of his anecdotes
interested me because of its uncanniness
He said that while-talking of Shelley
to William Ronetti Danite Gabriel's
brother, Rossetti said ' I have a lock
of Shelley's hair which I will show you"
On opening the case holding it a lock of
snow white hair was disclosed
Why exclaimed Mr. Caine. ' I thought
Shelley a hair was auburn"
So this was, " responded Rosetti,
the last time I saw it"
This was rather creepy until a matter
of fact person suggested that possibly
Shelley's hair had been stolen and this
substituted We all looked our contempt
for the scientist mind which
sought for a simple, natural reason and
robbed us of our shivers
Lillian Bell, now Lillian Bell Rogue
interested me even more than the author
of " the Christian and The Eternal
City. handsome, well dressed and tall
she would be statuesque were she not so
vivacious but June and wills after-dinner
tales told with an inimitable gusto
are not compatible, and in these she
abound She was contained unlike our
"womanish' lunch for she possesses in
a remarkable degree the [?] popper
of personalities for though I imagine
that a wit as sharp and bright and
quick as hers could cut to the [?] if
need be, she showed none of that this
afternoon WHile talking to her and her
sister, Mrs Lessing Mr [?] who
has since [?] [?] [?] Alone
was presented to Mrs Lessing Ah
you are Bec he said 'I knew you front
your sisters willing [?] isn't It
dreadful the was she willes about me
and makes me public property "Why
don't you, to get even waite about her"
"Write about [?] broke in Mrs Houge
"Why, none of my families [?] write
They can only take their mark You
brilliant creature I thought You are
making your mark by writing
Hamlin Harland with his study farmers
frame was there I wanted to ask
his if Rose Datcher were happy in her
married life, but [?] he might not
like to discuss family affairs As he
stood talking to George Fox, Harpers
correspondent, looking over the expanse
of gras sky, gras lake and said, gray
roofs which the window afforded, one of
them remarked of the view, "Significant
but not beautiful " Ithought that would
be a good epitome of Garlands work
Henes Fuller [?] in but would not
stay Mr. Rosswell Field new of Boston.
who has the joke-loving dispotion of
his dead brother. the poet was heard
saying [?] to Garland, who is a total
abstainer "No, Garland I positively refuse
to go out for a drink with you"
It was a stimulating afternoon and as
I recall the bright gaskets and spontaneous
wit of those who made it so, I fed
vers grateful to the woman who stood
sponsor for me and gave me an opportunity
to enjoy it And not the least
line quilty of those whom I met was
their appreciation of her movable, memorable
personalities and the talent, a talent
which has found expression in many
short [?] and is now displayed in
The [?] [?] it mas not
be [?] to those who read Mrs.
[?] [?] to know that this story
was almost [?] for the publishers two
[?] new bit was burned with many
other manuscripts in a fire that destroyed
her studio [?] cabin in the Michigan
pine wood [?] [?] some of the fear
and [?] of that night fire. burning
in the [?] of the forest may be
found in the written story
If an [?] in also the quiet courage
and [?] of purpose which helped
the woman [?] bear the loss of
[?] moths work and without complaining
to set about to do over again
