Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-06-08
NEWS AND MISCELLANY.
Gossip About Writers.
From the n. l. Gazette, !
CHAPTER /.

CHATTER l.
All kinds of fish swim lin the sea of
literature. But he they minnOws, OF
be they whales-be they rainbow fish,
ar be they blo0d-thirsty sharks be
they tOOlhsOme shad and salmon, or
unpalatable skates and pOll0ck-the lit
erary world likes to hear about the lit
efary fishes. what they do, how they
live, where they dwell, how they look,
and the rest of it.
But 1T Is with tLe literary fishes as
with the fishes of the material sea- less
Is known ahOut their habits than abont
the habits of any other class of animals,
from the difficulty of observing them
IN their native haunis. "We know that
some are solitary, and others gregari-
Gus; some great wanderers, others re-
manning near the bottom, or at great
depths; some living on sandy bottoms,
others IN rocky, others an muddy local
titles; some sluggish, like the skates;
others active, like the sharks and scOm-
bsrOids; some perish quickly out OF wa
ter, as those with widely open gill5 like
the herring; others live long time at
ter being caught, like the eel; or can
travel over land, or climb trees like the
fiidbus Scan,lenS But until the fishes
of the material sea send up one OF their
number To tell Us about them with their
own mouth, We shall never know great
deal about the habits of the piscatorial
world.
We. who swim an the sea of literature
ourselves, however, see what the dwell
ers ON the shore cannot; and something
f.A
nOWs aud oar brother whales We are 90
lug to tell ia this chapter aud others
that will follow. 1t is of no cODse-
quence who comes first; but courtesy
TO the sex bids us Introduce a lady, Ut
course. CtOpedu JdS, therefore.
MISS KATE FIELD.
Kate is a little lady, with beautiful
teeth and very quiet demeanor. Her
mother, nee HiiZa RJddell, was one of
the most beautiful wOme,, known To the
annals of the stage, field which, rs eY-
cry one knows, ~ rich with physical
beauty. The gossips have accredited
this lady with ali sorts of parents, from
TicknOr & Fields down, vino couid not
possibly have held that r. latiOn TO Kate,
because her father was Well-knOWn
actor, Joseph Field, or ''JOe Field, as
he was fumiiiarly called by his friends.
This gentleman was for many years
manager of tie Mobile theater, but is
now deceased. He used TO contribute
occasionally TO the newspapers under
the nom ds plume of ''Straws," and his
daughter has long been known lay her
correspondent signature of "Straws,
Jr." She writes New York letters to
the Springfield (Mass.) Republican
over this signature; but her first use of
it was IN connection with her earliest
literary illusions, a series OF letters
from abroad to Boston journal, the
Post, We beheVe.
Miss Field resided SOME time at Flor
ence. where she received considerable
attention from Walter Savage LandOr
and the IfOllope family. The results of
this residence are familiar to the public
7, through the Atlantic Monthly articles
on the LandOr, and 'Enghsh Society
ia Florence" Florence Is indeed "a pet
theme with Miss Field, and indeed, al
most aIl her articles OF any length are
sure to have q reference of some sort
10 the beautiful city.
Through her acquaintance with the
theatrical world, with Italy, aud with
literature, Miss Field attracted the IA
yOrable notice Madame Rist0ri,s and
was converted into "a blind wOTshiper
at the shrine of the distinguished ira
gedielHe. Her laudations of KistOrl
I've had almost written criticismsl are
familiar 20 the public through the pa
ges of the Atlantic, Harper aud lri-
Oh 4 4 l.. 4
from these letters that Ristori had IA
furious temper ia priyate-''which she
had, though 1T Is fair To presume Kate
Field never saw any exhibition of At
LIT as easy to believe that -RistOri was a
most gracious aud sweetly smiling lady
when Kate was about.
very much to Miss Fields distress,
the outer world will persist In deeming
her EAST, Judging thus from her roll,
licking, headlong style Of writing, over
the signature of "StTaWs, Jr." Re II
known, hencefoTth and forever. that
Miss Kate Field is the very reverse of
fast" that she is quiet and
retiring IA a marked degree, and
mas a profound horror of ''loud' wo-
men-and men, too. Ia fact il is said
that she Is /. misOgamist and man hateF.
She Is a strong advocate OF woman's
rights, and her Rcquaintances insist mp
on 1t that she IS "str0ng-minded. She
IS bound TO vote, and have every right
that man has, political, social, or what
ever OVERWHELMING the right to
stand mp IN the street cars. Her polit-
zeal opinions are very decided, and it is
we'll known IN private circles that her
intense loyalty was the cause of a seri-