Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-11-08
Well-Kuown Writers.

anu now Cuey look, ACT, ana move,
we all like to know. A correspon-
dent of the New York World thus
describes three popular writer's, and
gives an outline of their histories.
He says that Mrs. Emma De Nevitt
Southworth is a native of Maryland,
and since early youth a resident Of
the District cf Columbia. She is
more widely known as an author
than any other of those of whom he
speaks in his Letter. A few persons
now living in Washington remem-
Der her when she first began to
write for the press. All speak of
her as nervous, painfully bashful
woman, utterly without confidence
in herself. She was married, and
the mother Of two children, when
she first cssayed rs an authoress.
Her husband had deserted her, and
her little children were absolutely
dependent on her for support. She
earned scanty sums as teacher in
common school located in that
part Of Washington known as the
"Tsland." According to the then
existing law, the teacher Of the
younger children in a city school
received no salary from the city,
but must collect what she could from
the parents Of her pupils. Her col
lections amounted to not more than
two or three hundred dollars.
She began to write stories, not
because she had any hopes Of max
ing money thereby, but because she
couldn't help it. She wrote first
for the SATURDAY Visitor, published
in Baltimore, and afterward for that
journal whose name is indicative of
its position in the annals of the
Washington press the National
Era, in which SO many literary
stars first appeared above the hori-
zon. Mrs. Southworth was so timid
that she never permitted her name
to be known in connection with her
writings, until "Retribution" was
published, when one ofthe associate
editors of the Era insisted on her
dropping the incognito. This story
first gave her reputation, and it is
said by some that it was the model
suggested by DR.. Bailey to Mrs.
Stowe, when he engaged her to
write a story for his paper, the re-
suit Of which engagement was
"Uncle Toms Cabin"
For twenty-one years Mrs. South
worth has lived in a small cottage
on the heights in Georgetown. A
picturesque little place it is. The
house of frame, half covered with
vines, looks, pcrched as it is on the
very edge of a bluff overlooking the
canal and river, like a hanging gar
den. The view from the cottage is
extremely beautiful and extended.
Mrs. Southworth is rapid writer
and a hasty one, never revising her
work, but sending it for publication
as fast as the requisite number OF
slips is filled. This accounts for
the discrepancies and inconsistcn.
cies so often noticed in her stories.
To judge of her by her writings, is
to do her great injustice. She has
nothing Of the sensational in her
character or appearance. She is
nearsighted and abscntmindcd,
which causes her manner to be a
little peculiar; but apart from these
constitutional defects, she is most
interesting, lovable, and lovely
woman; one Of those who live to do
good, and whose muniticent chari.
ties no one can number, 50 quietly
and unostentatiously does she help
all whose needs are known to her:
Apparently she does not know how
to close her heart against any ap.
peal. She writes exclusively for
the New York Ledger, and Mr.
Bonner is and has been for many
years kind and true friend to her
All that is most lovely and Iowa.
BILE in woman's character is en-.
bodied in Mrs. Harriet Prescott,
Spofford. Whether as wife, daugh.
ter, sister, or friend, she never dis.
appoints, but is in every relation OF
life sympathetic, loving and true
She is ready to open her heart to
the sorrowful, and to point out 4
real ray of light piercing through
the gloom, and she is equally ready
to sympathize in pleasures and make
Joy all the dcarer for her genuine
interest. Mrs. Spofford is one OF
the women who has earned for her.
self a permanent place in the liter.
AIRY world, and can command hcl
own price for her labors. She be-
gan writing very young, and smil
ingly recalls, when Encouraging a
novice in the field of letters, how
she toilcd over her first stories, and
the small prices she received fol
them, though the sums looked large
to her inexperienced eyes. She
speaks of how she once wrote all
night to finish story to be submit
ted in competition for q prize, and
how her hand and arm were swollen
and inflamed from inccssant use
when she laid down the completed
work, and how after all she did not
receive the prize. Mrs. Spofford is
native of Calais, Me-, but has
passed most of her life in Newbury.
port, Mass, to which place hel
parents removed when sho was
quite a child. She has three sisters
one of whom, Miss Mary Prescott,
is well known as contributor to
the magazines, and a younger broth
cr, living in Washington. Mrs.
Spotford is the wife Of brilliant
young lawyer, whose business
brings him every Winter to the capi-
tai. She leads a very quiet life,
rarely going into society, though
she is everywhere a welcome guest.
She writes almost constantly, and is
a most careful, though rapid wri-
ter, neatly copying every portion of
her manuscript before sending it for
publication. She also reads 4 great
deal, keeping herself thoroughly
posted on all questions Of the day,
with which she is fully capable of
dealing in conversation or on pa
... II o-o,o. ~ cooo ca l.