New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-25
MRS. ADELIHE D. r. WHITNEY At HOME.
From The Bosion Herald.

Driving no The avenue in Milton, one Of our most
beautiful suburban towns any one VINO knew mf MS
Wbitneys books would recognize her house. 1t Is
n ounint old-fashioned brown house, with YER
anda running across the front supported by pllars'
which are training ynes y at 70 lpba nss
Eyerything shows the work Of hands at home, from
the pretty parlOr curtains of tnbleached muslin,
bordered with red and black TO the combination on
the shades of brown in the furniture covering. The
parlor is so pleasant and homely, 50 hlled with
the quiet, healthful atmosphere which snrToundss
Mre WhitneV's books, that it gives q sensation OF
welcome even before the cordial greeting from the
hostess. The books, in various places, give q
geasaner effect than oil b soee sE aeS nj
over the house, Wherever one happens to be he
NAV pick up book, and it is always sure To be IN
Mira Whitney herself-to describe her is like try
ing TO write up )" dear friend. She is OF medium
height and very slender, hair tinted with gray. and
worn in smooth waves over her forehead; thln lips
Ti,at set firmly together with strong expression
gray ewes that impress one more than any other lea
ture. They change as she talks, ana llght no WIN
tbe earnest expression of her words She rs quiet,
sweet little woman, dressed IN gray and black
Almost her first remark to the writer was very
Ihe Sqed t 6ePSffoGm Said OF
abe NAV have written The COloneps Opera Cloak
I should like TO have il understood that MTA Whit
ney has not retired from the ministry " sne mas any
and she never means TO. Why, can no moro write
story Of life and keep the Word OF lie ont OF II,
than Mr.. Dick can keep Charles Firsts head out OF
his memorial Mrs. WhitncYs love for her books
and their characters is plainly evident while she
talks of them The greater part Of her new book
was written last Summer in hay-loit' would
take nv booko and paper and climb mp on to the bay
and over into hook until was clear out of sight,
and there stay the whole morning. Once IN while
friend wOuld climb the ladder and peep over, Wlth
n Dleasant word or two. and then leave me alone"
OF course there is an old maid in the book. like
my old maids BEST says Mrs. whitney can
make these independent old ladies say 30 many nee
!. There ia more meaning in my names than people
imagiue" she SAYS "fOr instance, havein my book
tho Everidges, they are an average family. My
hero is Israel HaybroOk, called always Rae (prO-
nonnced Rale). Aud the meaning OF his full Chris
fian name are the last words OF the book" Mr..
KingswOrth is another man whose name gives the
lfev-note 10 his character The lady laughingly
saws "There must be great many EYerldges be-
fore we find KnaswOrth yon know"
Mrs whitney has strong opinions on wOmans VO-
cation and believes that she belongs at home where
any amount of culture and activity awaits her. She
says that # women would only urn tneir inonghIS
IN that direction. tho woman question" would
eT One sinSulnr think in Mrs. Whitney's books is.
that those circumstances which seem most M
natural are founded on fact. The black cat in Ze-
rub TROOPS experiment was taken from life. Tho
whole solution OF the plot N "Odd OF Even hangs
will say chow unnatural" it should be stated that
the suggestion came from a sneeze exactly similar
to the one described.
when hay-loiis are out Of the question. She keeps
her few books of reference in n musc-rack, which
She rolls round where fancy leads her. writing gem
emily ON board book placed her lap. She copies
ali her manuscript with ihe typewriter and says
" Ii Is play 20 copy IN the afternoon what have
written In the morning." In writing she generally
has an idea from which Some lfG-essOn can be
taken which she calls the core Of her story. " IL
comes first she says, and build around II. sit
"a n spectator end let my people come upon the
stage not knowing what they are to be myself. But
never take q portrait If find one coming mn
awares / immedIa ely change the features If
bonse or q room is TO be described. Mrs Whitney
puts her ideas first in the form of pencil sketch.
and keeps the drawing with her 10 be sure of con-
ssiency. There are two rooms III - ODD or EveuI"
sketched in that way. ~
news first published book. The idea occurred To her
w6ile singing the rhymes to her children, and for
the very practical purpose of making money she
wrote ono or two poems day regularly until tue
book was completed
There are some curious anecdotes of her books and
the letters she has received III consequence. The
first sentence IN The GaYwOrthys Did yOu ever eat
a strawberry shortcal1e p has called forth any num-
her of requests for tho recipe. and the author her
self never heard OF n strawberry shOTtCake until
inst before the book was written, and that not
brng strawberry time had never tasted one nor did
she know how to make II. Letters have come from
many thanking her for suggestions one from Eng
land where some lady friends had started house
keeping together on the I've Girls" plan, and
waited year to prove the experiment a complete
The domestic side of Mrs. Whitney IL most com
pletply shown by her COOKBOOK. She says; I"
revised that book with the proof in one hand and
the cOOking-stOYe in the other"