Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-21

/ nv Nhlitu S'i MS Story lN return n:lli.
This arrangement proved satisfactory,
and, as she kept good stock of stories
ON hand she was able to respond prompt
ly. This kept on until the matter leaked
out. and the Publisher found himself i'll
hot water, rs other authors demanded
similar terms So that the arrangement
had TO be terminated. After Miss Alcott
became famous this publisher wanted to
get ont volume of the stories in qucs-
ton under her name. and the fear that it
would he done haunted Miss Alcott for
somo while. but, luo kiy. he had made
solemn agreement with her at the time
that her name should not he used. so she
was spared the iniliction under which
Mrs burnett suffered ut th" h.,nIs If II
Philadelphia publisher when That Lass
- Lnwri2's hal established her rcputl-
ton.
In the war like many other noble We
men, Miss AlcOtt volunteered as Il hospi-
tai nursc and WAS assigned to one of the
most unpleasant hospitals one i'll George
town. near Washington. After several
months service the uuhcnl;hy surround
n%s todd upon her vigorous constitution.
and she had Il severe attack of typhoid
fever from the effects Of which he has
never fully recovered. Her ''IIoapital
Sketches. which came from this expo
ricnc2. were the first THINGS which called
general attention Ia her. They were
letters wrttca tn the family at home
M"mcure u. Conway Was in Concord at
the timc and WAS 50 interested bv them
that he asked leave 10 print thcm anJ,
when Miss Alrott recovered from her
severe Illness the request was granted
Henry James, of Cambridge, the father
of the novelist, told her that in thGsc
skctclic:. Was her true stvle That was
the first time, she said, that she hal the
faint"st idea OF style her style was Il
natural comnln%iug of humpr ami pa
thos.
The FIRST novel of Miss Alcolt that ap-
pcnrcd under hr. nimr was ''Mools. of
which she tells the story Of Little We
men. II WAS spoken of highly by Mr..
Ticknor when llp read it in the manu-
script in ITS original form. but it WIS re
constructed ut the request of Mr.. L1rin@.
VIII" published it, After the great popu-
lar sucrcss Of Little Women" much nt-
icnti"n Wis naturally attracted to it, 1t
WAS written when Miss Alcutt was Is
wears old. pHr day Mr.. Alcpti canc to
Mr. Nile. "f Roberts Er1thcrs. with Il
vului,r nf fairy siarics by ms daughter
Mr. Nile, said that collected short stories
hardly paid, aud suggested that Miss Al
colt write story of New England life
Miss Scdgwic!, had +, Gently died, and
perhaps she might hc her successor. He
wanted u story about girls. but Miss Al
colt said she knew nothin" about girls
boys were her fav"ritcs. No. there were
plenty ui books for bows Mr. Niles
wanted Il book for girls. Miss Alcntt
said she would write about herself and
her sister: tell about the things they
used tn do. Mr.. Niles told her to 20
ahead, and the r,sjllt was the first part of
Little Women" He WAS pleased with
the manuscript. and showed it to his
Young niece at the seashorc. who went
vN!d with delight over il. He offered
! NJ s. Alcott 81 900 outright for ii. but
told her she had better rjIn the risk and
take a royalty. \ thousand dollars seem
cd large sum to Miss Alcntt at that time.
and she had y narrow escape, hut luckily
decided fnr the royalty. The success of
the book was phenomenal, aud Tia" presses
rol1I mol run fast enough to supply the
| demand. OF course Il second volume
WAS called fnr. and letters poured III upon
the author h,scrchin@ her To continue
the story Many were fcoa little girls,
r.J ran 'II, ihis.
| NJ fk,ot. If Won IL, NOT writ, on-
| nthcr v.irn, .,b,1ti ii itt,a Wn,nep anil
tel ne NOR, ,I,pt La AMI n,,l-a I.,nrin
merry n..h viii never rod .rnfl,rr nf
,,u,'ls,ls -, l,,,.sos Iiv, Y.urs most
respectfully. MAMIE EEowN.
-, N''i'''.., va -. ''''~
VIZ i"i'''"'' ~ an ~
h''" '"'I, came '''''' 'h,"' All "i
'N'S' i';''' "'' '''i,i'HS' H''''' ,"r Wit"'''i
'''"t one ,''' ''i'' "ii'ViS' ,"i'S N"'"'
Pn"l,SH'' N"rN" l''ih"'I - ."'','i,S III
''@''ii'f' ,"' "''''''' S'''. 'i N''rI III
.''i go NON, III ''''''"
l" '"''-"" i"iN "" "'' "'' Il ~
N,l WHICH S,'''' 'ii..H' ~ t.;'N "ii"Hi'i III ,'''
N| N;'hiS series. NJ tit '''''i'' '',r ~, h'r
'n"'N, ..-'"'' 10 ''S Ei'', "' nv,
cif'"ii''"ii a'r"" Is AIS, ch''''h"''S' a''''
.n'E nave n',,h 'ri'iiHI"''" Ii'" '''r'i'''
: frrhch ana phi'h'
II - n"t known, however. that Mss
Alcoti has had experience as Il drama'iSt.
Sh" has strong dramatic instinct, AMI de
lights IN the theatre. " Is the case with
all fun lo'in" i;'s't ':Iiins. she has the
| hclrl,S! admiration 10: NIllilin Warren,
and she vruic a hir,'C Tor lilr. l'iIi "ih'r
characters had greater opportunities ''r
funny hr.in, s5 than his, :Hl 50 IL, III!
not play i'll IT. II WAS. however, hr"u;h
ont hy Manager Barrow nt thr Howard
Athrn:;uiI, then the most sl!iiSh th.alr'
in E,.stnm, and w.Is plaNcdfur Nr. smith y
| benefit Il WIS called Ned t;Itch,'ldcrs
Adventures. On the lirst night Miss NJ
cutt uccupird a rrnscrniHm box. had Il
fine bnuuuoi presented her, and enjoyed
all th,, but: rilv hnnnr; uf u successful
play writer. She tlsn wrote Romantic
drama. which WIS accepted hy Manager
Barry for the Bnstnn theatre, III its early
and hal,.yun ,lny.,. The two ltading ladies'
uIlarr, led So al,nut their respective parts
in it that its prrluc.ipn WIS DELAYED.
Miss Alcutt tod, back ia" manuscript inr
rev Vision. and. finally concluding that ii
w;s nonsense. she threw II into tn" hrr.
When Nr. Barry sent Tor In" play to PAT
ii in rehearsal, hc was told thai II Was III
ashes. Bui Miss Acntt regarded tins
play MS great sIIc"rss, nevertheless, i"r
Mr.. Barry sent her s'r4un pass. good
for two ul the best st':it.'. anI she went H.
the Grand, new theatre IN times "r more
that winter, seeing all The fine nttrac-
tioms 81, when cpmni:'cr'iir,t 10y Il friend
tor havin" made Hnlhin% out "t h'rnlaH.
she said she felt rs ii she had ml:lr her
fortune 10y it, Miss Al,'"tt came "nrN very
near Goin@ "u l." the sta.sr herself, and
had secretly maol" the ARRANGEMENTS i"r
her first appearance. intending /" sur
prise neg friends hv the triumphant an
nounremrnt that sl'' had arird. but her
scheme WAS frustrated hy their untmrly
discovery of her purposr through Il delay
III carrying IT out. ihr hioifl"hi' 'ai'hi
u II capital natural actress. Hi'' '''''' lit
7 .IatcrS, y hen children. iau - ll'ilr Siil:'
l ,f tl..ir ,v.u .tt b,Iu.. with elaborate
I " 80 " / Il
scenery hlii appointments '''''' ~ 'i''''4
selves and ,lurlnn the war look part III
. : . .r ,....... .....,t Az. IittI, 'Tr.
] l''N'i' t''hi'''''''' = 80 - -