Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-22
LITERARY WOMEN.

Gossip About Persons Whose Book.
Have Been Read 49, Gall Hamilton.
| Love of Fine Clothes
The literary women OF Washington
form some of tho brightest lights
OF the society of the capital. Some
OF them write books, some magazine
stories, and some letters on fashion
and politics.
GAIL HAMILTON.
Abigail Dodge, which is her real
name, is one of tho strongest and
most caustlc political writers IN the
United States. She is cousin OF
Mrs. Blaine, and not her sister, as is
generally supposed. She was a
school teacher until she made name
for herself in literary way. Miss
Gail is short in stature, and inclined
to stourness. She is by no means q
Venus in either face or figure, but she
is as fond of dress as though she was
beauty personiiied. She keeps up with
the fashions and dresses in the most
advanced styles, though these are in
many cases not suited to her fast
advancing years. She is fond of
flowing ribbons, big flowers, and
snowy clothes, and her taste il the
selection of colors is not the best.
Gail is very proud of her literary
reputation. She is very fond of so
ciety, and especially dotes on small
dinner parties. Here she can talk,
and she is nothing if net talking.
No woman in Washington has a
keener tongue than she, and no one
uses this weapon more mercilessly
The same caustic sarcasm that comes
out in her essays spices her conversa-
ton. She wields masculine rather
than q feminine pen. Her criticisms
OF politics and politicians are we'll
paid for by the magazins and the
leading papers, and she has, sup
pose, fair income thereirom.
THE AUTHOR OF "ANNE."
Constance Fenimore Woolson is
now in Europe, but when at homo
she spends much of her time at
Washington, and her new novel,
"Anne," which created such Il sensa-
ton in Harper's Magazine Il year or
two ago, was penned in little room
on New York avenue. She was two
years at work getting it ready for the
press. Some of the parts relating to
Heathcote's army life she wrote at
Harper's Ferry, where she spent the
summer. The localities described in
the book are descriptions Of the
country around Harper's Ferry, and
they were doubtless taken on the
spot When she had finished the
story she revised it carefully and sent
it off with fear and trembling to
Harper's in pasteboard box, expect
ing to see it come out in book form.
The Harpers saw at once that it was
good thing, and used it as serial
for their magazine. When it was
concluded it was published as book,
and is now one Of the best selling
novels on the shelves. Miss Woolson
is, | understand, o Cleveland girl.
She is related to the Benedicts, and
she is niece of Fenimore Cooper,
after whom she takes her middle
name.
THAT LAAs o LowRiEs."
Frances Hodgson Burnett lives on
| street, two doors below tho corner
brick house which Garfield occupied
when he was in Congress. 1t is a
three story brick of eight or ten rooms,
and in the attic is the room where
Mrs. Burnett writes those delightful
stories for which she finds an easy
market. The whole house is furnish
cd with aesthetic taste. Old rugs,
curious furniture, old weapons and
pretty brio brac are seen every
where. 1t is comfortable home, and
l believe very happy family lives
in it, for Mrs. Burnett is a woman of
family. She has black-eyed bru-
nette of a husband, who is perhaps 80
years of age, and who looks like an
artist, though he is in reality an eye
doctor. She has also two of the pref
test little boys in Washington
blonde haired little fellows, who play
and laugh and shout in and around
Franklin Park from one end of the
day to the other.
Mrs. Burnett herself is blonde
very attractive and moderately good
looking. She dresses stylishly and
likes society. She goes great
deal, and during the season she is
one of the lions of the capital. She
entertains we'll herself. and delights
in giving little unconventional par
ties. At her Sunday evening recep-
tions, to which only her dearest
friends are invited, she ofen takes her
guests into her den in the attic. And
here, in the long winter evenings, they
sit around the fire and tell stories
turn about. Mrs. Burnett is very
fond of the drama, and she looks
little like one of its favorite actresses,
Mary Anderson. She is, l under
stand, writing another play, and she
was delighted with the representation
of "Esmeralda" = Correspondence
Cleveland Leader
A hungry countryman was ex
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