Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-07-25
MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.
q" Hour ~. 1s"nc ~ Ith the Nrurr-
nbir tuth"rr..-Bucr Work.

NliN" llarr-i'~ Letter
Thor" are bat few. if any, q tho
lnl 49, who AZ" Interested IN our depart
iu'm. who have not AT some time
"a them lives rad and been deeply
tnt,r,S III some of the novels of Mrs
Ann -. trrhrns. | can remember
~h,n wa~ IA rirl how ! poured over
tl"m iour nf cr hour. ami there ,rr
i,w ui our young lady readers who
have uu', expect, done tie sane
Ihcrcioi". | thought II would interest
Iniiiculhrl, our Young people to know
something ot the home of this venerable
lnd,
hcI now 4 Ncals old, and lives
very quietly. Her house il handsome
on the outside. hut not at all p eten-
tinus. hut IA s'un n the door opens the
siiur i""ls the strong individuality of
th" owner NJ eyinced by the surround
ing~. .l'la n but elegant. rich without
ostcntntiun. aud comfortable above all
with an air ui wnmanly taste, il every
thing about her. The halls are polished
wood, carved and furnished with soft
carpets and sculpturcd racks and chairs
! he parl"ra have sluares of elsian
c.tpcts laid over the polished inlaid
fluuts aud the chairs and sofas are each
work uf qua mt art IN carving and
de- Grafton. Book cases filled with
,"lumc' tand IA every room, and little
tables hold ct Of Priceless porcelain
and other pottery. On the walls hang
pictures which once belonged to Aaron
iurr. Her dining room is furn shed in
tho same quiet. but elegant taste.
There IN very little Of the fashionable
where. yet. what few article thece are,
ont value whole rooms full like that
~, n IN other pnrlors.
The private studio Of Mrs. Stephens
where she passe most of her time, is
ON the second floor. a charming, sunny
room. \ comfortable lounge, and soft
cushions. an overiiowing book case, and
large easy chairs. an ebony cabinet
filled with works Of art. complete the
furniture Of this room. Several paint
ms adorn the walls, most of them
painted 10y artist frien Is and given to
her ~ souvenirs. Among them is a
pretty little piece painted by the late
rank eslie. Over the sofa is an al
most life 81 OF portrait of Mrs.
stephens in her 30th year, and the
most careless observer can trace the re-
scmblance 10 her as she is now, though
the brown curls have changed to
snowy white; her dark blue eyes are
still full II fire and intelligence.
When she was Il years old she wrote
Ter first poem. She had been shut in
her room Tor having teastd red
healed boy. who had been adopted in
the ia lily. and while in solitary con-
ncmcnt wrote u verse calling the 10y
y Ounce. an then she pinned it on the
outside If The door. so that whoever
came 10 rclease he would find it. Then
from time /, tms she wrote little
sketches. but not for publication, until
shr was about -, when she took her
position before the world as a novelist.
She edited and managed Frank
! eslie's first magazine for some years.
then sic made an engagement with
Peterson Brothers. of Philadelphia,
and has been with them fifty years
half century AMI is still VIZ ting,
though there has long ceased to be any
need Of her writing. She is willow
and has one son and daughter. named
for herself She has enough unpublished
poems 10 make large volume, and her
daughter intends publishing th-m some
day IN handsomely illustrated volume.
She has written and published over
forty successful books. This aged lady
extends an influen for good on all
around her. Kindness and consid ra-
ton for all has been her habit through
life, and there is no one in the land
who may not feel honored by being ad-
mitt Il g. her presence.