The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-06-04
CONFESSIONS OFAPOETESS.

career, and among other things says:
In less than years time after that 1.-THE
rejection of tale of love, adventure,
jealousy, and wo, which ended happily
with the peal of wedding-bells] l re-
ceived my first check, and felt fully
launched on the great sea of literature.
Poems and stories flowed from my pen
| like water running down hill; and
when was barely Is years old 1 was
clothing myself with the proceeds of
my pen and helping to furnish and
brighten up the humble little home.
The prices l received were small, but l
wrote so unanimously that l managed
to earn quite little income.
When | was about 10 / wrote eight
poems in single day. and considered
two in day only small achievement
immense amount of trash, which |
would gladly recall now. All my
friends told me l was shaming the
MUSES. by my reckless use of her gifts.
l was urged to devote more time to
study and to the perfecting of my work.
But, look you! / was earning money to
relieve the absolute necessities of life,
and l was lifting many burden from
my mothers shoulders. With the
wisdom of the world, our neighbors
called me lazy dreamer who sat scrib-
bling all day while her 'folks" hired
help to do the work l ought to do. The
truth was. my pen paid servant to
tighten my mothers dreary labors, be-
sides supporting myself.
Those were memorable days to me. l
was intoxicated with my success. ra-
dated with love for all the world. |
knew nothing of the world as yet, moth
ing of human nature, nothing of myself
even. People of intellect, and wealth,
and social position began to seek me
out. Invitations began to flow in upon
me to visit in city homes. These visits
increased my ambitions and my neces-
sites. / saw how other people lived
and dressed, and my desire for money
exceeded my love for art. was pas
sionately fond of social pleasures, and
the desire to appear in q becoming
toilet ut party overcame my resolve to
write only two poems week. l wrote
ten instead and sacrificed art to fashion
And the next day when l found that l
had danced through my slippers 1 wrote
four more extremely faulty poems. But
they purchased new pair of slippers
and pair of gloves. These are shock
ing confessions. But they are absolute
ly true, and l hope my brethren and
sisters who listen to these experiences of
one who is partially reformed will offer
up prayers in my behalf.
Everything was material to me.
The singing of bird outside my
window, the compliments paid me by
my escort at the play, the sound of the
reapers in the harvest-tields, the con-
versation of callers, my own restless
heart, all gave me food for verses and
romances.
used to go to the bookstores and
write down a list of addresses of various
periodicals in different parts of the
country. To these l would send out my
manuscripts, often ten or twelve by one
mail. l considered it q great misfortune
that was often denied credit for my
work; l think now it was blessing
that so many of these waits went name
less into the world. 1t never once oc-
Cured to me to seek the assistance of
older writer's in marketing my BRAIN
wares, and l was too independent and
too impatient to ask or allow any one to
criticise my work before | sent it out.
/ was imbued with the foolish idea that
il would be no longer my own original
composition if l allowed any one to
make suggestions. So off went my half
fiedged birdlings almost as soon as they
were through the shell. 1t all seems a
great pity to me now. But | enjoyed
life and caused others to enjoy it. After
all, what is better than thatp
That woman is endowed with more
delicate physical organization and more
nervous sensibilites than man is an I'M
disputed fact, and centuries of dollhouse
breeding have rendered her still more
susceptible to the cold winds of publici-
ty. In my early youth and ignorance
of these things, used to look upon a
woman who had arrived ut eminence,
and say, "She has been blessed by the
gods and favored by mankind; how
fortunate the star under which she was
bornr' In the light of maturer years
and experience l say now. what cour-
age, what patient endurance, what per-
severance, what suffering, have been
hers!'
One of the most important things for
q woman to remember who sets forth
on a self-supporting career is the neces-
sity of transacting all financial matters
in q strictly business-like manner. If
she borrows money she must repay it
with interest, as man would do. If
she contracts debts she must pay them.
And she must not expect especial con-
sderation or favor in these things "be-
cause she is woman" Not until
women fully realize this can they ex-
pect to succeed.
We are dependent on the gallantries
and affections of men in society and in
the domestic relations; they are our
courtiers or our kings, by nature and
custom bound to give us the comfortable
seat in the car or fetch our fan at the
ball; but in business transactions we
must forget all this and consider them