The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-13
MRS. FRANK LESLIE.
4 WOMAN'S ENERGY, PLUCK AND
RARE EXECUTIVE ABILITY.

The Dying Wishes Of a Great Publisher
Triumph over a Long Succession of Dit
fcaIties and Obstacles Woman of
Refined Taste and Femininity.
'Go ia my Office, sit in my place, and do
my work until my debts are paid Were Nh.
Leslie last words to his wife after hearing
that he could 40 longer live.
1t was in the winter Of 1850 that Mrs. Les
Ii. lost her husband The great publishing
house Of Frank Leslie was at that time IN
volved in tangle Of debt, and the business
already IN the hands of an assignee Almost
the diving words OF the publisher were no
ble testimonial 10 the good wife. the intalli-
gent, ready help-mlte, as he honored her
with a sacred trust He told has to take his
place at the desk to finish the work be had
left untone, to hft the reproach OF debt from
his name and when that was done she was to
continue the business OF the publishing house
herself.
She was Young snd very beautiful
woman, that Sad-hcarted widow, who turned
from a grave to face difficulties the most per
picking, to begin a contest that many wise
ones prophesied would end badly for her But
those sage, incredulouS, head shaking finan-
ciers did not know what woman can do,
who has energy and pluck united with rare
intelligence and mind formed for executive
work BY legal process and in response 10
nar husbands wish, Mrs. Leslie abandoned
her Christian names Of Miriam Florence and
became in the law and to the world Frank
Leslie To the business world she became
| even more than Frank Leslie; when the
slender, sweet faced, gentIe-yoiced woman
walked into her husbands oil u, and putting
back the sad announcing folds of her crepe
veil announced She had come to stay, her
| gentle, gracious feminiuity won the sympathy
Of those about her But when she came the
next day as early as the earliest clerks, and
the next day and the next, something more
than respect and sympathy for the brave lit
| tie woman came into their regard for her.
DEVELOPED A REM MARKABLE FACULTY.
She sat at her desk like Napoleon over his
war maps. She DEVELOPED remarkable fac
ulty for knowing news for seizing upon the
very things that caught and charmed the
public mind 4 thousand and one things in
| the history of Illustrated newspapers origin
ated Ia her brain, and were executed for her
papers All day long she bent TO her desk,
and was her own wEe counselor The best
o! ii all was that Frank Leslie WIS not
afraid Big contracts did not frighten her,
notes to pay did not caIse her to get nerv-
ous, reading mterIainahie T,sg >s Of proof did
not fret her, thinking out new features for
her paper did not p-IpleN her. Always
| CHEEKY in her speech and with Con>iierate
words and hopeful for her employees, it is no
wonder that both men and women fell in
| love with the New Frank Leslie and gave her
the best work If which they Were capable
| The dying wishes of Frank Leslie have been
carried ont, but only after his widow has en-
countered ami triumphed over one long sue
ceSsion of difficulties and obstacles
| Opaning ont of the main editorial rootu on
| the Park place front Is the private office Of
Mrs Leslie, the presiding genius of the entire
establishment. A peep within Its walls viii
discover a rare and attractive combination Of
the surroundings of a woman nf refined and
cultured taste and of active business habits.
| Sitting in her hllou sanctum in the mid
summer glory of triumph, Mrs Leslie
presents thoughtful and unusually earnest
face Her wondrously expressive gray eyes
seem Ia piarce to the inner humanity Of sense
and motive; mouth extremely mobile in its
play is aided to the whole contour Of regular
features that at once arrest admiration and
respect. One can not help taking in also a
finely .hapal head. that u 5abuudantly stocked
with brains
She l. a thorough woman OF business
| Every morning she i found in her Office by
. O'Clock, and there she remains until ) or
hali-iazt } in the afternoon. She signs all
cheeks as,d money orders, nsales all contracts
for supplies of every sort, looks over proofs
OF all articl5s before they are published, and
approves the makeup of every periodical be-
fore it is seut to press
Mrs. Leslie is that most gracious and
attractive Of all human beings, a woman's
woman. She has never been too busy 10 talk
to a woman She has ever heen quick to
detect their talents, and to give them the
friendly hand of help. She has proved hor-
self one of the greatest, most enterprising,
and shrewd of the publishers of this age, the
equal in enterprise, ability, discretion, of any
man in the world; and alasl she is not only ii
pretty woman, but she is fond of dress has
pretty feminine airs, and is, at the proper
times, devoted to society.-I Lexington White
In Literary Life.