Evening star., 1886-08-14
THE POETESs OF PASSION.
Ella Sappho Wheeler wilcox and Hel
Successes.
From the Chicago Tribune.

| From the Chicago Tribune.
| II is not generally known that the editorship
| of Literary Life refused by Ella Wheeler
Wilcox before it was offered to Miss Rose Cleve-
| land. The Wisconsin poet had the good sense
| to perceive that the task of Sisyphus was one
| which the world never fully appreciates and
seldom rewards, and the labor of rolling the
stone daily, weekly. or monthly to the summit
| is unnoticed save by q passing criticism, and
| has To be painfully gone over and over again.
| such labor, involving as IL does much pOise,
| discrimination and decision of character
| would not have suited the nature and capacity
OF Mrs. Wilcox, who Is one of the few uncaicu-
lating mortals left in this era OF calculation.
Her moral guide is her impulse, and she never
stops TO count the cost Of an action, or to sus-
pect that others may be less generous than she
in her judgment. Such q person, 1t can easily
be seen, would have made An incompetent
editor. such person Is meant to be nothing
under the sun but poet.
When In New York Mrs. Wilcox called one
morning upon Mary Mapes Dodge, the editor
OF 81. Nicholas. After her card had been handed
from small boy TO a big boy, from big boy
To man, and from a man TO q lackey, she was
ushered into the sanctum. Mrs. Dodge looked
up hurriedly, still holding her pen in her hand.
and said:
swell, what do you want?"
Mrs. WILCOX gasped for moment, tnen
thinking % there might be some MISTAKE, IN.
held up the card for answer
II thought it possible" the abashed visitor
explained, that you might have heard OF me
NO" said Mrs Dodge, still neglecting to offer
chalr, Il never did" BY this time embarrass-
men thent was beginning to give place TO anger In
the mlnd OF the intruder, and she fOunu her
tongue.
Il would not have thought 1t so likely that
you would have heard Of me, although nave
written Tor u great many years and published
lour books, but that you nave yourself accepted
al least five OF my poems"
Indeed! Mrs. Dodge cOndescended to say;
"but then we have SO many contributOrs.'
Besides went on Mrs. Wilcox, still contin-
uing her defense, "if you read the papers l
thought you must have heard of me, for since
caIne 10 New York four large receptions have
been given me at which almost all Of the lite
rary people OF the city have been present, and
as each reception was honOred with q column
report in several of the daily papers-'
~, seldom read the papers, said Mrs Dodge
The western lady went home with chagrin
gnawing at her heart. She did a thing which
may not have been in the best taste, but which
certainly was due to herself and the preserva-
accounts of these various receptions at which
noted people had -ead selections from her
the office of ST. Nicholas. The next day a
graceful little note of apology arrived from Mrs.
one and filled with the round OF editorial
duties that she found herself ever and anon
dropping behind the rest of the world.
Had Mrs. Dodge realized the true facts OF the
she would have comprehended how Sc
verely this ridiculous interview told against
her. AS a writer of purely sentimental verse
WILCOX. II would be safe TO say that there Is
not a town in the United States however re-
mote, that has not been made acquainted with
some of her 5000 poems copied into the
poets corner OF the local paper, while in
many OF these places the name of Mary Mapes
Dodge would be an empty, meaningless sound.
Miss Mulock Mrs. Frances HodgsOn Bur
nett could have made q very pretty romance
about the first year of Mrs. WicOxs NJ arred life.
Though she had long since passed g1rihOOd, she
had lost little of that fresh and brave radical
ism and that unf1inching enthusiasm which Is
SUCH a surprise and a charm. During the year
oi their engasement-an engagement which
was made at the third meeting of the lovers
she worked increasingly to place her father and
mother in a position of comparative lndepend-
ence. Her husband was representative of one
of those peculiarly conservative New England
families which gauge the world by their own
little, narrow, aristOcratic measure. The
breadth of mis- ideas had, no doubt.
always been an astOnishment to the
the young men OF his town, the families OF
which We're as we'll known to each other as II
they had been related, We're expected to marry
somebody Of their own village rs colorless as
their New England ideal would permit. Into
this oppressive atmosphere this western
woman, full of verve, independence, and con-
fidence in her powers, was brought by her huS-
band. This well-bred and sleepy town
scandaiized. III one of the western buffaloes
had been let into their sacred china they could
not have been more alarmed. They all called
on her, but they did SO surreptitiously, as they
would have done Barnums greatest show ON
EARTH
They found a lady looking fifteen years
younger than her actual age, full OF magnetic
cordiality, afraid to talk of nothing under the
sun, actually having Ideas which she dared to
set up in opposition TO their own, and wearing
house-dresses whose style scandaliZed the fem-
inine portion of the town. These were white or
cream satin gowns made as the women OF
Mime. de Staefs time wore theirs, with u waist
band under the arms, huge puffs at shoulder
anu elbow, and a Vatican plait at the back.
As every day is a working day with this pro-
litic writer, these dresses, which were at once
combination of beauty and of ease,
were worn to do away with the
necessity of those restrictions about the waist
which are necessity to formal toilet, and
which are very difficult TO write in. Little by
little and almost imperceptibly this vigorous,
essentially human influence, began to make it.
self felt. A freedom OF action and OF speech
hitherto unknown To these conservative ladies
asserted itself. Al the end OF six months the
dresses which had caused much amusement
were adopted by half The young ladies in the
village as their combined picturesQueness and
comfort were realized. The respect which had
been paid to her at first on account OF her hus-
band family is given to her now for her own
worth and individuality.