Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-07
OBITUARY..
Death of Miss Louisa NJ. Alcott, the
Noted Author.
BosToN, March G.-Miss Louisa NJ Alcott

died this morning.
Miss Louisa M. Alcott was born in German
town, Pa, Nov. 20, 1882, but the family so
soon went to Concord, Mass, to live that even
now there are doubts expressed as to whether
the little Louisa was or was not the child
who was found digging in the soil by stranger
who asked her the question, what are you
doing, my pretty mad!" The unexpected an
swer was, Digging for the infinite, sir" and
is said to have been sufficiently characteristic
to warrant the application.
The story of Miss Acotts writing Of "Lit-
tie Women" is pretty well known, but even
before that struggle took place there was
many a smaller one. At the early age of
eight Miss Alcotts poetcal career began with
this wel-rounded
ADDRESS TO A ROBIN.
Welcome, welcome, little stranger,
Fear no harm and fear no danger,
We are glad to see you here,
For you sing sweet spring is near.
Now the snow is nearly gone,
Now the grass is coming on
The trees are green, the sky is bluei
And we are glad to welcome you.
LOUISA NJ ALcoTT.
Following this effort with it's distinct flavor
of the valentine came the usual effusiuns up
on 'lost kittens, dead butterflies, the baby's
eyes and other kindrod themes" until story
telling took its place.
At sixteen Miss Alcott wrote her first book
which was afterwards published, but abso-
story brought her just IS from Gleason's Pic
torial when the writer was just nineteen. The
next year she wrote the story of "The Rival
Prima Donnas," and mingled with Its
production and its source very strong
streak of dramatic longing. This she
she was soon cured of however, and
the idea of ever shining before the footlights
was given up. In its place there still burned,
however, desire to do" that would not be
downed The next few years of Miss AL
"a ifn ln6 tuifh trir lioh h1r ar,c
that were bravely carried as long as they
saw fit to exist. The writing of ''wrath,
ruin and revenge" for sensational publica-
tions, teaching, even sewing, were her means
gone to seek her fortune, and she worked so
gladly and 80 persistently that even before
her real success came she was able to do
much in the way of help and comfort for
the "people at home.n
In 1862 Miss Alcott went south to nurse in
the Soldiers hospital, and she did her work
courageously and faithfully, but was brought
home herself stricken with the fever and i'll
almost to death. II was never ill.," she said
once to Mrs. Moulton, until after that hos
pital experience, and have never been well
since"
In 1865 "Hospital Sketches" was published
and even before that Moods"
most tragic love story, since
wrote ''Little Women," to prove to Mr..
Niles, of Robert Bros, that she could not
write girls story, having always preferred
to play with boys and therefore knowing
but little about any girls save her sisters and
herself. In six months or little more, Miss
Alcott was famous and her hard work was
over. Since then she has been abroad a
number of times, has written much, has re-
ceived probably 100000 in money and an
| unlimited amount of recognition and honor.
Yet her life was simple to the end. She
passed away like one that sleepeth, sur
rounded by her aged father, Mrs. Pratt
C'Meg,O widowed sister, and the latter's
children.