The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-22
A TRIO OF NOVELISTS.
MARY N. MURFREE. AMELIE RIvEs
FRANCES COURTNEY BAYLOR.
Three Women Whose Realistic Novels
Have Won for Thorn Permanent Places
in American Literature Misfortune
Turned to Good Account.

lie have been kept III enlllc lSloIdhCo Vi
The sex Of popular author for any length
Of time are rare. Miss Murirce succeeded
In this deception for some time and the
reading public were surprised and society
enjoyed genuine sensation when 1t at
last became known that Charles Egbcrt
Craddocx, whose latest book had been dis
russed in their circles, was none other
than one of their number. She, too, had
talked of the book and had given her
opinion as TO the name aud sex Of the au-
thor No one ever suspected her OF writ
ing novel, especially one which should
partake 80 largely Of the masculinoi one
Ina, should so wildly describe the vices,
he games and the habits OF mountain
life. But II is characteristic OF Miss Muir.
iree's energy that she let no obstacle, how
ever formidable il might seem, stand be-
tween her and the end she had set out to
reach; she studied the game Of poker and
many points OF law till they were perfectly
familiar 20 her that she might the better
describe some scenes in her stories. In
early childhood she became lame from q
stroke Of paralysis, and being dcbarred
from the ordinary amuscments OF youth she
developed habit OF reading. She was
hard student in and out OF school and re-
reiyed encouragement aud advice from an
Intellectual family circle. The fortunes
OF war proved disastrous 10 Mr.. Muriree,
who was lawyer in Tennessee. and lac
was obliged 10 give up his Nashville house
and theold homestead, Grant lands, which
became the battle field OF Murirccsbor-
ough. Miss Muriree's fiust novel, "Wherc
the Battle Was Fought" gives an accu.
rate description OF the old home, her
birthplace. "lhe family moved TO Muir
frees rock, a small cottage pcrched upon
a crag near Bcershcba, SAYS writer in
Udpsr'S, "a watering place in the Ten.
nessec mountains, where they were wont
30 spend the summer months. Here in
this elevated region, overlooking miles Of
valleys, mountains and undulating hills.
peoplcd with the picturesque and prim-
Tive race OF her romances, she uncon-
Eciously absorbed the material for her fut.
ure work. Standing on the porch OF the
little cottage, gazing out over the magnid
cent landscape at sunset, she formulated
IN her mind a story that ultimately grew
into the exquisite The Star II the Val
lev But Ii was not written then.
About nine ycarsago, after the family had
gone down 10 live az the sadly altered old
homestead near Mnrirccsborongh, before
the final move 10 81. Louis, the inst story
IL In the Tennessee Mountains came
into existence. This was The Daucin
Party ut Hauison's Cove which iint
saw the light IN the ARdniic Monthly"
A friend wrJto OF her year or - ago.
Everybody has grown accustomed 10 the |
fact that Charles Egbert Cmddock is a |
woman. but nobody who met the fragile, |
palo-iaccd. lame girl during her recent |
lying visit 10 New York, found Il easily |
possible 20 understand how such quiet
hI,s creature, who was Obliged 10 III to
receive her guvs,e, could have obtained
such mounlainccr's familiarity with the
rocks aud trees Oi the Tennessee crags, or
drawn such bold and mastery sketches oi
the rough characters who live among them.
hho writes like an active, fearless man
accustomed 10 every phase Of wild. out
of-door life. She looks like the most deli.
cate Of ircside bred women. She Is small.
with big eyes that look bigger when a
crowd has been lionizing her I'LL she il
paiho,ically tired. She has wealth Of
dark brown hair. She does look like am
invalid precisely, but is evidently car from
strong. She h very simple, natural and
straightforward in conversation, modest 10
a degree In spite oi an amount Of adulation
that might have turned any woman's head
Any reference 20 the long mysiilcaiion
about her Identity calls out n r0guish smile
and they SAY that when Aldfich VIA made
HpcechlcSs With amazomont on his hr.l
presentation Ia her she said, You know
] owed you one ior Marjorie Daw."
I'm the Clouds shows a mastery In
construction In which some Of ils ptcde.
ocssoB were deficient "The Dcspot Of
Bro0mscdgc Cove, one Of her latest, Va
full Of the life and beautiful descriptions
that chaacteriEo her former works and
goes lar 10 establish an already assured
success.
Among the rcd hills Of Albcmaflc standI
and has stood since fnr back In the las
century, u mansion such ~ exist only n
Virginia. This Is the home Of a youn,
woman toward whom the eyes an,
thoughts oi the reading public and th
critics are turned. This u Mis- Amcli
Riycs. Hcp on the old southern cs,ai
with her horses and dogs. her dumb bell
and her studio, she il In the element Eh
loves best. Here In her studio she will
when tho notion takes her, stand for hour
before her easel, diving deep into the won
deriul mystery OF color, OF having read nj
the available authority on the history of
people she will proceed 10 weave the slor
Of their life into a romance at once capt
waiting and instructive. She Is nm accom-
plshcd horscwoman, and can be seen nj
most any day In pleasant weather ridin
along the roads that surround her homl
Her home Is one In which may be seen Vi
ELECTS Of refined taslc. "ihe walls
thus giflish, bowcrlike study" saws
friend Ia writing Of her workshop, IA
scattered over with delicate blue Hover
un0blusiycly assisting the effect OF MAJ
bold sketches IN oil and charcoal. ns ",
M two sea views by Alexander llarriso
The tall slendcfly panolcd mn
Gel II crowded with rare brca-bmc. Oy
this " dnpcd richly wrought blue WI
and cloih-of gold abba, cent 10 Miss ri,
direct from Paris. One cam
be literary and orderly. and Il follows "a
the large tables Of carved oak, support,
on the wings Of four sphinxcs couchan
u covered with books, papers pruni
pens ornamental aud usoml in Grl, d
the panpheualia that bospeal,s oagcr ar
constant work
When her "a Brother 10 Dragons" ~
sent 10 the editor Of the iNaHhc N0HH
by "a visiting friend" he remarked. 'Tl
man Who wrote this will never do an
uhhg stronger. lie accepted tie sior
noFe!er, ana u toon Appeared anon
hously. Great was The surprise, and
- doubt no one was morc surprised than N
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