The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-09
MRS. ATHERToN's REJoINOER.

She Writes n Letter at Ella Wheeler Will
cox to The New York Sun.
Many readers Of the newspapers have been
waiting ever since Ella Wheeler Wilcox gave
out the now famous correspondence between
herself and Gertrude Anterior, to see what
the latter, now in Europe would say when
she heard about it. 1t was thought in some
quarters that she would maintain silence
as cutting as undesirable to Mrs. Wilcox,
who doubtless considered the matter an ex-
tremely good lad" but not so. Here is Mrs
Atherton's rejoinder sent from Paris to The
New York Sun:
''You will allow me to thank you, no: for
your kind article upon my correspondence
with Mrs Ella Wheeler Wilcox, which, it
appears, she has published.
Poor, struggling little creature! Mrs
Ella Wheeler Wilcox seems to grasp at every
straw which carries her before the public
eye. Although l had no time to more than
glance over her letters when 1 received them,
it occurred to me then that they were written
for ultimate publication. Her elaborate
enumeration of her exalted sentiments re-
garding mankind in general and myself in
particular, as well as her systematic
review of my charms (which, by the way,
are unimpaireD, looked very much as if
a dress parade were in prospect. Twas there
fore as cold and guarded as possible in my
replies, not having the same craze for vulgar
notoriety which appears TO agitate Mrs Viii
cox, and not wishing to lower myself to her
undignified level That should quarrel with
her is impossible. 1 am half southerner,
and southerners have very stringent canons
on the question of dueling
Il am surprised that q woman of Mrs. Viii
cox's noble sentiments should not have printed
the letter with which l finished the CORE
s~ondence. 1t is perhaps charitable to sup
20 that this letter was lost in the mail; but
it is a remarkable fact that the rest of the
correspondence was not published until was
safely on this side of the Atlantic 1t read
as follows:
My DEAREST MEs. WILCox-Your letter was
feminine and interesting and all that was to have
been expected, but you will pardon me if do not
reply to it, l never yet have descended to handy
ing words with woman, and cannot begin now
This is the nearest approach have ever made to
it, and I feel it to be both ridiculous and con-
temptible. Very sincerely,
GERTRUDE ATHERToN.
Il also find that she has instructed Mr.
Box to state that was friend of hers, and
IudI dDUSSu uGT IIleIuSuIp. Luis Is wholly
false l called upon Mrs. Wilcox once be-
cause 1 could not avoid doing so without
more rudeness than it was worth while
to show. 1 did not go again because
found nothing in her or her surround
ings to inspire my interest. She called
upon me once andsI met her twice afterward
on the street. That is the extent of the ac-
quaintance. She sent me several invitations
to her house, and my refusal is probably one
secret of this tempest in teapot. When l
commented upon her in The Argonaut did
so as | would upon any notoriety who passed
before my notice. That had ever met her
personally L had quite forgotten.
This is all shall ever say in regard to the
matter II may be to Mrs. Wilcox's interest
to keep the matter going as long as possible,
Int | shall take no further notice of her.
''CfFCTRT-EF ATHERT0N =