Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10
HISTORY OF A FAMOUS NAME.
How Grace Greenwood Obtained Her Lit
erury Nom De Plume.

How Grace Greenwood Obtained Her Lite
erury Nom De Plume.
How did 1 come by nv nom de plume?
Most naturally and legItimately.
Ny mother gave it to me; the first part at
nv birth, the second "twenty years after. "
She was romantic and liberal enough to
fy in the face Of old, Puritanic and prosaic
family customs, aad called me "Grace"
after dear friend, an exceedingly lovely
girl of Israelitish descent, and the accom-
plished daughter of rich merchant of
New Haven. This Miss Grace Ingersoll,
by the way, had a history. Her father
seems to have been ambitious for her, FOR he
took her to Paris. When she was introduced
into high society, she was recognized as one
of the beauties OF the court of the First Ma
poleon. She married a French nobleman,
on whose estates she mostly passed the re-
mainder of her life, quietly, and, let US
hope, happily. sported her pretty name
during my infancy, up to the time of my
christening, which did not take place till I
was years old. Except that We were a
procrastinating family, can give no reason
Tor this postponement of that sacred rite.
Yet have always been belated in such
matters. I did not have the measles ''till I
was in nv teens, nor the scarlet fever till 1
was out of my twenties."
AS i'll luck would have it, just at the
time of my christening, my dear mother was
confined to her room with illness, and my
more unromantie father stole q march upon
her saving, az must have this thing over"
He took me to church, when, wishing to do
honor to particular friends of his, sisters
and maiden ladies, "rieh and rare" he be-
slowed on me, with all due solemnlties, the
very respectable but commonplace appella-
tions proper, "Sara" j Jane." a little re-
deemed by the patronymic 'Stusrt.
Thev were strange words TO me, and felt
doubIy aggrieved when the minister not
only flung cold water in my face, but called
me names. Yet though to the rest of the
world graceless, was always Grace to my
mother; and when, in about the year ofour
Jord-well, somewhere this side of the
"driit period" wanted nom de plume
for nv magazine stories, etc., and called on
my hest friend to cognominate me, she at
once suggested my resuming the name which
I had been basely and baptismally deprived
Of I assenUed, but my dear mother had
a weakness for alteration, and "Grace"
and "Ingersoll" did not alliterate we'll. So
she thought again, and in a moments time
gave forth the word Greenwood" as the
second name; which certainly had the merit
Of appropriateness for a rural writer, as 1
then was much given to wild rowing and
wilder riding in the woods. had before
become pretty well known, and been gener-
ously encouraged as a writer Of pcems-so
called-uBder my own name. 1 used only
for my prose letters and sketches the nom
de plume, which for some time was family
secret; SO that in literary society 1 more
than once heard my identity discussed. 1
used the new name first in the Home Journal
of Morris & Willis.
The literary field for women is not only
broader now than it was in those davs, but
more inviting and hOwery, with more honey
to the square acre, and it swarms with bees
and butterflies, bearing alliterative pseu-
donyms. ] have often wanted to drop mine,
as no longer appropriate in any way; but it
will not be dropped. 1 belong more to it
than it to me; and must remain to all in
tents and purposes except cheek-signing
("but that's not much.''
GRACE GREENWOOD.