Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-10-23

Hurricane were taken from many scenes |
of the same kind between my sister and
her old uncle in Mississippi Her adven-
ture with Black Donald was taken from
n somewhat similar adventure, in which
figured n woman Of Maryland and y
colorcd rutiian who, in 1912. was the
terror of the neghborhood. Her duel
and its cause was also founded on fact:
A young girl. brought up among her
brothcrs-wild and hoydenish--was liv"
ing in Mississippi. She had been misun~
derstood and offended by Il British Off
Ger. Her male relatives treated the
matter lightly and laughed at her, where
upon she challenged the officer to a duel.
She met the officer accidentally, rs l re-
lated in the story, and when she was
armed. a repetition of her challenge |
was met with contempt and she then |
fired at the otlicer--not with dried peas,
as my little heroine did, but with bullets |
He was severely wounded and she gave
herself up to the authorities. The mag
istrate, however, upon hearing all the
circumstances, discharged her. do not
approve or defend such conduct as she
was guilty of, SO | softened and modified
it in my little heroine. Capitola's en-
counter with Lanoir in the woods and
the ruse by which she escaped was also
taken from the adventure and escape of
n Maryland girl. The court martial, its
causes and scenes occurred during the
| Mexican war. The incident from which
i: was taken WA -elated at uncle's din.
ner table by General &. p.
"All these separate incidents, from
the infancy to the maturity of my heroine,
We're like beads; lstrung them together.
Despite the depressing circumstances
under which ! labored when l began
that story took great pleasure in writ
ing it, When left the sick bed Of my
sister, where had been all day. l fire.
quently sat down at my desk; then care
and sorrow would leave me; the bright
spirit of Capitola possessed me, and l
felt bright and happy myself.
at was while this story was going
through the New York Ledger and the
London journal that was invited to
England by the publisher of the London
JoLSndl to endcavor to do something
toward securing an international copy
right. When we reached England we
found Capitola as popular there as in
America. There were Capitola boats,
Captola race horses. Capitola hats for
ladies, and other Capitola fads.
"You have favorite desk?" was
asked.
"Yes. On this wrote my first novel,
'Retribution.'"
This was n plain stand-a top but
} about IS inches square supported by A
} legs. Immediately beneath the top was
. a single drawer.
"All my subsequent work with pen, "
} Mrs Southworth resumed. pointing tc
} an old fashioned portable folding desk
, has been done on this. 1t was my
> fathers" and the authoress smoothed
its antique surface very tenderly; it had
| been her life companion.
, writers cramp has never troubled
me, said Mrs. Southworth in response
5 to an inquiry. II have avoided it en-
| tirely by increasing the diameter of my
5 pen holder each succeeding year. Yol
L see how large it is now.
= ITO limited extent in my case tn
e pen has been superseded by the type
writer, which have operated for thre
II years past. 1t has been relief. a toy
Q 1t is as though man has his child GU
l. walking with him. The child become
d tired, and the father gives him his can
d to bestride. The child Frances alon
:. gaily, and is no more tired. Such
j. relief has the typew ritter been to me
y On Friday nights, when my task for tn
y week has been completed. l llav
= frequently sat down at the instrument
to make few notes on which to wor
during the following week.
o Twill you give us any more novels?
% was asked.
l. "Oh, yes. was the reply. with u rim
of surprise in the tones. II have tw
4. of them on hand. One is complete, til
h. other is nebulous; requires to be crysta
" lized The two are to be companio
2 novels, although you would hardly thin
to so from the titles. The one have wri
r., ten is An Incarnate Fiend;' the one
so am writing is An Angel Unawares
I'd The first is a freer novel than any hay
It ever written. Most OF the previous one
have been so constructed as to please I'll
IL tastes of readers of the Ledger, but tn
t. is without any embarrassment of styl'
!, 1t paints as true a picture OF Il
n two phases of slavery as l could max
st l was familiar with the awful Institute
at from my earliest days, and have
" large fund of experience from which
draw my material One phase is Il
IS; truly patriarchal, where master won
70 10 more sell slave than he would
is child; the other is that III which Il
ill black man and woman were no mo
he than cattle-less cared for, in fact
of neither book will there be found
l apology for slavery. Twas an origin
as abolitionist.
ID Did l ever have any taste for d.
re, matte authorship? No; never tried
IT. write play. Many of my books ha
ie. Leen successfully dramatized, howev'
Ter and The Hidden Hand was played
ed three London theaters at the same til
ed with OrOfitable results