The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-19
Atlanta's Poetry Writers.

Atlantas Poetry Writers.
Maude Andrews writes in the At
lanta Constitution as follows:
ATLANTA has every reason to be
proud Of the woman poets. and those
who have admired their writings in The
Constitution will doubtless be interest
ed in nearer view Of their work and
personality.
oRELIk X. BELL.
In touching the personality and
genius Of Orelia Key Bell, any appre'
ciati,e critic Of the writer would be
delicate and chary. To take no her
poetry for reviewing is like lifting be
fore the eyes a delicate glass filed to
the brim With crystal clear water. The
glass is so fine and so OVERLOOKING with
its sparkling contents that there is a
feeling Of trembling, lest ones hand
should waver OF be too rough.
OF herself, she Gays; Il have made a
failure. l have accomplished nothing,
as yet. aud her words are said in all
sincerity, for the true artist is never
satisfied.
Like all successful people, Orelia Key
Bell is an optimist. She started out in
her career with this faith The
world is just and good. l will give my
talent to it, and if there is no response
to my voice, why, that voice has failed
to reach the heart Of mankind" With
this view, she persevered, writing what
came to her, sending it to one publica
ton, and, if it returned, sending it
cheerfUlly to another.
The personality is equally delicate
equally exquisite. She is essentially
an artist, poetess. You would know
her to be one instantly. About her
there is nothing pronounced, nothing
studied, She is above medium height,
with a slender ,willowy figure, which ia
carried with smooth, unconscious
grace. Her head is well poised, and her
face is that sensitive, refined caste
which one likes to study and think Of.
don't know what it is which makes
an artists mouth different from all
others, but this something-a tender
constituencies. a sweet firmness lis
strong in the delicate lips which part
over exquisitely white teeth, The eyes
are gray; the hair, which is worn in
soft waves off of the fine brow, is light.
One would not have to read this young
girls verses to know she had a rarely
pure soul, and a mind as clear and
bright as the stars to where her genius
often soars.
It takes a great deal Of hope to sue
coed as a poet. and she realized il.
The first verses were sent to the Con
stitution, and MIR. Grady at once recog-
niEed her talent. He said to her broth
er, who had just returned from college
with honors:
you will have to be very clever to
keep up with your sister. Sbo is ge-
MUS, and l want to help her some
way"
Mr. Grady was the first editor who
gave her an order and paid her for a
poem. Her verses in the Constitution
were widely copied and most highly
commended in other Leading journals.
About two years ago she commenced
contributing to a number of leading
Northern publications, and also to the
Times. Democrat, the editor of which,
Mr.. Page Baker. gave her much praise
and encouragement. A number Of her
sweetest songs were accepted by the
Detroit Free Press, then Mr.. Glider. OF
tho Century, accepted poem aud dur
ing these two years that magazine has
published some dozen OF her poems, a
fact very fattering to a writer, since the
Century has 30 large number Of gifted
authors TO choose from, that creditable
work is often returned for lack Of space
Mr.. Glider has been one Of her
staunchest friends and warmest ad.
mirers in the literary world. and bis
kindness aud encouragement is a slim
ulant to the ambition that her genius
must fulfill. The New York Sun has
also published and paid her well for q
number of her poems. The latter fact
is one Of note, since the Sun seldom
pays for original poetry, but generally
makes up rs verse column from the
exchanges. Ia this paper was first
published that exquisite poem Of hers
Gathering Roses, which was copied
and admired so universally.
That paper paid her one dollar line
for ten linss on the earthquake, writ
shortly after it occurred.
Miss Bell is not poetess OF the PEG
pie. Her work, as whole, will never
reach the hearts OF the multitude.
is too spiritual, toe ideal. One has Il
climb high before one can catch th'
music of her voice. r. L. Stanton
has called her the MRS. Browning o
the South, and in measure she resem
bles that great woman poet, but be
poetry. altogether, is even less materia
and seldom has that intricacy in which
one sometimes gets wound in Mrs
Browning lines.
At first Miss Bell seemed sometime
to make her meaning hard to unravel
but when this was so, there was always
with the cireful reader, the conviction
that the writer was doing something