Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-13
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DEN PICTURES BY MRS. CCLQUiT 7,
A SOUTHERN WOMAN HERSELF.

Augusta j. Evans Wilson and Her Striifin:
s.orfes-Hadam lie vert-Winnie Davis.
"t,,e Child of the Confederacy,'' and Sew
eral Others.
Especial Correspoudence.l
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, March 3.-Augusta
J. Evsns Wilson isa native of Columbus, Ca,
and Is closely connected by blood to some or
the oldest families in that state. She has
lived for many years in Alabama Her first
novel. a stirring and romantic story, was
s.Inez, Tale of the Alamo" written with
natured force and facility, when she was
mere girl "Beulah, "Macaria, =" ''St. Elmo"
followed, and she soon won her distinguished
place in American letters for the power OF
her style, her vivid portraiture and her deep
learning on scientific and classical subjects.
Sh9was eagerly and widely read, and many
q campfire in the southern borders sned lts
Pickering light over rapt circle OF listeners,
as some bronzed soldier read ''Macaria" aloud
10 his comrades The war copy CT that novel
was printed on the blank OF wrong side OF
wall paper, and shared the soldiers admra-
ton with similarly printed copies OF Louisa
Muhlbach's novels ard Les Miserables'-the
latter. called by the soldiers Less Miser-
.blesn with an irony born of their own fate
and surroundings. After a long silence of fif-
teen years, if / mistake not, Mrs. Wilson pub
lishcd ''At the Mercy OF Tlberius," her best
and strongest novel. She has never written
short stories.
In Alden's compilation OF famous short
stories written by American women he was
forced TO use the trial scene from AT the
Mercy of Tiberius'' to illustrate Mrs. Wilson's
style Augusta Evans Wilson is the wife OF
Col. Wilson of Mobile. leading citizen and
man OF culture | met her first in her home,
lust outside Of that Florence of the south.
Her horne is spacious, luxurious with many
windows and doors and wide piazzas. She
has a fancy for white things about her. Her
house is white, her domestic animals and
fowls are white and snowy flowers of all kinds
abound in the grounds. There are long ave
nues of white cameilias blooming, not on
shrubs, as usually seen, but on large trees
planted in wide walks or avenues. Ny atten-
ton was called to a perfumed camelila japon-
ic,L The fragrance was indeed perceptible
md a great novelty, as the carnellia japonica
has often been alluded to rs the flower that
would be absolutely perfect with perfume,
but no other fragrant one has ever been heard
of, and Mrs Wilson is very proud OF the pos
session. She IS q charming hostess, simple,
easy, hospitable. She never alitldes TO her
literary life, but when asked about it talks
freely Of the pleasures she has found in her
creations. Her husband delights in her genius
and reputation, and keeps the manuscripts of
her novels, written in q singularly bold and
clear hand. bound richly like sumptuous al
buns in his own special care. The couple
have no children; children by Col. Wilson's
first marriage have grown to honorable ma
Iurity under their stepmother's wise and low
ing care. Mrs. Wilson, now a woman well
ON in years, is IA very sweet, motherly looking
person, with countenance i'll which benevo-
Ience and intellectual beauty blend harmoni-
ously
Madam Octayia Walton LIE Vert In the
midst of the hustle of -four mills, the steam
of breweries, the whirr of cotton factories,
there stands on the banks of the canal in Au-
gusta, Ga, an old gray, weather beaten
house stranded like a wrecked ship, disman-
tied and useless. 1t was once a lordly man.
sion, in the center of large and fourishing
plantation, the home of George Walton, one
OF the signers of the Declaration of indie
pendence, and the birthplace of his illustrious
r 4.
Her early girlhood was spent in Pensacola,
Fla, where her father acted for a time as
governor of the territory. Miss Walton was
a fine scholar, particularly well Yersed in
languages. She translated for her father
many valuable papers from the Spanish and
French into English. She was a life long
friend of Washington Irving, whom she met
accidentally III stage when she was travel
Ing IN Alabama in the year 1922. In 1883 and
1884 she spent the winters in Washington.
There she was keeniy interested in public
matters, SO much so that she made it habit
70 take notes of the debates in congress, and
afterwards copied them in full reports. These
were so clear, so accurate, that the leading
men-Clay, Calhoun, McDuffie, Webster and
freston-often referred to them.
She married while quite young DR.. Henry
lie Vert, OF Mobile, and soon became the rul-
ing spirit there in society and letters. So
great was her influence and so highly valued
was her Judgment on all subjects Of itera-
ture, art and the drama, that it became the
custom for her to signify from her private
proScenium box her approval of an actor or
actress by leaning forward and throwing a
laurel wreath on the stage. Then as Madam
lie Vert approved the house would burst
into admiring applause. She travelled extern
sively in Europe, and wrote very fresh and
entertaining sketches, gathered into a book
called Souvenirs OF Travel She contrib
Tted widely to English and American peri
odicalS. ana had the friendship aud encour-
agement of Lamartine and other men of
genius Above all her gifts the one that
most distinguished her was her unfaiing
amiability and tact. She was never known
to make disagreeahie personal criticism, or
TO wound any ones feelings She was a YER
liable human sun dial She reflected and
marked only the bright and shining things
OF life. Her latter days were spent in New
York city. where she frequently gave small
select readings and entertained in a Quiet
way her literary aud artistic friends in her |
apartments at the Coleman. Her two daugh- |
tiers were with her at that time. Mia mar |
Tled Mr.. Reguyle Re2b, of Augusta. Ga.
and did not live more than year or two. |
leaving her husband one little son. Octayia |
has only recently died, IN Augusta. after |
many years of physical suffering, for she l
was both lame and blind
And next, Winnie Davis l first met this !
lovely personlfcati0n of southern womanhood |
at dinner party at Mrs. B. Il. Hills. given in
honor of ex-President Davis at the time of |
the unwilling OF the Hill monument in At
ianta. 1t was cerenoniouS dinner-al the |
guests were in full evening dress. For some |
reason Miss Davis trunks failed TO be deliv- /
ered IN time, and, declining to keep the guests
waiting, she insisted on appearing in her
TavelnS dress. A lovely figure she Lnade in |
her simple dark cloth dress, "a band of linen
al the thToat, her rich chestnut hair in & low
coil at the back Of her head She is tall, well /
molded. Her eyes are very frank and sweet,
llli.-.r-s.I- cnlnr. In. na.-.-.l-.--:-.. -,