The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-09-12

!, SOUTH d "A. KOT.A,
CONFESSIONS OF A POETEss.
Ella wheeler wilcox Tells Us the Story Of
Her Literary Life.
Most OF The UNION readers are ac-
Iquainted with the writ ingsof Ella Wheel
er Wilcox; and the story of her literary
career will be OF interest. Among other
things, the following was contributed by
her to Lippincott's some time ago:
In less than years time after that fthe
rejection of a tale of love, adventure,
jealousy, and wo, which ended happily
with the peal Of wedding -bellsl / re-
ceived my first check, and felt fully
launched on the great sea Of literature.
Poems and stories flowed from my pen
like water running down hill; and
when 1 was barely 18 years old I was
clothing myself with the proceeds Of
my pen and helping to furnish and
brighten up the humble little home.
The prices received were small, but
wrote so voluminously that l managed
to earn quite little income.
When / WAS about 10 I wrote eight
poems in single day! and considered
two in day only small achievement.
OF course l sent out into the world an
immense amount of trash, which I
would gladly recall now. All my
friends told me ] was shaming the
Muses. by my reckless use Of her gifts.
I've : urged 70 devote more time to.
study and to the perfecting Of my work.
But, look you! Twas earning money to
relieve the absolute necessities of life,
and was lifting many a burden from
my mothers shoulders. With the
wisdom of the world, our neighbors
called me lazy dreamer who sat scrib-
bling all day while her "folks'' hired
help to do the work ought to do. The
truth was, my pen paid a servant to
tighten my mothers dreary labors, be-
sides supporting myself.
Those were memorable days to me. I
was intoxicated with my success. ra-
dated with love for all the world. l
knew nothing of the world as yet, moth
ing OF human nature, nothing of myself
even. People Of intellect, and wealth,
and social position began to seek me
out. Invitations began to flow in upon
me to visit in city homes. These visits
increased my ambitions and my neces-
sites. ] saw how other people lived
and dressed, and my desire for money
exceeded my love for art. was pas
sionately fond of social pleasures, and
the desire to appear In becoming
toilet at party overcame my resolve to
write only two poems week. wrote
ten instead and sacrificed art to fashion.
And the next day when l found that l
had danced through my slippers wrote
four more extremely faulty poems. But
they purchased a new pair of slippers
1nld a pair of gloves. These are shock
mg confessions. But they are absolute
ly true, and I hope my brethren and
sisters who listen to these experiences of
one who is partially reformed will offer
up prayers in my behalf.
Everything was ''material' to me.
Tho singing of bird outside nv
window, the compliments paid me by
my escort at the play, the sound of the
reapers in the harvestfelds, the con-
vcrsation of callers, my own restless
heart, all gave me food for verses and
romances.
used to 60 to the bookstores and
write down list of addresses of various
periodicals in different parts of the
country. To these would send out my
manuscripts, often ten or twelve by one
mail. l considered it great misfortune
that was often denied credit for my
work; / think now it was blessing
that SO many of these waits went name
less into the world. 1t never once oc-
CURED to me TO seek the assistance of
older writers in marketing my BRAIN
wares, and was too independent and
too impatient to ask or allow any one to
criticise my work before l sent it out.
was imbued with the foolish idea that
il would be no longer my own original
composition if | allowed any one to
make suggestions. So off went my half
t'edged birdlings almost as soon as they
were through the sfrcH. 1t all seems
great pity to me now. But enjoyed
life and caused others to enjoy it. After
all, what is better than that?
That woman is endowed with more
delicate physical organization and more
nervous sensibilities than man is an un-
disputed fact, and centuries of hothouse
breeding have rendered her still more
susceptible to the cold winds of publici-
Al CuAly 1Outu duN lOuOIduC6
of these things, used to look upon a
woman who had arrived at eminence.
and say, "Shc has been blessed by the
gods and favored by mankind; how
fortunate tho star under which she was
bornn' In the light of maturer years
and experience say now. what cour-
age. what patient endurance, what per-
severance, what suffering, have been
| hers!"
One Of the most important things for
a woman to remember who sets forth
on self-supporting career is the neccs-
sity of transacting all financial matters
in a strictly business-like manner. If
she borrows money she must repay 1t
with interest, rs q man would do. If
she contracts debts she must pay them.
And she must not expect especial con-
sideration or favor in these things "be-
cause she is woman" Not until
women fully realize this can they ex-
pect to succeed.
We arc dependent on the gallantries
and affections of men in society and in
the domestic relations; they are our
courtiers or our kings, by nature and
custom bound to give us the comfortable
| scat III tHe Cur OF letcn our ian aG tne
ball; but in business transactions we
must forget all this and consider them
simply our equals. neither our masters
nor our slaves; and if we would win their
respect and encouragement wo must
merit it by well-balanced accounts.
As read over my own works and
| painfully realize their great defects, !
am moved to wonder why have been
accorded such unusual success, when
many writers who far excel me as poets
and artists have failed to win recogni-