The record-union., 1891-04-19
CLEVER WOMEN OF AMERICA
Ella Wheeler Wilcox and Her First
Poem.
Only Eight Years Old When 1t Was
wrltten-Mrs. Wilcox the Author OF
Laugh, and the World Laughs
With You.''
lRegular Correspondence of the SrNDAp
UNION. Copyright, 1891
NEW YORK, April I3, 1891.

/
| UNION. Copyright, 1891
NEW YORK, April I3, 1891.
| Ella Wheeler Wilcox wrote her first
poem when she was years old. One
critic, not knowing the tender age of the
| poet, devoted column to satirizing it.
| and then said "If this criticism should
hinder the young aspirant from writing
any more poetry, it would be doing her
great favor and the world service"
This hurt the little Ella so l<eenly that she
tore up the paper, but told her mother,
whose sympathy she had, that she would
yet make that man change his mind con-
corning her verse.
The poem which created such commo-
ton in the office of the newspaper, and 40
the child's home, reads as follows:
Head covered with pretty curls,
Face white as snow;
Her teeth are like handsome pearls
Shes tall and merry, too
Little Elias brothers evidently had no
| sympathy with poets, or with the aspira-
tions of their little sister, for they plagued
| her unmercifully, always calling her
little authoress."
| But tho genius Of the little singer could
| not be quelled, for before she was 10 she
was paid contributor TO six of the Lead
ing periodicals of the day. Her first paid
poem was published in the New York
| AercU9Y.
A friend of Mrs. Wilcox sent the first
verse to me last week and gladly give it
to your readers:
rwo LIVES.
An infant lies in her cradle bed
The hands of sleep on her eyelids fall
The moments pass with q noiseleSs tread
Ana the clock on the mantel counts them
all:
The infant wakes with a wailing cry,
And she does not heed how her life drifts by.
Another childish pastime of the little
and write on it. Mrs. Wilcox has in her
possession to-day several manuscripts in
this novel form.
Some people may be shocked, but COM
petent critics assert that eroticism is this
singers main forte. They claim that she
is pre-eminently the poet of feeling. Be
this as it may, the world is indebted to
her for many other beautiful poems.
Those who claim that she is the poet of
feeling should not forget that she is also
the poet of humanity. The only ''skele-
ton III her closet" is that dispute about
Laugh and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
There is no doubt but that she is the
author. 1t is so like her style Mrs.
| Wilcox should not permit the preteu-
sIons OF unknown poets to disturb her.
| She can console herself with the thought
absurd claims OF miserable scribbler
! after Scenes in Clerical Life" was pub
! lished.
| There is always more or less danger of
| being robbed Of your rights in mo name"
or nom de pt1tme contribution. Mrs.
| Wilcox IS nothing if not honest and sim
cere. 4 nature like hers is incapable of
InSincerity or talsehood.
She grows more womanly and gentle
every year, and looks younger now than
she did five years ago. In her pretty home
IN the st. AIbanS apartment house she is
''at hOme' TO her friends on Sunday. She
Is devoted as all the world knows, to her
husband and his interests. As wife and
woman she Is no less attractive and charm
ing than as an author and friend Mrs.
WllcoX,s last poem, "A Married Co
quette," recently appeared in Truth.
FANNY EDGAR THOMAS.
About five years ago a curious little
novel OF tWenty-nine pages made its APP
pearance in the bookstores of Chicago.
| The story was entitled, THE Turned
Bridge; or, Nora's Temptation" Al
though the little story was put on the
market without parade by an unknown
writer, great many copies were sold, or,
in street vernacular "it sold like hot
cakes" The author turned out to be n
young woman, bookkeeper, earning s.
week. In the same building where the
young woman worked was printing es-
Enlistment. The young lady became
fast friends with the printers boy, and
the two together set the type for the book,
and bound it after working hours. Miss
Fanny Edgar Thomas is the name of the
young woman. There was something so
unusual about the narrative itself, and
the get-up OF the binding and type, that
the volume led many thoughtful people
to hunt up the author. Among them was
Mrs. Wilcox. After meeting tine girl,
she advised her to give up bookkeeping
and como to New York and devote all
her time to literary work.
Il would not" said Mrs. Wilcox, "ad-
wise nine girls out of ten, with ordinary
| literary talent, to do so; but there can be
no possible risk in your taking this
step"
Miss Thomas came to New York and
soon after formed little syndicate of her
own. After persistent effort, she man
aged to get ten subscribers, and since
then she has written for many out-oE-
town papers.
This last year she began to write ESSAYS,
Many Of these are thought provoking and
philosophical 1t is unusual for young
woman who does not come of literary
stock, and whose training was anything
but literary, to take to this style of writ
ing. Her language is always graceful,
elegant and always to the point. "She is
an Emerson in embryo" remarked a
friend of hers. Fanny always was
InOISuIlliI anu philosophical inner rea-
soning, as she now is in her writing"
Miss Thomas has an inordinate passion
for music, but circumstances prevented
her, as in the case of many other poor
girls, from learning it in childhood. Just
as soon as she could afford to take lessons,
she did take them, and to-day she both
sings and plays. Her taste is for German
composers, but, like all born musicians,
she loves all the good compositions of
other schools. She has a high soprano
voice, and at present sings in the choir of
DR.. Tyler's church. Since coming to
New York, Miss Thomas has made her
home with Mrs. Wilcox. While she is
indebted to the latter for her friendly and
womanly advice and counsel, she has
always maintained her independence Ii.
c., paid her own bills. Considering that
only three per cent. of the contributions
sent to magazines and papers in the New
York are accepted, Miss Thomas has had
wonderful success. EMMA TRAPPER.
LUCILLE.
The night winds sigh thTo' waving grass.