Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-25

MIRO MAI EiNENNh sHEADbN.
for exploration and heaithful excitement
which comes from doing daring deeds
which distinguish her above all others of
her sex. She has recently gained much
wider fame even than her novels brought
her by undertaking an expedition into
Central Africa, and only short time ago
she actually started upon this expedition;
but on the threshold of the great wilder
ness she has met with some setbacls
which have temporarily delayed the con
summation of this most audacious pur-
pose
Mrs. Sheldon while living in New York
met her husband, who is a very busy man,
but who delights in his wifes audacity
and who encourages her in her remarkable
purpose Mr.. Sheldon is an Englishman,
and soon after his marriage he took his
wife to London. There he was devoted to
the accumulation of Il fortune, while she
at first gave her attention to modelling
and to sculpture This work, while she
delighted in it, was very injurious to her
eyes, and Mrs. Sheldon was obliged to give
it up, Her husbands business called him
again TO America, and they at one time
lived in New Mexico and afterward in
Cuba and in Central America. Here Mrs.
Sheldon's literary impulse mastered her,
and she wrote one or two interesting books,
as we'll as a series of articles which were
published in one of the New York news
papers, and which were distinguished for
their brilliancy of style and the exquisite
depletion of life and scenery as she had
found them in those strange countries.
On their return to Europe Mrs. Sheldon
busted herself with the translation of some
Of the French masterpieces of literature.
Sho was the ~,;th0~ized translator of Flau-
byvt's "5llanbo," which many of the
critics regard as the most exquisite speci-
men ct historical romance which any
French writer has given us. This transla-
ton was Itself a work of art being all the
more difficult because Flaubert's style is
as delicate, pure and delightful as anything
in French literature He is indeed re
garded as the great master of style, and
Mrs. Sheldon was able to convey an ade-
quate suggestion Of his power in her own
translation.
1t was whi,1 she was writing this trans
lation that Mrs. Sheldon conceived the
idea Of undertaking an original historical
romance herself. She had selected the
theme, had the plot we'll thought out and
the treatment of the story thoroughly CON
sidered, but she desired to get local color
ing, and she therefore determined, after
Stanley had shown how Darkest Africa"
could be penetrated, TO 90 herself, so that
she might see with her own eyes and get
/ inspiration through her senses to be util-
lied in the writing of her romance.
Her husband, while regretting the loss
| Of her society, was yet delighted with her
| boldness and her courage, and had abun-
! dant faith in her resources and her energy
/ to accomplish that which she sought to OBJ
/ tain. Mrs. Sheldon will take as q com
/ pau.Ju friend-a woman who is accom-
| plished, educated, and who has some
/ knowledge 81 medicine and botany. Be
/ sides this companion she will have a trust
worthy body servant, AID these three viii
make up tho expedition, except that she
4 expects 20 hire some EIhiopians rs car
1 riers.
/ Mrs. Sheldon pays the expenses Of the en-
4 tire expedition herself, and she declares
/ that she has no idea of conquest, does not
expect to win any houors as an explorer,
/ but simply desires TO get a view of inner
Africa, and to make a study OF the people
and the characteristics sac there discovers
as only woman accustomed 60 travel and
strange scenes, as she has been, can do.
3
romance, pathos and perhaps humor to be
found In tbs lives Of African women, and
she desires to witness these phases Of char
acter TO study these emotions and to make
use OF them in the work which she contem-
/ plates writing.
In England the expedition has been one
OF the sensations Of the hour. and while
there are many who think Mrs. SHIELD, "a
will fail, yet those who know her best 1e-
lieye that she Will accomplish the under
taking, unless she is prevented By a sick
ness or unforeseen accident. IN this belief
Henry NJ. Stanley shares, and be has been
one OF tue most enthusiastic of Mrs Shel-
don's supporters, and has given her the adj
vantage Of MS own experiences in sag-
geSrions OF how. ., Len ana where To travel.
T. !. EDWARDS.