Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-28
MRS. pouLrNey sleeLow.
Another Society Woman Who Has Made
Literature Success.
TSpecial Correspondence1

Another Society Woman who Has Made
Literature n Success.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Nov. 9--Mrs. Poultney Bige-
low has Just written novel which is pub
lished entire in one of the magazines, and
which is causing good deal of comment
regarding her personality and her literary
ability. The story is the second one which
Mrs. Bigelow has written. and it is a bet
ter piece of fiction than was her first at
tempt. although that was a very creditable
production. II she continues to write as
she has done, and her promise becomes
performance, Mrs. Bigelow will take rank
with the best of the women writers of
America.
Her advent into the field of fiction was
almost identical in point of time with that
of Julien Gordon, who in her domestic and
social circle is Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Cru
ger Mrs. Burton Harrison gained an
earlier literary fame, and in some respects
she is esteemed finer artist than Mrs.
Cruger or Mrs. Bigelow. All of these
women are familiar with the choicest social
life in New York, for they have been a
part Of it; each of them is a woman of re-
markable physical beauty, each of them
has been accustomed to a life of luxury,
and was bred in an atmosphere where lit
erature is not supposed to flourish. Yet
they vesucceeded in winning what many
others have strived for and failed to obtain,
and that is literary fame.
Mrs. Bigelow is younger woman than
the others named above and she is bride,
having married Mr.. Bigelow only two or
three years ago. AS Miss Jaffray. the
granddaughter of one of New York's most
famous and wealthy merchants, her
maiden life was that of the conventional
society girl She was educated in the
choicest schools in New York, and now
and then made a trip to Europe. Her
grandfather owns a beautiful summer
place on the Hudson, and he is one of those
favored mortals who is able in the summer
season to command his own yacht, which
daily brings him to and from his place of
business.
Miss Jaffray was esteemed one of the
most beautiful Of New York society girls,
and she enjoyed with that innocent fond
ness which all healthy girls possess the
pleasures of social life. She was splendid
horsewoman, and she made a very pretty
picture riding through the park upon her
grandfather's estate or along the bride
path in Central park. She represented one
type of innocent and charming maiden
hood. while Amelie Rives in her isolated
Virginia home was an ideal of the other
Mrs. Bigelow was enthusiastic, healthy,
witty and delightful. while Miss Rives was
dreamy, meditative, absorbed in books and
caring little for social pleasures. These
two girls were alike in one respect, and
that was their fondness for out of door
activity.
TN osrlhnCA Nrc pina1oxxy eyoxyo mn
hint of literary talents. She was fond of
reading, and she read the best writers of
fiction, but she did not realize that she
possessed the creative gift, whereas Ameie
Rives was always writing. After Miss
Jaffray's marriage to Poultney Bigelow
her literary instinct was aroused. Mr..
Bigelow was of literary family. His
father, John Bigelow, was for time the
editor of the New York Times, and he was
afterward minister to the court of Louis
Napoleon. Though man of affairs Mr.
Bigelow was also a charming littera-
teur, and in that capacity he gained the
friendship of Samuel j. Tilden, who,
though great politician and lawyer, was
also lover of literature.
Mr.. Bigelow's wife was one of the most
conspicuous of society women in New
York city, and it was at some social
gathering in Murray Hill ballroom that
Miss Jaffray met Mrs. Bigelow and her
son. The maiden by reason of her social
accomplishments became a warm favorite
of Mrs Bigelow, and it was because of
these charms as well as her graces of
character that young Bigelow fell in love
with her.
Poultney Bigelow inherited his fathers
literary tastes. He was sent to Berlin to
school and attended the same gymnasium
in which the lad who is now the Emperor
William of Germany was scholar. Then
young William had no idea that he would
be emperor of Germany until he had be-
come, perhaps. an old man. Between him
and young Bigelow a warm attachment
sprang up and the friendship was con-
tinued after William became emperor.
Bigelow returned to America and was at
first fascinated with newspaper life, but
short experience in the hard work of
reporter was enough for him. Besides
that he had also become fascinated with
something more enduring than journal
istic aspirations, for he had yielded to the
charms of Miss Jaffray.
He bought monthly magazine devoted
to outdoor sports, which had better name
for artistic merit than for pecuniary prof
its, and after brief experience he aban-
doned it, and taking his bride with him
went to Europe, where he expects perma-
nently to reside.
He seems to have abandoned literary
hope, and just as he did SO his wife began
to entertain it, so that now the second of
her novels is before the public, and Mrs.
Bigelow's friends say that she is already at
work upon fourth story, which, like the
others, will depict some features of fash
ionable life. E. j. EDWARDS.