Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12
THE LITERARY DRIFT.
Washington Is Drawing Heavily on
the Glory of Proud Boston.
HOW GATH LIVES AND WORKS.
Distinguished Women Who Got Their In
spiration at the Capital
HELLO BELL AND OTHER N0TABLES



WAsH1NeroN, June 14-Boston's nose
is irretrievably broken. Minerva and her
troupe of blue stockings will continue for q
while, In spite OF the nasal fracture, to re-
side there and thereabouts, as cats haunt
sacred fanes, but the center of literary pro-
duct1on threatens to be permanently trans
ferred to Washington. The capital is al
ready more prolific of books, even books of
miscellaneous and general character than
any other American city, and here reside
many Of the best-known authors, and here,
about to be sheltered in a magnificent tenn
pie of gray sandstone, Is the largest library
in this country, of 700, 900 titles
Great poets and historians have always
been attracted hither. The best-known
poet Of Americas first quarter of century,
Joel Barlow, lived here at ''Kalorama" and
here he finished and published Americas
first and Ion gest, if not most brilliant epic,
the "Columbiad. Here, during the first
decade, wrote Philip Freneau and William
Writ, the most successful poet and historian
OF their times. Here, a generation later,
sojourned N. P. Willis, and here at his
little table at the window of the Washing
ton Club, later the Seward mansion and
now the property and residence of James G.
Blaine, he made those dashes at life with a
free pencil by which he won his greatest
popularity. His son, Bailey Willis, is now
one of the expert specialists of the United
States Geological Survey, and is an enthu-
siastic investigator and writer of force.
He has much of the afabIe and attractive
manners of his father.
Sons OF the Notable Poets,
The war for the Union caused an effer-
vescence of literary elements I remember
going down to the lunch table in the
Treasury Department in 1864 and meeting
there, assembled by accident, Walt Whit
man, w. D. O'Connor, the novelist. Ed
Stedman, now the banker-poet, John Pier
pont, the reform poet, and John j. Piatt,
now our Consul at Cork, who has turned off
several volumes of good verse since then.
In that same Treasury Department, Msturin
M. Ballou was clerk for five years, and
went thence to the editors sanctum.
Ten years before the war the most popular
and widely-read American novel was given
to the light here, "Uncle Toms Cabin.
And DR.. Bailey, of the National Era, in
which it appeared, seems to have made his
home kind of hotbed of feminine genius.
At least four of the best-known and most
productive literary women of this last gen.
Grafton began their work here-Mrs Stowe,
Gail Hamilton, Mrs. E. D. E. N. South
worth and Mrs. Sara j. Llppincott, 'Grace
Greenwood" Let me tell you word about
it: Mrs Stowe lived up in Maine,
where her husband was a professor in
Bowdoin. Dr. Bailey had read some
of her fugitive sketches, and know
Ing she was poor, he one day
sent her 500 and said, ''Come, write me
short anti-slavery story for the Era" She
began the "short story" which so extended
ed and heightened it until it became"Uncle
Toms Cabin" "Grace Greenwood" was at
that time governess in Dr. Bailey's fam
lily, and there she, too, began to write for
the Era, showing something of that sympa-
thy with childhood and high and wholesome
sentiment which afterward blossomed out
into score of books.
The Gail Hamilton of To-Day.
I believe Mary Abigail Dodge, better
known as Gail Hamilton" (because born
In Hamilton, Mass }, succeeded "Grace
Greenwood, for she was governess in Bal
ley's family for several years, and there also
first learned the graceful magic Of the pen.
She has produced, believe, 80 books in
all, aud besides her output OF ironical
pleasantly, has been charged with some
sharp and satirical writing of which she was
not guilty. She lives here now in the fam
lily of Mr.. Blaine, writing occasionally, but
giving most of her time to pleasant social
duties She is no longer the slip of a girl
who taught the young idea how to shoot
al poi1 oh h,k
very matronly person, indeed.
The other of DR.. Bailey's protegees,
somewhat known among the irreverent girls
as "Alphabet Southworth," had already
suffered from an unfortunate marriage when
she began to write "Retrlbution" for the
Era The man in the case was Fred South
worth, of New York; he ran away a year or
two after his marriage, and has never been
seen since. Mrs. Southworth could not get
q divorce for desertion under the laws of
the District, and special act of Congress
was passed to enable her to free herself from
the cruel rover's name. But she never took
advantage Of it. She was teaching in a
public school in Washington when she first
Bailey's attention, and her first
earnings with her pen were very small, in
deed.
Mrs. soufhworth's Eagles Nest.
Mrs. Southworth was born in this city,
and her present home is kind of eagles
nest on the banks of the Potomac high
above Georgetown, in lofty, quiet villa,
and many-gabled, and much
commanding an extensive view
along the valley and over the town. For
I5 years Bonner paid her $4,000 year be-
'ides giving her the copyright of all her
books, some Of which passed through in
Vulnerable editions and were presented on |
he stage. The old lady is in prime health,
,er sight and hearing are good. and she |
walks about and calls upon her friends with |
,ut effort. She ceased hard work about ten !
Years ago when she was "a, and that year,
n counting up her productions. found that |
he had written exactly GA novels She has |
wo children, and enough grandchildren to
i'll couple of carts
Mrs. 1ippincott, "Grace Greenwood,
ives here on Capitol Hill, and is walking |
lown the declivity of life with considerable
comfort. She still retains something of the |
beauty for which her youth was
and her firm mouth and
Websterian brow and eyes give an impress
ion of great intellectual strength She is
n good health and enjoyment of life, and
Will probably see fair slice of the next
Her husband and son are clerks
lere. Of her work nothing need be said
million children know all about it. She
s not writing much just now, being alb
orbed with the care OF her house, and, as
he expresses it, too much of housekeeper
o make good author, and too much OF an
uthor to make good housekeeper.
Washington Has Inspired Great Men.
1t may not be generally known that Lord
,vttOn HOwen Meredith" wrote several OF