The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-10

- lIUS OaUS 1TCu
iE seminary days
~ , and that period
wREAInHD.< antecedent to
her engagement with the president,
when the minds of young ladies turn
to poetry as a vehicle Of expression.
For the first lady Of the land has been
guilty Of vers;fcation in French and
English. Her lucubrations seem to
have lain neglected for years-scat-'
tered In the albums of schoolday
friends or reposing amid the detritus
of trunks, dressing tables and boxes.
In some way Or other several speci-
mens of Miss Folsom's work fell into
the hands of one mercenary enough to
attempt profitable disposition Of the
same. Thus 1T came that a well known
New York publisher was on the point
of giving them to the world.
The piece de resistance Of the literary
feast was story some thousands OF
words long, and bearing internal evil
dencc Of having been written at about
the age of seventeen. 1t told of prin-
cess secluded in house. The house was
vaguely located in far away re-
gion," and traditions respecting its ex-
isteDoe had penetrated to all quarters
Of the earth. Various princes were
simultaneously seized with a wish to
visit this house bat they all unfortu-
nately persisted. Their fate seems to
have deferred other emulous royalties,
with one exception. At the time the
action of the story begins the secluded
pYinosss walks up and down the shore,
gazing far ont to sea or indulging in
the luxury of tears. No mention is
made of any particular reason for this
mode of life on the part of the young
lady. There IS no ellusion TO cruel
father or objectionable lover. We are
permitted TO assume, on the authority
of distracted explanations emanating
from the princess herself, that it was
all destiny.
However, the Prince of Indomitable
Spirit already alluded to, fits ont an
expedition and leaves his people weep
ing as they watch the sails of his ship
disappear below the horizon An ell
derly person of hideous aspect now
appears, who for days prior TO the
princes departure has been looking
eIoon,ily upon everybody and every
thing, and at last is ciappod in irons
as public nuisance. But no sooner
does the expedition lose sight of land
than this melancholy creature hobs up
out Of the water, proceeds TO swim in
the wake Of the ship and to call upon
the prince for blood, saying also that
the storm stiu brewed when tho sky
was fair.
This remark. seemingly Of no great
profrrdity, acts, nevertheless. as a
mental squelcher to ell or board. Va
rious attempts are made 10 destroy the
swimming nuiaancc, bat that person
age is found to be a veritable artful
dodger. whom It IS impossible TO hit
with any sort of missile. Even the
prince has a shy or two with no effect.
Now we ars taken to the anguish
ing princess in the FIR away region.
Suddenly she spies sail and an
nounces the fact in a quick cIclnrna-
tion-to whom does rot appear. And
6t AlJN SliSiS III tshc ISit dbtfE inc fhdhi-
uzeript becomes a blank. The fair
eufiloress. writing with the waning
purpose Of sixteen or seventeen. may
hare Become weary Of her tale. At all
r-ents. it never seems to have been
finished
There is also storvwritten entirely
in Frcncs1-very good Frepch, with
none Of the absurd hlunders common
70 all young ladies. There are two or
three littie poems in the same Ian
gunge on such subjects as Failing
Leaves The Ringing of q Far Away
Be,1' and "a Farewell to the Moon. =
In English there are verses on The
birthday Of 4 Schoolgirl Friend. The
Recovery of Little Edith" and few
things of the same sort. And every
one of these things was written By
Mrs. Cleveland's seventeenth birthday.
1t was this material which, but foI
1naneuvering, that il seems no viola
ton of the prcba bilities to say was di
rected froua Washington, may even
row have been a dedication to the
publicl II IS not surprising that Mrs
Cleveland's friends have believed hel
literary abilities, had they been at
forded a feld. would be now a source
of money and fame 20 her.
The Crimminses in Bad odor.