The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1893-11-03
Mss Lillian BELL
= Bright Young writer Of the o,.v
by the Lake.


~ contrihutor o. Iispuie = chIlas
noeas Literary E1orts-rier ra..
cation Aise Ineindss the noms.
When, last May, the publi.h,,.
Drought out that clever book. With
its eleyerer title: THE Love Atfairs
Of an Old Maid, . 1t introduced ' also !
INTO the world Of literature IL M.
thor, Miss Lillian Bell The Har.
pers had recognized Miss Bells tai.
ents before publishing her book. by
as ., and printing in their
Weekly short story from her.
pen called .'The Heart Of Brier
Rose, " The Ladies Home Journal
also printed a sketch by Miss Bell
in a late issue Of the Journal. The
Charming "Storyof Five Proposals, :
q most successful sketch signed by
the clever nom de plume Of Phyllis
Perchance," was, in reality. the
work of Miss Bell.
MISS Bell may be said to be in
every respect, in birth, family and
instincts, a representative type q
the American girl. Born in Chi.
cago, her nature isfull of that bright.
ness and vivacity which the atmos-
phere of the west gives as its birth.
right. Her family and herself rem.
resent what may be called
q geographical trinity. On her
mothers side she comes from the
best Of New England descent which
evidences itselfin the truest and most
refined womanhood. On her fathers
side she inhales the breath Of the
south through long line OF eloquent
lawyers and ministers, and Of brave
soldiers, all Tennesseeans, whose
fire, intensity Of nature and brilliant
wit have made them famous.
Her girlhood was spent in the
south, principally in Atlanta.
There, at the age Of seven, she was
reading, and knew by heart step.
ping Heavenwardn-the first book
to which she became really intense.
~ attached. Shakespeare she had
already absorbed. With this knowl-
edge, which was already far ahead Of
her years, she went first to a public
school. Later she was tutored
under private instruction, and final
ly was graduated after the return Of
her parents to Chicago, from the
Dearborn seminary. During her
school days her literary tendencies
developed, and she amused herself
by writing the essays Of her schools
mates. Later she sent one Of her
efforts to a local newspaper, which
Immediately accepted her contribu-
tion. Her first effort at story-writ-
ing, made when she was only eight
years old, was printed in q news
paper.
Miss Bell, who resides in Chicago,
is the eldest Of o large family Of
brothers and sisters, the mother Of
which, being only nineteen years the
senior Of her eldest daughter, can
enter into her children's lives with
closeness and sympathy not always
possible. Miss Bells life is in the
perspective; she must yet live four
years before she reaches her .thir-
tieth birthday. Her love for music
has kept pace with her love Of litera-
ture; her nature responds to all that
is best and loveliest in sound.
Miss Bell shows the true spirit Of
the American girl in the fact that
she has wisely developed the prac-
tical side Of her character. The
drawing-room has not been cultivat-
ed at the expense Of the kitchen.
The intricacies Of cooking, from the
mixing of mince meat to the concoc-
ton Of salads, cakes and ices, are as
thoroughly understood as is the use
Of the pen. Her pride is greater in
the fact that she has laid darns in
the domestic table linen with num-
Der one hundred and fifty cotton
than in her abilities as a literary
woman, from whom thereading world
will, prophesy, receive some further
evidences Of genius. Edward W.
Box, in Ladies Home Journal.