Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-06-24

has become personally known to more
than a limited circle. Within the past
season or two she has given number
of parlor readings, however, and the
appearance of a second notable volume
of short stories by her, "Carlotta's In
tended, and Other Tales, renders
slight sketch Of her life and surround
ings fitting aud desirable.
Mrs. Ruth MCEnerY Stuart was born
in Avoyeles parish, Louisiana. This
parish is situated about in the center
OF the State. Her mothers family, the
Stsrlings, had always lived there; they
were planters aud large slave holders
Her grandmother's people, the Rouths,
we're also Southerners and slavehold-
ing people She was taken to New Or
leans as a child, where her grandfather
held a leading position as banker and
where her father engaged in mercantile
pursuits, and she remained in that city
and vicinity until her marriage. As in
the case of all members Of old families
in the Southern States, Mrs, Stuart is
widely connected with people OF promi-
hence in Louisiana affairs, past and
present, but, as was so universally the
case with these same old families, her
people were impoverished by the war
and her schooling ended shortly after
that event. Mrs. Stuart attended the
| private and public schools OF the place
and time, and she tells me that parents
were then glad to avail themselves OF
any educational privileges that could
| be obtained for their children, so de
moralzed was the condition Of the
| South.
The reColections OF my childhood"
! Mrs. Stuart said, "are very strange and
| troubled; il is as il the atmosphere upon
my mental canvas were dImmed with
\ the fire aud smoke of war, and only In
spots do seem TO get glimpse OF in
/ dividual experiences back OF it all that
are recorded there.
81 never was = great reader. l was
! ionder OF people than Of books. Really,
| people Interested me mora than books,
! though had my favorite authors, as
every girl has-still l was not great
reader.
81 have always felt interested in the
common folk, but never thought seri
ously about writing them up until after
my husbands death. II was in 1887
I
| in lSss my first story was published. l
sent two stories to the Hsrpers. 1t was
in this way: I wrote an anonymous
letter to them, and in reply received a
very pleasant note from Mr.. Charles
! Dudley Warner, who afterwards sent
one OF my stories TO Prof. Sloane, OF
the Princeton RcUielC, and kept one for
Rdrpcr'S Magazine. The Princeton Re.
UislU thus happened to be the first mag
sziue TO print story for me.
During my married life I lived on
nv husbands plantation in Arkansas,
| and most of my negro character stud
les have come from my association with
the negroes while there. We lived right
among them-there were hundreds Of
negroes to one white person. Ny Ar
/ kansas life covered about FIVE years.
from 1879 10 late in 1883.
"As 10 writing dialect, did not do
it Intentionally; l simply wrote dialect
| stories because when l demanded OF
myself story il was the recollection Of
the negroes which made ii possible for
me 10 write it, 1 could not help writing
dialect.
There seems to De popular impress
| sion-not among literary people, who
| know better, but among the people gen.
erally-that dialect is a recommendation
10 q story, whereas the reverse is really
the fact"
"Did the negroes convey supsrstitious
beliefs to the children in their charge,
Mrs. Stuart?"
MANY times, yes; and yet 1t was not
so much so in my own experience. The
old woman who had been my mothers
nurse, old Aunt Fanny (she was never
called nanny in the family, seemed
TO have few superstitiOns-indeed, be-
reye can recall but TWO that made
any special impression upon me; one
was that the CRY CT black cat was the
sure sign of death. She would say to
/ the children:
"De day yo' gran'ma Stirlin' died d
grea' big black ca come a-meauderin'
long onconcerne payin' no IGNITION
tell he come by Dc, irons hall dn,k Den