The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-24
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tive series of Literary Vignettes, Mary
E. Wilkins, the charming New England
writer. Up to the time of Miss Wilkins,
village life had lacked adequate exposi-
ton. For any description of any form
of life sympathy is necessary. Life in
the country has always been regarded
from two widely different points TO
view. The denizens of great cities
whose business or pleasure took them
through New England villages, observ-
ing only the rough exterior, saw simply
collection of houses. very staid and
solemn at the front, drifting off at the
rear into outhouses of gradually dimin-
ishing size, like the tail of kite; they
saw parlors opened only for weddings or
deaths, ornamented with horse-hair
furniture, albums, sea shells, and a
mourning piece" on the wall. From
the point of view of the villager. country
life was the most natural mode of exie-
tence, and not to be mentioned in the
same generation with that seething
maelstrom of vice and crime-a great
city. So they misunderstood each other.
But Mary Wilkins has brought the
country and city together by under
standing both, and in her writings, the
life of which she treats is seen Invested
of the rough exterior, SO that we see
with the novelist's eyes.
Mary E. Wilkins was born in the little
Massachusetts town of Randolph, in
1862, of parents whose ancestry reached
back to the old Puritans. While very
young she removed with her parents to
Brattleboro. where she received her edu-
cation at Mt. Holyoke Seminary. Here
she remained until 1882, when the death
of her father occurred. leaving her an
orphan, and the last of her line. She
naturally returned to her old home
Randolph and here has lived ever
since. Like most who have won success
in literature, the literary tastes and abil-
tiles manifested themselves early. Her
first productions we're poems for chill
dren, and then stories in children's
magazines. but presently she moved up
a step and turned to sterner stuff. Her
stories of village life. manners and GUS
toms early found publication, and her
name became known far and wide for
her sympathetic sketches of rural life.
From this success has crowned her
efforts, and today Mary Wilkins stands
for all that is sincere, sympathetic and
true in the portrayal of those types
whose rough shell had hitherto prevent
ed correct understanding of the good
in their natures. Beside short stories
Miss Wilkins has written two successful
novels, "Jane Field" and Pembroke"
The merit is as we'll sustained through
out her long stories as in the short
sketches. We have few stronger scenes
in present day literature than the cul-
mination of the thunder storm in Jane
Field" where the storm seems to come
as punishment to a poor frightened
woman. And in Pembroke" too, we
have many strong dramatic. but never
melodramatic scenes. notably the death
of little Ephraim and the discovery by
her stern Puritan mother of Rebecca's
shame.
Mary Wilkins is microscopic realist.
Her style is style of details. The min
uti@ of her pictures is startlingly dis-
tinct. Nothing is blurred, but every
leaf and twig stands up aggressively, as
in an oversharp photograph. This min
ute attention TO minute details wears on
the minds eye until we long for little
obscurity. little haze to take away
the sharp reality snd substitute some
element of beauty. Few understand
the New England farmer folk better
than Miss Wilkins. Their passionate
politics, their unrelenting, somber re-
ligion and their uneyentful lives, all are
open to her, and she also sees and SYM
pathizes with the overworked farmers
wife. whose life is one dreary round of
toll and collaborating. the type of wo-
man whose work sis never DONE" Treat
ment of these things from the point of
view of an outsider would fail misera-
bly,, and degenerate into caricature.
But to Miss Wilkins these are her own
people and they suffer not at her
hands. Withal her writing is consid-
cred very good workmanship of the kind
which hides its own technique-takes
away the scaffolding, as it were.
In person Miss Wilkins is slight.
blond. blue eyed. and quiet almost to
bashfulness. All her work is done at
her Randolph home. where she occupies
part of the house of some friends. Her
library and sitting room are bright with
colored hangings; easy chairs and
couches are scattered about. while a
desk in each room stands for trade
mark. An old fireplace. over which
hangs an equally ancient crane, is one Of
her treasures, and visitors are often
treated to cup of tea made by these
primitive instruments.
1t is a trifie annoying when one has
in a small way defined Miss Wilkins as
writer of sketches of quiet country
people, to find her taking prize for a
detective story-of all things-in a
sealed competition. But perhaps the
tragic is more present in the seemingly
dull, prosaic lives Of our country cousins
than is apparent at first sight. Disease.
death, trouble AID sorrow are present
with them as with the rest OF the world,