Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-03
OUR SOCIAL WORLD

(All items of social interest will be gladly noted in these columns if sent to Mrs. George C. Ball, Nineteenth street. between Tenth and Eleventh avenues. South High lands Telephone esS)
 Mrs. Craigie, who is known to readers of fiction as John Oliver Hobbs--a strong, old-fashioned, masculine pseudonym for a thoroughly feminine woman.-is de- scribed as a person of many personal attractions, besides her remarkable men talty, which has already brought her fame and fortune. She is now in Amer ica, visiting relatives in New England, and is herself a native of this country, although she has lived in Great Britain since her infancy. She is still youthful, with goodly share of this worlds riches, and she is something of a beauty, in the best acceptation of the term. for her lace indicates character, intellect ana force. Upon her recent arrival in New York she was interviewed by the ubiquitous reporter, who thus defines his impress sions of this gifted woman:
 Mrs Craigie Is of about medium height, slender and graceful. She dresses with taste, which Is an unusual thing in women who write well. Her face domi- mates her personality to the exclusion of everything else. When she was n girl she was, no doubt beautiful. But now, as a woman who has suffered much and
  she is more than beautiful.
 "She has a large head for woman, but so well set on her shoulders that you must take 1t by itself to notice It's size. Her hair is thick and very dark brown and grows beautifully about her broad, rather low forehead. She has long, curving eyebrows. Her eyes are brown and very feminine. That IS, they suggest feeling rather than intellect, al- though as sine talks their expression changes, and at times they flash like her wit. She has straight nose that sug- gests statue. Her mouth IS wide, her teeth strong, white and even. Her chin is firm and clearly cut, the chin of an aggressive man. It comes near to en- tirely upsettIng the impression of the very feminine that the rest of her face gives
 Hike most persons who have no men tai shallowness of pretense to hide Mrs. Craigie is very frank. am always get ting into difhculues,' she said. because cannot help idealizing people. do not know why it is that we all go about de- manding and expecting excellences and virtues in other people that we do not possess ourselves. But we do. And do. And whenever I find myself deceived am much cast down. I cannot endure being deceived And I always get ex- actly the same severe shock that l did when first came upon deception
 'In common with many persons of high order of intellect, Mrs. Craigie has talent in many directions. She has abil- ity as a musician; she has written con- troversial and philosophical articles that won the praises of men distinguished in those directions; she is Greek and Latin scholar; she paints we'll and she has all those difficult arts of the society woman.
 T confess to a fondness for dress. she said. I like beautiful gowns just as I like beautiful surroundings of every sort I remember 1t used to shock me at ha IfnfUnrCtfU cittinU In stained and torn gowns. with nut ton sandwich in one hand and a Plato in the other devouring precepts and mutt ton at the same time. I think the fine book and the becoming gown look well together. l am not criticising poverty. It does not cost any more to dress in good taste and with regard to neatness than 1t does in slovenly way
 "The stories of Mrs Craigie are: Some Emotions and a Moral "A Study in Temptations. A Bundle of Life,' "A Summers Comedy The Gods. Some Mortals and Lord Wickenham.' Her play has pervert for title-Journey's End in Lovers Meeting,' and Miss Terry plays the chief part.
 "The stories have all the chief merits originality of plot condensation, rapid and vigorous action, artistic dialogue, clean and strong descriptions. Dialogue is the hardest part of the art she said. Dialogue is not an exact reproduction of real conversations. It must seem to be real, but it must also draw the charac- ters, sustain the interest and help on the action. I find it very hard to write dia- logue that pleases me in the least
 'Yet 1t is in dialogue that Mrs. Craigie has done her best work. Her dialogues come very near to the ideal she has set. And it is in them that you find most of those epigrams that make her books sparkle. Her epigrams are not only keen and witty, they possess a merit, high yet rare in epigrams, the merit of truth"
 The ladies of the Southside Baptist church will give an Excursion Social' aathis evening at o'clock in the lecture room of the church. This social com prehends trip around the world, on the great I. T. & l.. c. R. R., which carries passengers with the speed of thought -to the principal cities of all lands. Refresh ments will be sold along the route at reasonable rates. Admission 10 cents. 70
 Miss Lila Smith will give reception this afternoon from to o'clock at h.r home, on the South Highlands, in honor of her friend, Miss Hogshead.
 The Tuesday Afternoon Whist club will meet with Mrs J. c. Hunter this after noon promptly at o'clock
 have been requested to call the atten- tion of the proper authorities to the con iition of the water oak trees in front of Paul Hayne school. In grading the side walk and putting in curbing the roots of these pretty trees have been left very much exposed, and they will certainly die if something is not done to counter act the effect of the cutting of the roots. This is said to be easily accomplished by the simple process of boxing the roots and filling in the space with good earth. This is an immediate necessity, as the roots have been exposed for months. It can be easily and quickly done. and will probably preserve these trees, which have required many years to grow to their present proportions
 Mrs. Richard Randolph will not be able to entertain the Little Jokers on next Thursday afternoon. on account of Ill., h