Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-30

magazine. Other short stories followed, ana
after a while Miss Harraden's first book,
Things that Take a Time" was published
by Messrs. Blackwood. A period of i'll
health followed, and upon recovery the
author produced that strangely sad yet
withal deeply fascinating book upon which
her fame at present rests, ships That Pass
in the Night" Strangely enough, Miss
Harradents kind friend and counselor, Mr..
Blackwood, rejected the manuscript of this
book, not, however. because he did not
recognize the power of the story. but be-
cause he thought it too sad to please the
public taste. Finally Miss Harraden dis
posed of the copyright Of her famous story
to Messrs. Laurence & Bullen for a mere
trthe-glad, indeed, to get 1t published at
any price. The success was instantaneous.
and the author was overwhelmed by letters
of appreciation from all sorts and conditions
Of people. They came from lonely Indian
stations, the backwOods Of America, as
well as from the cities of the continent,
and although the dollars arising from
the large sales did not come to Miss Har-
raden, she says that she feels compensated
by the many interesting friendships which
the book has brought her in her own and
other lands. one OF the most interesting be-
ing with a Dutch professor in Amsterdam.
The book has been translated into French,
German, Hungarian, Danish, Italian and
Finnish.
Miss Harraden Is a very slow and careful
, writer, and rarely alters even a word In her
manuscripts after they are once written.
Morning is her favorite time for work, but
she will often sit with the paper before her
for a couple OF hours and not write more
than a line; at other times ideas come more
rapidly. She Is over-anxious and eager to
produce the best of which she is capable,
and fastidious over every word. 1t is prob
ably the high state OF mental tension At
which she works which is perpetually over
taxing her bodily strength and leading to
breakdowns in health. / was much inter
ested in seeing the original manuscript of
Ships That Pass In the Night" which Miss
Harraden has had bound together. The writ
ting is small, but legible, the alterations
very slight, and there Is not a single blot or
'smudge' throughout the closely written
pages-a matter upon which the author prides
herself.
Apart from writing, which has ever been
her great delight, Miss Harraden Is devoted
to the study of moral philosophy and to
the reading OF retrospective poetry, which
appeals peculiarly to her own deep nature,
| ever dwelling on the problems of life and
OF character. Then there Is her beloved
cello to while away the hours not devoted
to study. Miss Harraden Is essentially
progressive in her ideas. A distinguished
student herself, she Is naturally a strong
advocate for the higher education Of women
and for equality of the sexes in the matter
OF university degrees, as in all the profess
sional and industrial walks Of life. She
sees no barrier In sex for a woman who de-
sires to carve her way in life but what
energy and perseverance will surmount. and
she is a pronounced suffragist, looking
eagerly forward to the day when women
will be as free to exercise the rights OF
citizenship as men. The writings of Shelley
and of Ibsen, with their note OF freedom
for woman and due recognition of her true
place in the economy of nature, appeal
strongly to Miss Harraden. the keynote Of
whose nature Is, as we have before said,
a love of freedom and a hatred of the un-
meaning and useless conyentionalities Of So
ciety, She loves the bohemian life, with
its greater opportunity for development of
original character.
During the last year or two Miss Har-
raden has found in southern California a
health resort exactly suited to her tastes;
but IL Is a mistake to suppose, as has been
often done, that her permanent home is
there. SARAH T00LEY.