The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14
MISS WILKINS At HOME.
Simple village Surroundings of the
New England Novelist.


New England Novelist.
New York Times.
The pretty and pleasant village of Ran
dolph, something less than score Of miles
from Boston, contains the home of Miss
Mary E. Wilkins, the most delicate and ap-
precative delineator of rural New England
characters who has written within gen
GRAFTON. In the placidity of the little town
she weaves her stories, and from the clear
air and slightly outlook over a. part of pic
turesque Norfolk county she draws inspira-
ton and the strength to work. Here and
there, perhaps, she obtains type to trans
fer to her pages, but not often, for the peo-
pie her genius creates are no longer to be
found even in the sleepy village to which
she owes allegiance.
AS one steps from the train into what he
has translated the brakeman's shout to be
Randolph, he receives first impressions that
are anything but promising. well spring
Of pure literature seems inconceivably far
away. A bleak shoeshop or two loom up
from the dusty fairness The road is Ill
kempt, and the struggling houses are cheap
and hideous. But out to the east graceful
spires pierce the sunny sky and waving elm
branches suggest better things. The real
and smoke of railroad traffic, and only faint
ly troubled by the mellow whistle OF the
locomotives as they pass to and from the
city.
After a short walk the literary pilgrim
reaches the heart of the village. 1t is of
the familiar country type, being one long
street. stretching itself out for over a mile
and lined with trees and gravel walks. Here
of fho nj fiat
rooted houses of sixty years ago, some with
grass plots in front and some directly on
the street Many are adorned with pillars,
speaking of former prosperity; all breathe
an air of contentment and peace. To one
lust from the pent-up bricks of Boston TINS
long double row Of quaint dwellings, is
gracious sight, indeed. The Few Wouiu-pe
modern shops that disfigure every village
are in evidence, of course, but TO atone Lor
them there is a fine old square guarded py
town hall of the rustic Dorlc styIe %
architecture and a sprinkling OF churches
of the Sir Christopher Wren type OF Sleepie'
Miss Wilkins is not a householder herSeLI'
Having no family connections IA naituoi the
old mansion of John Wales, whose ancsS-
tors once owned most of the town. Inc
house is perhaps half a mile from the region
of stores 1t is solidly square and comLort-
ably large, as BELTS farmhouse OF nun
dred years standing. Its white paint ana
green blinds tell of thrift, and its quaint
flower garden in front, with its neat en-
nircIine fence and gate, betokens some ones
artistic sense. There is big barn In the
rear and back of that lie the smootn anu
fertile acres of the Wales farm
To the northwest are the fine unduiatl0ns
Of the Milton hills, those blue sentlnelS thal
seem to guard every part of Norfolk couh-
~ Swinging around to the south the smoke
Of Brockton's score Of shoe FACTORIES mis-
the October air with haze. AT TINS season
everything is brown and gold' VIII 49, a.-ao
sional flashes Of dull scarlet from some
stout maple whose vitality the rroSts OF
autumn have not yet wholly supoueo. Inc
Wales house Is almost the last IN the tIneh-
Iy settled portion on its side OF the roau'
| Across the way there are clustering oWeil-
ings Of no particular style, ana penlno
| them on a hillock huge iron water tower
that certainly does not acorn tne Ianu.
scape Truth to tell. the more picturesque
part of Randolph is away down at the op,
posite end of the single street, Gown
| the Baptist" as the odd expression is, siV-
| ing the name or the dominant church " eilo
| special locality
once inside the Wales homestead, one
| sees at a glance the influence of BOOKS ana
a maker of books. Miss wilkins assures
her visitor that she has no home. but
home atmosphere pervades the roomy par
| lor and she who receives you In II seems
part of her surroundings. or course, IL
between her belongings and those OF the
family, but the new books and the photo
graphs of literary lights on the antique ma
hogany table must be hers, while the ex-
cellent pictures scattered about the walls
hint at her suggestion, If nothing more
Here is the modern spirit of literature in
swelling with comfort, brushing doors with
delightful latcheS and panels, modern hang
ings on walls that once re-echoed the laugh
ter of those long gone to their rest. through
an open space is glimpse of rear room,
whose chief feature in view is a big pile
of gay Turkish pillows. Who would sus-
pect such coloring from the sober exterior
of the Square-cut house?
The author of Jerome is a most cordial
hostess. The stranger within her gates Is
made. to feel that he has wandered 10
! friendly place. If he be a book man, so
much the better; IL not she will take any
subject he may offer, and handle 1t derby
and with entertaining comment al Upon tnls
from ancient New England customs to the
recent Boston visit of Anthony Hope, whom
Miss Wilkins found very agreeable gen
| tleman of the best English type. Her sense
Of humor is keen and active, and II is
scarcely necessary to say that mere Is no
! trace Of the traditional blue stocking in her
| makeup She chats of books and authors
with delicate and penetrating comprehen-
sion, but there Is one writer Whom sne
| does not like to discuss. of whose success
| she will not speak, and that writer is mary
Her literary workshop? She has none, at
| least no special place that can be so called,
| FOR ahe writes wherever the mood SEXES
| her in any room and on any table or even
on a pad held on her knees. 30 the whole
house is more or less sacred to her muse.
| There is at present no extended work or
fiction under way here, but Miss wilkins
| feels that she must soon begin one again;
! After a year in which both ''Madelon'' and
| Jerome were written, she had been Civ
! ing herself a bit of rest. But the habit
Of work, she says, is strong upon her, and
| id1eness is not for long.
Society in Randolph is a rather negative
quality, and Miss wilkins finds her social
recreation in numerous trips to Boston
where she has many warm friends. She Is
to be seen at the theaters occasionally
when some particularly good thing is hold
ing the boards. She dislikes to be lionized,
but at times this process is not to be es-
capped.
Randolph boasts of a Woman's Literary
Club the second to Sorosis in point of age
in the country, but Miss Wilkins is not a
/: member, nor does she take active interest
in any OF the minor organizations of the
village; she cannot do II, she says, and stll
give her best time and thought to her cho-
sen work That the world OF letters Is Eet-
ter for this recreation must be clear to him
who can understand and appreciate the ex-
Danned