The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-29
HOW MEN
MAKE LOVE.
Entertaining Theme of an Old
Maid Lecturer
Who is Interesting New York
at Present.
MISS LILLIAN BELL
The Novelist and Story Writer
Is Talking
On a Matter That Finds RespOn-
SiYe Ears.

New York, April 29.-Tomorrow even
ing the Rev. Thomas Dixon will intro
duce Miss Lillian Bell to a New York
audience. In itself this is not a partic-
ularIy startling fact, but the circun-
stances behind the case make it rather
interesting. Miss Bell is the author of
several popular books, one of which,
"A Little Sister to the Wilderness has
a tall. dark hero of a powerfully mag
netic temperament. By a queer set of
condolences the Rev. Mr.. Dixon finds
himself the object of much attention
as the original of this hero.
The fact that the well known minis
ter is tall, dark, and a powerful speak
er is not his sole claim to be considered
this original. There are other tall, dark,
magnetic men.R But the circumstances
of the herO'S life tally so closely with
those of Mr.. DiXon's own biographical
record that he and his friends read the
book with saucer eyes and dropped jaw
The queerest part of the whole thing IS
that when she wrote the story, Miss
no actual knowledge of his history or
his temperament. She had seen him
only once, when she heard him preach.
She went home from church and
thought about the minister as figure
head for a book, and finally she WOVe
her story out of what it seemed to her
might have happened to such man.
The result was a startling correct 1m1-
tatiOn of the real life of the Rev. Mr..
Dixon.
Miss Bell is on her way to Europe.
where she expects to remain two years.
She is tired out, and no wonder. Her
correspondence for the last year has
equalled that of a politician with snug
offices to bestOw. Miss Bell is not
politician and she has no offices to give
away. She simply wrote some things
that went to the spot in the hearts of
&, few hundred thousand people, a large
percentage of whom promptly took
THE Love Affairs of an Old Maid
came out, the tide of letters began. 1t
is significant fact that just about this
time the pOstoffice in Chicago (where
Miss Bell lives, was torn down to make
way for a larger one. This is only one
item, but it speaks for itself.
Thousands and tens of thousands of
letters poured into the Bell household.
Not little, snippy postal card cOmmun-
icatiOns, but documents of 80, 40, 80
pages! Men and women from all over
this country and England poured forth
their life stories, sometimes with the
impetuous abandon which showed what
a relief it was to them, and sometimes
between the lines, where, in spite of
their event effort at cOncealment, Miss
Bell read the truth. She probably
knows more love stories than any other
hasn't acquired her stock from the
pages of history or romance, but from
the hearts where the stories have
stamped themselves the most indeli-
''People often ask me whether the
situations in The Love Affairs of an
Old Maid are taken from life said
Miss Bell yesterday. why, I have
been uncOnsciously getting that book
together for years. 1 know it now I
cannot take each individual case in it
type in real life; but I can think of 20
people who make up the composite
photographs, and they are almost in
distinguishable one from the other. I
in 10 n16 in
drew forth as many comments as did
the others. She is subordinated in a
certain way. The letters I have re-
ceiVed have been chiefly from the peo-
pie who had love affairs of their own
Not that old maids do not have themI
They always do
Then you think that every woman
has at least one chance to marry?''
L never have known of one that did
not, and I've known millions of unat-
tractiVe Women!'
There was Y. T." said Miss Bells
sister.
She? Oh, but she was asked" ex-
claimed the champion of old maids
When do you think a woman be-
comes an old maid?'
well, in the book I represented her
as calling herself an old maid at 80 But
that was simply an arbitrary choice.
What is the use of fixing a date and say
ing: From this time henceforth and
forever, this woman is an old maid
That is all nonsense. And why should
the name be used at all? Especially as
a title that carries opprobrium with it.
Bachelor is not often used as a term
of reproach of men. And yet most
bachelors have at least tried to have
some woman marry them. They have
asked and been refused The old maids
have been asked and done the refusing
themselves. Why don't we simply call
all unmarried people, men or women,
bachelors and let it go at that?
There is al least one thing which I
hope I accomplished by The Love At
fairs. think I removed good deal
of that stigma from the title of old
maid In fact, people have almost for
gotten the foolish old maid and mother
in-law jokes, and have turned their fee
BILE wits upon the new woman I've
had my say about her now, and I'm