Arizona republican., 1898-11-13
ROMANCE OF EVERY DAY LIFE


 A woman, and a pretty one, too, by
 love, sah,, as her masculine neighbOrs
 say, owns and personally superintends
 one of the largest and most important
 cotton plantations in Alabama. A sill yer curve of the Tennessee river b0r- ders her nOrthermost acres, and for a
 mile and a half on the eastern side is a strip Of wooded country where breT
 rabbit and feathered game run free
 till the house party from Wilder place
 goes a-hunring.
 Mrs. Leila Seaton Wilder. mistress
 Of the 1,600 fair acres and chatelaine 1 Of the fine old house is a type of the southern women of the old Virginia stock. Handsome, vivaciOus, cultured, and individual, with 8 light in her | eyes borrowed from some Celtic strain, l and a dignity which is a heritage from l the stately days Of the old dominion. i That she is a successful farmer is not a great surprise to those who know her ! best, fer she has been a success in every undertaking. But her plantation 1 is her special pride, and the school which is established on her land for the propagation of ideas in the kinky heads of the children of her POO serving people is in her eyes the most impOr tant educational institution under old glory.
 Many o3 her servants belonged to her family before the emancipation. and their proprietary interest in ali Of her possessions is a. strong factor in her success. She likes to tell a joke On herself in this connection.
 Uncle Harris, she said recently to a negro who having ninety summers has been raised to the position Of cou2- selor in her establishment, it seems to me the cotton isn't as good as it ought to be. What is the mat-er?''
 ''WuIl. hits jes like dis, Mig Leila, he replied shaking his white head con- vincingly. "Dey don plant de cotton de way dey did when you an me Wuz young
 Mrs. Wilder is the widow Of a north ern gentleman who reclaimed the neg lected acres Of the smiling iand and amused himself by experimental farm ing. Upon his death Mrs. Wilder, southern born aud bred, clung to the place because of it's happy associations and tar-nined to make it what her hu band la1 desired it to be. For the first few years she gave it all her time: then she learned the way to train her overseers 50 that the work goes on just the same. whether she is there or in Europe, or on a little journey with merry company across lands and seas. She makes her lieutenan-S feel her ab- solute confidence in them.
 Fred" she said to her foreman while she was pluming her wings for a northern flight recently, T have talk en contract to supply the electric light company with fuel, and l know tha, you will see that the wagons run all day, and that the choppers keep at work, for I shall have something for you when I return.
 Thsn she left without fear Of contract unified. and on her return the neighbors told her how, while no work could be gotten out of the negroes on her right and left, the axes in her woods were always ringing and the wagons were running all the time. But Fred beamed with pride over his new gold watch. and every man and woman was remembered by q gift.
 Wilder Place is 8 plantation oE the old sort. and it's grea- halls ale filled with proofs of it's old time hospitality | Every morning, when she is at home, | whether it be rain or shine, the mIs- tress of it all is On her horses back | riding over her possessions. and old | '.Uncle Harris" gazes after her until the graceful figure is lOsI to sight II 1 the timbered piece, and chuckles soft ly:
 q cIar ter goodness, me an Mig Le- fla s gwine ter raise cotton foh shore, dat we is!' -.