West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-02-02
"BaO" And Her Busy Life,
Sketch or the Widely Kaown Writer.

The death OF Mrs. Isabel A s, Nal
Ion, widely known Under the names of
Bah and Ruth Ashmore, will bring
regretto thousands OF homes through.
out the United States
So little is known TO the general
reader Of her personality and home
l'fe, that we give space to an interest
ing sketch Of T1ab aud her busy life,
There is scarcely woman who reads
weekly newspapers who does not know
OF Bah, but there are few women who
know who Bah really was,
Mrs. Isabel Alderdice sloan Manoa
was '3ab's' full name. She was Bal
tImorsan. Mrs. Mallon was forty-four
years old and lived in Baltimore until
she was twenty. Then she went away,
and many Baltimore friends who knew
her lost sight OF her.
'Bab's' home in Baltimore was op
I'om bard street, near Hanover street.
then fashionable quarter of tue
town. Her father was Samuel
Sloan, who was interested In the Sloan
lumber yards, en- Light street, and
her mother was Mary Alderdicc. of
Wilmington. Delaware. Later in her
life her father was In the service of the
adams Express Company and OF thJ
Penn ,ylvania Railroad Company.
acr early life was spent 10 baltimore.
and sho was educated at In eIeside
- 80
married VIM. p, Mdllon and WAS happy
ia baltimore until 1877. when MIR.
hallon died. II devolyed upon her
then 10 make her owa living. At fret
sue did not know what to do, She had
never done literary work but sha
choose literature Tor the bridge to her
bread and butter and went to New
York
At first she wrote fashion articles for
Buttvrict's publications. Sac wrote
them we'll and they Interested women.
That was really the secret OF Mrs.
Mallon's success-she knew women
and she wrote things that would I'm.
terest them. Afterward she was en-.
ployed by the New York Sun and did
much valua Die work in art and dra-
matte criticism for that paper.
When Mrs. Ballon began IN write
Bah letters she met her frat great
success. They were syndicated and
were published in over 500 papers.
from the Atlantic 90 the Pacific. These
letters were up-to-date, and, written
by woman, we're eagerly sought.
Mrs. Mallon wrote the letters until a
short time before her death, although
within the last few years aost OF her
time had been taken mp as one of the
co-editors OF The Ladies' Home Jour
nal. In this magazine she wrote un-
der her own name and also under the
nom de plume Of Ruth Ashmore."
Mrs. Mallon was of exceedingly ner-
vous temperament, as many brain
workers are She was Of about me-.
dium height and frail So bright and
vivacious was she that anybody who
met her was usually her friend forever.
Her hair was auburn and her evss
eark-a combination not often seen
She had, as auburn haired women
usually have, fair complexion. ALMOST
pale.
Charity was among her chief charac-
teristics. She made more than enough
money TO support herself, and large
part Of tho balance she gave away.
10 the poor and oppressed she was "A
friend Whea she made friend she
was true, and when sho made an enemy.
that enemy. ~ was once said, might
as well get of the earth"
Her home was at 475 Fourth avenue.
New York. There sho had apartments
and they were artistically decorated.
There we're presents from many Of the
famous artists OF this country and
others, who had Thus shown their ad.
mirstion of Mrs Mallou's criticisms.
Many actors and actresses had also
given her beautiful presents, AL Of
which served TO decorate her rooms.
She lived alone, but often ester
tanned her friends ia ch1rming
manner. In New York literary an
art ire IL was compliment TO be
invited to 'Bab's' apartments.