The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-24

Writing over One Name PunEent
Cynicism, over the other sincere
observation-disclosures 10 Drudgery by
Disaster.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Several years ago. while visiting in e
Western city, bright young newspaper
woman came to ask my help in getting
up an article on famous women journal
lists of New York.
Tell me more about Bab,' she continu-
ally urged Everybody loves TO read
about her"
Tell me more about Bah" / beiieve
that wherever the writings of that gifted
young woman have gone, there are many
who long to hear more about Bab--the
brilliant. tender and whimsical Bah:
about the earnest, serious high-idealed
Ruth Ashmore; about the charming, low
able woman. Isabel Allderce Mallon.
During an intimate friendship of ten
years with Mrs. ,Malon, have ever been
amazed at her versatility of mind She
was like dazzling Kaleidoscope. which
however you turn it, flashes some new
beauty upon you; or like a gem. whose
many ghttering points caught all the
colors of the rainbow, played with them
and sent them sparkling out again in
space.
Difference in Writing.
Il was quite impossible for many peo-
pie to credit the statement that Bah"
and Ruth Ashmore" were one Such a
quality seemed improbable. The Bah let
tiers, spicy, pungent and aromatic tngsd
with graceful sskrnirfsp1 "a nj dc
dom, were the thoughts of a modern wo-
man who looks on at the passing sh DIV
with an idle curiosity, some interest con
siderable contempt, and now and then
a hint of sadness, touch of yelled mel
ancholy, premonition of destiny.
The Ruth Ashmore talks were the re-
Elections of a genuine, sincere, cheerful,
sunny, hopeful, old-fashioned girl, who
lives only to shed sunshine and teach
others the path that winds upward
toward the stars.
Isabel Mal!on came from fine old
Southern family-the Sloans of Hartford
county, Maryland. Her paternal ances-
tors lived for five generations in the brave
ODD mansion in Baltimore, where she was
born and lived until her marriage
Her mother came of Quaker stock. in
Delaware, and possibly this combination
of Quaker piety and Southern intrepidity
may account for the daring of Sab and
the devotion of Ruth Ashmore.
Little Isabel Sloan was bred in luxury.
She was never sent to school. but was at
tended by governesses until foreign travel
and residence gave finish to her educa-
ton
When she was only 10 the httle Isabel
met her sweetheart, whom she loved
with all the simplicity and earnestness
of a child's nature. He was William NAL
lon, an Irish youth of noble parentage.
and seven years her senior During the
separation which followed their first meet
ing she allowed no other fancy 10 lead her
first affection away
welded His First Love.
Her Irish sweetheart told her one day
he should return and marry her. This
he did four years later When Isabel was
10, and her fair hnir hung In schoolgirl.
fashion in two long braids. she and her
young lover ran away to New York and
| were married in Trinity Church. Return
ing to Baltimore, the child-wife flung her
self into her mothers arms and begged
forgiveness for running away"
Mrs. Sloan granted her daughter abso-
luton, for there had never been any OBJ
| lection. save her daughters youth, to this
alliance.
II was an ideal marriage. The big, hand
some, adoring young freshman made his
| wife very happy. They spent the next four
| years abroad, living most Of the tine in
England and in Ireland. AT last they re-
turned to America and to New York. in
| tending to mako their home in this city.
Rcverses came 10 The young pair. Mr.
| Manon's fortune dwindled away. But worse
trouble than a financial came The strong,
| athletic husband, VINO had seemed such a
| bulwark of defense to the young girl, was
| stricken with consumption.
Face to Face with Fate.
! This delicately nurtured woman-tne typ
| ical clinging Southern girl-was suddenly
! brought face TO face with a stern and i'm
| placable fate. II was absolutely necessary
that she should get some work Confused
/ unsettled and heart-broken, Mrs, Malion
one day left her husbands bedside and
applied TO the manager of publishing
| house for work.
She was met with the usual question.
| What can you dor
Anything" was the valiant reply,
scrub your floor if you have nothing BET
ter for me; it needs it"
The manager smiled at this quick retort,
| and then noting the TASTE and refinement
Of her attire, asked Can you write fash
| ions?"
| Mrs. Mallon thought she could. and was
! at once engaged at a salary of 80 a week
| to work at the office nine hours each day.
! With a few dollars thus earned she was
| able to procure dehcacies for her wasting
| husband. During the last few days of his
| illness, she was allowed to do her work al
home On the day he died, she received an
order for a story on fans. And It was while
writing Of the most frivolous weapon Of
woman's coquetry that she watched her
husband die.
Faithful to Her Duty.
But her copy was received at the Office
next morning. For three years following
! she worked faithfully at her task, provid-
! ing support not only for herself but fof
others. During these years her salary was
| raised from time 10 time and she became
| known as fashion expert.
Fifteen years ago she wrote the first
| installment of Bab's Babo,e and submitted
| il to the editor of the Star for his APPROX
! al 1t was accepted, and thereafter the col
umn became one of the features of that
paper. At first Bah wss looked upon mere
| ly as an amusing chatterbox, but after.
ward these letters assumed a different
tone They remained amusing always, but