The San Francisco call., 1899-04-16
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
As Girl.
AS a GiirI
.LLA WHEELER WILCOx-Who
ever thinks of calling her Mrs. p

Passion before she was out of her
4S teens, is still as merry and light
hearted as she was when a girl in Mil
waukee, when she danced and sang her
way into the hearts of those it pleased
her to call friends
Ella Wheeler was born in JohnstoWn
Center, Wis, and obtained her education
in the public schools and at the State Uni
versity at Madison. After her graduation
and release from the 'irksome environ
ments Of class rooms she was thrown on
her own resources and often she burned
the midnight oil penning crude bits OF
verse and more ambitious prose with
which she often unsuccessfully sought q
market. Fate, spurred on by ambition
caused her to take up her residence In
Milwaukee. There she found nome W1th
Mrs. w. II. Radway, who at ripe age Is
passing her declining days in peace and
happiness at Banning, Los Angeles Coun-
ty Cal She danced, sang and romped
with Mrs. Railways children, one OF
whom, w. c. Hathaway, is resident OF
Kansas City and an employe Of the Ride
nour-Baker Grocery Company.
~ well remember Ella" sad Mr.. Hath
away recently. She was like a sunbeam
in our home. She was always so happyg
so buoyant and so oblging. Never did
a cross word pass her lips ana IN ner eyes
was always to- be seen the CLINT or merrt-
ment and good fellowship. She was self
reliant without being asseruVe; mad the
demonstratiVe; was quick at repdrteey
which never had the semblance or st1ngt
and possessed a heart that overhoWed
with the milk of human kindness we
all loved her as one OF the family, ana 10
this day she is as a daughter to my dear
old mother. Often Ella has seized me and
has danced around the house with me un-
til our strength would no longer permit US
to go further. Song came from her lips
like poetic pearls have since dropped from
the point Of her pen and as an impromptu
Yersifer l do not believe this country has
ever produced her equal. She was in great
demand at church fairs and other chart-
table entertainments. Her subjects were
always chosen for her and often l have
known her to wait until only few hours
separated her from her appearance be-
| fore she wrote her contribution. Even in
those early days she gave evidence of the
virility and sentiment that have marked
her writings during the past twenty years
and many Of her productions found their
way into magazines and newspapers and
later into volume collections.
''In 1884 Ella married Robert M. Wilcox
of Meriden, Conn, and since then have
not seen much Of her. But notwithstand-
ing that fame has laureated her and that
as the author of Poems of Passion and
Poems of Pleasure she has among her
| friends people of worldwide celebrity, she
has not forgotten the friends of her child
hood. To her my mother was always May
and recently she found time to write a
few verses which are indicative of her
lovely nature and which she dedicated to
and sent TO my mother. have a copy of
| them, which has never before been pub
HShed. 1t is this:
There's a cunning little woman
And but few know half her charms.
She's the plumpest, whitest shoulders
And such rounded taper arms.
She's such dainty little fingers
And her feet they small
| I sometimes sit and wonder
How she gets about at all.
Her hair-I can't describe 1t!
'Tisn't gold or brown, or red.
! Sometimes the skies colored
1 Like the CurlS upon her head.
II the gold of California
Could be made to blush, I guess
! 'TwouId exactly show the color
! OF each silken, curling tress
You can hear her sing1ng-singtng-
From the break of dawn till night,
And you'd think flock of thrushes
! Were somewhere out of sight.
And If any one is gloomy
! Or cross, or blue, or grim
| You just want to bring him hither
And have her laugh for him.
All the bells Of St James Ginning,
All the cymbals ever rung,
All the brooks that ever rippled,
All the birds that ever sung,
You would say were at a discount
Or together gave but half
The melody and music
OF this little womans laugh
She has been for years q Mrs.
But it seems absurd to say
Such word to such a mischief
And so we call her-May.
The years are passing o. er her.
But the head of 'blushing golo
| Mods defiance at their changes,
And they cannot make her olo.
II Father Time should meet her.
I know he'd scowl and trown
When he saw how she defes him
But she'd laugh his anger oown-
And If he'd try to scold her
She'd take away his staff
/ And go Waiting round the veteran
To the music Of her laugh
She has her cares and troubles,
AS everybody must;
Rut she laughs so much about them
That they leave her in disgust.
She laughs about the weather,
| When It rains and when 1t SHOWS
She laughs because it's muddy
And she laughs because it blows.
She is worth four hundred doctors
To Danish pains and aches
She sets her patients laughing,
And disease goes of In shakes.
Are you sick you solemn
Are you gloomy you blue?
Then you only need come hither
And have May laugh for you.