The San Francisco call., 1899-12-24
By Professor e. 3. eeathroP,
Stanford University.

II y = II
and 20 ConspicuousIy before the
public and her writings were
marked by so decided an individu-
ality. that she seemed TO be as
well known 10 her readers as IL
they had mot her and were talking with
her Every one knew what 10 expect from
her pen. Singular courage was perhaps
the most fundamental characteristic Of
the Kate Field whom the world knew.
Her courage was OF the deep-soated kind.
which produces truth-telling and sincerity
of words. independence OF thought and a
readiness 10 act mp 10 beliefs. with little
regard for consequences. Those who are
ihus daring 10y nature win meet with fire.
Cuent failures. but they Will have the
chance of attaining brilliant successes.
The cautious may fail less. but they will
also do less than the bold. Kate Fields
life was Chcckcred with triumph and de-
feat; but 81 Was never clouded by coward
icc or Shirkinc. The courage OF her ma
turc was apparent in her writing and gave
il its chief charm. She might be erratc
or uncuiy impulsive at times. but never
tame. IN perfectly Justinablc way she
was sensational. As she herself urges. the
-ruLl 20 zoe heard must make a sensation
But she was sensational boy bold and
vivid manner OF telling the truth as she
saw !t. never by false decoration or af-
fecled sentiment. Her papers. nearly al
ways brilliant. not infrequently caustic,
were sincere straight through. and heTce
carried the force OF her energetic indiNid-
Lalty.
Not only was this side Of the character
of Kate Field familiar ia her lifetime,
but not a little of her intimately personal
lie and character was well known. her
remarkable versatility. her dramatic fac
ulty. the beauty OF her voice. her social
powers were familiar 10 an the world, and
the world took "a kindly interest In ner
financial ventures iu her little fortune,
obtained by skillful and sagacious putting
q the telephone when IL was "A new and
untIled invention. IN her philanthropic
Cooperative Dress Association and ia her
effort 20 found paper Of her own.
In Miss Lillian Writings biography Of
her friend the public side Of Kate Fields
nature has been presented very clearly
and in interesting detail. but Miss Whit
.uc's record reveals another phase of Miss
Field life which b. On striking contrast 10
THE familiar one. Her affections were as
intense as WAS her energy. her sensitive
ness was no less marked than her man
rer. and therefore the brilliant success Of
her public career was attained by a ire
mcndous struggle and the consumption Of
s=sHs -ll=s4l - s.-4s-ea- The StntA- If Mis-
r.ous. Miss Whiting tells IL with extreme
solemnitv and represents IL As a case
where the faint heart failed 10 win the
fair lady. Kate Fields history. with its
picture of extreme sensitivencss. fiery in
dependence and restless energy. would not
seem 20 promise happiness in the married
state. Yet one cannot fail 10 perceive in
her certain dissatisfaction and unset
tledness which a happy marriage would
a..
effect that a woman's place Of honor and
happiness is at home with a loving hus-
band and a family of children. and that
her work was done for a living.
Miss Writings biography affords the
materials FOR a complete view Of Kate
Fields own nature Her lonely and too
excited childhood. her youthful overseri-
business. hef wonderful education In the
society that gathered about the Brown
iars in Florence. and her long and varied
career as lecturer and writer. with little
intervals of acting and singing. are all
represented in a wealth of letters. anec-
dotes. quotations. so that a reader can
know fully all that Kate Field was and
did.
il is. however only as a collection Of
materials that Miss Writings book r. 10
be commended. II is a work of ridiculous
proiiNity. on one page We are given the
a
of thanks for something Miss Field had
wriuen-a Eentlemanly letter. but as
characterize and trivial. now its day has
passed. as every such letter must be. On
another stands the list OF artists who
exhibited al an art congress organized by
her: on ansther the reader receives the
Information that Miss Fields efforts con-
tributed greatly 10 influencing public SEN
timent in favor OF this mode of disposing
nF nn pFaA ~ haf
among other able advocates Of cremation
are Rev. r. Heber Newton, ID, of New
York: Professor Charles Eliot Norton and
Hon. Charles Francis Adams" 1t is in
formal letters and useless lists Of names
that Miss Whiting most delights. In
book Of a third as large as hers might be
told and better told all that Is of import
ance about Kate Field and about the re-
lations between her and the rest Of the
world. II IL were necessary TO increase
the size of the biography copious quota
lions from Kate Fields own writings
would have been more acceptable than
Miss Writings tedious letters and society
column lists Of names. Perhaps Miss
Whiting believed that il was necessary 70
bolster up Kate Fields claims TO import
ence by proof Of her wide acquaintance
with important people. Certainly Kate
Fields talents and career were in them
selves sufficiently unusual TO justify the
existence Of a biography.
The fiatness Of Miss Writings own com
ments and her reprehensibe habit OF
quoting moral poetry In order TO apply il
10 the Facts Of Miss Fields life still fur
ther weaken what they cannot destroy
the vivid impression OF Kate Fields ma
ture produced by everything she had TO
DO with. Miss Whiting tells US that
money cannot buy everything. that IL is
not the easiest life which is best, that
common sense is not common. She often
enforces her remark with a quotation.
usually a good quotation, but in the
meantime the stage waits"
one oddity OF Miss Writings book is the
fact that when she speaks Of science it is
the science Of Lombroso or ''psychical
science that she is thinking OF. Premo-
niuons, clairvoyance and all the other
phenomena which lie A little way over
the border OF the uncertain have A great
charm for her. or course. her books deal
ing with these subjects are pretty well
known.
With all its grave imperfections the
book is valuable as the most complete
record cNtant Of unique and interesting
character. little, Brown & Co., Boston.
81