The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27

older members of the family. Most of the
Impressions from the boys little machine
have long since been destroyed, but Mrs.
Rohlfs has preserved q few, which she
sometimes shows to her intimate friends.
They were all short, and most of them
were inspired by the beauties of nature
the fragrant flowers, the blue sky, the
-eecy clouds, the bright sunshine, etc.
ne entitled 1.-The Marriage had for its
theme, not a wedding, but the meeting oil
day and night at the moment of dawn.
AAfter awhile her pieces of verse were
niger and more ambitious and by and
~ the narrative element crept into
them. Then, on the advice of her step
mother, the young girl attempted
story in prose, over which she labored
long and earnestly, only to destroy il at
last as altogether unworthy, Yet IL MUS
have had some merit, for, as she now re-
members it, the plot contained the germs
of The Leavenworth Case which was
the solid foundati ton of her present fame.
Though neither she nor any ore else was
aware of it at the time, that p riod of her
life was an important link in her mental
development. She seemed fairly p1sseSSe1
with the impulse to construct stories, ara
much of the time which she would other
wise have devoted 40 play was given up
to lonely walks, during which she tod
long and ingenious tales to herself. Beyond
of her later works was then planned and
set up destined to forgetfulness for years
but ultimately to be of great use.
Writing the Leavenworth Case.
At 10 she was sent to the Ripley Female
College in Vermont, and her school duties
occupied her time and energies until alter
she was graduated. Then she returned to
her home in Brooklyn, where she at once
set about the collection ana revision OF
her verses. Having accomplished that
task, she tried 10 find a publisher, bot
failed. Then the suggestion that she turn
from poetry to fiction was renewed.
Remembering that in a previous effort
she had failed 10 please herself, the young
writer hesitated long time before TAX
ing the offered advice At last, however,
she concluded TO make the attempt, and
from that time TIL date quite two years
later she lived in a little world OF her
own. She had then plot all mapped out
before she began but it had to be chang
ed and modified as the work progressed,
and much of the writing had to be done
over and over again. Thus chapter after
chapter was recast and rewritten, and on
several occasions she felt sorely tempted
to burn the manuscript and forget Il. 1t
was not until the story was two-thirds
written that she dared say anything
about 1t to any one.
Technical Revision.
Then she showed the copy to her father,
who read it, saw that she had struck
vein, and encouraged her 10 finish the
tale, albeit he suggested many modifica-
IONS. These the daughter accepted With
cut question, for her father was law
yer. and his suggestions were all along
The line Of practically logical develop
ment and conformity to the legal techni-
calities in the parts which had to do
with the courts.
II felt grateful to my father for his
kindness in helping me-" says Mrs.
Rohlfs when talking Of the circum-
stances now, but must confess that the
way he tore some OF my most cherished
construction all 90 pieces was almost dis