Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-11
AUTHOR AND LAWYER is SHE.
4 cherry Blind Chicago Woman's
Books and Profession.

High up on one OF the airy stories OF a
tall office building in this city, relates the
Chicago Chronicle, a cheerful little woman
sits or moves about through the working
hours Of the day, busy with book or pen,
I with client or with copy.
The busy little woman is Miss Blanche
Fearing. the author and the lawyer. She
las a slight girlish figure, a sunshiny face,
all intelligence and animation, with a
peaceful expression around the mobils
mouth which looks as if its owner had
known the value of suffering, the rest
which follows the conquest of pain. For
the eyes behind the large dark glasses are
closed and sightless and the woman with
the CHEEKY face knows the brightness of
the world only through the thought and
feeling of a highly sensitized organism.
Miss Fearing is a dual success in her dual
professions of author and lawyer. She be-
gan to be an author before she turned her
attention TO the pursuit and knowledge of
the legal trade and what she once began
she quickly carried TO a successful issue.
A little volume entitled The Sleeping
| World and Other Poems" containing TWEEN
! ty. seven different selections, was Miss Fear
ing's first published book. The poems COW
cred wide range in choice of subject and
in the use and selection of poetic meter,
while the diversity of their thought showed
plainly the broad judgment of the youthful
mind and the apt versatility of their sunny
hearted writer. The volume met with most
fattering reception from press and critics.
Il was shortly after the publication and
| success OF her first volume of poetry that
Miss Fearing decided to add the lawyers
laurels to her authors chaplet. She left
Iowa for Chicago, and Immediately entered
upoI a course of instruction in preparation
for legal practice. She entered Union COL
lcge as a student of law and her skill in
acquiring the Tudiments of knowledge
, quickly astonished and dismayed her mas
culine companions. Her appearance in the
class was thus described by a visitor to the
college:
The students of the college OF law simply
hold their breaths when Miss Blanche Fear
ing arises to speak or to answer a question.
A law point which she thoroughly under
stands she never forgets, and a student CT
the school said that since she entered the
law class in September she has accom-
pl;shed the amazing and unprecedented feat
Of answering correctly every question put
to her. She is said to possess a power OF
expression and eloQuence that promises a
marvellous future
Mss Fearing graduated from the law
school With the prize for scholarship, and
Immediately began the practice Of her pro-
fcssion. shortly after beginning TO prac-
tice she published a volume called In the
City by the Lake" two narratives in blank
verse Of life and scenery in Chicago. The
book was highly praised by reviewers and
members of the literary fraternity. OF its
philosophy. Frances Willard said:
The book is replete with profound truths,
touching with answering directness and
inherent d~elicaCy upon some of the gravest
social questions that are before the think
ers OF the day"
Octave Thanet thus described it: There
are lines in the volume that any of our
poets might be glad 10 have written, and
Magia is a heroine that any of our novel
isis might be glad to claim. I am mis-
taken IL the lines before the title shall not
come TO be more and more on the tongues
and pens Of your countrymen as the fulIost
and truest description in brief OF Chicago"
Miss Fearing's third literary venture for
publication was a socialistic novel called
Roberta" dealing with the evils OF the So
cia! system Of existence here In Chicago.
In il she makes use Of her legal experience,
describing the workings of the judicial ma
CAinory with the accurate knowledge of the
technical professional. In 1895 the little
author returned again to poetry, and her
boob Of THE Island Lily" relates an idyl OF
the isles OF Shoales-another success to add
10 tho already comprehensive list OF sue
e. sCs of the sunny-faced and sunny hearted
woman lawyer.