The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-09

DIOuGnL 0ef back from the 0elrlum IN
which she had ragged for month, but
she was never really well again. Her
Hospital Sketches" made up largely
of home letters. had an immense sale;
so that the young author, then 30 years
old, found that although she had sTug
sled back to a world of unceasing in
validism, 1t nevertheless held out the
golden promise through which her sa
cred mission TO her family Was to be
fulfilled.
The success of her. Hospital
Sketches" led Roberts Brothers to ask
Miss Alcott 10 write a story for girls.
This she was so sure that she could
not do that she wrote them a book to
prove it. In this work she drew largely
on the dear life of THE Pathetic Fam
lily, as she humoroHsly called the home
people. and handed il obviously to the
publisher, saying: We really lived
most Of it and if it succeeds that will
be the season cf it." No one was more
surprised than the author at the phe-
n0menal success of the book the sweet
family spirit, the delights and romps.
the blessedness of sacrifices and the
genuine whOlesomeness of Little
Women" proved that the literary dis
cip1ine Of the last ten years had not
been in vain and that the extreme nat
uralness OF her characters entitled Them
TO the warm welcome given them by
the childhood of America. France, Eng
land, Germany and Holland.
With the family finally out of debt,
the beloved "Marmee," surrounded
with every comfort, Ito be cherished
and helped tenderly down the long hill
she had climbed SO bravely with her
many burdens and the yoRl y sis
ter studying art in Europe. il would
seem as II the oyerworked author might
at last rest on her oars. But no, the
habit of self-abRegation, of driving
work, had become a necessity to her
and she complied as far as possible
with the steadily increasing demands
Of the publishers Consequently she
records: Write three pages at once
on impression paper, as Beecher, Rob
ertS and Low Of London all want COPY
at once and then the telltale fOotnote
added some years later: This was the
eause of the paralysis of my thumb
which disabled me for the rest of my
life. The funny side of everything
appealed to her Just as in her heyday
years and we find her in her 41st year
writing to her mother this account of
grave meeting: Had a very trans
cendental day yesterday and at night
my mead was swelling Visibly' with the
IDEAS cast into it. The club was a
funny mixture Of rabbits and needy
ola ladies, the 'oversouT and oysters.
Papa and b. flew clean out of sight
ilke pair of platonic balloons and we
tried 20 follow. but couldn't"
With her cherished purpose of SUD-
porting the family always in view. she
seemed in love with her lot. and among
the delicious Outbursts in her journal
there are no cOmDlainings or envious
comparisons with the more for
tunate career of the sister whom
she was educating abroad. Occa-
sionally there is an eloquent SEN
tence ike this: "She (Anna) is a
happy woman, I sell my children. and
though they feed me. they don't love
me as hers do In the midst of her
work she took years vacation abroad
Visiting with May and relaxing a. little.
Intll she heard in Italy of the death of
John. Meg's husband in Little Wo-
men, She was greatly shocked. for
she loved and hOnOred this noble broth
er, and she Immediately set to work
upon new book which should put his
VIE and children beyond the clutches
oI poverty. Little Men" was the re-
SUIT $4,000 copies were sold before its
publication, and this sequel to Little
Women" was as eagerly awaited as
war or stock bulletins. A1fboueb She
declared at this time that her brain
was squeezed dry, she wrote Eight
cousins and its sequel, Rose in
Bloom, Under the Lilacs." and num-
peerless short stories for leading Juvenile
magazines When the artist sister died
abroad short time after her marriage
her little girl baby came across the
ocean to make her home with the low
ing Aunt Louisa, for whom she was
named. For eight years this little one
was Observation-Disclosures to the faithful
hG al
most at the finish Of her life work
Mrs. Alcott had died in her daugh-
ter's arms; her father was nearing his
nlnet1eth year, happy and appreciative
OF her poem to him, beginning:
Dear Pilgrim, waiting patiently.
The Ions, long journey nearly done"
She was tenderly devoted to him in
mis- declining years, proud of his fine
mind and proud of his pride in her, as
evidenced in the sonnet which he wrote
10 her when she started out "to nurse
the wounded soldier, swathe the dead"
closing with the words II press thee t.
my heart as DUty's faithful child She
died unconscious that he had gone to
his rest three days before.
In spite of the sadness of this life so
shortened by Overcare and overwork,
there is comfort in the thought that the
heroic self-sacrifice was not in vain;
that she accomplished her lofty ideals.
iVed TO see her loved ones enjoy the
comfort she had wrought, and died,
after molding wisely the youthful
mind Of two generations, truly loved
by more children than any writer be-
fore or since. Surely she has a clear IL
tie to be classed among those whom
George Macdonald beautifully calls
Gods mothers"
Note.-This concludes the "BiOgraphf-
cal Studies for Girls" An examination
as a basis for the granting Of certif-
Gates viii be published on Thursday
next,