The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-05-21
MRS. THOMAS-THE AUTHORIZES
An Original Poem by the Gifted Writ
er-Some of Her
Best Works

The Geographic dispa tches of Wednes-
day announcing the suicide of Edith NJ.
Thomas. the gifted writer, came as
great shock to her thousands of admir-
ers. Not alone a writer of fiction was
she noted, but for her poems, which
have been translated into all foreign
tongues. Her best known stories, Your
Money or Your Life" "Krss Cross" and
Modern Rosa.ind" have had great sale.
Her tender short stories have been read
with avidity. She wrote for the best
magazines.
Not long ago Edith Thomas became
interested in the slums of New York ana
III the university extension work there.
80 entirely did she give herself up to
the work that she became one of the
band of noble women who went to live
| IN ...e Sums, to work for their better
ment. She was always interested in the
little children and this became her life
work Writing became second to her,
ana her stories were often of the slums
and of the children. She became, so the
brief dispatch states. SO discouraged be-
cause of the misery among the poor she
could not help or prevent that coupled
with her poor health, it became too much
FOR her sensitive nature. and pistol shot
solved for her the mystery of life.
Not many women, fortunately for the
world, possess her intensely sympathetic
sensitive nature. She was too keenly
alive to the miseries and woe Of Others.
Yet she was one of the most cheerful
aHable of companions, always ready and
willing 60 aid by pen or hand in every
worthy cause b..
Mrs. H. V. Loebinger formerly a cell
eJrated grand opera singer, under the
name of Sofia Monte. travelled to Eu-
retains vivid impression OF the gifted
woman but the original of a poem writ
ten by her on board the steamer
we had gifted group, IA artists
IN all. 1t was. two weeks before the
c-osing of the Paris Salon anu many
were going to see the close 1t is GUS
tomary to give some kind of an enter
tainment and on this occasion it was Civ
en- two nights before we landed Every
artist on board had to contribute some
thing OF his own handiwork done on the
steamer. The two 'sculotors were almost
at loss but finally one gave photo.
graphic copies of his work and the other
took an Edam cheese and using the
center as disc made an exact reproduce
ton OF the American copper cent.
we had deck boy who was simply
a marvel of beauty. l have never seen
such handsome boy, about Is and called
Martin, The artist Miss Clara Nc
Chesney of Oakland. California, paint
ed him in four poses as her contribution.
Miss Thomas, not knowing this, made
flm the subject of her poem After the
concert she gave me the poem as a SOU
Venlr. The entertainment was a great
success. My sister, whose grand opera
name is E1frid0 Rodha. her own name
leaving off the family name of Neuber-
ger, had not made her debut in opera.
only In concert but she sang. Not long
pelore l mad made my debut before the
emperor at Mettz and sang of course.
Miss Thomas read her poem.
Inc paintings and works of art were
numbered, the numbers placed in a hat.
The passengers paid 25 cents each for
draW' the money going to the Sailors
Orphan and Widows Home. So what
was worth sometimes many thousands.
went Tor quarter. I never have seen
IN all my travels such an aggregation
OF talent as on board. 1t was the steam
err Maasden of the Holland line.
The news of her death think will NOT
De a surprise to her intimate friends.
rms time l speak Of, in 1895, she was
going to Switzerland with her physician
Tor her health. She looked as if she
We're IN decline then. She was the es-
sence OF true womanlness and possessed
rare charm of manner. Her voice was
very musical although she was very
plain in face and in apparel. Most un-
| assuming In manner yet very dignified,
She was very thin, very TALL
Mrs. Loebinger is the founder of the
Monti Relief society of New York the
| largest relief society in the world solely
| composed of women. In this way she
| learned much of the work of Mrs. Thorn
! as in the slunas. Mrs. Loebinger has left
| the stage. APPEARING only in charitable
work. Her sister Elfrida Rodha, sang
this week at the Verein des Kunste in
Germany.
| All club women are interested in uni
versity extension work, and the proceeds
| of the Thompson lecture will go partial
ly to aid in that work, the work which
| in reality caused the death of Edith NJ.
| Thomas.
| The poem read by her on the Maasden
| was as follows and has never before ap-
| peared in print.
MARTIN-THE SEA SWALLOW.
All in blue. from his knee to his neck.
| Martin IatrCls the sand-white deck,
Plying his busy broom.
| All day long he goes up and down;
| Blue are his eyes and his cheeks so brown
Are touched with an apricot bloom
On his red lips is roguish smile,
His eyes send a sidelong twinkle, the
while
His broom he steadily plies.
! The sea is a world Of Pickering dreams,
And l. dream that Martin is not what he
seems
But rover in disguise.
|
! l would say he had escaped his mothers
hands
And stolen away to sea!
| Martin, Martin, the mischief that lies
In the sunny depths of your two blue
eyes,