Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-09
ROCKS AND AUTHORS.
4 Spirited Reply to Prof. Trigg S
Forum Article.
-. Rest Selling Books a New Garden Book
Late Poetry.

,,o Journal has received the follow
Interesting letter, from veal
-" author, one whom Maine is
I'D 10 claim as 4 daughter:
pTs,;,ors Eennebcc Journal not. ce
,our issue of January IA, some re
.rs concerning recent article by
|fassor Triggs Of Chicago Tnivcr-
y, obout i lately published An
NV. " in which he speaks of Il
,'o,oetv of names" brought out by the
..n,snaper discussion regarding the
,ha,ship of the verses e2titlod
49, ~, Me to sleep" He says the
roam in question WAS finally traced
na-whereas no elaborate tracing"
,as necessary. since at Che time Of the
,,.oussion alluded to. tn" verses had
,,sr appeared in my volume pab-
y,ahad ~ Ticknor & Fields. with my
Van real name as author-a name
Itch 7 have tried to keep as my pen
20 ever since. The learned pro-
fassor speaks of my (allegeD bap-
.t,,,al name. my fathers name. and
tho name which. years after. became
mine by marriage. and says. AS if
.basa diSglliSeS We're nut Snfllclent' |
actnalv had a pseudonym,
would like To ask the aStute pro-
fassor how ii happens that womans
hantismal name. her fathers name. or
bar husbands name. is Il "diSguise"?
noes the professor consider himself
..diegrised" by the meliliuous name of
Tr;goeo If he had been obliged to
take his wife's name at his marriage.
would he have considered that a dis
guise"?
II is true that at fifteen years of age
or so-possibly less-l did write some
crude verses under the fictitious name
mentioned and my first volume. now
happily out of print. WIGS published
under that name which | have ever
since been trying to shake off, con-
sidering il a mistake Of youth. such as
We all ought to have the privilege of
correcting on arriving At years Of dis
cretion 1t is also true that when my
second volume was published, by Tick
nor & Fields. the fictitious name was
added. in brackets. to my real name
on the ttle-page. very much against
nv own choice but to suit a whim Of
the publishers: as they purchased the
copyright, l could not forbid them.
really can not see wherein is the
enormity OF my crimes with regard to
my own name that ! should be held
up to comment ana ridicule in the
Forum l give no person authority to
drag my private name into literary
matters: | never use it as a signature
to my literary work or correspondence
l never authorized its publication in
any anthology" or biographical
dictionary; | have never put it on the
title-page of any of my books. | was
not consulted as to what appears re-
garding me in the recent compilation
by Mr.. Stedman if l had been, |
should most surely have preferred to
be left out-and in no event should |
have authorized the use of my private
name. nor any more or less inaccurate
details regarding my private life and
experiences. When | send out a book,
il becomes the worlds, to be praised
or blamed. noticed or neglected. COM
mended or criticised as the world
happens to take a freak. and I have
no right to complain; l have offered
the book for sale. and invited
criticism But the details of
my private life have not
offered for sale or discussion;
they belong to me. and my private
rights, which are inalienable so long
as obey the laws, and do not forfeit
Them by becoming a criminal
really do not see how | could have
suited Professor Triggs. even had I
known beforehand that he was to act
as my censor | could hardly have
used my husbands name on my first
BOOK $ title-page. as when it was writ
zen, did not know that ! should ever
ave a husband. or what his name
Aight be, and | am surely not to be
Oalned because newspaper and other
writer's like Professor TriSgS. have
ehosen to drag my private name and
ahairs before a public which has no
interest whatever in either The name
appended to this note is the only one
winch, if | could be permitted to have
my choice. | should allow any one to
apply 10 me in print. and whenever
any other appears, it is without my
consent or approval
4 u