The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-11
SARAH /
GRAND !

Grand on her tour Of our coun-
try viii behold i'm her not only
the brilliant distinguished au-
thor. but England's most IA
nous new woman. She may
also be taken as representa-
tive OF the best type and herald of the
new woman the world over. with an
intellectually SO strong and striking
that when il obtained outlet In literary
composition Il placed her among the
hrst OF living novelists, with convic-
lions the most intense and radical as TO
the emancipation of woman. she yet
possesses "A personality so rarely sweet
and winning that Sarah Grand Is quite
as fascinating i'm social life as when
she takes up her authors pen.
In private life she is Mrs. McFall.
she dresses carefully handsomely and
in exquisite taste, which is no more
than every woman should DO. Al the
same time she Is an athlete, likewise
cycling enthusiast. which shows al
once her good sense and physical sound
ness But she believes IN wearing al
ways dress suitable 90 the occasion.
Therefore she devised a bicycle cos
tune which, though entirely pretty,
convenient and artistic, fairly curdled
the blood of the 'prunes and prisms
proprlcty of old England and u is not
straining the point 20 say u would have
done the same in the United states
Mime. Sarah Grand's cycling costume
was a modified form OF the doublet and
hose worn by Shakespeare fascinating
Rosalind in "As You Like 1t Sarah
wore IL and learned phe bitter lesson
that mankind are neither free nor civ
ilized-not yet, not yet.
An incident out OF the common Is told
OF the publication OF one OF her first
stories Her experiences I'm trying TO
get her work published were for years
extremely trying and discouraging No
writer's early history is more instruc-
tive or inspiring than hers. II was like
the spider of Tamerlane that tried to
spin its web between two points seven
ty-seven times. Seventy-six times IL
failed: the seventy-seventh IL succeed
ed.
So Sarah Grand had tried and tried
and tried and tried 10 get her stories
printed Nobody would have them.
Publishers wastebasketed her sketches
without even taking the trouble to
write and say they did not want her eff
fusions. At last. discouraged. she ask
ed herself seriously one day whether IL
was worth while 60 attempt literature
any more. She had come to that state
which acts on an authors mind like a
death chill, the state wherein he asks
himself: After all. have mistaken my
gifts? Have /. after all. no talent for
writingP" Sarah Grand. as many wo-
men and some men have done in strait
places, essayed Bibliomancy. She took
a Bible and opened il at random for
text that would guide her. She saw
this. The stone which the builders re-
jected will become the head OF the cor
ner." Prophecy or not. II gave her a
brace up TO send out her manuscript
once more, and that time il was ac-
cepted. That gave her again a power
full brace up, ana she despaired no
more.
Even then. though, IL was years before
her first pronounced success, The
Heavenly Twins" was achieved. That
story. too, though IL was the literary
sensation OF two seasons. was rejected
by nearly every publisher I'm London
one firm sravely wrote her that II they
should issue the story it would give
great pain" TO their lady readers The
author met this argument with "A re-
mark truly Grandian. III that's the
case" she said. lit proves that The
Heavenly Twins is just the book that
lady readers ought 10 read. IL will
make them think. ! will publish IL my.
SELF
Nevertheless. with a fne. brave trust
in her aisters Of the Pioneer woman's
club or London. she read aloud 10 them
what the publishers considered the
parts most 20 be tabooed in The Heav-
enly Twins" The new women OF the
Pioneer club favored the publication.
She had the story printed at her own
expense and was proceeding 10 get il
before the people ak best she might
when at last a publisher took the task
off the plucky woman's hands and
made her famous and put money in his
own purse. Now. after the victory is
won. IL may be incidentally observed
that the most Miss Nancyish publishers
on two continents are "tumbllng over
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