The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-15

vocation that he first met Alice Lee,
a charming girl of 16, who afterward
became Mrs. Maurice Thompson, the
bond of marriage being sealed shortly
after they became acquainted
Soon after his marriage the profession
of engineering was forsaken for the lit
erary field, with the practice Of law as
a side issue This was in 1867, and 1t
was about that time that his poem on
Home Life" appeared.
After settling at Charlottesville with
his young wife Mr. Thompson devoted
his time almost exclusively to writing
and it was from here that his first book
Of poems was issued
Mr. Thompson's first volume, t'Hoosier
Mosalcs,, appeared in 1875. 1t was a
slight effort. and gave but faint prom
ise of the delightful r0mances and ex-
quisite poems tilat were to follow His
second book THE Witchery of Arch
cry was more successful, and gave
him at least wide nOtoriety. Archery
clubs We're formed everywhere, and the
exciting and healthful fad endured for
several seasons. Mr. Thompson was
himself an expert with the bow ana
arrows, and in the woods could bag al
most as much game as any OF his COM
panions armed with rifles. About this
time he made several trips back to his
sunny southland, and they brought
forth fruit. His eyes began to note the
changes that We're taking place in the
social and political life and he embodied
his studies in several ronnances-'sA Tai
lahassee Girl . His Second Campaign
and AT Loves Extremes The at
mosphere in all these is purely south
ern. He was the first to recognize the
south as a rich field for romance He
endeayored to put the southerner with
his environment on canvas, to give
true picture of southern men and wo-
men and life before the conditions under
which they existed had utterly passed
away. A later and stronger novel was
"A Banker of Bankersvilie, a vivid,
20 In
Among his, other more notable works
are "A Fortnight Of Folly QS8S). "A
Story of Louisiana uSSS), The Ocala
Boy" (1895) and Two Old Boys, de-
lightful serial published first IN the Gem
tury in 1889 But Mr.. Thompson is no
more widely known, perhaps, than for
his love of nature and his artistic inter
probation Of it. Some of his papers have
been collected in two volumes, whose
very titles are refreshing, Byways and
Bird-notes" and sylvan Secrets
In his keen observance of fnature. thought
seemed to come to him always under the
laws of form and glowing with color.
His earliest efforts were pubiisned under
d new edition Of these songs, slightly en-
larged, was published under the simple
tffle Poems Again and again in his
his deep love for the SOUTH
His war poems are resonant, and of all
ssTsincoln's Crave is perhaps his master
Kama Society. at Harvard in 1894 Fam
Gus writer's seldom attain great wealth.
and Mr. Thompson was no exception to
the rule. His income from his works
justified a comfortable. though not ex-
travagant living. From a financial stand
point he climaxed his life work with his
late popular novel. Alice OF Old Vim
cennes. This charming story. the longest
he had ever written. was issued but a
few months ago. and its sale has been
something phenomenal. During the holi-
days it had the best sale nf any book on
the market, and OF course yielded the
thor handsome returns During the late
with Spain Mr.. Thompson wrote a
number of poems bearing that con-
fifct. WHICH attracted widespread atten-
ton. His last literary efforts were
sketches from his life IN the south. The
are IN the hands Of the publishers and
will soon be out under the title I'm Ny
Winter Garden.