The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-10-10
A CHILD OF GENIUS.
Paris Latest Literary Star is But 10
Years Old-She Has Written
PLAYS,

Genluses are prOblematic enough to
the humdrum, workaday world. Per-
haps they are doubly so when products
Of foreign soil and only known to us
through vague tales foated across the
sea. so naturally enought, readers of &C.
caslonal stories in the papers this sum
mer of new Partisan star-a child Of
lO-whose literary talents made the gay
city marvel-have been inclined to think
the stories but fairy tales. 1t was really
too much to believe that little girl not
yet in her teens had been elected a MEM
Der of the famous literary and dramatic
societies, the Gems de Lettres and the
Auteurs Dramatiques. The accounts Of
this literary prodigy, who writes under
the pen name of Carmen d Assilva, as
sumo new interest and reality when we
come into direct communication with
their subject. Little Carmen is not a
myth, but tangible substance, a vide
ture, who evidently finds time not only
to write plays and act them, but to post
herself on the happenings in far away
lands as well, in proof whereof Il letter
found it's way to the Office of the Eagle
recently, bearing the postmark Of Paris.
1t was addressed to the editor and con-
tanned gracefully,-wordded; note Of
peared in the paper some time previous.
The signature at the bottom was Car
men d'Assilva and the article referred to
told the story Of her brief career. In
reply to a request from the Eagle for
some additional details OF her life and
work Mile. d'Assilva writes the naive
and interesting letter given below, which
necessarily loses much Of it's charm of
diction in translation. 1t displays fas-
chatting mixture of childishness and ma
turity, of self-confdence and modesty.
The handwriting is we'll formed and
punctuation and paragraphing quite cor
rect.
The letter reads as follows: "Your
kind letter touched me very much as did
also the interest that is taken in ME in
New York, and it gives me great pleas
ure to send the little details you ask for
as we'll as the photograph. I began to
write in monologue everything that
struck my imagination at about years
of age. Carmen in the Kitchen was
4 very funny recital Of my misdeeds in
the kitchen, for the cook, having been
the dinner. Wishing to season the dishes
had put some vinegar on the fish, some
oil in the soup, and, thinking that the
chicken was tasteless because it had not
cooked enough, I managed to burn it.
The result was terrible scene between
mamma and me and was sent to my
room. AS there happened to be a pencil
handy on my way I picked it up and sat
down to write, calmly telling myself that
posterity should judge if I had been
justly punished.
"Since then I have composed several
other stories besides seven plays. am
not at all satisfied yet with what I have
done and hope in time to do much bet
ter:
81 have read very little beyond the
classics, which have learned by heart,
thanks to good memory; but l borrow
nothing from them. I observe and I
write what see. If I go in the omnibus
scrutinize my neighbours, l surmise
their thoughts. The adventures which
I suppose them to have suggest little
scenes which I construct. but always
from my own observations. It requires
several days for my ideas to ripen; when
I have them we'll matured and they are
ready to be written l throw myself on
the large couch in my room, where, with
eyes on the ceiling, I see unroll before
me all my play and my characters speak
to me one by one. A few minutes later
I sit down to my work and write my
play. Then turn the room upside down,
putting chairs to represent doors and
brooms, feather busters, ETC., for the
people. I read the different roles and ar
range my brooms, feather busters, etc.,
in q way to give me an idea of the mise
en-scene."
The Partisan press has not been slow
to exploit the story of little Carmen and
her genius, and various doings have fur
nished material for much newspaper
comment for some time past.