The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-10

ry writers OF tho United State:
apparently divide themselvcs
into three groups geographically
namely. those OF New England
the south ana the northwest. Kate
Lougias Wiggin was not born in New
England, and she has spent more OF her
life out OF that section than in II. but
her later Action has the distinct north
eastern faNor and local color showing
that this region las made more inprcs
sion upon her than either Philadelphia
where she was born or California
where she rassed her youns woman
hood and began her life WORK.
! When she was a child her family re-
moved 10 the village OF I.oills. Me. anl
there she grew TO Slrlaood The Rouse
4 in which she lived was in a locality 20
picturesque and pleasing that Il Is small
wonder II the region appears again an J
again IN her writing. Her mental habit
too. was formed in those glrihood days
Mrs. WigCIn Is n woman OF the Now
England tyre energetic. orderly, exact
and OF uncommon ecutive Sti.iiy In
her literary style, however. are IA bril-
I iiancy. so,iness and fexlbillty that re-
! fleet the light o. other skies than those
OF New England. those of California.
! II vas in California when size was
eighteen. iLat her first story was writ
ttn. IL was published in 81. Nirhoias
and Was named Half A Dozen House
res rcis.' Put II was not q a writer
that she 1rst Joined the army OF work
ing women. Those who have been espe-
rally "a ned With the deii~htful. d.
ately humo ons tliA.tn OF het sio.
ID Z interested 10 nov thai IL va
as E.ndcrga. ner that she nla L. 49,
oetus IN pro eSsicnaI lie Sac had the
adyar.aye Of training for this o., u
ration from Emma Marwedei. Then
the tldtsught "a year IN santa Ia -ha n
college. IS far lack as her his 2
goes she was always doing someln.ns
and co!nE II energe;icslly.
From under the shadows .: old Santa
iariura the future story wrlter and
lcr sister. Mi.s Nora Archibald SMITH.
vert 20 San Francis O. stfl in the gen
lie, humanislos kindergarten wo...
he .wo founded and taught there n
zee lind,reartrn. In the poorest and
most decseIy populated quarter os the
tity the Sii er Strtet kinder gartcn Lad
its being, There Kate Douglas Wiegin
lived AMI Lowell. laborcd anu harmed
and saw rive around her = noble school
which 30 tile day stands a sh,n.ns light
IN darkness Mrs. Wiggin taught the e
altosether twelve years. Upon a wall
IN the Silver s,reet luilding is pos-
trait OF it's founder. the beloved Miss
Kate" with underneath Il this inscrlp-
ton:
I'm this room wes born the first free
kindergarten west OF the Rocky noun
;ains Let me have the happiness OF
looking down upon many successive
groups Of children sitting in these
seats"
1t is worth noting that while Mrs
WiEgin wrouCh.nTobly at kindergarten
ing she found her lie vocation. The
story is on this wise: In connection
with her original enterprise she essab-
lished school for training kinder
sarten teachers. Both institutions were
in need OF money. Mrs. Wiggin wrote
The Story OF Patsy" and had Ii print
ed and sold for the benefit OF her
schools. in the ability TO find sale for the
little book after she had written IL ap-
pears again her New England executive
rover. Three thousand copies were
disposed Of without its having had anv
regular publisher. Then came another
.
The Birds Christmas Carol" which
has proved 10 be perhaps the most pop
ular OF all he- works. This exquisite
story Is now beirg dramatized
After finishing l.fr twelve years love
iabor in the Golden Gate City MIS-
NiECin returned TO the Atlantic coast
Che has been busy ever since with lit
erary tasks bur her heart IL vet with
her k,ndergartens. Tho Birds Christ.
mas Carol" reisSued by n prominent
eastern publishing house. placed Kate
Dourla. Wiggin al once in the front
rank or women story writer's. Its
sweet. tender pathos and equally sweet
innocent humor mingle like n double
thread OF brightness through the tale
The Eirds' Chris mas Carol" has been
Translated into various languages. even
:nto japanese. The author once heard
4 little child say OF n great. quiet house
OF grown ups" II think they need
some babies here The sweet. simple
child intuition walked thoughts i'm Mrs
Virgins mind. and then there grew be-
meath her pen the sketch "Timothy's
Quest"
IL Is always agreeable 10 know that
a writer who has given pleasure TO so
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