The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-12-25
Mrs. Nettie SeeIey Murphy, Formerly
of KenOsha, Gains Entree to Phil
adeIphia Literary Circle.
ISN'T IT SO" A CLEVER WORK.
Former Kenosha Girl Gains Fame as a
Writer of Epigrams.- Book just Is
sued by LippincOtt.

Mrs. Nettie Seeley Murphy, for
ner Kenosha girl, has created quite
little Juror in the staid circles of liter.
airy Philadelphia, and her latest book,
which has just been issued by the ]. B.
Lippincott Company, promises to be
one of the most popular books of the
holiday season. The beauty of the lit
tie volumeis found in its uniqueness.
It is beautifully gotten up and illus
trated, but the matter ia it will attract
attention wherever it is seen.
Mrs. Murphy was torn and raised IN
Kenosha and was the daughter of DR..
IL. /. Seeley, who was for many years
IN charge of the old Kenosha Water
Cure. Miss Seeley graduated from
the Kenosha High school and after her
graduation she went to San Francisco,
where her ability as a literary woman
at once attracted attention. She has
been member Of the literary colonies
in Portland, Oregon, and Philadelphia
since that time and she has always
been leader in the work.
"Isn't 1t So?'' is the rather unusual
title that Mrs. Murphy has given to
her first published work. The book is
Ia book of aphorisms. The literary
style of Mrs. Murphy is not distinctly
shown in the book of six hundred
short epigrams, but it appears plainly
that the former Kenosha woman has
decided talent for a literary life and
some of the little paragraphs of "Isn't
1t So?" are worthy of more than a
passing notice.
J The little volume is filled withla de-
licious pessimism which the author in
her introduction to the work, states is
assumed wholly for literary purposes.
Some of the brightest passages in the
J little book of epigrams follow:
IAN old man who marries young
woman is getting hold of problem
for some other man to so1ve'
''Men go to the devil with hop,
skip and jump, with both eyes intent
on his majesty. Women go to the
devil with at least one eye on depart
ing decency."
Happiness is brilliant, sweet
scented blossom that only grows in
, paradise"
"A woman is never so good that
she is not hattered when a man goes to
1.-THE dogs for her."
Collectively mans fidelity is depen-
dent on his opportunities. Individual
ly upon his wife's shrewdness."
!, "The iwickeder a man is in this
world the more fool women he will
find to poor thing him."
"The women who are so shocked at
the exhibition of the charms of other
women are usually those who have
none of their own"
CATER a man has drunk to the bot
tom of every cup of pleasure and
found the dregs bitter and worthless,
he is usually very intolerant of other
people who are now slipping only the
foam
"a virtue that has to be hera1ded is
already LOST
"Desire meets opportunity and vir
tue walks sadly away
vanity is the only vulnerable spot
to be touched in most men,"
eff the good die first, what lot of
. riff raft there is left for us to wrestle
with"
Poverty may be very uncomfort-
able, but at least it never has the
gout.''
"God made fools but for one pur-
pose--to die and fertilize the soil"
eff men would pursue honor and re-
ligion as they pursue women and
riches, the devil would soon be out of a
job.''
every mans shoulder has hollow
in it in which some woman's head
should fit
Mrs. Murphy closes her dainty little
0 work with this splendid compliment
for her sex:
eff woman but knew her power and
would rise in her might, there isn't a
man on the face of the earth that
wouldn't crawl at her feet.''
She also seems in another part of the
book to make light of the position of
woman as it is usually put by the fair
sex. She says:
"My toast is woman. The theme is
old, if the woman is not. Woman:
that monument of beauty, of torment,
of soft cajoleries, of sweet caresses, of
crocodile tears. Woman, the being we
can not live without, and the being it
drives US crazy to live with! God
bless her! God help her! She needs it!o