The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-29
Mrs. Diggs Shows What They
Have Done i'm Kansas.
Achievements in Literature Dis
cussed in Interesting Style.
MRS. ROBINSON FIRST
She is Mentioned as the Pioneer
Writer.
Attendance at WOman'S Day
Exercises Very Large.

meetings ever held in Topeka was the
gathering in the senate chamber Tues
day afternoon. The programme lasted
for nearly three hours, but the subjects
covered such wide range and We're so
full of interest that no one even thought
of being tired though standing room
was at a premium. 1t speaks well for
the Topeka women who had the affair
in charge that the success of their I'M
dertakings is so well known that hun
dreds of women came from remote
parts of the state to be present at the
meeting
The papers were all bright and full of
interest and deserve special mention.
Mrs. Annie L. Diggs, state librarian,
paid a glowing tribute to Kansas wo-
men in her talk on kansas Women in
Literature" She said:
How entirely delightful it would be
to have sufficient scope and latitude and
longitude this afternoon to tell of all the
lines of life which Kansas women pur-
sue and all the streams of influence
which Kansas women help to swell, and
which wend their ways toward Htera-
ture; which enter into the breath of
atmosphere, which create environment,
which incarnate in character and later
get made into story and song.
With such latitude how pleasant to
tell of Kansas women teachers enlight-
ening, inspiring, and moulding the
| writers of a>few years later on. OF a
Kansas woman, Miss Lizzie wooster,
an author of school literature, widely
used; of Kansas women as devoted, in
dustrious librarians, such as Mrs.
Simpson and Miss Watson of Lawrence,
Miss Walch of Ottawa, Miss Barlow OF
Fort Scott, and so many, many others
aiding high school and college students;
of Kansas women promoting literature
through fostering libraries; and through
serious earnest club studies of Kansas
women as contributors to the daily and
weekly newspaper literature; of Kansas
women, cultured, refined capable in
i'm I1T11G hi homes n them nlITn-
BILE, indeed, as to material furnishings,
yet all contributing to a literary poten-
tiality. Why, if l We're to try to men
ton all, would nearly call the roll OF
Kansas women. Imagination playing
with all this sees literary genus-m1-
crobeS Astounding everywhere. 1t is not
at all an eXaggeration to claim for
Kansas women essayists and speakers
of occasion a degree of merit, of direct
ness, of sense of fitness of things,
breadth of comprehension, as well as
fineneSs of culture entirely equal to wo-
men eSSayiStS of the eastern and far
older seats of learning and literature.
However, to be accurate and legiti-
mate under my topic / must speak of
Kansas women who have made techni-
cal and direct contributions toliterature
in the form of books, poems or other
work which the printer has touched;
of these the earliest writer of a Kansas
book is Mrs. Governor Robinson, a wo-
man of noble life, of great service dur
ing and since the pioneer days of Kan
whom it was my delight to visit in her
beautiful home near Lawrence not long
since. Mrs. Robinsons contributions to
the literature of Kansas are valuable
as direct history of the early days and
struggles which marked the genesis of
our state. Another book relative to the
same period and happily given with the
warm flesh and blood fiction is the
Squatter Sovereign by Mrs Humphrey
of Junction City, a lady of whom one or two
persons in this room may have heard
hn1i in iV01a
F. Wilder of Manhattan, author of sew
eral books. Mrs. Wilder's sketches of
New England life are as marked by
fidelity of portraiture and quaint humor
as the stories of Mary E. Wilkins.
have enjoyed Mrs. Wilder equally with
Miss Wilkins.
Mrs. Frank FARRELL has contributed
some graceful and entertaining stories
to the magazine world. Mrs. FARRELL is
in the stream of tendency toward ~auch
good work. Mrs. Whitcomb of Topeka
is an industrious writer Her story
read at the evening of Kansas Authors
was so vivid, so strong in homely por-
traiture. so keen in pathos that 1 can
not forget it.
Probably the greatest potentiality
among the Kansas women authors is
Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter, and al
though she irreverently calls her books
punches of things tied up with
strings" yet her work is SO careful, so
trained her literary sense, as shown in
her critical writings, is SO fine and her
resources SO varied InaC more OF
enduring excellence is expected of her.
A delightful daughter of Kansas, Miss
Anna Marie NelliS, wrote the only ser
les of letters from abroad which I ever
fully enjoyed The two books are
crowded with tales about things you
care to know, they charm you with
frank chatter, they sparkle with wit,
and they laugh you into friendly fellow
ship.
Doubtless the Kansas woman who
has won the widest reception as au-
Mrs. J. K. Hudson I note her stories
of Mormon life above criticism not
alone in finished and fitting style, but
as full freighted with lees pathOS their
subtitle analysis and spiritual grasp are
powerful. Mrs. Hudson's recent poem,
THE King" has sonorous strength akin
to Markham
Turning from prose we have a num-
Der of talented writer's of verse, Prof
Carruth says of Miss Florence Shows
sonnets in the collection, THE Lamp of
Cold" THE artistic finish of Miss
Shows work is admirable Her thought
is lofty, sometimes mystic and almost
too subtitle"
We have also Hattie Horner and Ida
Ahlborn whose poems have been favor
ably received and greatly enjoyed.
Ellen P. Allerton published a book
'tAnabel and Other POEMS" including
her famous Walls of Corn, a stately bit
of writing as rich as fertile Kansas.
Her answer to her question-'.What do
they hold, these walls of corn, Whose
banners toss IN the breeze or MORN is
a fine epitome of the story of the indi-
ge@ous wealth, power and glory of our
state.
Alas, that must leave without men
ton many Kansas women who have
written well-leave them with innum-
cradle Kansas women sweet of life
and swift of service beside their fire.
sides are living good books for other
Kansas women to write. This much
more L must say. the Kansas women
writers have never contributed to liter
allure one note of depression, of despair
or of doubtful ethics-songs of hope
words of uplift, carry their messages.