The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-27
DOROTHY MENPEs,
The Most Remarkable Little Girl in
London.

thy Menpes, is only fifteen years Of
age. Yet she has already gained d rep
utation in literary circles in London
and in the outside world that many
writer's of some years standing might
envy.
The three books that have already
come out under her name have met
with the approval Of the public Now
she has a fourth in preparation that
she will try to have ready for her read
ers very soon.
With all her fame she is charmingly
childish and unaffected. She is always
ready to talk about her work. She
thinks that her success is entirely uue
to her father, who is Mortimer Menpes.
the celebrated artist, war correspon-
dent and traveller.
Miss Menpes' father has trained her
eye and mind ever since she was q
baby, He taught her to see things
with the eyes of an artist and had her
write down her impressions as we'll as
she could. What he attempted and
succeeded in teaching her was to OBJ
serve the people around her, their char
uct@ristics their conversation. Some Of
these impressions she has now, written
when she was only five years old. OBJ
servations on the world In general, crit
iCisms on her friends, rhapsodies ON
her fathers work and what she intend
ed to be when she grew up, all written
in Il large rOund BABY hand.
She has had plenty Of chance to de-
yelop her powers OF observation, for
she has Travelled great deal.
Her education has been strictly cos
mopOlitan. She spent a year and a
half in convent at Quimper. Brittany,
studied under village schoolmasters. at
tended quite a number Of foreign high
schools. entered a college and studied
the are of flower decoration in Japan
the most difficult science in creation.
All this has naturally broadened her
mind and given her imagination 81
wider scope.
Her father has taken her with him in
nearly all his travels. Everywhere she
w, ut i'll Brittany, Japan, Germany, lta-
ly. he taught her to see things under
tandingly, and to remember them.
In this way she laid the foundation for
most Of her literary work.
Miss Menpes' father was a war cor
respondent in South Africa, and on his
return he had great deal to talk
about. He had many interesting sto-
ries to relate about places he had seen
and people with whom he had come in
contact.
Il ooc,,rrod IN NFicc MoDrnc that beN
fathers stories told we'll would make a
great book. Whenever she heard him
talking to friends. she remembered
what he said. After they had gone she
would write it all down and soon had
a lot of good material for her book.
she worked on it night and day. Some
one interested In her work destroyed
the least effective of her pages and she
had to rewrite them. She had the book
ready for publication in about two
months, with a great many drawings
by her father to illustrate 1t.
Miss Dorothy's enthusiasm in this
literary occupation led her to try jour
nalistic work. She did a good deal Of
this, writing articles and short sketch
es for the magazines, under the name
of "A Painters Youngest Daughter"
But now she has given this up.
Her book on Japan has beautiful IL
Illustrations from her fathers brush.
The author refuses to take credit for
the great popularity Of this second book
which an into any number of editions.
Nevertheless 1t is her work for which
she gathered her best efforts.
Her mOdesty in regard to her works
shows in her manner of speaking of
her fathers part in It.
She insists that They wrote her first
and second books.
do you think" she said in speaking
of her Worlds Pictures" that any
one would care to read what wrote Of
they had not fathers pictures to look
at as well?"
Miss DorOthy's fifth book on which
she is working at present, is 1.-THE
Worlds Children" This she hopes to
bring out in the spring with proofs and
illustrations from her fathers pen and
brush.
She has piles and piles of manuscript,
the result Of her habit of iotting down
impressions of people ind things she
sees. To Judge from great deal Of
this it Is evident that the young author
owes her success to- nicely balanced
powers Of observation, a retentive
memory and facility of expression
which Is remarkable in one so young.
Her father is going to the durbar at
Delhi, India, and Miss Menpes is to go
with him, to see that barbaric specta-
Gle and to gather material for a book
on India. She and her father are to
work together on this book She is
looking forward with a great deal Of
result.
Miss Menpes does not spend all her
time at her work. She has a very
healthy childish love Of outdoor sports
There is nothing she loves to do bet
ter than to lie In a punt all day long
bourne, where they have a house, and
do absolutely nothing.
She speaks slightingly of her accom-
plishments, but admits that she can
draw little and she sings and plays a
little, but only publishing things" an
the mandolin and guitar. She isvery
fond of acting and particularly likes
the part of Portia.
She does about everything that girl
of her age can do. She is fond of her
bicycling, punting and tennis and ping
pong. But best of all she likes real
games. like hide and setk, paper chases