Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-25


Homo in Mobile.
upon her as the head of household, and
member Of community, and her literary
work has always been made subservient
to these.
She is also delicate woman. and like
| Grace Greenwood (who asserts mat she
has srehearsed the death agony for more
than thirty years'). Is martyr to hay
fever. with all of it's distressing CONGO
infants.
a After her husbands deatn in 1891, she
abandoned her beautiful country home
| near Mobile where twenty three years Of
ideally happy married life were passed.
and. with an unmarried brother as COM
panion, has since lived in town. Two
colored servants of the old type serve
her with affectionate faithfulness. assist
Ing her in the care of her green houses,
with their wealth Of plants.
! Still. she says, city life Doesn't suit
me, and I pine for my waving grain
fields. pastures Of cattle. hoGks of milk
4 white poultry, and all the rest ST the ccun-
try interests and plea
1 The authoress was born in Columbus,
Ga, In 1885, and being frail. was educated
at home by her mother, who made a
companion of her, reading aloud to her
and thus rapidly developing a mind OF
| unusual natural strength.
/ Goldsmith said of DR.. Johnson that If
he were to write fable about little fish.
/ he would make them talk like whales;
| end the books In the old library to which
she had access during the plastic period.
| being of this ponderous. bonabastic type,
Influenced her own. style. brapdeu by the
| critics as stilted. pedantic and Obsolete
When she was 10 years old her parents
removed to San Antonio. Tex. the head
| quarters, during the Mexican war. of the
troops sent to assist General Taylor. The
exciting incidents of the period the bril-
liant uniforms, and martial music, to-
gether with the romantic scenery which
surrounds the town. strongly impressed
| her, Inspiring '1nez, a Tale of the Ala
! mo- 1t was Drought out by Harper, the
author receiving royalty of &c per cent.
on all copies sold. The returns from it
were discoura ging, however, and four
years later, when "Beulah," was written
Miss Evans carried the manuscript to
New York, that she might personally
negotiate its sale.
She told Mr.. Derby, to whom she Offer
ed it, that her first book had been unsuc-E
cessful, and that the one under consider
elton mad been refused by App:eton; and,
pleased With her franlsness, he promised
to submit it to his wife and daughters.
It was read aloud in the family circle,
and the verdict in its favor being unani.g
nous. Derby & Jackson at once arranged
for its publication. It sold rapidly rum
ming through edition after edition, and
from its appearance dates literary ca
reer of unusual financial success, Mrs.
Wilson'S receipts il, royalties being con-
siderably over s1oo,oo0.
During the civil war Mr.. Derby heard
caSionally from her through the lines,
and In 1868 She sent him. by q blockade
runner, a copy of .Macaria,'' printed.
upon coarse brown paper, and published
by West & johnson, Of Ricnmcnd. Va.
It was entered according to the Confed-
crate States of America aud dedicated
to the brave soldiers Of the Southern
army
OF it, Mrs. Wilson says: TT faithfully
reflects life at the South during the Com
rederacy. Much Of 1t was written at hight
and il hospital at Camp Bculai1, near
Mobile. jotting it down with a pencil as
/ sat by the cots Of sick soldiers, and my
heart 1hrobbed in every enc Gifts pages,
coarse and yellow though they were. !"
It was immensely popular in the army,
and during the retreat from Chattanooga
to Atlanta, saved tho life of Southern
soldier. Called suddenly into battle
while reading it, he thrust the volume into
his breast pocket. a bullet, which. sunar-
rested, would have entered his heart. be-
ing afterwards found buried in its leaves.
Many of the Confederate copies Of Ma
caria' We're destroyed by order of Fed
eral general stationed In Kentucky. When
the book reached Mr.. Derby's hands, he
arranged with Lippincott for ITS publica-
ton; and it was advertised as In press,
when it was discovered that a New York
firm had an edition almost ready to put
upon the market. No provision had been
made for copyright rebels not being en- 1
titled to such emoluments. and being ap- 1
prised of the stua ton, .L1ppincott inyeigh-
ed against such injustice. The result was
that, upon his generously withdrawing
his edition. the New York publisher pron-
ised to pay Derby s, Jackson royalty in
trust for the author on all copies sold.
In the summer OF 1865, mir. Derby was
sitting in his office one morning, when /
lady was announced. She vas closely 4
yelled, but he recognized the voice to be
that of Augusta Evans. She Uas accom-. i
panied by her, brother, wh3 had been 4
wounded, ana with lhes assurance that
his wife was an excellent nurse, the good 4
publisher insisted that both should go at i
once to his house He also ventured. to 1
hint that change IN the fashions since 1
they had last met, made additions to her ]
wardrobe desira BILE, and being Informed 4
that she had lost everything by the wal,
told her of the large amount subject 70
her order from the sale OF hMaearaas
Miss Evans next venture Was - ~.
Elmo" the clever travesty. st. Twelve
mo- which 1t elected I'm which the au-
thor endeavors to account for the coH1uneS
ton OF culture and rusticity IN the bare,
footed heroine upon the suppositio lion that
she had sswallowed dicttonary'I) d :Ac-
centnafing It's success. Its sale was atre-
mendous and hamiets. hotels. steamboats.
and country seats were named 40 Its hons
or. It contains descripki lion OF the sTIad
Mahal at Agra, In india; andsl traveller
visiting the tomb. discovered PARSE
boy Ii It's shadow. reading the Aondop
edition Of the book.
FOR WASN'T tn 81. which &olloMe4 tho ep-
thor received = check for slh 700 whils Is
war atill ia manuscript Soon sftsr itsI
sauca abe tnaxta16 MI III