The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-24
THE AUTHOR OF THE TAR HEEL
BARON"

Tie readers of the News and Observer
who have seen Mrs. Petton's delightful
romance 1.-THE Tar Heel Baron" Will be
interested in the following sketch OF the
author by one who has known her lntl-
matey for years:
Mrs. Mabel Clarke Potion ives IN a
small white house tucked away at the
foot of the great blue mountains. There
is a low. yine-coyered porch with a lazy
hammock and lounging chairs. besides
rustic tea table where Mrs. Potion spends
much of her time She is an ideal hostess
with much of the charm OF Southern hos
pitahty in her manner She brought
with her to North Carolina from her Bos-
ton home the accent, old portraits, rare
china and antique brass, and In her new
home ten miles from anywhere, she es-
tablished herself and began to make
friends. She has done great deal OF her
writing out of doors. and her novel with
its charming picture of mountain scenery
and village life reflects on almost every
page the out of doors atmosphere.
The mountain people of this scattered
neighborhood would probably express
keen though drawing surprise If they
were told that the harmless lady with
whom they are ON the kindhest terms and
whom they call Miss Pelton" had writ
ten a book. They have seen her every
day driving in leisurely fashion about the
country, stopping frequently for a lively
chat with one of her good friends. They
have ''set awhile" to rest on the porch of
her pretty home and listened with inter
est to the click, clock of her typewriter,
but they never thought of her as an au
thor To them a writer Is strange,
anomalous person, and Mrs. Pelton Is not
strange or eccentric in the least. She Is
to them, as she is to every one who meets
her, a cheerful. sympathetic, thoroughly
sane woman, and the best of neighbors
They never could tell you in their slow
reserved speech what they think of her;
their highest praise which they give her
freely is: Miss Pelton. she's ra'al nice"
and this includes everything.
The natives of North Carolina mountains
have of recent years been exploited by
authors, who. after spending a summer
or winter in the hill country feel qualified
to speak with the voice of authority of
the mountaineer. Only those people, how
ever, who have lived for years with the
them. for the true mountaineer, paradox
cal though it may seem, is an oyster and
the first hint of what he considers med
dlesome curiosity will shut his mouth with
a snap. II he talks at all he viii be likely
with a subtle irony to fool his trouble
some questioner to the top of his bent.
Mrs. Pelton has lived among these people,
not as a teacher or a missionary, but as
the kindliest of friends and neighbors
She has gone in and out among them and
has mingled in their sorrows and in their
joys, and to her they have revealed them
selves. She really understands these slow.
Illuminating men and women, reserved and
silent. for the most part, breaking occa-
sionally into speech which shows humor
and a keen discernment of character:
sturdy, self-reliant, and very honest, but
quick to take life and slow in parting
with a grudge.
Mrs. Pelton has many anecdotes to tell
of their kindliness. their shiftlessness and
their homely wit. One of her good friends
is the village blacksmith, who has been
naturally much interested in Bird. her
horse, who is dear to her soul Last au-
tumn as she was leaving the village for
the WINTER she decided That Birds eX-
tremely slow pace was due entirely to old
age, and with much mental anguish she
made up her mind to part definitely with
the animal. After diligent search for a
proper guardian she found an old noun
taineer who promised to take the best of
care Of the beloved horse and to give him
mex" to no work. Now the blacksmith
knew that Bird was not very old. and that
he ought to be good for a considerable
amount of work, and he had a shrewd sus-
picion that the horse would live much
longer than his new master After Bird
had been led to his new home by the
aged and feeble mountaineer Mrs. Pei
ton met the blacksmith, and after telling
him of Birds feebleness and her sorrow
at having to give up her horse, she asked:
Did you see the man who is to look
after Bird. and do you think he will take
good care OF him?" The man looked at her
quizzically with his twinkling blue eyes
and drawled in his slow, gentle voice:
WAL, Miss Pelton, was just a Won
derin' if you had provided a home for
Bird after the oil man dies
r. W. McVEA.