The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-25

THE DRAMA WINS;
). BOOK WORLD LOSES
Miss Halle E1mnie Rives Will Write Books Will Play
! the Heroine She Created in "Hearts Courageous"

compelled to be more or less of a law to
themselves. Altho the descendants OF
people Of culture and refinement and
themselves no less highly intellectual. they
came closer to the soil and worked out
their own political and social salvation
with very little Interstate and no foreign
aid. The result was strong. conserva-
tive, fearless, energetic people who went
armed and priced honor above personal
gain, chivalrous toward women, stanch
patriots and essentially sons Of the soil.
So ardent, indeed, was this Old Domin-
ion creed. and so stanch the adherents Of
the Virginian policy, believing it to be a
direct act of beneficent Providence, that
Colonel Stephen Rives. father of Miss
Halle, former Confederate officer, to
this day, in conformity with an oath TAX
en- upon himself at the close Of the rebel
lion. has never crossed, and probably
never will cross. the Mason and Dixon line
into Yankee" domains.
The mother of Miss RiveS was a woman
of patrician stateiness and charm, known
thruout the state 1.-The beautiful Miss
Ragsdale." Her father was wealthy
tobacconist, and besides being the owner
Of a thousand slaves, was a man of great
personal influence and, political weight
thruout the state. Many stories are told
of the nerve and spirit of this famous
southern belle, but one is sufficient to in
dictate her individual character and her
talent for strategy.
Once northern foragers were sent to
Scour the neighboring country to discover
the whereabouts of anything of value to
the invading army and particularly good
horses. Among the thorobreds captured
was favorite Of the beautiful Miss
Ragsdale,' who, discovering her loss,
mounted another steed and galloped at
full speed into the enenly's camp actually
running down sentry who challenged
her, Advancing to the generals tent,
Miss Ragsdale demanded the return of her
thorobred, and, be it said for the galantry
Of the general in command, the order went
forth and the favorite was returned.
Love Of Outdoor Life.
Miss Rivers inherits her mothers ster-
ling traits, her love Of outdoor life and her
loyalty to the south and the things Of the
south. She was known ''Hallie, the
Tomboy' In her girlhood, being a rare
shot. fearless bareback rider. an expert
at trout fishing and in all sports in which
only men are supposed to excel Indeed,
after a social session in the north or
abroad, Miss Rives most delights to go
down to her hunting lodge in the Virginia
Alleghanies. with her horses and dogs,
spending weeks there in the wilderness
like "sangdigger.''
The lodge was christened Moonshne. for
the reason that during the first weeks
occupancy a United States marshal. mis-
taking 1t for an Illicit still. raded the
place and only after a rddling with bird
shot discovered that he had descended
upon the mountain bungalow Of a novelist
Diana and her father. who almost gives
up his life to hunting and fishing.
Miss Rives produced her first work dur
ing the campaign of Adlai Stevenson for
vice president of the United States-a true
story Of the candidate. which went the
rounds Of the press. Smoking Flax"
southern tale. with strong moral. fol-
lowed shortly after. and If it appeared just
at present. might be regarded as a most
timely contribution to the present contro-
versy on the race problem.
"a Furnace of Earth" came later, and
as a sex problem story brought on wide
and in some quarters violent discussion
Hearts Courageous is her best known
story, however, and into this are woven
so many intimate family episodes that no
actress who ever appeared in a title role
should understand more thoroly the char
acter Of her heroine or the spirit Of the
contemporary period Kryle Bellew has
been named for the part of the hero of
the play, the gallant Armand. The fig
ures Of Washington, Jefferson and Pat
rick Henry appear in the narrative.