The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-27


dress-not a button, not hook and eye
visible. Should an emotion dare to APP
pear in her presence its foolhardy little
head would be instantly cut off Mr.. Pope
was her godfather and Mr. Addison her
tutor. Her very christening robe was
from an 18th century pattern. l looked to
right and to left Yes-at least Dick Steele
was there, in far corner of the room.
sin in her life, nor has even desired to.
be in 1.-THE Fortunes of Fiji or THE
Sprightly Romance of Marsac, is doubt
less due to his influence. II there is a
shadow of satire occasionally Dean Swift
is responsiblel
Miss Seawell herself does not believe in
creative faculty-in women, Her own
fruit she has gathered from many hot
houses and French and English gardens.
She never went forth into the wilds. She
appears as one who has never committed
a sin in her life. nor has even desder to.
She is the logical product of several gem
erations of Old Dominion gentlemen and
gentlewomen. Born some thirty-eight or
forty years ago in Gloucester county, Vir-
ginia, a veritable hot bed of caste and
Glass Age. Like ancient ereeds so she
is. always was and ever shall remain.
Perhapsl
She is at all times perfectly erect, form
ally gracious and conventional. In build
she is slender and slight, even fragile
looking, and quite tall Her features are
small and resolute, infinitely moulded. Her
eyes are pale and there is a certain trans
parency in her thin face like wax. Every
In txrl1il OF cd
her humor plays-a match is struck AMI
her face glowsl
1t was in her drawing room In Washing
ton city that we met-and a very charm
ing room it is-old portraits, rosewood
chairs. mahogany tables, rare vases, an
exquisite arrangement of colors and drap
eries-all bright with the light of open
fires
when a properly accredited person
comes to me from a newspaper | am al
ways glad to give that person any infor-
nation which will be of interest" OBJ
served Miss Seawell. THE only thing is
we always differ as to what is of inter-
est. | think authors are written about
entirely too much and In too much detail.
The newspapers, though want details, so
am willing to give details, but l don't
think them of the slightest consequence,
l assure you. l believe the planet would
continue to revolve if nobody in it knew
that | am opposed 10 woman suffrage and
think Guy Mannering worth reading once
a year. Nothing is so ridiculous as taking
ones self and all ones habits. belongings
and opinions with awful seriousness"
I beheld the ghosts of the Classic Age!
"Oh, yes, / am a reaction of the 18th
century," Miss Seawell continued serenely,
that is why / am so opposed to all prog
ress and advancement and reform"
Which might, or might not, have been a
subtilityl
She is a very clever womani
Miss Seawell has been called model
story writer" She has produced much in
a short space of time by regular and
| systematic work. She writes every day
from half past nine until half past one.
| 1.-THE instant luncheon is announced"
she says "every idea concerning my work
leaves me and leave it. If NY hero has
moose around his neck at half past one
I would not stop to cut him down until
half past nine the next morning. think
with Coquelin, L know not whether there
is such thing in the world as inspira-
ton, but if there is the best way to get
1t is by hard work There is a certain
amount of drudgery connected with the
practice of every art, and without this
drudgery no art Is attainable. What
would one think of a musician who only
played when the mood seized him? Or
painter who never touched his brush ex-
cept when in the humor of painting? You
might have great talent or even genius,
but where would be the technique of your
art? So with a writer. He must have
command of his tools, and that is tech
nique.
Genius? Oh, the geniuses are the hard
est workers of ALL No better definition
OF genius has been given than AN unlimit-
ed capacity for taking pains Thackeray
says he read a thousand books to write
III. hnt n
genius is work The writer who is merely
gifted with talent ought to work because
he has not the greater gift, and If he has
genius, that of itself compels him to
work.
And few authors have achieved as
much as Miss Seawell; the new book
every year-as regularly as an almanac
the comfortable, even luxurious home,
the annual trips abroad the delightful
circle of affuent and intellectual friends.
Her philosophy is situate on solid ground
there is no denying. Her little din
ners" are well known and well liked in
Washington Afternoon tea at the
Seawell residence is always an agreeable
hour.
Miss sea&ells entire life has run like
a clock.
Her chidhood-it must have been in
the whitest of white little pinafores-was
spent In the remote Gloucester home.
THAT was a large rambling old country
house such as you find all over Virginia.
said Miss Seawell. There was a step up
and step down at every turn; passages
that led to nowhere, and rooms and stair
cases where you least expected to find
them. 1t was a very old house, believe
1t had been used as hospital during the
Revolution. and it had a quaint name
The Shelter. The places in my part of
Virginia have had their names for many
generations. The property Is bought and
sold under it's name, and the people speak
of going to a particular place instead of
to particular PERSONS. The Shelter
was very comfortable old house, and
I suppose would be called picturesque.
There were big open fireplaces in all of
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