The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-05-01
LAURA JEAN LIBBEl
LAYS DOWN PEN
FER A REST

NEW YORK, May Wearing beau
utul sapphire blue gown with valen3
ctennes lace, Miss Laura Jean LibbeY.
who has just finished her eighteen playA
celebrated her first day Of real restl
yesterday by reading aloud 10 a few
intimate friends-amOng them some OF
Broolxlyns best-known literary persons
the first act Of one of the plays. IF
the Heart Is Truly Mated" in the IL
brary of her home, at sl6 President
street, Brooklyn.
The distinguished authorizes IS known
among her Brooklyn neighboi-s simply
as Mrs. Laura Jean Libbey Van Mater
S. StillwelI.
Mrs. StillwelTs husband, Mr.. Sullwen,
Is a Brooklyn lawyer. as -the literary
publications often have recorded From
his picture. which is incased in a neat
frame IN the library, he reminds ore OF
Governor Hughes.
Other evidences or culture ana -
treme wealth are scattered iaVishiy
throughout the magnificent manson IN
Brooklyn. Row after row of books COW
OF the walls of the library ~ Ioug
ere must be more than 20 70
TOO running feet OF books by Miss Lib
hey alone, and the manuscripts or me
eighty plays will bring this total OF Ieet
much higher. Furthermore, ~ nay gs
said that all the copyright papers maze
ont in washington for each of the plays
also are in the library
Exper on Love Speaks.
Miss Iibbey spoke of love She had
been asked about her work and 10 tell
the secret II her marvellous. monu-
mental success, and she answered pref
tiIv that the secret is Love; just love.
one dav. as students OF Libbeyana VIII
recall Miss IIbbey coined the phrase,
Love makes the world 60 rouna anu
from that very day II mas been gong
.sIf the Heart Is Truly Mated IS MISS
Iibhev's favorite. she says. OF All the
beautiful plays she has written, Just IS
her frst novel, Miss Middleton.s Lover
or. Parted on Their BrloaI TOUR ID
her favArite novel She said:
Il Wa a mere girl, little sprlte'
when began first to write. l was Iheh
in school j wrote nice little coihpoSl-
lions every Friday afternoon Tor peaCn-
or NV teacher liked them very much.
and 1 had her encouragement 70 Work
on and on and on. and now-Weu' mere
I am. Now I have finished eighty plays
and I am taking my first rest
Parted on Their Bridal Tour was
the first play. and took II into Colonel
CoCkerill's office over IN Manhattan one
day when Robert Ingersoh was visiting
him. Colonel COckerlu turned 10 the
last act Immediately and asked me IN
creduously, Miss Laura. did you have
any help?' and trUthfUlly 1 told him 1
had done it all by nay own little sell
Own Romance Late.
Miss IIbbey IS now a little more than
forty-siy, years old. Among her popu-
lar novels are Lovers Once. But
strangers Now" THAT Pretty Young
Girl" "a Forbidden Marriage" olives
Courtship' and When His Love Grew
Cold" and more than fifty others.
Her own romance came late In life.
She was thirty-siL when she married
In all her newspaper interviews she has
confessed 10 being happy, and IN an
swer to the question Il marriage had
changed her work she once said:
In a way, yes. I think IL has become
more gentle There is an instinct aWak-
ened in a woman when she assumes the
duties OF a wife that she has not before
known It changes her whole existence.
She generally becomes gentler. She
sees too the affairs of the world from
another point OF view-her husbands.
As she talks with him she absOrbs some
OF his ideas, usually the softer OF them.
This makes her more charitable You
see. I have fed the sentiments of other
women for so long a time that that
work has become as C. part Of myself.
But sometimes, you know, the pur-
veyor becomes hungry-and-sO-w "
Maxims for Lovelorn.
Following are Miss Libbeys maxims
for 1OvelOrn girls:
Every woman needs a love story TO
read"
Most women read love stories 10 ex-
cess"
Men love women who advance as
they grow older. but who stil remain
wOmanly."
DO not be over-romantic. or your
husband will tire of you"
do not at any time be too independ-
ent This is one Of the many things
that wrecks homes
''Of course this world IS saturated
with love. Were II not. how do you
think we would liver"
"A diary is the best and most appro-
pirate place for your sentimental con-
LESSONS"
Miss Libbey is described by the I'M
imaginative as plump and mOtherly"
in her appearance.