The Washington herald., 1908-02-02
Rr pExrER ,IARsHALL.


Westeott, and his book David Harum. -
While none OF the succeeding flood of
best sellers" has been produced on a
deathbed, ii is nevertheless true that sew
eral have been written by two women
who are in the invalid class.
Born IN 1870 Mary Johnston. whose
"To Have and TO Hold" enjoyed enor-
nous sales few years ago, has spent
her whole life in a vain search for
health. AS a mere child she was so deli
cate that she was sent TO school only "a
few months all told Her lack Of health
also kept her from college and so. with
the help of her Scotch grandmother she
educated herself in her fathers big Ii
bTary what time she was not pursuing
health at the seashore or in the noun
tains.
BY the time she was sixteen she had
gained a broad knowledge Of history and
OF the standard works Of fiction. Then
her mother died, her education abruptly
came to an end. and for the next ten
years. as the oldest child of large fam
lily, she was kept busy looking after the
affairs Of the house as best her health
would permit.
Ambitious as "A Child.
As a mere child she had longed TO
write, but it was not until she was
twenty-slX, when she was i'll in bed, that
she found time to turn seriously 10 her
ambition Then she wrote some verse
that was published. Encouraged by this
minor success. she fell back on her
knowledge Of history and fiction. with
what result the present generation Of fic-
ton readers does not need to be told.
A year ago she was so ill that her re-
coyery was despaired Of.
Many of Kate Douglas Virgins tAJTs.
Riggs books have been produced wholly
or in part at health resorts The first
chapter of her 'Rebecca," distinctly a
''best seller" was written while she was
i'll in bed. and she had not recovered her
Wonted health when the book was fin
ished- Indeed, the idea OF the book came
TO her IN a dream while she was III. She
saw stage coach being driven along a
country road by a Jolly fellow. Out Of
the window of the coach leaned d little
girl. with black eyes, black pigtail and
a buff dress. trying TO attract the drivers
attention. So vivid was the dream that
1t suggested the idea of "Rebecca," and
a few weeks later the first chapter Of the
book was completed.
Before Mrs. Riggs decided to follow
literature. she was the pioneer i'm the
free kindergarten movement on ths Pa
ciic Coast organizing a kindergarten
IN the siums OF San Francisco when she
was little more than girl. In the ten
years that she engaged in this work she
planted free kindeTgarteus for poor chill
dren all alons the Pacific Coast, patiently
ii
always confront a pioneer, During this
period she wrote. in collaboration with
her sister, eight volumes on kindergarten
work that are standards to-day. She
never has lost her interest in the poor.
and is the leading spirit in the improve
ment society that she and her sister or
ganiZed in the little Maine village where
she spends her summers.
Sold story to Magazine.
Prior 10 becoming a kindergarten
teacher Mrs. Riggs had a three-part
Child's story accepted by a child's maga-
zine The $50 that she received for it
came at a time when she was sadly In
need of money. She was enormously /
pleased with her success, naturally, but
after thinking matters over. she decided
that she was not cut out for a writer Of
fiction. that her field was teaching IN
stead. So she turned to the kindergarten. /
and not until she was searching around
years later Tor a way to secure more
funds for this work did she write fiction
again. Then, suI with no idea Of taking
up literature as her life's work, she wrote
Patsy" following it with THE Birds
Christmas Carol These little books !
had q fair sale at % cents Il copy.
Still, with no idea of turning definitely I
10 literature, Mrs. Riggs continued teach /
inE Then, one day. when she found /
herself in need OF money, she sent q copy /
Of THE Birds Christmas Carol" 10 am |
Eastern publishing house. That firm 1
liked the book but shied at publishing /
So, since it had been I'm print Finally the /
head of the house decided 10 publish the /
book anyway. tt was the success Of this /
venture that determined Mrs. Riggs, after /
ii few more months Of kindergarten work I
in ST Louis and Boston. 90 make utera- 1
ture her life-work
AS in the case of Miss Johnston, the /
state of Mrs. Riggs health requires that /
she do most Of her writing in the open. |
When she is at her summer home I'm /
Maine she has her desk placed under a /
tree IN the apple orchard, and here she /
works all morning beginning al the early
hour OF 7:50. She devotes her afternoons /
10 recreation, her evenings 10 reading
and social pleasures.
Society Leaders as Authors.
At least two others OF the goodIy num-
her Of women who have produced books
of wide and steady sales. Alice Hogan
Rice and Margaret Deland, did not plan
out literary careers for themselves. and
owe their fame more to accident than de-
sign
Three years after sine had been married
Mrs. Deland was shopping one day with
friend, and in moment Of sentiment
scribbled a little poem on piece of wrap-
ping paper and handed it TO her com
pan0n, a Miss Derby, who thought so
highly of the verse that she showed IT In
turn 10 Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Oliver
Wendell Holmes, ana William Dean
H0WClIs. Each praised the poem. Then.
Hiss Derby. dTming herself with a box
of pens, several reams of paper, and two
bottles OF ink sought out Mrs Dalaud
laid the utensils before her and com
mandpd her 10 write Two years later.
and after six re-writings, John Ward.
Preacher" was ready for "a publisher
Mrs Deiand was born in the same year
as Mrs. Riggs 1857. She was tWenty-six
when she was married; Mrs RiSgs did ,
not wed until she was thirty-eight. Both
We're born Tn Pennsylvania, Mrs. Deiaud ,
IN Allegheny, and Mrs Riggs in Philadei-
phia The latter. rs "a girl, Ead sufficient ,
health 90 permit her TO graduate from a
girls academy in 1878, the former. because ,
she was delicate. WAS educated at home =
by tutors. and her first ambition was 10 I
become a sculptor To that end she
studied art for a time az Cooper Union, +
New York.
Read sketches to Her Friends. h