Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31

our difficulties will be practically over, as
there are plenty of boats to take us to
Rhartoum. At the latter place l hope to
meet Mrs. Roosevelt.
THE 1900 miles Of practically UNEMPLOYED
country through which we will travel lies
between Lake Tanganyika and the Upper
Nile. The trip should take several months,
though it is quite impossible to set a time
limit upon it. If we make twenty miles a
day steadily we could do the 5000 miles
from Capetown to Cairo in five months.
But there are all sorts OF unforeseen cir
cumstances which might interfere, and 80
Is Is well not to figure too closely on the
time.
MANY OF my friends have asked me why
l am undertaking such a journey. Well, In
the first place-it may sound frivolous as a
reason-I wish TO accomplish such a trip
for the purpose OF dlverting society women
from their useless way of spending their
lives. l move in what may be called high
society in England. and / find much of the
life led is perfectly purposeless and vapid.
1t is well not to figure too closely on the
interest In travel and adventure, to show
women that there are better things than
bridge and house parties. II / go through
this country safely, it will be, as it were,
an opening wedge; and have no doubt
that in a few years time society women
will take up this class OF work. There is
plenty Of amusement to be obtained from
such an adventure, and, in addition to this,
there is the great gain to the empire of
opening up the district"
Friends Warn gains Trip.
Despite all Miss Mansfield's disclaim.
| ara ms ~ Tho dapoar thoN p,au ottand
her in passing through this country, per-
sons acquainted with the matter say that
1t is a risky thing for a woman to do.
She has already received hosts of letters
from white residents in A~frica-wholly
unknown to her-warning her against
undertaking so perilous a trip, but, as all
her arrangements are made, she says
there is no turning back. 80
Miss Mansfield has achieved fame in
England in various walks of life. She
is a well-known author and as a poet
enjoys the distinction of being called the
ELLA Wheeler Wilcox OF England. Her
little book OF poems, FLOWERS of the
Wind created a furore in London So
ciety circles a year or two ago, while
her novel, Torn Lace" was widely COM
mented upon.
Miss Mansfield lays special claim on
American interest, owing to the fact that
her grandparents, the Mathers, went over
in the Mayflower and distinguished
themselves in Massachusetts, for their
witch burning agitation. Miss Mans
field owes considerable Of her literary
success to the fact that William Waldorf
Aston first introduced her to the public
through the columns OF the Pail Mall Maya
zine. He published her first poem-written
during the Boer war-entitled Those Who
Walt and Weep 1t was recited in many
parts of England at the time.
Heroine NeedIewOrk Expert.
Miss Mansfield has also won distinction
for herself in a line wholly different from
poetry writing or adventures In the jungle,
that is, in needlework, A few years age
she gave an exhibition of very remarkable
embroidery in Bond street. A number OF
magnificently worked screens were exhib-
tied, and even Queen Alexandra was struck
with them, paying a special visit to the
exhibition. 1t is quite unusual to find g
poetess going in for such womanly accom-.
~plishments as needlework.
After achieving fame by her poems
n~eedlework and books. she gave them al
up for a while and threw herself into poll
teal life' going on the stump on behalf
OF the conservatives. After a year or TIVE
/" pOiitISoi VI mas returned 10 NrltlnB, dlC
; after her trip through South Africa, sh,
' hopes to bring out several books DEALING
, with various phases OF life in that country
Miss Mansfield is a fine horsewoman, ant
5 an enthusiastic follower Of the hounds
3 She is also a good "all around" athlete
} knows how to fence, box and play tennis
. She is tall, OF graceful carriage and hand
some figure, possessed of remarkable eye
and light golden hair.
= II Miss Mansfield accomplishes her ob
e ject, and succeeds In getting society folk
to interest themselves In trips similar t.
her own, before many years it will doubt
less be quite the thing" to take a littl
'junket" from the Cape de Cairp. Peopl
e will have to hurry up, however, otherwis
!, the railway will anticipate them and the
I all the romance will have vanished.
z ERNEST l.. SCOTT.