The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-29
WHEN THE READ"S7. ELMO'
Success of the Play in New York Recalls Age of Thrs-A Best Seller of '66I Calling an Old Volume Rol-Mrs.
 Augusta Evans Wilson's Appeals to the Romantic
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

Although Birmingham had the pleas- ure of witnessing the dramatlzation of Mrs. Augustus Evans Wilson's novel. St. Elmo early in the season, not until the play was handsomely staged and pro- duced in New York last week, was 1t real ized to be one of the big hits of the other day-a woman who knew the great southern authoress very pleasantly, and who grew quite reminiscent as she spoke of Mrs. Wilson and her novels which every southerner points to with pride and affection.
 'I shall never forget the first time I met Mrs Wilson," I remarked as we grew interested in our conversation. "Her sis- ter, who is my very sweet friend, Mrs. J. W. Bush. of this city. was enter taining her at her home, then over on the | Northside of town. up in Park avenue, and she had very kindly asked me to come in to see her, which opportunity l eagerly grasped. She was the gentlest, sweetest, quaintest type of southern wom-' anhood ever met. and her low musical voice-thAt passing sweet entertainment of the really charming woman-held you ! as firmly as did the grasp Of her friendly l hand, extended in cordial greeting, as you met her"
 And isn't 1t delightful that our favoY- ite among her books was chosen to be dramatixed?" said my friend who was greatly interested in the complimentary press notices from the metropolis of the play
 How 1t all recalls to my mind my girl hood days when I wept over Mrs. Will sons fascinating heroes and intellectual heroines, don't suppose there Is q woman whose girlhood dates back to the } seventies or eighties who does not place ESSt. Elmo among her carly literary loves." l And much further down the line than that" said I. as 1 recalled the happy | days when "Mavcaria," fBeuiah," "Vash- ] tf,' "I1ez; A Tale of the Alamo" and At the Mercy of Tiberius." filled my life and h1art so completely, that my one Idea VI some day to meet the wonder ful wAfRen who conjured these romances out ofher ingenious brain.
 T cuh recall" said my friend. "a wom- an wi6n many years to her credit, but
 1hose heart and mind are even now as
 lght and alert as the youngest. how my
 Ie sisters would find me locked up in
 groom crying over the pages of one of \ nae beautiful books! I remember my
 ther said Lxshculd not read another .Upvel during Dne especial school term. But byi hook or crook I got hold of St. Elmo hi4aSin my top bureau drawer. among an'sth6&ribbons and sashes. and I would sneak tway and lock the door. pretending. that was making my bed. and sweeping my room, and would sit by the window and positively devour 1t until I heard another calling: It's time ] for school,s and often with my eyes red and weepinse4 would cram the volume back h4o slha drawer and rush for my lunch hasxet and books and ny off to school, with Ky heart in the top bureau drawersHi Edna Earle and St. Elmo.
 T reshenber the first time read it. said I, Sssas with a girl friend of mine, and vetnlb us nice little bed on the slopins roof of the kitchen of our great biz. old-fashioned house over in Missis- ! sippf Here we would 70 after school and aimnpt collapse until we got fairly into the,,tek at the place we left of. My litRH<Rfrl friend was very slow Iireadsr& Ie read like lightning, and used tos Early die to turn the page. but had to nit patiently and wait for her to scan t through My eyes fairly
 danced over every line. and how we winked anA blinked and cholSed the sobs 9Idcwn toward the last as the story un- .lfolded--tears that we would have gloried