The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-07


ter known 70 the literary world as Rita"
This being her first tour Of America,
and consequently her first trip TO Wash
ington. she has some interesting views
OF the country as a whole and this city
In particular.
On being seen at her hotel the English
novelist, unlike most people In the public
eve. showed a decided disinclination 20
be interviewed
After the experience l had in New
York. do not care TO have my views OF
this country quoted-or. rather. mis-
qUoted-like they were there Why, they
put big headlines I'm the papers. saying
that Rita said this and Rita said that.
and | had not said anything Of the kind.
IL was just the ideas Of the reporter that
he had made up his mind 20 make me
say. One Of them called on me and
asked what I thought Of the girls and
women over here. He seemed to have IL
TN his mind that all EnElishwoman
thought American women were too stout,
so the next morning I read in the paper
that ] had said they we're entirely too
fat The fact is. / had expressed the
opinion that they were slender.
Thinks Capital Delightful.
SYes. this is my first visit to your
country, and l must say I think IL de-
ughful After arriving In Washington.
am sorry / wasted several weeks in
New York. for this city seems just like
Paradise. l am perfectly delighted with
the appearance of Washington. and I
think IL Is the most beautiful city / was
ever i'm. Ny letters home 20 my husband
ore enthusiastic on the subject Of Wash
ington and its buildings and trees I
love trees. you know. and 1 have a room
here where ] can look out over the ave
nues and see all the trees and green
foliage, and il seems to me that / have
never seen so much green in my life.
Your broad avenues. lined with the trees,
are as nearly ideal as I can imagine
The other day I took trip down the
Potomac to the tomb Of Washington at
Mount Vernon. I suppose every one goes
there
This morning I took the car and went
out to-where is it, Cabin John2 Yes,
that is H. You are certainly blessed in
having such magnificent scenery. OF
course. that Of other countries and places
Is more rugged. but Tor lavish colOring
and natural beauty Washington sur
passes.
Your public buildings are so beautiful
Yes ] heard that several persons have
been making remarks about the effect
OF them-the artistic effect. that is-but
20 me the view Of the Capitol as one
goes down Pennsylvania avenue, and
then the appearance Of the Library OF
Congress behind il are hard 90 surpass.
I think the great Capitol. standing there
with its majestic dome and the green OF
the shrubbery around Il. is more beau
tiful than anything that I have ever seen.
That IS the reason that like the White
House so much, too; IL is so simple. yet
so stately. No. / don't suppose that you
could call the Library Of Congress simple.
and 7 will admit that ii is a trine too
ornate for my taste. yet IL is not too
glarngly so. a friend OF mine laughed
at me the other day when / told her that
loJ years from now the frescoes Of the
Library would be magnificent. But II is
the truth At present they are too fresh.
i
not criticisinC the work on them OF any
thing OF that kind-they are simply too
new. After 100 years they will take on
that mild. soft tone that all new pictures
Iack-that tone that one sees in the fres-
Goes in the cathedrals in Italy.
VIII Remain Few Days.
81 expect only TO remain in the city
Fp~r f,.. g,-e-
on Monday but they tell me that there
is going TO be some big celebration here
next Wednesday. and I should not wonder
If I stayed over for that. I have fallen
so much In love with washington and
the people here that I really hate TO
leave. I have not had ar opportunity as
yet 10 fully explore the city. but from
what have seen OF it I do not hesitate
70 say that I think that all Americans
should be proud TO have such a city as
this for their Capital
81 think that you ought 10 have gained
my opinions about your country and city
sufficiently well by this time. and I really
don't think OF anything more that I can
tell you. except 10 give you a copy Of
list Of my books II you would like TO
have one. (NIrs. Humphreys has written
sixty novels in ALL Now. I hope that YOU
will be careful and not write me w and
quote me as saying things that never
said at all, Ike some of the others did.
for want to carry away pleasant memo
ries Of my stay in what I consider the
peer of any city have ever visited"
Among the many books Mrs Hum
phreys has written the following are
probably the best known: Dame Dur
dem one Of the first "Asenath Of the
Ford" Gretchen" Joan and Mrs
Carr" AN Old Rogue's Tragedy" The
Sinner" Prince Charming" Souls ."
"The Masqueraders, Saba Macdonald 80
THE testers" and a number Of books Of
short stories.
Her latest story is serious. and she
calls It Calvary" II is A semi-religious
novel, bringing in Christian Science and
the influence ii has had one Of the
purposes Of her visit over here is 10 see
some publishers about having this book
printed on this side-as II has not been
published on the other as yet But she
mas had difficulty in finding any that are
willing to take it on-they claim 1t is
above the heads Of the people, and will
not take here.
Another late venture is her volume Of
"reminiscences Of a Literary Life" for
which she is also looking for a publisher
She hopes that one, or perhaps both Of