The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-23
Famous Author 10 Attending Meeting
Of Muscatine Deanery
Today In
keokuk.
LIKES LOCAL PEOPLE
Says This 10 Her Second Visit and
She Hopes II Will Not
Be Her
Last. ms
by Winona e. Reeves.l

by Winona e. Reeves.l
| keokuk Is h0hored today in having
as guest the foremost woman author
of Iowa and one whose name stands
near the top among American authors
Alice French of Davenport. It is
such a Joy to meet woman who has
made a name for herself and who re-
ceives wherever she goes, ovations
and honor and to find her kind grac-
ious, modest woman. And that's what
Alice French is. We asked her If she
came to the convention in an official
capacity and she said ooh no, I'm
private in the ranks" Mrs. Watzick,
the state president who stood by said
"Oh no she isn't private at all. She's
the official booster who goes to the
triennieTs and comes to the sessions
Of the deaneTy and gives her Influence
and her open purse whenever either
are needed and We use both freely.
Alice French is a good church woman.
In reply to the question as to what
literary work she was doing just now
she said, nothing in particular for
myself. but I am busy. My secretary
laughs and says the boys and girls
would keep me busy. You should see
the letters I get from them asking for
arguments for their debates and for
outlines for stories in their studies In
English. Only day or two ago had
a letter from boy who said: I've got
to write about you at school. Can't
you send me some bright, snappy anec-
dotes in your life, some things that
haven't been published, so can make
it interesting?'
She laughed and said Il always help
them when-I can, but his order was a
pretty. big one"
Taking courage from her goodness
to the boys we asked her something
about how she set about her writing.
She said Z sit down in cold blood and
write against time for the publishers
always set limit. AS It is with most
tasks, for writing Is my work. It is
orten-times irksome, but after I'm start
ed get interested and love to write"
ner last story published was "A Step
on the Stair"
Likes keokuk Folks.
This is Miss French's second visit
to Keokuk. She was here for day or
two in 1892 and says that through all
those years she has wished that she
might come again. She said '"The
Keokuk people are my kind Of people.
They are cultivated people and are
worth while to know and am so pleas
ed to be here and hope that it isn't my
last visit. h@E
Miss French whose pen name is
Octave Thanet, was born in Andover.
Mass, and Is descended from a long
line of honored men and women. rep
oavso ~
cestry. Her father was the Hon.
George Henry French who was a
prominent legislator of Massachu-
sets. She was educated at Abbott
academy in Andover and has travelled
and studied "all her life. making her
a broadly educated woman. She is a
member of the Colonial Danes Of
America and is historian of the Ma
tional society. She is a member Of
the Mayflower club Of Boston and Of
the Barnard National Arts associa-
ton Of New York. Much of her life
has been spent in the east and her
winters are spent in California or
Florida, but she maintains a home in
Davenport with her friend, Mrs.
Crawford whom she calls her part
ner." She is interested in club work
and was one of the principal speakers
at the meeting of the Iowa Federation
at it's session in Iowa City. She spoke
this morning on the subject OF how
to interest the women OF the church
in the auxiliary and this afternoon on
the general aspect of the trfennial re-
Gently held in st. Louis, emphasizing
the spirit OF the convention and its
social side.