Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-10-11
Among the
Alps
A Singular Story Of the
Writing Of q Pic.
tune Play
By F. A. mitchell

/ am considered literary woman.
though am really nothing more than
literary hack. Real literary persons
usually 30 hungry. I have from the
first made a fair living and. consider
ing that I am q woman. . very good
living. The reason for this 10 that do
my part In supplying that perennial
flow OF reading matter that ID quaffed
by the masses. whose literary taste Is
negligible The readers Of classic liter.
allure compared with consumers OF ev-
eryday literary fodder are as one to
million. That b the reason why l,
person devoid OF genius. am enabled to
make living.
Ny natural instincts are all for art.
but unfortunately art requires educa-
ton, and when l was thrown on my
own resources for q living I had not
the means to obtain an education.
There are no schools Of literature. Any
one who possesses pen. Ink and pa
per may scribble and the pecuniary re-
turn of scribbling Is not an index Of
the nature OF the production So took
up my pen and went to work. What
wrote seemed to interest Tom. Dick
and Harry. and since Tom. Dick and
! Harry were In the market for some
thing to read began at once to make q
living.
While these preliminary remarks are
perhaps essential to my story. there Il
in them but one statement that the
story Is intended to bring out l have
said that my natural leanings are To-
ward art. know q thing Of beauty
instinctively. and can conceive
thing OF beauty. But never having
beer educated to produce anything
beautiful. l am unable to do So. One
more element In which what I am 60
Ing to tell IL essential also have dra-
matte instinct
| Now for the story:
One winter. desiring to take 4 vaca-
don during the following summer. !
worked very hard in order to produce
the funds for a trip abroad The re-
1 sui was tikat kAy DtVAC oOWo
under the strain took my vacation.
but instead Of travelling for enjoyment
Travelled for my health Furthermore.
instead Of improving l grew worse.
Feeling that needed quiet. went to
interlaken, in Switzerland. hired q
room with windows opening on several
II the most magnificent views have
ever beheId and settled down to recu
perate
/ had met during the ocean voyage n
Foung wounan--Enen Trowbridge-who
vas trying to make an artist Of her
,elf She was on her way to Switxer-
| and for the hot season. after which
she was going down into Italy to CON-
nence her studies Being two lonely
American women. we agreed to travel
IN company apd took a room In the
,ame house at interlaken.
A few days after eur arrival there
collapsed Something seemed TO give
| way somewhere within me. and lost
>onsciousDess. From that dime for two
months remained In an abnormal
sondition. A part Of the time was in
bed and q part sitting up In an easy
chair by q window looking out on one
Of the many views spread before me
From my bed looked ont upon that
| beautiful nnountAin. the Jungfrau, as II
. seen from Interlaken rising out Of
salley made BY two. nearer mountains.
For months before my departure from
homo had been creating stories, and
| they were tumbling about In my brain
| IN confusion. After a time they shaped
| themselves In dreams. While lying In
| my bed persons were enacting parts. It
seemed, on their own account. for ]
had no power-at least was conscious
| ,f none-to compel them to do my bid
/ ling.
And here let me say that In hction
u plays, which are q form Of fiction.
q great mistake il made In supposing
| that the author controls his characters.
/ 1t Il the characters that control the
author. He can force them to do his
bidding, but he win spoil his story
| There are grooves for the emotions as
well rs other things. and let him drag
4 character out Of its groove. and 1t
viii balk at once. Then the author
must get him back where he belongs
or he viii stand out from the natural
ness Of the play like sore thumb.
During this abnormal period Of mine
was conscious Of Ellen Trowbrldge
being IN tho room. sometimes minister
Ing to my wants. sometimes sitting al
4, table writing. sometimes at her
sasel sketching. These were only
Elimpses Of her. which would come
Ind 60 a. figures In dream They
were real enough at times for me to
have q dim consciousness Of the fact
that / was fortunate In having m
American companion to take an inter
/ est In me.
In the early part Of my Illness
was trying 10 disentangls the many
stories I had written during a long
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