The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-25

tous one for me.
my Godl' said Mr.. DRESSER, looking me over.
Another infant come to New York to reform it.
But after little talk he offered me job, editorial
work at good salary.
"'I1 have to think that over said, the te,ap
tation Of good regular salary struggling against
my plans for writing and writing only.
mo, Mr.. DRESSER ordered, you sit right there
and decide now
$50 sat there and thought about it, and finally
l told him that wouldn't take his job. l had
stuck out this far and guessed l could 60 on.
"'Al right, Mr.. DRESSER agreed without argu-
ment Stick it out at the writing game if you want
to. 1t won't be easy but you will make good. YU
will have hard time at first, and you will need
pluck. But in five years you will land and land
big As for these stories of yours, will buy them.
And he named sum staggering to my inexperience,
though he assured me he was taking advantage Of
me because was unknown"
A Feature Writer.
Not long afterward Mrs. WnLsIE' stories began
to appear in the magazines and were unusually
popular She took up the writing Of special articles
for such periodicals as Harper's Weekly and Col
her. on important DISCRIMINATION divorce,
Indians the United States Reclamation Service.
,
Weekly, said of her work: 'She has the ability to
get at the essentials of big question and put it in
simple human terms"
Mrs. WuLSIE'S first published novel was The
Heart of the Desert, which came out in 1913. 1t
immediate recognition for her. RICHARD LIE
GALLIENNE writing appreciation of Mrs. WILL
SIZE in the Book News Monthly of March, 1917,
said:
GAS a boy, of course I adored the American In
dian of Kenmore COOPER, but since then, words
fail. If have a bette nore in fiction nowadays it
is the American Indian. mention this purely per-
sonal popularity merely to emphasize the delight
which took in Mrs WHIsIE' s hero in The Heart
of the Desert-and his truly heroic wooing and
winning of white girl with Mrs. WuLsTE's, and,
am sure, all her readers concurrence. Never was
such masterful woong one brought to winning
through such heart beating suspense such grim,
passionate race for love and life in SO wild and
starlit and infinite setting"
And he says that therefore "when say that, in
my opinion, The Heart of the Desert is one of the
best yarns and if 1 may say so, one of the most
virile love stories written in time, it is not from
any prejudice in favor of its subject matter
Mr. lie Gallienne on Mrs. Wilsie.
Mr.. LIE GALIENNE had this to say of Still Jm:
apart from the book as story, its quality OF
atmosphere its breath of vast spaces, its sense Of
heroic action on a great stage were remarkable.
There was, too that background of character to
the writing in which the life of book mainly re-
sides and for lack of which so many clever books
come and 60, perishing like the summer skies.
Lydia of the Pines combines all Mrs. WnLsEs
qualities and characteristics in maturing ratio.
More and more she is the passionate dreamer
of the true American ideal practical dreamer too,
not afraid to arragn America to her face for wrong
done in the past and wrongs still ADDING. The
theme of Lydia of the Pines is one of the nobest she
could have chosen-the infamy of political corrup
ton that is so subtly and cruelty doing the last
wrong to the Indian by the legalized theft of his
pitiful reservations
"'Where the pine forest is destroyed, the pines
never come again such is the burden Of this noble
and very moving story of high souled but most
human girl whose family and friends are impli-
Gated in real estate deals with Indians Of nearby
reservation. 1t is simple story too, moving among
simple lives in simple Western mieu which
Mrs WuJSIE presents with great fidelity with