The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-03-13
A GIFTED WOMAN


The announcement of the death of
Amelia E. Barr, an authoress of note,
in Tuesdays Star, brought wildly to
mind visit by the writer to Mrs.
Barr in the fall of 1916 when in New
York with her friend, Mrs. H. C.
Groves. Mrs. Barr was living about
two miles away at Richmond Hill, L.
| T., and planned to visit her and i'm
mediately put our plans into action.
Taking a car we soon arrived at her
home, very large, roomy, comfort
liable cottage, like many others on the
same street. My ring at the door
bell was answered by an Irish maid, |
who to our inquiries if Mrs. Barr was
at home and would receive us, immed- |
lately said yes. and invited US into
the living room. In a few moments |
Mrs. Barr appeared and as i rose to |
greet her she motioned me to be Seat
ed and as with outstretched hands
she gave cordial greeting / found
myself looking into the face of al
woman with rosy cheeks, dark hair
i and bright, keen eyes; woman a lit
tic under medium height, but with an
erect and stately carriage, giving one
/ the impression of much taller per-
son and reminding me very much of
the same type as the late Queen Vic-|
toria. announced that ! was from
i florida and knew her daughter. Mrs.
i Kirk Monroe of Cocoanut Grove, and
THAT l had come to pay my respects
to her distinguished mother. Mrs.
Barr said as was her custom she had
been writing since 7:30 in the morn
ling and had just finished, it then be-
ling 3 in the afternoon, and she
thought that was pretty good for a
eight or nine hours a day. She then
told me the history of her life. She
was born in ulveston. Lancashire,
England, came to the United States
in 1853, when she opened boarding
: school in Chicago. which was very
successful, but as the climate did not
! agre with her, she moved to Memphis,
then to Galveston and Austin, Texas,
81 where she lost her husband, Robert
, Barr, of yellow fever. She was mar
Tried at the age of nineteen. Finding
Herself alone with her family, she be-
gan to write for living. 1t was not
: until she was fifty years of age that
: her first novel made its appearance.
She was a prolific writer, producing
(. mot only novels, but short stories, edi-
! torials and articles on various topics
lfor newspapers and magazines, which
/ appeared under different names. Eve
: Try morning representatives and re-
7 porters of the leading papers of New
( York called to pay their respects and
d to obtain her views on the questions
: of the. day. When / mentioned that
e my husband had been an editor, she
lplaced her small white hand on mine
and said, "You belong with US" She
Twas greatly interested in dress re-
4 form, on which she had written many
S PARTICLES. She mentioned her many
f friends of Aud Lang Syne. among
r whom were Henry Ward Beecher,
d Theodore Tilton, Robert Bonner. the
5 Harper Brothers and many of the
e leading men of the present time. She
was a firm believer in dreams, hav-
ing dreamed and prophesied the civil
e war and also our present war with
el Germany. She spoke of the German
e ipeople with feelings of bitterness, of
i their arrogance, overbearing and
: cruelty One COHpIlDuenJeO MIS-
d Groves of her fine physique, saying
e that she had not seen for many years
:. such healthy, fne-looking woman
Mrs Bars motto was shat hard
J. work was life's greatest blessing
v neither age nor infirmity should be
J. permitted to interfere with as much
S work as onels physical equipment per-
/ lmits." For nearly sixty years / have
a made my living out of my ink well
and in that time / have written ~
hooks, with three more begun" AS
d we rose TO go she followed US to the
: door and taking US both by the hand
o she begged us to return At the no.
e tice of her death a wave OF more than
!. usual regret passed through my mind
r and heart as Efelt that had lost al
most a near and dear friend. OF the
many events of my life stored in mem
! lory's hall, none stand out with more
VI pleasing recollection than my visit to
i'll Amelia Barr, noted novelist and
4 writer. Mrs C. l.. Bittinger