The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-04-06
Harold Bell Wright Treasures
a Poem Dedicated to Him by a
Tulsa WOmdn--Mrs. Ben Blakeneu

your lines 80 charminEly for my
O. pleasure ! count an honor OF far
greater worth than the praiso II
professional critics or tho idle ap-
plausc OF multitude Of thought
less readers believe mc with an
my heart thank you
And 40 you are also "A lover OF
the Ozarks! OF course though.
YOU could scarcely be anything
else could YOU | know your
father. that tx | mean. | know his
Kind the best kind on earth .-
brave, trurhcartcd heroes Of many
lonely unknown bIttloNclds Yuu
say YOU have no CduCition beg
your pardon madam, tu have had
such a father is an education that
cannot be equallod by college or
university. congratulate YOU.
| wish that my education was even
AZ your own. | have not even the
college or the university
NO, I WAS not born and raised
IN the OZarks was born In an
eastern stale. | Was not raised at
all-just came up somehow.
don't know how, don't nobody else
know either | reckon Some folks
say hits Jest luck. Some lows hits
something else, | don't know what
IL X myself But this | know
knowing and loving the ozark
people as YOU du--thit you should
find my characters true ~ the very
finest compliment | have ever
received
NO, the ntw story is not an
ozark story Hut 10 has bits OF our
California mountains in It that |
rather think YOU viii like. | am
doing an Arizona story now and
next am fullv determined |
shall go back to the OZarks again.
Now see how much have
written when | meant only To say
how | thank you for your poem
and for your letter.
very sincerely yours.
"HAROLD BELL RIGHT"
1t was In the reading OF the bool
that Mrs. Blakeney found hcr in
spiration Born and reared I'm tn,
OZarks. among the very scenes which
are pictured 40 Nividly in "rhi
Shepherd OF the HIls." II was no
difficult for her with her natura
poetic talent, To inscrlbc the linej
which brought this treasured lettcl
from the author OF the book.
TO world reporter. Mrs Blake,
ney told something OF her early III,
In that country which Mr Wrigh
has 80 vividly pictured To the mind
Of hundreds OF thousands OF Amcri,
cans who had ns little place FOR Il
In their minds as the average Ozarkel
has for worldly things.
MY father went into the OZARK
country at the close OF The Clvil wal
in which he fought as a union sol
der" she said "Hc became "A mis-
sionary among those people and
married an Arkansas girl. And there
among these hills lrwas born. My
father was my tutor, had no sChOO
Rocks were my com,
panions because there were no other
FOR me And there
lived until was II years old when
we came to oklahoma"
That IN brief is the early life story
Of the woman whose poetic talcnti
have attracted far more than state,
wide attention In spite Of a spirit OF
modesty which rather rebels at tn,
thought that there is more than pass
ing merit In the work OF her brain
and pen.
Fiction was denied her In hci
youth. But as she grew older. Mrs
Blakeney says. sho eagerly devouret
every work OF fiction she could lay
her hands on and today her Creates
delight is 10 combine her duties Of
motherhood with the pleasures thai
comes from reading and from giving
play 10 her gift OF writing verse.
What education have she