Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-30
Ella Wheeler Wilcox,
Passion POetess,' Dead

Continued From Page One
/ do not remember when I did not ex-
pect to be writer, and j was a neigh
borhood celebrity at the age of eight"
This is typical admission of n
woman whose egotism was inoffensive,
even though marked by obvious compla
cency. She told of the pessimism which
shrouded her family in their little
country him in Wisconsin, every mem
ber of which was unsatisfied with the
lot in which the lines of each had APP
parently fallen; of the lack of books and
periodicals, which made life an intel
'lectual famine and of conditions which
!. presented what looked like an insuper-
able barrier to literary or other aspira
tions.
''There was nothing in my sit =
uation," added this unusually fecund
producer of poetry and prose, ''to cul-
tivate poetic talent, and I no doubt owe
my early development as poet to that
fact, paradoxical as the statement may
SEEM
Her Literary Debut
Despite the discouraging environment
thus set forth, this somber faced little
maid launched her first ship on the lit
erary sea when she was barely thirteen
years old Unknown to her family, she
wrote two essays and sent them to
the editor of the New York Mercury Il
weekly publication, from which she had
derived at occasional intervals pabulum
for what she regarded as her budding
genius. posting them surreptitiously in
the midst of many juvenile difficulties.
The essays were printed, and as re-
endorsement for her contributions she
received the Mercury regularly, being
placed on the free list likewise a big
Ia Of hoo oil nf n
Success followed fast on early en-
deavor in the field of literature. First
financial reward came from Frank Les
lie, who sent q check for $40 for three
little poems from the pen of the Wis
consin maid, and for a period following
the publication of these the young au-
thor was local literary lioness' in
social circles.
Pressing need of a larger income
prompted her acceptance of Milwau
kee editors offer of $40 month to
edit the literary department of his
paper, but this employment was short
lived. the venture failing at the end OF
six months. Not long after this the
young woman's first collection of poems
Drops of Water" dealing entirely
with total abstinence. brought her $50,
Shells followed, then ,"Maurine,
declined by the firm to which it first
was offered brought out by Wiscon
sin firm and barely paying expenses
Two years later. however, the publish
ers who had rejected the verses came
back with the request for the privilege
of republishing tile book, with addi-
tional poems.
"POems of Passion"
OF the publication of Poems of Pas
) sion." which made a stir Throughout
the country at the time. Mrs WilcoA
wrote in her Autobiography
"When publishing 'Maurine l hat
purposely omitted more than two score
poems of a very romantic nature, II
order to save the volume from too mucl
sentiment. Letters began to come u
me requesting copies of these verses
2 ardent love songs which had appeared
in various periodicals.. This suggested
to me the idea of issuing book of lov'
noems to be called Poems of Pas
sion To think was to do, for | pos
scssed more activity than caution II
those days. :, A..
hook had been published in various
periodicals and had brought forth NJ
criticism. My amazement can hardi;
be imagined. therefore, when Jansen q
McCmng returned the manuscript OF my
volume, intimating that it was i'm
moral. told the contents of the lette
to friends in Milwaukee and it reached
the ears of sensational morning news
paper. The next day column article
appeared with large headlines Too
Loud for Chicago. The Scarlet City b.
the lake shocked by Badger girl, who's
verses out Swinburne Swinburne ant
out Whitman Whitman.