The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-09
STORY IS TOLD Of
QUICKLYENDED
YARN BY WRITER
BY MARaAREr WAFER.


BY MARGARET WALTER.
LONDON, Dec. s-Miss Daisy Ash
ford. who wrote The Young Visitors"
when she was years old. told a large
audience iu West End hall the other
afternoon all they wanted 20 know about
her childhood and her sisters and broth
ers and the books they wrote. Best u
all companion work Of The Young
Nislters' was read-in between storms
Of lauEhter-called The Jeilus Govern
ess' or The Granted Wish" by Angela
Ashford, Daisys youngest sister
Living In the depths Of the country"
said Miss Ashford. I'VE read everything
We got hold 81 and when books failed
mother used TO tell US stories or we'd
tell them 10 each other, ! wrote
great many other stories. We never
considered The Young Nisiters' nearly
as god as some Of the others. | wrote
II on the rainy days Of particularly
long and dreary winter. in a corner in
my fathers study | wrote my last sto-
~ the year | was 10. / shall not write
any more stories"
Miss Ashford good -naturedly read
aloud some chapters from THE Young
NiStters' In a rather careless. amused
voice She was constantly Interrupted
by roars Of laughter, and people who
knew the book by heart apparently, cor
stranger ventures an inaccuraCy In
reading well-kuown nursery favorite.
sin amazed at the success OF her little
book. Miss Ashford thinks il curious
that people should find II so interest
ing.
In appearance this so much wondered
about lady looks 10 he 80, is rather
short. very slight. with dark, smiling
eyes and dark brown hair. She worked
IN hospitals and canteens during the
war. and was at the front several times.
She was In fact doing relief work In
Btrne when telegram announced that
a publishers reader had got hold OF
her manuscript In a roundabout way
and had advised his firm 10 offer her
a fat sum for H.
Where did you get the subjects for
your characters Miss Ashford was
asked
Il always made up fanciful histories
for people | met would remember
what | actually heard them say and
make the rest 81 II fit in"
When the little informal talk was
finished everybody was invited into
the artists room TO SEQ and handle the
stout little book" which has ocCasoued
so much speculation Miss Ashford said
Il was one Of her mothers discarded
account books on which only a few
leaves had been written when II was
given TO her The story runs straight
along without pause except for the
chapter headings which are printed in
large bold childish letter type, and were
evidently carefully thought out, There
are occasional spelling corrections and
a word will be spelled in various ways
through the book, The title as written
was THE Young Vlseters," But the
publisher thought It better to substi-
tute an ~ for the first "e' as the
word was almost unrecogniZable.
The story finishes rather hurredly on
the last page OF the account book and
In turning over the leaves in showing It
| to me Miss Ashford remarked
III my book had been bigger I should
have gone on bit. There was quite a
| lot more to tell about Ethel IT all came
back to me clearly when We ran across
this among others OF our childhood rub
hish in an old cupboard when our home
was broken up last year"
While Daisy was writing THE Young
| Visitors" Angela, aged 5, now married
and living in southampton, was busy
with THE Jellus Governess," or ''The
! Granted wish
This astonishing story, so unconven-
| tional that one or two in the audience
| were plainly scandalged, opens with a
| conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Hoze
| sitting before the fire. MIR, HoZe Is
| Magazine. She is very delicate and
isn't paying much attention 10 her mag
azine She finally let's II dron in her
| lap and says, II wanta baby"
| Mr., Hoze looks up and declares, 1T 5
the one thing I've been Wishing for
Lets adopt one.p says Mr. HoZe
| mo. I want one Of my own replies
| the wife. looking very frail.
| Next morning about o'clock, before
they are up. the maid comes to tell them
the doctor is at the door.
Send him right up cries Mrs, Hoze
you don't mind his coming into our
| room, do you, Charlie?'
So the doctor with his bold sten" en-
| tiers the bedroom and lays a cardboard
| box on the bed
II heard you wanted baby says
| the doctor.
rs It boy or glrl?" asks Mrs,
Hoze
Il don't quite know" saws the doctor,
| laying the box on the eiderdown.
The doctor goes out kicking the
| door with his feet because he was hold
| ing his top hat in both hands" Mr.
Hoze suggests that they might open
"oh yes, let's do" says his wife
Elizabeth. SO she cuts the string and
a lovely fat baby rolls out onto the
! bed
isn't 1t a pity It hasn't got its eyes
| open, though she complains.
Hadn't we better put something or
! II" says the proud father.
Mrs. HoEe wraps the new baby up In
n blue shawl she had when she was
n baby and which she had kept all this
time on the ton shelf Of her wardrobe
She sets the baby up on the pillows
| between them
When the baby is six months old Mr.
| Hoze wants a nursery governess, His
wife saws the baby Is too young
But he could be getting used to hel
and she could helm us in the evenings,
he urges. So it's decided and Mr., Hoe
| dresses UP to go to town to Madame
Tonett's registry office to see abou
! one.
what do you think I've got or
clean" asks Mr., Ho2e Of his wife, who