Evening star., 1937-11-28


tend to dig them up and sell them
at the nearest tourist camp. Your eyes
grow moist, too, at her bravery as
she risks her own life to save the
Indian agents baby from the fangs
Of a rattlesnake.
Not content to depend upon her own
observations and subsequent reference
work for the background of this
Indian story, Mrs. Coblentz sub
mitted her manuscript to the Museum
of Northern Arizona at Flagstaff, and
to the Smithsonian and Carnegie In
stitutions here in Washington for a
check on its accuracy.
Belittles Genius Talk.
Mrs. Coblentz resolutely brushes
aside the ascribing of any burning
genius to herself Her lovely brown
eyes take on proud light only when
she says The single act of genius in
my life was that of marrying my hus-
band" Their romance began when
she was as she puts it, "a very minor
assistant in the personnel division of
the Bureau Of Standards" to which
position she was appointed because
OF her business training.
Mrs Coblentz is not only fond of
cooking and of homemaking. but be-
lieves that unless woman is able to
look we'll to the ways Of her house
hold by actual experience in the doing
when need arises. that she is losing
part OF woman's great heritage of life
and living. Delightfully."- she says, Il
do believe some of the very best ideas
in my books have come to me while I
have been in the preparation of a
meal or washing the dishpan after
ward"
When We asked her what avocation
she most enjoyed after writing, her
prompt reply was. reading" In this
connection she told a story on herself
about the dour but efficient librarian
in Hardwick VT. the little village of
her birth. In the summers. Youthful
Catharine Cate had a way of present.
ing herself every single day at the
library center with the request. May
I have another book please?" Invari-
ably there would be a check-up to
ascertain if there had been injudicious
"skimming." sometimes a little homi-
ly. "on reading" for the benefit that
a book can dot in addition to the
pleasure 1t gives you" and often a,
well. at this rate Of going, there soon
won't be library big enough to hold
you"
One Of the joys Mrs. Coblentz frank
ly admits. ''is that there is no possible
danger Of the supply Of books giving
out"
Writing Another Book.
In the study Of their home at 2727
Macomb street NV, in one of those
quiet harbors of busy lane Of aterial
traffic in which Washingtonians are
still able to delight. Mrs Coblentz is
now engaged in the writing of her
third book.
The fascinating historical story
which is its background, she stumbled
on in Holland during this past summer
when she accompanied her husband
to the land Of the dykes for the In
ternational Congress of Light to
which DR.. Coblentz was a delegate
from our Government OF personal
interest in connection with their
Netherlands visit and the book which
she is evolving from it, was the fact
that Resolved White, Mrs. Coblentz
Colonial ancestor, was born in Holland
during the Pilgrims respite there be-
fore they took final refuge in New
England.
Among q fascinating number OF
quaint fan mail letters on her desk
from small readers of her true stories
in history" books, at which We asked
permission to peep. We glimpsed two
which especially interested us. A little
boy in New England, not too good q
speller at that, painstakingly requests
that she write a book about pioneer
furniture in America because my
mother is more interested in that than
anything else" The small daughter
of her publisher. to whom her father
submitted" Mrs. Coblentz's manu-
script of The Blue and Silver Neck
lace" for her reaction before he him
self officially passed upon it, writes,
Il love your Ala for sitting on the
dinosaur tracks as long as she did SO
that the bad white men could not
steal them from her people. and !
cried when she gave up the turquoise
and silver necklace she loved SO
dearly"