Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-08
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

-~-~~~--N~---
years ago was the cottage home in
Georgetown, on the heights
ronous above the old Aqueduct
Bridge, of Mrs. E. D. E. N.
~ Southworth. prolific writer
of novels which were highly rated by
the American reading public. In The
Star of September 6, 1890, Is an article
descriptive of the home and an inter-
view with Mrs. Southworth, in part as
follows:
a wonderful woman is Mrs. E. D. E. N.
Southworth: wonderful in her mental
capacity and her power of sustained
thought; scarcely less wonderful in her
physical makeup. She was writing
her chair and desk out on the porch of
her Georgetown home-when a Star re-
porter called the other afternoon to hear
the distinguished weaver of fact and
romance relate some Of her professional
experiences.
"A pleasant picture 1t was. In an
easy moving rocking chair sat the writer
of more than 70 novels. Her dress was
plain, black and lusterless; the cuffs of
black velvet black leather belt, with
huge gilt buckle, encircled her waist,
while a long gold chain dropped from
beneath the white fichu to the watch
in the belt, from which depends fan.
The hands are ringless and the thumb
and forefinger Of the dexter member
literally stained with ink. A more
kindly face-intellectual in every feature
never smiled a welcome to a stranger.
Father Time has failed to wrinkle the
forehead or distort feature, so he con-
tended himself by literally sprinkling
gray hairs in the hirsuit crown Dame
Nature made so beautiful in womankind.
A clear, sweet voice, never heard save
when there is something to be said, COM
pletes the sketch.
$50 you want me to tell you how
write a novel; said Mrs. Southworth to
the reporter. 1T is difficult thing to
explain the workings of a piece OF
InPClldlllSlll Will llO OtAS 40 AesAAAAA
lar I have no method. never did
have. 1 began without knowing I could
write a novel. My first effort was
story for the Washington National Era.
It was my intention to complete this
sketch in one number, but soon found
that to be impossible, so had to write
second, then third, then fourth. BY
that time I found I couldn't finish 1t IN
10 numbers, and thus was lengthy story
evolved from a small beginning; so was
my first MISREPRESENTATION
That was in 1847 and two years later
"Retribution" was republished by the
Harpers; the first novel of which I know
anything that was ever reprinted from
a newspaper or a magazine.
I'm those early days of my authorship
I wrote principally at night. Now
generally write from noon till midnight
"Writer's cramp has never troubled
me. I have avoided 1t entirely by in
creasing the diameter of my penholder
each succeeding year. You see now large
it is now.
"'To limited extent in my case, the
pen has been superseded by the type
writer, which I have operated for three
years past. 1t has been a relief, toy.
1t is as though a man has his child out
walking with him. The child becomes
tired and the father gives him his cane
to bestride. The child prances along
gayly and is no more tired. Such a
relief has the typewriter been to me.
On Friday night, when my task for the
week has been completed, have fire.
uuently sat down at the instrument to
make few notes on which to work dur
ing the following week. The change
from the pen would be so grateful that
on more than one occasion have rough
" written so much of the story as would
ordinarily have occupied days. Some
have regarded such combination of
mental and physical activity as remark
able, but it is not really so. Woman has
a more active cerebellum than man.
That can be seen when you watch a
girl of no extraordinary capacity play a
piece of intricate music on the piano, at
the same time keeping up closely con-
nected conversation. Writing never was
arduous; 1t Is not 80 now"