Evening star., 1942-04-12
Washington Loses Another Famous Landmark

OIhkbluB ~ W bilc idI tllCob COiLCl Va viz
house away frcm the door and windows
she awaited the issue. The animals fol-
lowed the seem and began to dig and
struggle at the more secure portion Of
the cabin. More than an hour OF sus-
pense had elapsed to the wolf-be-
leaguered lady, when the welcome sound
Of mems voices and the reports Of guns
told the rescue and safety. And added
Mrs. Southworth, 7 lived there for some
time and passed some Of the happdest
hours of my life In the log cabin In the
forests of Wisconsin
But pioneering in the West did not
appeal to the Southworths, and soon
they were back in Washington, where
her husband left her and she was thrown
on her own resources, and began to teach
school.
Her career as q writer began one
Christmas eve as she sat by the fireside
in her little home at the southeast cor
ner Of Thirteenth and c streets S.W.
She was feeling very lonely, she relates.
and was discouraged, when all OF . sud-
den an old tradition Of st. Marys, Nd.
came to her mind, and the thought oc-
Cured to her that the story would be
interesting If written and printed. This
was Just q few years before the breaking
out Of the Civil War, when sectional
feeling was rather acute, and DR.. Snod-
grass was engaged in publishing the
Baltimore Saturday Visitor, paper with
q Northern lean, and as Baltimore was
a Southern city, his paper was about to
60 under. Sensing this, Mrs. South
worth thought her story would be ac-
cepted by the editor, especially II 1t were
contributed without charge.
The story, called THE Irish Refugee"
was written and forwarded to the editor,
and Mrs. Southworth determined II 1t
were not accepted, 1t would be her first
and her last literary effort. However.
although Dr. Snodgrass was about to
cease publication Of his paper, he ac-
cepted the story and sent her kind note
of thanks, which aroused her hopes and
gave her the courage she needed to con-
tinue writing stories for the Saturday
Visitor, which she did until that paper
SUSPENDED and was absorbed by the Ma
tional Era, begun In Washington as a
weekly by DR.. Gamaliel Bailey early ir
1847.
1t SO happened that when the Baltimor'
Visitor went under, Mrs. Southworths
most ambitious story up to that time
THE Wifes Victory"-was In type and
reading for the press, and DR.. Snodgrass
strongly recommended it for publication
to the editor of the Era, who accepted
the suggestion, and 1t was this story that
paved the way for Mrs. Southworth's
future success.
It may be recalled that it was In th'
National Era that Harriet Beeche
Stoves story of Uncle Toms Cabin
first appeared as serial during 1851 and
1852. The Era ONCE was then on the
west side Of Seventh street between {
and e streets NV. John Greenlea1
Whittier was associate editor Of the Era
Some of the stories written by Mrs
Southworth include The Hidden Hand.
THE Deserted Wife" "Retribution.'
"The Wife's Victory" THE Wife's Mis-
take" "The Thunderbolt," ''The Neigh
Dor of Prescription" "Sybil Brotherton.
"Capitola, the Madcap," "Ishmael" ant
others.
The birth Of Mrs. Southworth, which
took place in one Of the Washington
houses which formerly stood on the ives
side of North Capitol street between
and C streets, came about as result o
the marriage Of her mother to Cap
Nevitt. Mrs Nevitt was the only chill
of a widowed mother, from whom sh
would not be separated, and so, in conse
quence Of this. they removed togethe
from Alexandria to Washington, wher
Mrs. WALES and her son-in-law lease
Jointly the commodious house intende
as a city residence for the first Presiden
after he had retired, and here the Ues
novelist was born.
Washington was much interested
these houses, and secured his friend, D
William Thornton, the architect, to dra
the plans, the doctor having drawn tn
plans for the original Capitol, and who's
judgment he trusted with much Of til
details having to do with the constructio
Of the houses. Indeed, on January 2
1900, after Washingtons death, Mr.