Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-31
Faith Villas to Be Clubs Guest
At Presentation of Poems
John Heath, Pianist, to Interpret
Music Written for Her Works

Her poem, "A Mother on Her
Daughters Wedding Day" was the
first poetical selection to be used
on television program.
President emeritus of the New
York Craftsmen Group of Poets
and for IL years president Of the
Scarsdale Poetry Group. Faith Villas
was for two seasons critic of the
ballads by candlelight series al
Chautauqua, N. Y.
Her most recent award in the field
Of poetry is national first prize for
her Garden Diary" She is work
ing on a series of war poems which
she expects to publish shortly.
An accomplished linguist, Faith
Villas literary education was we'll
under way at the age of 10, when
she was reading Shakespeare in
Schiller and Goethe in German and
Victor Hugo in French. Her first
rhyming was done at the age of 7.
The Feather in Her Bonnet
While still in her teens. a pub
fishing house, in one of it's collec-
tions, brought out her poem. THE
Feather In Her Bonnet" During
her college years at Milwaukee,
Downer, she specialized in poetry
and drama, and later studied poetry
techniques under DR.. Edwin Herbert
Lewis at Chicago University.
In private life, Faith Villas is the
wife Of Charles A. Villas, now legal
examiner with the Federal Trade
Commission. They make their home
on Wilson lane, Bethesda, in white
house on hill overlooking a wide
stretch Of rolling country. They
have two sons, Franklin and
Charles. and daughter. Faith, who
is now Mrs. Campbell Macpherson Of
Newfoundland. Both her husband
and children have always been vi
tally interested in her literary out
put. for which she has found time
in addition to a wide participation
in community interests.
The romance between her hus-
band and herself began during their
college days.
Mrs. Villas calls her husband "the
mentor" for he always reads proof
on her work before it goes to her
publishers. Their home is a YER
liable treasure trove of objects OF
art and rare pieces Of furniture COL
lected in their frequent travels
abroad.
One OF Mrs. Villas most priced
possessions is beautiful portrait of
the flaming haired Elizabeth Siddal,
painted by her husband. Dante Ga
briel Rossetti. and signed by him.
Mrs. Vitas comes of distinguished
old Knickerbocker and New England
stock. Her mother, the late En-
incline Wells Pratt Van Valken-
burgh was a seatmate of Frances E.
Willard at Milwaukee College, now
Observation-Disclosures.
Owns Prized Letter.
One of the family treasures is
what probably is the last letter
Frances Willard wrote. Mrs. Villas
great great grandmother once
walked the streets Of Boston with a
governor son on each arm. One,
Gov. Enoch Lincoln of Maine, the
other Gov. Levi Lincoln of Massa-
chusetts. Both were distant cousins
Of Abraham Lincoln. 1t was in the
home OF her maternal great-grand-
father, Daniel Wells, that the plans
for the founding of Waterville Col
lege. now Colby College, took place
vitality interested in Washington
as q resident of its Metropolitan
Area, Mrs. Villas is throwing her
self Fundamentally into all that
pertains to its civic welfare. 1t is
also her plan to conduct q series Of
poetry classes for the development
Of those interested in this medium
Of patriotic expression during the
present crisis.