Kansas Women in Literature
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Nettie Garmer Barker >> Kansas Women in Literature
Her ``Atlantic'' is a story of the rebellion;
``Utah and Other Poems;'' ``A Prairie Idyl;''
``Flowers and a Weed;'' and ``Rubaiyat of
Solomon Valley'' are volumes of verse. Her
prose: ``Children's Stories,'' ``Fairy Arrows''
and ``The White Blackbird;'' ``A Psychic
Autobiography,'' published in 1908; ``Man and
Priest,'' a story of psychic detection; ``Mother
of Pioneers,'' and a novel ready for publication,
``A Daughter of Wall St.''
Miss Jones originated a working women's
home and patented many inventions, mostly
household necessities.
* * * *
CHARLOTTE F. WILDER.
Charlotte Frances Wilder, Manhattan, has
been writing half a century and it has won for
her a place in Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris,
``entitled to go down to posterity, her life-
work preserved as information for future
generations.'' She has written ``Land of The Rising
Sun,'' ``Sister Ridenour's Sacrifice,'' ``Christmas
Cheer In All Lands,'' ``Easter Gladness,''
``Mission Ships,'' ``The Child's Own Book'' and
``The Wonderful Story of Jesus.'' Her essays,
alone, would make a volume, original and
interesting. She has written for the press since
sixteen years of age and has been a Bible
teacher forty years.
ANNA L. JANUARY.
Osawatomie claims Anna L. January, the
author of ``Historic Souvenir of Osawatomie,
Kansas,'' ``John Brown Battle Grounds,'' ``Calvin
Monument,'' and ``Lookout and Park;'' also,
numerous poems.
Mrs. January is a native of Wilmington,
Ohio, coming to Kansas in 1898. She taught
school three years and in 1901 married D. A.
January of Osawatomie. They have one child,
a son of four years. An active worker in the
Congress of Mothers and interested in temperance
and suffrage work, Mrs. January still
finds time to write many short poems.
****
HATTIE HORNER LOUTHAN.
Hattie Horner Louthan, a former White
Water, Kansas girl, is the author of five books
and many contributions to newspapers and first
class magazines. After graduation at the Normal
School, Emporia, in 1883, Miss Horner
engaged in teaching and literary work. Ten
years later, she became the wife of Overton
Earl Louthan, who died in 1906.
She is editor of the Great Southwest and
a member of the staff of the Denver Republican.
Her first volume of poems came out in
1885; the next year, ``Some Reasons For Our
Choice.'' ``Not At Home,'' a book of travels,
was published in 1889; ``Collection of Kansas
Poetry,'' in 1891; and ``Thoughts Adrift,'' in
1902. Her work is versatile; the rhyme easy
flowing and strong.
GEORGIANA FREEMAN McCOY.
----
MARY FREEMAN STARTZMAN.
Georgiana Freeman McCoy, Wichita, has
taught music in Kansas longer than any other
teacher in the state and incidently writes verse.
She remodeled Elizabeth Browning's ``A Drama
of Exile'' and wrote the musical setting for
Simon Buchhalter, the Viennese pianist and
composer. A sister, Mary Freeman Startzman,
while living in Fort Scott, wrote a volume of
poems, ``Wild Flowers.''
* * * *
EVA MORLEY MURPHY.
Eva Morley Murphy of Goodland, recent
candidate for Congress, is author of two books:
``The Miracle on the Smoky and Other Stories,''
and ``Lois Morton's Investment.''
She is a descendant of Nathaniel Perry of
Revolutionary fame, and of Rodger Williams;
an active temperance worker; and one of the
women who made equal suffrage possible in
Kansas.
* * * *
SALLIE F. TOLER.
Mrs. Sallie F. Toler, Wichita, has written
on every subject from pigs and pole cats to
patriotism. She is the author of several plays and
three vaudeville sketches. A comedy, a racing
romance, ``Handicapped;'' ``Thekla,'' a play in
three acts; ``On Bird's Island,'' a four-act play;
and ``Waking Him Up,'' a farce, are played in
stock now.
Mrs. Toler contributes to many papers and
lectures on ``The Short Story'' and ``The Modern
Drama.''
MARGARET PERKINS.
As a 1914 Christmas offering, Margaret
Perkins, a Hutchinson High School teacher,
gave us her volume of beautiful poems. ``The
Love Letters of a Norman Princess'' is the
love story, in verse, of Hersilie, a ward and
relative of William, The Conqueror, and Eric,
a kinsman of the unfortunate King Harold.
``I thought once, in a dream, that Love
came near
With silken flutter of empurpled wings
That wafted faint, strange fragrance from
the things
Abloom where age and season never
sear.
The joy of mating birds was in my ear,
And flamed my path with dancing daffodils
Whose splendor melted into greening hills
Upseeking, like my spirit, to revere.''
* * * * * *
``Before you came, this heart of mine
A fairy garden seemed
With lavender and eglantine;
And lovely lilies gleamed
Above the purple-pansy sod
Where ruthless passion never trod.''
* * * * * *
``If Heaven had been pleased to let you be
A keeper of the sheep, a peasant me,
Within a shepherd's cottage thatched with
vine
Now might we know the bliss of days
divine.''
--``We are part of Heaven's scheme,
You and I:
Child of sunshine and the dew
I was earthly--born as you.
* * * * * *
``Yet my little hour I go,
Troubled maid,
Even where the storm blasts blow,
Unafraid;
Confident that from the sod
All things upward wend to God.''
* * * * * *
``Dear heart, the homing hour is here,
The task is done.
Toilers, and they who course the deer
Turn, one by one,
At day's demise,
Where dwells a deathless glow
In loving eyes.
I hear them hearthward go
To castle, or to cottage on the lea;
But him I love comes never home to me.''
* * * * * *
The peaks that rift the saffron sheen
Of sunset skies
In purple loveliness, when seen
By nearer eyes,
Are bleakly bare.
To brave those boulders gray
No climbers dare.
O, in some future may
This mountain mass of unfulfilled desires
Be unto me as yonder haloed spires!''
* * * * * *
Miss Perkins is the compiler of ``Echoes of
Pawnee Rock,'' and writes short stories and
poems for the magazines. Some of her verse
is published in Woolard's ``Father.''
ANNA E. ARNOLD.
Anna E. Arnold, Cottonwood Falls,
Superintendent of Chase County Schools, is a
thorough Kansan, and a farm product. She
was born at Whiting, Jackson County, but
when a very small child, her parents moved to
Chase and all her life since has been spent in
that county. Until the last few years, she lived
on a farm.
She is a graduate of the State University
and has taught in the grade and high schools.
In 1905, she became a candidate for Superintendent
of Schools of Chase County. Her success
and her unusual ability as a teacher were
rewarded by a two to one majority on a close
county ticket. At the second term, she had no
opposition and out of 1214 votes cast, she
received all but 29. The present year, after
four elections, is her seventh continuous year
as Superintendent of Chase County. In addition
to her official duties, Miss Arnold has
written two text-books. Her ``Civics and
Citizenship'' in 1912 was adopted as the state
text-book on civil government for use in the
public schools of Kansas. It is being used by
a large number of womens' clubs. Many
outlines for club work on civic subjects have come
from Miss Arnold's pen. Her second textbook,
``A History of Kansas,'' the first book printed
under the new State Publication Law, has
also been adopted by the text-book commission.
Miss Arnold is considered one of the foremost
educational leaders of the state.
Topeka gives us Anna Deming Gray, a
writer of negro dialect stories, stories for
children, and some verse. Elizabeth Barr Arthur,
has written a number of books, histories
of several Kansas counties and some volumes
of poems, ``Washburn Ballads.'' Mrs. Sarah
E. Roby is a writer of both prose and verse.
A granddaughter, Marjory Roby, has written
a number of stories and plays. Eva Bland
Black contributes poems and song lyrics to the
magazines. She served her apprenticeship as
reporter and city editor of the Journal and
Evening News of Garnett and as associate
editor of the Concordia ``Magnet.'' Mrs. Isabel
McArthur is a natural poet and song writer.
She has published one volume of verse, ``Every
Body Loves a Lover.'' Her last song, ``When
The Bloom Is On The Cherry At Sardou'' is
widely sung. Edna E. Haywood is author of
``Fifty Common Birds Around the Capital.''
Mrs. Mary A. Cornelius, while a resident of
Topeka, wrote four books, ``Little Wolf,''
``Uncle Nathan's Farm,'' ``The White Flame,''
and ``Why? A Kansas Girl's Query.'' Another
book is ready for publication. Mrs. Mary
Worrall Hudson, wife of the late General J. K.
Hudson, former editor of the Topeka Capital,
is author of ``Two Little Maids And Their
Friends,'' ``Esther, The Gentile,'' and many
short stories and poems. Her classic prose-
poem: ``In The Missouri Woods'' is considered
her masterpiece. Mrs. Sara Josephine Albright,
formerly of Topeka, now of Leavenworth, is
a sweet singer of childlife. Her volume of
verse, ``With The Children'' is lullabies and
mother-love poems. A book of stories for
children will soon be ready for publication.
Jessie Lewellyn Call, deceased, the clever and
beautiful daughter of the first Populist governor
of Kansas, was a well-known essayist and
short story writer. For many years she was
one of the editors of the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Lawrence claims Dorothy Canfield Fisher,
a writer of both fiction and text-books and
many short stories. She is the author of
``Corneille And Racine In England,'' ``English
Rhetoric And Composition,'' ``What Shall We
Do Now,'' ``Gunhild,'' ``The Squirrel Cage'' and
``The Montessori Mother.'' Louise C. Don
Carlos has written ``A Battle In The Smoke,'' one
of the best Kansas works on fiction. She did
special work on the Nashville Tennessee
Banner and writes a great deal of magazine verse.
Mrs. Anna W. Arnett, a Lawrence teacher,
writes verse and songs. In addition, she has
issued a primer, the Kansas text-book and a
primary reading chart for which she has a
United States patent. Margaret Lynn, one of
the faculty of Kansas University, is a writer
of short stories and ``A Step-Daughter Of The
Prairies.''
* * * *
Mrs. A. B. Butler of Manhattan wrote
``The Trial And Condemnation of Jesus Christ
From a Lawyer's Point of View;'' a novel,
``Ad Astra Per Aspera;'' and much newspaper
work. Mrs. Elizabeth Champney, a former
teacher in the Kansas State Agricultural
College, is the author of more than twenty books
and many short stories. ``Three Vassar Girls
Abroad,'' ``Witch Winnie Series,'' ``Dames And
Daughters of Colonial Days,'' ``Romance of
French Abbeys,'' Romance of Italian Villas,''
and ``Romance of Imperial Rome'' are her most
popular works.
* * * *
Sadie E. Lewis, Hutchinson, is the author
of ``Hard Times In Kansas'' and other verse.
Her daughter, Ida Margaret Glazier, is a poet
and song writer. Mrs Alice McAllily wrote
``Terra-Cotta'' and many other books.
Lillian W. Hale, Kansas City, is author
of verse, short stories, and a novel. Another
novel will be ready for publication this autumn.
Lois Oldham Henrici, a one-time Sabetha and
Parsons woman, is the author of ``Representative
Women'' and many good short stories.
Laura D. Congdon, a Newton pioneer, is
a verse and short story writer. Mary H. Finn,
Sedgwick, writes beautiful verse and much
prose. Jennie C. Graves, Pittsburg, writes
poetry and moving picture plays. Mrs. Johannas
Bennett, another Pittsburg woman, has
written an historical novel, ``La Belle San
Antone.'' Florence L. Snow, Neosho Falls, is an
artistic and finished writer of verse and prose.
She is the author of ``The Lamp of Gold.''
Sharlot M. Hall, Lincoln, writes prose and
verse. A volume of poems, ``Cactus And Pine,''
``History of Arizona,'' ``A Woman of the Frontier,''
``The Price of The Star'' and short stories
are her important works. Mrs. A. S. McMillan,
Lyons, a poetess, song writer and licensed
preacher, writes clever verse, much of which
has been set to music. ``Land Where Dreams
Come True'' is her best known poem. Kittie
Skidmore Cowen, a former Columbus woman,
is author of ``An Unconditional Surrender,'' a
civil war story. ``The Message of Hagar,'' a
study of the Mormon question will be in the
press soon. Miss Mary E. Upshaw, McPherson,
wrote verse at the age of seven and published
her first story at fifteen. She has a
book in preparation which she expects to
publish at an early date. Jeanette Scott Benton,
formerly of Fort Scott, writes short stories
novelettes, and stories for children. May
Belleville Brown of Salina, has a very clever pen,
as has, also Mrs. Lulu R. Fuhr of Meade, the
author of ``Tenderfoot Tales.'' Mrs. E. M.
Adams, Mound City, writes exquisite verse and
in the past, had many short stories to her
credit. Mrs. C. W. Smith, Stockton, writes
both prose and verse. Cara A. Thomas Hoover,
formerly of Halstead, Harvey County, now
living in Rialto, California, writes prose and
beautiful verse. Rose Hartwick Thorpe, the
author of ``Curfew Shall Not Ring To-night,''
was a Kansan in the early sixties. She lived
at Wilmington.
* * * *
Miss Margaret Stevenson, Olathe, is a
writer of books for the blind. She has some
short stories, nature and text-books published.
* * * *
Lelia Hardin Bugg, Wichita, has written
``The Prodigal Daughter,'' ``The People of Our
Parish,'' and ``Orchids.'' Edna Thacher Russ,
also of Wichita, writes short stories and
educational articles.
* * * *
Mrs. E. Hamilton Myers, Englewood, is
a dramatic writer and a poet of rare talents.
Being a musician, much of her verse is used
for songs.
Mrs. Myers contributes to the English
papers. Her first story was published by a
magazine which had accepted writings of her
mother's.
* * * *
Other than literature proper, we have Mrs.
Lillian M. Mitchner, of Topeka, a scientific
writer; Mrs. Lumina C. R. Smythe, a writer
of verse, also of Topeka, who is co-author with
her late husband in the revised ``Flora And
Check List of Kansas.''
Among the clever newspaper women of
the state are Margie Webb Tennal, Sabetha;
Maud C. Thompson, Howard; Frances Garside,
formerly of Atchison, now with the New York
Journal; Mrs. E. E. Kelley, Toronto; Anna
Carlson, Lindsborg; Mrs. Mary Riley, Kansas
City; and Isabel Worrel Ball, a Larned woman,
who bears the distinction of being the only
woman given a seat in the congressional press
gallery. Grace D. Brewer, Girard, has been a
newspaper woman and magazine short story
writer for ten years.
* * * *
Among the early Kansas writers are Clarinda
Howard Nichols, Mrs. A. B. Bartlett,
Lucy B. Armstrong, Sarah Richart, Mrs. Porter
Sherman, and Mary Tenny Gray, all of
Wyandotte and Mrs. C. H. Cushing of Leavenworth.
* * * *
Sara T. D. Robinson, the wife of the first
governor of Kansas, was one of the very first
women writers of the state. Her ``Kansas,
Interior And Exterior'' was published in 1856 and
went through ten editions up to 1889.
INDEX.
Adams, Mrs. E. M.
Albright, Sara Josephine
Allerton, Ellen Palmer
Aplington, Kate A.
Armstrong, Lucy B.
Arnett, Anna W.
Arnold, Anna E.
Arthur, Elizabeth Barr
Ball, Isabel Warrel
Bartlett, Mrs. A. B.
Bellman, Bessie May
Bennett, Mrs. Johannas
Benton, Jeanette Scott
Black, Eva Bland
Brewer, Grace D.
Brown, May Bellville
Bugg, Leila Hardin
Butler, Mrs. A. B.
Call, Jessie Lewellyn
Carlson, Anna
Champney, Elizabeth
Clark, Esther M.
Congdon, Laura D.
Cornelius, Mary A.
Cowen, Kittie Skidmore
Cushing, Mrs. C. H.
Don Carlos, Louise C.
Finn, Mary H.
Fisher, Dorothy Canfield
Fuhr, Lulu R.
Garside, Frances
Glazier, Ida Margaret
Graham, Effie
Graves, Jennie C.
Gray, Anna Deming
Gray, Mary Tenny
Hale, Lillian W.
Hall, Sharlot M.
Haywood, Edna E.
Henrici, Lois Oldham
Henthorne, June Bellman
Hoover, Cara A. Thomas
Hudson, Mary Worrell
Humphrey, Mary Vance
January, Anna L.
Jarrell, Myra Williams
Jones, Amanda T.
Kelley, Mrs, E. E.
Lewis, Sadie E.
Louthan Hattie Horner
Lynn, Margaret
McAllily, Alice
McArthur, Isabel
McCarter, Margaret Hill
McCoy, Georgiana Freeman
McMillan, Mrs. A. S.
Mitchner, Lillian W.
Murphy, Eva Morley
Myers, Mrs. E. Hamilton
Nichols, Clarinda Howard
Perkins, Margaret
Richart, Sarah
Riley, Mary
Robinson, Sara T. D.
Roby, Marjory
Roby, Sara E.
Russ, Edna Thatcher
Sherman, Mrs. Porter
Smith, Mrs. C. W.
Smythe, Lumina C. R.
Snow, Florence L.
Startzman, Mary Freeman
Stevenson, Margaret
Stockton, Cornelia M.
Tennal, Margie Webb
Thompson, Maude C.
Thorpe, Rose Hartwick
Toler, Sallie F.
Upshaw, Mary E.
Vaughn, Emma Upton
Whitcomb, Jessie Wright
Wilder, Charlotte F.
Wood, Emma Tanner