Life — March 5, 1903 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“gack, DE “DON'T PINE AWAY} sPRUCE write. What's that? write as well as men? Qh, no, not as well. At least, not when it comes to real writing. If you mean light ht. erature, or even humorous stuff, a woman can get right up alongside. But when they take themselves seri- ously it’s too much for them. Look at Miss Daskam now; her kid stories are out of sight. There couldn't be anything better than her Study in Piracy, or Madness of Philip. | But when she got out that book lately, Whom the Gods De: stroyed, I only wished I could coax the gods to destroy the whole edition. My, but it’s doleful. Not a spark of humor in it, and that’s Miss Daskam's strongest card. Now the other day Miss Marguerite Merington was in here, and she said women have no sense of humor. Of course that's been said before, lots of times, But she said it in earnest, and she meant it—and my! but she’s’ mistaken Some of our best funny books are written by women. Look at Napo- leon Jackson by Mrs. St t. There's more real humor in that book than in all George Ade’s slam-bang slang. And Mrs. Tree is funny, and Aunt -lthy's Neighbors. Women can WHEN You Ake Then there's The Housewives of Edenrise, by Florence Popham. That's sort of funny, but, of course, it’s Eng: lish, so the fun is clumsy. Still, I chuckled over it a lot. Oh, the “Ladies I've Laughed With" would make an interesting artic IT mean to write it some time. You didn't know I wrote articles? Well, I don't; but I'm going to some time. You see everybody comes in here,—Wiseacre’s book-shop is almost like a club for the authors, and they say such funny things to each other, somebody really ought to write them up. But land! T couldn't do it, and anyway I don't suppose they'd like me to. What kind of things do they say? Well, they tell their experiences, you know. Oh, I'm sure I could write a book about them, and I'd call it ‘ Who's Who in the Book-shop. Oh, you must be going, eh? don’t you want any book? What? You'll take The Wings of the Dove? All right, here’s a new copy. It’s in two volumes, you see. Cut the leaves as you go along. It helps to keep your place, and then, when you wake up, you can go right on from where you left off. Oh, you want it for your reading-circle? Well, And SHY SUALI. PINE Away,” it will be real nice for that; I should think it would last you all winter. And let me give you a little tip, Miss Parkinton. When you talk about Henry James, always refer to his work as being “in his earlier manner” or “in his best vein.” He always writes in one of those, and it doesn’t at all matter which is which. Oh, yes, I’m quite sure the ladies of the club will rave over it. Good morning, Miss Parkinton, good morning. What a difference there is between the Ladies I've Laughed With, and the ladies I laugh at! Carolyn Wells. YHE COOK: Would you mind giy- ing mea recommendation, ma'am? Tue Mistress : Why, you have only just come. “But ye may not want to give me wan when I do be leaving.”’ ATRERE Hoes man who's life is nothing but one long regret.” “Heavens! How sad! What is he?"" An editor.”’ FE ISTORICAL novelists are manu- factured, not born, comicbooks.com