Life — December 29, 1910 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Life’s Family Album Mrs. Wilson Woodrow HERE is no accounting for senses of humor. They inhabit the most unexpected quarters. Sometimes they are even added to other qualities of mind and soul, thus giving the happy owner what appears to be an unequal distribution of gifts. We have even known a charming woman to be pos- sessed of a distinctive and original sense of humor, which in some subtle manner that (not being psychologists) we cannot glibly account for, seems to have added to her sympathies. There is, for example, Mrs, Wilson Woodrow. She is the kind of per- son that one always feels perfectly safe in praising, because, united with an in- nate modesty inherited from her Scotch ancestors (it is possible, by the way, to have Scotch ancestors and still have a sense of humor), she has the severe introspective gift. When we state, therefore, that Mrs. Woodrow is a delightful person of rare attainments, we do so with no sense of embarrassment. Besides, she has proved it. Her first contributions were immediately ac- cepted by the respective periodicals to which they were submitted—one by Lire and the other by MeClure’s Mag: cine. We well remember the distinct thrill we received when we read the manuscript. It was entitled “The Monk and the College Girl.” “LTE “Here,” we exclaimed, “is a new author.” And from that moment Mrs. Wilson Woodrow’s name was placed in the list of Lire’s star con- tributors. Like all geniuses, Mrs. Woodrow is very uncertain. She writes when the fit is on, and then disappears for a year or so. During this unhappy pe- riod we hear distinct reports of new novels published elsewhere; we read favorable, even gushing, reviews, and then, while we are wondering whether an old friend has forsaken us, lo! we are once more honored with a clever contribution, “You write for Lire,” we said gently and unobtrusively, on the last oc- casion, when she didn’t know that she was being interviewed, “ because—” She smiled. “Because it is so easy,” she replied. “T mean, of course, that I can say just what I like. There is no interference. There are no restrictions.” We blushed with secret pleasure. “ Are you fond of editors?” we ven- tured at random. Our idea was to con- ceal the fact that this was an inter- and the best way of doing it 1199 seemed to be to introduce an utterly impossible topic. “Oh, yes. They have been very, very kind to me.” “Naturally. By the way, where were you born?” “In Chillicothe, Ohio. My ancestors are both Scotch and Irish. My great uncle was John Finley, a noted Indian fighter; another, Samuel Finley, was one of the few who escaped from the * Prison Ship’ during the Revolutionary War. Both of these were of the same family of that Samuel Finley who suc- ceeded Dr, Witherspoon as president of Princeton College.” “You have had a wide experience for one so very youn “Thave traveled a great deal, After my marriage to Mr. Woodrow I spent several years in mining camps in the Rocky Mountains. This is where I got the local color for The Zenith Stories. “You have written other books? “Dear me, yes—a book every year for four years: The Bird of Time, The New Missioner, The Silver Butterfly and The Beauty.” “What are your fad “Automobiles and editors.” LIFE'S INFALLIBLE FORTUNE TELLER Tf you were born on December “WS Your future wile will be fond of good things to eat, and your family ‘table will be a popular center of cheerful hospitality. 29 “G9 Your future wife will be eloquent with the gift of pplication an d will never miss, nor permit you to miss, the Wednesday evening prayer. meeting. 30 “GB Your future wile may develop a ten- dency towards strong- mindedness, which you will radi- cally cure by taking her to a course of Suffragette meet- ings. 31 Your future husband 59 win devote his life to proving that Bacon wrote Shakes- peare. It will an- noy you that he doesn't do some- thing useful. Your future husband a will be. extremely fond of | children. which will permit you to pursue a career of social gayety with a clear conscience. ‘Your future husband #@~ will be the author of several popular songs, and you will not be able to es- cape them even by going to restaur- ants to dine.