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Part Taken by Women in American History


Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky; Miss Eleanor Talbot Kinkead and Miss Elizabeth Shelby Kinkead are novelists and scholars of reputation, the latter also a lecturer on English literature.

In other branches of literature Southern women are also actively at work. A very good illustrator of that section's readiness and skill with the pen is given by Miss Mildred Lewis Rutherford in "The South in History and Literature," recently published. Miss Rutherford herself is an educator and a writer of educational works. Miss Grace Elizabeth King in her novels has written entertainingly of De Soto, Jean Baptiste Le Moine, founder of New Orleans, and other prominent characters in Southern history. Interesting lives of George Mason and Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, have been written by Miss Kate Mason Rowland. Miss Emily Virginia Mason (recently deceased) sister of John Thomas Mason, first Governor of Michigan, was the author of "Robert E. Lee," and wrote reminiscences of men and things in her native South. Miss Annie Maria Barnes is a well-known writer of histories and biographies, besides being a journalist and active religious worker.

In the intervals between her novels and plays Miss Sarah Barnwell Elliott has found time to write an occasional biography.

To the role of active women journalists the South has made many very creditable contributions. Among them are Miss Martha W. Austin, of New Orleans; Mrs. Sarah Beaumont Kennedy, of Memphis, widow of the late editor of the "Commercial Appeal" of that city; Miss Cally Ryland, of Richmond; Mrs. Annie Kendrick Walker, of Birmingham, Alabama; Mrs. Evelyn Scott Snead Barnett, of Louisville, and Mrs. Helen Pitkin Schertz, of New Orleans. All of these are also workers in other fields, and are prominent in the social life of their respective communities. Mrs. Mary Edwards Bryan, of