Part 1 (1/2)

The Log-Cabin Lady, An Anonyraphy

by Unknown

PREFACE

The story of The Log-Cabin Lady is one of the annals of A record of the conquest of self-consciousness and fear through mastery of manners and customs It has been written by one who has not sacrificed the strength and honesty of her pioneer girlhood, but who added to these qualities that graciousness and chariven her distinction on two continents

I have been asked to tell how the story of The Log-Cabin Lady caiven at the Colony Club in 1920, I was invited to talk about Madaroup of ireat scientist, whose service to humanity was halted by lack of laboratory equipment, and of the very radiuuest asked: ”Why do you spend your life with a wo Madaazine is one of the biggest services that can be rendered in this country”

My challenge was met with scorn by one of the women upon whose education and accomplishments a fortune had been spent ”It is stupid,” she said, ”to print articles about bringing up children and furnishi+ng houses, setting tables and feeding faest another service at the dinner table”

”There are twenty ht per cent of these have servants in them In the other ninety-two per cent the wo up their own children, and take an active part in the life and growth of Areat nation that it is”

After luncheon one of the guests, a wouished both in her own country and abroad, asked me to drive doith her When we entered her car she said, with ”

Believing she referred to the Curie can, I replied that I had committed myself to the work and could not abandon it ”I was not referring to the Curie can,” she replied, ”but to the Delineator

You are right; it is of vital ireat masses of people I know It will probably surprise you to learn that when I was fourteen years old I had never seen a table napkin My fa for mere existence There was no time for the niceties of life And yet, people likeI have knohat itwith shame because of some stupid social blunder which had made me appear ridiculous before my husband's fa statement from a woman known socially on two continents, and famed for her savoir faire There were tears in her eyes when she made her confession She was stirred by a very real and deep emotion It had been years, she said, since the old recollections had come back to her, but she had been reat mass of ordinary A abroad she had often ent women, well bred, the finest stuff in the world--who suffered under a disadvantage, because they lacked a little training in the social amenities

”It has been a satisfaction and a compensation to me,” she added, ”to be able sometimes to serve these fellow country-woht there was born the idea which culested that aof her own story

The thought was abhorrent to her Her experience was so she had never voiced in words It would be too intimate a discussion of herself and her family She was sure her relatives would bitterly oppose such a confession

It took nearly a year to persuade this remarkable woman to put down on paper, from her recollections and from her old letters home, this simple story of a fine Aed not to reveal her identity

A few changes in geography and time were made in her manuscript, but otherwise the story is true to life, laden with adventure, spirit and the American philosophy She has refused to accept any reazine publication or for royalties on the book rights Theset aside in The Central Union Trust Company of New York City as a trust fund to be used in soiven her book to the public solely because she believes that it contains a helpful ift of a woman who has a deep and passionate love for her country, and a tender responsiveness to the needs of her own sex

MARIE M MELONEY

September 1, 1922

THE LOG-CABIN LADY

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