Kansas Women in Literature | Page 4

o'
my heart, I love you.
Rose o' my heart, a rose is sweet And fresh as dew. Some have thorns,
but, Rose o' my heart, None have you.
Rose o' my heart, this day wear My roses, do! For next to my heart,
Rose o' my heart, I wear you.''
``My Dear'' was written for her baby brother, during an absence from
home, and is Miss Clark's favorite.
She is in the office of the Extension Department at the University of
Kansas, and has exclusive charge of club programs and does some
work in package libraries.
Just now she is contributing prose to some of the newspapers and doing
some splendid feature work.

MARY VANCE HUMPHREY.
Mary Vance Humphrey of Junction City, Kansas, has written a series of
short stories on the property rights of women in Kansas, a subject that
was and is, still, of vital importance to the women of the state. ``The
Legal Status of Mrs. O'Rourke'' and ``King Lear in Kansas'' are two of
the series.
When young in heart and experience, Mrs. Humphrey wrote a number
of poems. Her work in later years has been only prose. Her novel, ``The
Squatter Sovereign'' is an historical romance of pioneer days, the
settlement of Kansas in the fifties.
Mrs. Humphrey is one of the founders of the Kansas State Social
Science Club and the Woman's Kansas Day Club and the founder of the
Reading Club of Junction City. She has served as President of the State
Federation and as Director of the General Federation of Women's Clubs
and President of the Woman's Kansas Day Club. Her work as member

of the Board of Education has done much for Junction City and her
interest in libraries has done equally as much for the State of Kansas.
Of her record as an official, Margaret Hill McCarter has written: ``Her
whole soul is in her work. She is the genuine metal, shirking nothing,
cheapening nothing, and withal happy in the enjoyment of her
obligation. She stands for patriotism, progress and peace. Something of
the message of the shepherds heard out beyond Bethlehem that
Christmas morning long ago sounds in the chords she strikes.''
As the wife of the late Judge James Humphrey, she proved herself the
able companion of such a worthy man.

KATE A. APLINGTON.
The Kansas State Traveling Art Gallery owes its birth and much of its
success to Kate A. Aplington, the author of that typical western story,
``Pilgrims of the Plains.'' Since Feb., 1907, the Art Gallery has been a
recognized state institution, and as its Vice-President and
Superintendent and as the writer of the art lectures that accompany the
work, Mrs. Aplington's broad-minded, artistic temperament and
student's persistency have made the gallery truly a work of art.
At present, the Aplingtons are living at Miami, Florida, but for a
quarter of a century, Council Grove, the most famous spot on the Santa
Fe Trail, was their home. Special investigations and researches on the
subject of the old Santa Fe Trail days and lecturers on educational and
literary topics resulted from years spent in that historic place.
``Pilgrims of the Plains,'' which came out in Feb., 1913, is worthy of a
place in the front rank of western stories. In July of this year, Grossett
and Dunlap will bring it out in their ``Popular Edition'' of novels.
Mrs. Aplington is now working on a book on ``Art-Museums of
America'' and judging from the comments of prominent Museum
Directors, this will be as great a success as her novel. ``Florida of the
Reclamation,'' a character story with scenes laid in and around Miami,

Florida, is also in preparation.

EMMA UPTON VAUGHN.
The author of that versatile little book of short stories, ``The Lower
Bureau Drawer'' is Emma Upton Vaughn, a Kansas City, Kansas
teacher. These heart stories, showing keen insight of human
nature--especially woman nature--deal with every day life, each one a
fascinating revelation, of character and soul.
Mrs. Vaughn was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her early life was
spent in Kansas. She is a graduate of the Kansas University, and has
taught in the public schools of the state.
She wrote the ``Bible and the Flag in the Public Schools'' and has
contributed both prose and verse to the leading magazines and
newspapers. Feature articles and many good essays appear over her
signature. Her ``Passing From Under The Partial Eclipse'' did much to
give Kansas City, Kansas her recognized place commercially on the
map. A novel, ``The Cresap Pension,'' exposing a great pension fraud,
is ready for the press.

JESSIE WRIGHT WHITECOMB.
Jessie Wright Whitcomb, a Topeka writer of juvenile books is a lawyer
in active practice with her husband, Judge George H. Whitcomb and a
mother of a remarkable family of five