Page:Woman of the Century.djvu/716

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THOMAS.
THOMAS.
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published her second volume of verse, "Lyrics and Sonnets," and still later, "The Inverted Torch." EDITH MATILDA THOMAS. In 1888 she went to New York, and her home is now in that city. She is one of the most popular of American poets. Her work is now in constant demand, and she is a regular contributor to a large number of periodicals. Her poems are marked by sweetness, delicacy and fine finish. She polishes carefully and thus escapes the crudities that always mar the work of impulsive authors, who claim to sing as the birds sing, and who fail, in spite of their possession of genius, simply because they do not supplement talent with careful work.


THOMAS. Miss Fannie Edgar, author, was born in Chicago, Ill. The death of her father threw her upon her own resources while she was only a girl. She became a book-keeper in a publishing house, and worked hard and faithfully. As a diversion she wrote a small book during her leisure hours, which she published clandestinely by the aid of a printer. FANNIE EDGAR THOMAS. All the work was done outside of business hours. She signed the volume with the cabalistic pen-name, "6-5-20," and the venture was successful, clearing her a comfortable sum of money. The small edition was soon exhausted. The book attracted the attention of Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who invited the author to New York City and took her into her home. She soon became a contributor of taking sketches and essays, and the identity of "6-5-20" was established. She now uses her own full name. She has no overmastering ambition for a literary career, but her talents have already pushed her into prominence. She is now permanently settled in New York City, where she is concentrating her talents upon music and fiction.


THOMAS, Mrs. Mary Ann, journalist, born near Lavergne, Tenn., 10th January, 1841. Her maiden name was Mary Ann Lane, and her father's family, the Lanes, were of English extraction. MARY ANN THOMAS. Her grandfather went from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1812 and settled in Davidson county. Her mother was descended from old Dutch and Irish stock, and was a native of New Jersey. Her