Entries include brief biographical information, typed letters of correspondence, and typed letters of presentation on Dorrance & Company, Incorporated, Publishers, stationery from Wenger and Parrotto

Coe, Mr. Harrie

Dunnack, Henry Ernest, 1867-1938

McLeod, Hilda

Prince, Helen Albee

English

Maine State Library

Helen Albee Prince Correspondence

Maine State Documents (Maine State Library)

Maine State LibraryMaine State DocumentsMaine Writers Correspondence Maine State Library Special CollectionsOctober 2015Helen Albee Prince CorrespondenceHelen Albee PrinceMr. Harrie CoeHenry Ernest Dunnack 1867-1938Maine State LibraryHilda McLeodMaine State LibraryFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalmaine.com/maine_writers_correspondenceThis Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Maine State Library Special Collections at Maine State Documents. It has been accepted forinclusion in Maine Writers Correspondence by an authorized administrator of Maine State Documents. For more information, please contactstatedocs@maine.gov.Recommended CitationPrince, Helen Albee; Coe, Mr. Harrie; Dunnack, Henry Ernest 1867-1938; and McLeod, Hilda, "Helen Albee Prince Correspondence"(2015). Maine Writers Correspondence. 421.http://digitalmaine.com/maine_writers_correspondence/421PRINCE, Helen Albee Horth Anson, 1S55 jht*., 9^ , "turf-.. <// vA**: (i!^  /WJLZtl; is, cx^ o/L. Clsr*1^  ??u?. /frvT~p6aS y '^ c*^ d / U & e ^ s  ( r p t ^ / t ^ z J t y z i z d & s  & * r  }j~JLlcJu fiJdA -^^  • St~ /if :a^ n -^-$??a*!*&J- Os> a^(/ sMP ~/Z. iju, (J Qdd t^tcP ^  fy/tOstod<&*uzJ? $£irZ6W (QuiS  ^0<>^^ /^l^ 2&rd4Z> ~7$Jues i^r^ l/e C&rU/^  c^ t^ a,c  ^fycax&z&usfc' ]/^ 6^ (0!ut^ x^f^ r/, £jz&/&&77 o^uQjes Meu*<s. krirk /& t9 J^fanstr- 4D<Z4s£— <?0 Ctswd/ I^cZire/ "pyii" #-f j&x/z&l <d(^ f/$/ /C c^£a<d r^^ & ypOyt^ Lf JZz^ -^ (Sots*£> yeastsj IA/^ LC^LS-' l~ztSzsz~e£<2J ik pjh^ cLs y^Qs<r£z£c& KJ^ OQJ ?rtZsCs ah>tsts6<?zq /'^ V /^ y Trz^ i <^ ^^ >7cy Jtri/>x~i . <v v (j U S</a*V7Sn4 Z/# oj /pCc^ nr^ ey c^/'-CO' OLMc CsC&f  ^:'^ -<rMr fa^ A*-C&aj£/ C^ t^ bc/--',y|/ UiUu^ ze^  J i^yC^ tf >>2Y y^i^ ~, "^ Z/ C^ AJ-QsU. r v Y i, - - — V / " «fw •»— «-" w- WVW^  «_ •% ^  £> „•. . - -J-— — • Maj- t do , J1 )j-il£/ U, a&J- -fa/l7?U. 7^  '{Hf At&< .^ f-n^ /l^ ts <• J Cl^ c, y CZ^ z^  MAINE STATE LIBRARY AUGUSTA February 13, 1935 Mrs. Helen A. Prince ^92 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine My dear Mrs. Prince: I have your letter of February 12 in rela­tion to your book "Grandma's Album Quilt." I should be very glad to look over the man­uscript, and also I shall be very glad to do any­thing I can to help you find a publisher. I suggest that you talk with Mr. Harrie Coe of the Maine Publicity Bureau, Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. After you have talked with Mr. Coe, write me in regard to his opinion. HED/m u 75 0 .^^  t&h/sr. >p  ^I J tJ . 4. „ w  - - f e  -^ ZZLT? •^Jt^  a-is^r, Yi& ^ irc*. ay u u $ Mo ^ vch*~ *-• ~ *  ~  £ •  ^  £/.-_•«£• /JhJl fa /l&te^ ns ^  u/ / / gtslsrl^  /4<X y^yi~Q  ^ x.v^  U/ U- "" - •• , U i^p^  ^  tral-Jo ^ m. . - ' - - ' " au rrc^ ^ ,tztr^ J^ : ^  ^ T^tSfX  ^-C£st*-oC' 'A (L 6Ls{sc-~0*>c> „ dZQ~ft<r*<- q& oCe&Z^ fwai /s$Jls '"^ z t^z-/^ -2-<s> OAJ forell/ a& <0)1/ l~rrik,~i)L^ ?ze4; c*^ & p^ rzr>z oo<2J <%£/ ?&/ ' A Cfiasro&K "Thjl, %J-sfa&<^ '<r &> -?^ Z^> *jL . 0~H S^L*' l£TteSlS /&?^ <LQt^ i_£/a4S /^ sy^ xXs  ^ 6ic^ Zje-^ i^ /^  ~P^ Z^ y 7  y ^ / / 9  e^ J^-- a*™-. <£* -^ <2ts>^ -eS ' J^£y^2/z f^ &•. , /QjsO r^- ; Q -^ti/dsy /st*' J )  / C t / T ^ r ^ & s  / W < r z * - s  < 2 X 1 ^  J.' ^dis&t/ jstriy o /^ri^  j£tn  ^->^<r,^ /// o~ -^£)L> ,<£_£, cjt^ sr-Lspt^  Ay •aisv~p-ir CZ&gJ /iJZ^a^y / J) lf?r-z^2&T r^i^ // l£oCJ paxprUZ  ^ ty ^csjlsispCJ' Cls7<^dt6*v>  ^ cisn.a£s fa X h i^ JLeJ / o  ^<rf Md/ui&-y 3 a^ y*^  7* j£jb y^ 4. iftsits :<*- • •£ & Cs£ -cl/— i ^cr-c^szs  ^ }-cd^  ~fa4-<z) Jl/jtl&*^  ^2-/ (J/t^ ^^  ; 4-fZL, CktsbriJ-t/iJa^  ^&*-&, ( "y- / ^w. zy <» v *^ March 30, 1935 Mrs. Helen A. Prince ^92 Climber land Avenue Portland, Maine Dear Mrs. Prince: We returned your manuscript "Grandma's Album Quilt," March 28. I was very glad for the opportunity of looking over this man­uscript. I am returning your letter from the Meador Publishing Company. I cannot think of any way we can be of service to you in securing its publication. Very truly yours HED.m State Librarian February 16, 1936 Mrs. Helen Albee Prince The Westlawn 1*7 West Street Portland, Maine Dear Mrs. Prince: May we offer you our sincere congratulations on the publication of your book, GRANDMA'S ALBUM QUILT. We are pleased and proud to be able to add a new name to our list of Maine authors, and we hope we will be privileged to add the book to the Maine Author Collection. Some years ago the State Library started a project which is now known as the Maine Author Collection, and which comprises several hundred volumes, written by Maine-born people, and also by those who have lived here, or have written abdut the State. Seldom do we have an author who was born in Maine, has lived here, and has written about his native State, and therefore it is with added delight that we welcome you to our literary list. The books in this collection are for exhibit purposes only, and in years to come will form a valuable and interesting background of Maine lit­erature. The volumes are nearly all inscribed, and most of them presented, and the collection increases steadily in size and worth. We hope that you will wish to inscribe for the Maine Author Collection a copy of GRANDMA'S ALBUM QUIIT; we assure you that your kindness would be very deeply appreciated. Please accept our very cordial invitation to visit the library and the Maine Author Collection when you are again in Augusta. Very truly yours Maine Stat e Library Secretary , . Irt* J9^ x^ r~ /fyo /LjzJ^ d/ • to  ^/z#ce<yv£r (£&&- &$&/&<**£ $ ?ri££ (-e> T^ yzstf C*&~^ C^  <tt Ly?^ 2suLjak^ <z^ *-*? &&&£>77z/ '-Jkr /£&-zr?z. 04> 2^j Aw^ w ' Jta*tdby J  ^<2-^  d-^ -C^ s April 1, 193$ Mrs. Helen A. Prince ^7 lest Street Portland, Maine Dear Mrs. Prince; Your kind letter of March promising us an inscribed copy of GRANDMA'S ALBUM QUILT for the Maine Author Collection, de­lighted us- We are anticipating its arrival, and trust that no unfortunate d day will occur in the publishing of a book that, according to advance notices, holds such interest, especially for natives of Maine. Very truly yours Maine State Library Secretary April g, 1936 Mrs. Helen A. Prince ^•7 T?est Street Portland, Maine Dear Mrs. Prince: GRANDMA'S ALBUM QtJILT has arrived, and we are unusually delighted to be privileged to add such a charming, attrac­tive and authentic book to the Maine Author Collection. The jacket is fascinating, and the entire book should please as many types of persons as are represented in the quilt. It is an altogether uncommonly captivating book, and we sincerely hope that it will enjoy the popularity it richly deserves. Please accept our hearty congratu­lations upon so auspicious a literary debut, and our deep gratitude for your interest and kindness. Very truly yours Maine State Library Secretary Maine Grandmother, 81, Launches Literary Career With Her First Book ! „ Left—Grandma at the ajte of 12, a peri and ink illustration to be used in nS u' i£?pted from a" acl"aI Photo of the author taken back in 1867. Drawn bv Miss George Eleanor Shaw of Medford, Mass. Center— ^ei,fTeM,f Sanford and Portland, author of 'Grandma's Al­bum Quilt. Right—An illustration from Mrs. Pence's book, denictine a true : S r 8 S J X W & ?  * • " " h "  Mrs. Helen A. Prince Writes Story Of Album Quilt People By Leon Harold Tebbetts To be an 81 year old grandmother and to be launching a literary career at the same time is indeed a record of personal achievement few of us may hope to emulate. In fact, to attain one of such accomplishments is something nearly all of us never bring to pass. It was, however, a long, long dream with Mrs. Helen Albee Prince of Sanford and Portland to write a book. She dreamed about it when she was a little girl up in North An­son, even filled pages and pages of composition paper with childish stories. Later, when she entered wedded life, she still wanted to write a book, and did jot down ideas, but time did not permit her to write the book she wished to do. A Task Undone Middle age pawed and old age came, and still she had not tackled the book she had planned as a girl. Swiftly her BO's came and went, and then the march of the 70's began, with only snatches of the book written. Church, club and home du­ties kept her too busy to commence the writing of her book. All the time she had been planning the story, a book about an album quilt and its patchwork people, a narra­tive for children and adults alike, about New England, but laid prin­cipally in Maine. From her store­house of memories she intended to draw the material for the character-tales she would spin. Then one day last year she found herself at her 80th birthday, looking back on four score years of life, and she suddenly realized that if she ever were going to write her book, the time to begin was soon. Rummaging through bureau drawers, attic trunks and scrapbooks she gathered up all the material she had accumulated for the past 71 years, among the assort­ment b?ing a quaint old diary which She had written when she was a girl Portland. Sunday Telegram Feb. 16, 1936 of nine. Then, crowding the work in with her other duties, she began resolutely the long delayed task of writing a book. Last Summer Mrs. Prince's book, "Grandma's Album Quilt," was finished, and next month it will be published by Falmouth Book House, Portland, successfully bringing to fruition a lifelong dream. The book Mrs. Prince has written is an authentic and amusing account of old Maine and its people. In form­er days people used to make album quilts. These quilts were not made by any one person, but were pieced together over a period of years by different people, each one sewing in a group of squares with one white square in the center. Upon this white block was written the name of- the person who made the square. Real Quilt People Taking such a quilt as the theme for her book, Mrs. Prince has caused a 16 year old girl to spend the Sum­mer in Maine with her Grandma and there she is intioduced to the quaint quilt which is kept i-n Grandma's attic. One by one, on rainy days of Summer and other times at her leisure, Grandma takes up each square and spins a story about its maker. Many of the accounts are actual happenings in Maine, and some of the characters described by Grandma are real people who lived long ago, or are living today. The author h'as, of course, carefully concealed real names and places, but to one familiar with the events and scenes, the ac­counts should bring back memories. There is a story of the copper min­ing boom which took place in Maine some 50 years ago. Another chapter deals with the little cog-railroad which once ran up the side of Mt. Cadillac, formerly called Green Mountain. One part of the book tells a true adventure had by the author and a girl playmate many years ago. On an exploring trip, the two bold little girls, who looked so much alike they were called twins, set out to follow Arnold's trail up the Kennebec. On the re­turn journey, after having given up the idea of following the trail to its [ end, the two were so tired that one i little girl put strawberry juice upon the cheeks of the other to make her appear fresh again and frightened her mother into believing she had a fever. Rare Sense of Humor Some of Mrs. Prince's stories dis­play a rare sense of humor, as for instance, the account of Araminta Whicher, pretty Maine schoolmarm, who promised her lover that she would wait for his return to marry her. It was in 1885 when Billy Wat-kins, her fiance, left for the West with faithful vows to come back in five years and marry her. In 1905, Araminta was still waiting for her lover and had bought four wedding dresses in the meantime, one at the end of each five years of . vigil. Araminta never lost her faith in her i beloved until one day, after 20 years I absence, he returned at last to the Maine town where Minty was, bring­ing with him his half-breed wife and six nearly grown children. The most authentic and truly charming portion of the book was written just 71 years ago. It is a diary of Civil War days, written by the author herself, and incorporated in the book exactly as it was copied from the yellowed pages found up in the attic. This diary pictures in its childish way the life and daily hap­penings of a Maine community while the war between the states was be­ing waged. It unfolds the everyday experiences of a little girl who was more or less of a tomboy—who once behaved awfully nice to all the boys in the school because she didn't know which one of them had sent her the pretty valentine and was afraid of offending the wrong person. This strain was relieved only when she , learned that the valentine came from an aunt. • Still another chapter in Mrs. Prince's book deals with interesting places to be seen in Maine, as des­cribed by Grandma. In this chapter the author tells an amusing anecdote about a Portland school girl who had to describe in class the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument, one of Portland's points of interest. The teacher on the previous day, in explaining the features of this monument by Sir Franklin Simmons, had called it symbolic of the great republic, and had told in full how the lady was dressed, ending by saying that her feet were encased in sandals. Next day the youngster in question arose in class, and in a vain effort to re­member the description, said: "There she stands—she symbolizes the great Republican party and her feet are encased in scandals." In an interview with Mrs. Prince, this writer found her to be a very alert woman, belying her age, keenly in­terested in the world's affairs, gently disposed toward the younger genera­tion, and thoroughly imbued with the desire to keep going. Asked as to how she had managed to live to such a ripe age (a question usually asked by force of habit of elderly people by reporters who can't think of anything else to ask), she did not come back 1 ith any stereo­typed answer but instead reached into her pocketbook and drew out a clipping from a newspaper. It con­tained an essay on how to keep well which had won her the first prize in a contest conducted in 1930 by the Three Quarter Century Club. In telling how to keep well, Mrs. Prince inadvertently answered the question of how to live long. To quote from her prize-winning ar­ticle: "In considering the question of how to keep wsll, the first and most important factor is one over which we have no control, namely, to be born well, or in other words, we should have chosen parents and grandparents who were perfectly well, mentally, morally and physically. "Unfortunately for us we have no voice in that choice, but have to ac­cept just whatever is handed down to us. Then it becomes a duty as w'ell as a pleasure to make the most and best of the foundation given us, for building up a structure of health and happiness. In order to keep well, we must keep busy. If we sit down in idleness and brood over our lonely and forlorn condition, we become more forlorn and in a mood of self-pity and discontent become a burden to ourselves and doubly so to those around us." Mrs. Prince in her article puts in a g»od word for the younger genera­tion and claims that not being too critical of the actions of youth is still another way for old people to keep well. She says: "We may not ap­prove of some of their activities, but we know that they are no worse than the young folks of our day, and at heart they are all right." Writing about the grouch, one of the causes of old age, she says: "If we feel a grouch coming on that we cannot shake off, let us get out into the open and count our many blessings. To check up all of them, you will un­doubtedly find that it will take all the fingers and thumbs of both hands—and then some. Follow this counting up by saying, 'Get thee be­hind me, GrouchI' " 1 Mrs. Helen Albee Prince was born in North Anson, and educated there in its schools. In those days the State did not require a normal school education of a teacher and at the age ©f 15 she turned from being a pupil to becoming a schoolmarm in a country school in the town of Anson. There she taught a class of 18 or 20 pupils, ranging in age from primary tots to young men and women well advanced in the study of Latin and algebra. At 18 she was married to Herman Cousins of Lamoine and three sons were bofn to them, two of whom are now living; one, Fred W. Cousins, of Bluehill, the home of Mary Ellen Chase; and the other, Edmund B. Cousins, a resident of Long Beach, Calif. Later in life she was married again, to William N. Prince of Portland, who died 20 years ago. Mr. Prince was a member of the well-known dry goods furnishing concern, known as the William N. Prince & Co., which closed its doors some years ago. On the death of Mr. Prince, Mrs. Prince went to Sanford to live, and since then has spi-'nt her time between there and California, visiting her son in the latter place. This Winter she Is residing at the Westlawn on 47 West Street, Portland, expecting to return to Sanford in the Spring. She is a mem­ber of the Searchlight Club of San­ford, the D. A. Pv., the Sanford Con­gregational Church and the Three Quarter Century Club. Just Begun In speaking of her literary plans for the future, Mrs. Prince announces that since she has at last embarked upon the long procrastinated ambi­tion of. hers to write, she definitely c.03S not intend to stop. She does not want to be remembered as a one ook author and has already con­templated other ventures. I? people take well to her initial ef-,'ort, she will doubtless write more stories of a Maine character, for after all, to her way of thinking, no other place in the world is more worth writing about. There is not a thing to stand in her way of pursuing a literary career, she is convinced. Cer­tainly not her age, for what are 81 years but splendid experience, and material galore for stories. And as for being a grandmother, how lucky she is. When she writes a book about a Grandma's album quilt, as she has dene, who can deny that she does not know her subject? 

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Helen Albee Prince Correspondence

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