The highest salaried woman in the federal serv
ice (or probably in the service of anv republic
on earth) is Mrs. Margaret V. Kelly, who is ex
aminer of the United States mints and who re
ceives the fancy salary of $3,000 a year. She
deserves it, however, because she has spent many
years in the mint bureau and probably knows
more about the administration of Uncle Sam's
coin factories than any other living person
Mr. Howells and Reporters
Mr. Howells does not shun publicity, and he
gets his share of it. He says he used formerly
greatly to enjoy favorable press notices of his
books and owns to having carried them about like
love letters. Having once been a newspaper man,
he has a soft place in his heart for the reporter.
A journalist who sought an interview with him
not long ago received this reply:
"What there is left of me to be interviewed
is at your service."
Discriminating readers who have felt the
charm of "A Modern Instance" and have sympa
thized with the mute yearnings of "Silas Lap-
ham," enjoy reading a newspaper page in which
Mr. Howells talks of his work, and they see noth
ing immodest in it. The present writer never
could understand why so many modern writers
so obviously affect to ignore their own work and
refrain from speaking about it, for nearly all
writers are proud of their literary performances
and of whatever distinction t&ey may have gained.
