~Happy 163rd Birthday to Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

Finally! After a month of not updating this, I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to do and that is post something! Hopefully I'll be doing this twice a week, which I believe is manageable, but it seem as of late that I'm more the king of procrastination than anything. Enough about me! It is time to celebrate the birthday of an American writer and poet, Ella Wheeler Wilcox!

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was born on this day way back in 1850 and is best known for her work called Poems of Passion. She is also known for Solitude, which is actually interesting to me because it contains a quote that I've always heard, but never knew who originated it. In Solitude she writes, "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone. For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth But has trouble enough of its own." The first two lines I have heard so many times in the past from people. It instantly reminded me of a quote from the movie The Producers, which is a little off topic, but its my blog and I'd like to share it! "Smile, and the world smiles with you."

While looking up information on her I found out that that quote from Solitude was sent into the Sun and she received a dashing total of five dollars for it. While she didn't get put into the The Oxford Book of American Verse, she did have fourteen of her poems put into Best Loved Poems of the American People as well as Solitude and The Winds of Fate put into Best Remembered Poems.

Ella died of cancer in 1919, but right before her passing she actually had an autobiography written. This was called The Worlds and I. On her Wiki page they quote her final words in that autobiography so I thought I would too. "From this mighty storehouse(of God, and the hierarchies of Spiritual Beings) we may gather wisdom and knowledge, and receive light and power, as we pass through this preparatory room of earth, which is only one of the innumerable mansions in our Father's house. Think n these things". 

Quotes from Ella Wilcox

• "Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it."
• "There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul." 
• "So many gods, so many creeds, so many paths that wind and wind while just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs."
• "And the smile that is worth the praises of earth is the smile that shines through tears." 
• "It has ever been since time began, and ever will be, till time lose breath, that love is a mood - no more - to a man, and love to a woman is life or death." 

I honestly wanted to put more of her quotes in, but I will let you continue on looking at her stuff on your own if you find her interesting like I did. She had some powerful, beautiful, and intelligent quotes, and I except to be reading some of her stuff off of my ebook account in the near future! Hope you all enjoyed today's birthday girl and until next time, READ ON!