E. S. L. Thompson (, Elizabeth Shepherd Lamb; August 7, 1848 – April 25, 1944) was an American writer of prose and verse. In addition to poetry, short stories, plays, and an opera, her greatest success was in the area of children's literature, telling stories and writing entertaining poems. Her short story collections include ''The Raising of the Sons of Wooley'' (1903) and ''In the Land of the Banjo and the Fiddle'' (1937). She was also popular on the lecture platform, speaking upon a variety of subjects with marked success.

Biography

Elizabeth Shepherd Lamb was born in

Vevay, Indiana Vevay ( ) is a town located in Jefferson Township and the county seat of Switzerland County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,683 at the 2010 census. History The first settlers who arrived in 1802 were Swiss imm ...

, August 7, 1848. She was the daughter of Judge Richard N. Lamb, of

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. Her mother was the daughter of

Julia Louisa Dumont Julia Louisa Dumont (October 1794 – January 2, 1857) was an American educator and writer of prose. Born in the U.S. state of Ohio, she resided for 43 years at Vevay, Indiana. She is remembered as the first Hoosier to become known beyond the State ...

, one of the early Western writers. Thompson's literary talents were varied. Her poems possessed lyric quality, and were sought after by song publishers. She was the author of the following songs: "Christmas by the Tennessee,” “Our Glorious Flag,” “Come Pledge Your Troth to Mine,” “The Price I Ask for Roses," "Indiana Wherever We Wander," “Slumber Sea,” “Along the Mohawk's Banks To-Night,” “Tell Me So," and "Love's Golden Days". Thompson contributed to magazines and newspapers since 1890. Her short stories were excellent examples of that division of literary work; they appeared in ''

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...

'', ''

The Youth's Companion ''The Youth's Companion'' (1827–1929), known in later years as simply ''The Companion—For All the Family'', was an American children's magazine that existed for over one hundred years until it finally merged with ''The American Boy'' in 1929. ...

'', ''

Lippincott's ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine'' was a 19th-century literary magazine published in Philadelphia from 1868 to 1915, when it relocated to New York to become ''McBride's Magazine''. It merged with ''Scribner's Magazine'' in 1916. ''Lippincott's'' ...

'', ''

Harper's Young People ''Harper's Young People'' was an American children's magazine between 1879 and 1899. The first issue appeared in the fall of 1879. It was published by Harper & Brothers. It was Harper's fourth magazine to be established, after ''Harper's Magazine' ...

'', and other magazines of similar prominence. She was the author of the following volumes of short stories: ''The Raising of the Sons of Wooley'', and ''In the Land of the Banjo and the Fiddle''. As a playwright, the following plays are credited to her: ''Waiting For Her Cue'', ''A Scion of Royalty'', and ''The Fortune Teller and the Dwarf''. She also wrote ''In Lady Land'' for the opera. She married Judge William A. Thompson (1840–1925) in 1886. Thompson and her family resided in

Muncie, Indiana Muncie ( ) is an incorporated city and the county seat, seat of Delaware County, Indiana, Delaware County, Indiana. Previously known as Buckongahelas Town, named after the legendary Delaware Chief.http://www.delawarecountyhistory.org/history/docs ...

, for many years. They had four children: Robert, Marietta, William, and John Maxwell. She died in Muncie, Indiana, April 25, 1944.

Selected works

Short story collections

* ''The Raising of the Sons of Wooley'', 1903 * ''In the Land of the Banjo and the Fiddle'', 1937

Plays

* ''A Scion of Royalty'', 1911 * ''Waiting For Her Cue'', 1918

Opera

* ''In Lady Land''

Songs

* "Christmas by the Tennessee" * "Our Glorious Flag" * "Come Pledge Your Troth to Mine" * "The Price I Ask for Roses" * "Indiana Wherever We Wander" * "Slumber Sea" * "Along the Mohawk's Banks To-Night" * "Tell Me So" * "Love's Golden Days"

References

Attribution

* *

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, E. S. L. 1848 births 1944 deaths Pseudonymous women writers Writers from Indiana People from Vevay, Indiana American women short story writers American women dramatists and playwrights American women poets American opera composers 19th-century pseudonymous writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 20th-century American short story writers 19th-century American poets 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers Women opera composers American women children's writers American children's writers People from Muncie, Indiana