"
In 1906, having seen a few of Mrs. Porter's studies of bird life,
Mr. Edward Bok telegraphed the author asking to meet him in
Chicago. She had a big portfolio of fine prints from plates for
which she had gone to the last extremity of painstaking care, and
the result was an order from Mr. Bok for a six months' series in
the Ladies' Home Journal of the author's best bird studies
accompanied by descriptions of how she secured them. This material
was later put in book form under the title, "What I Have Done with
Birds," and is regarded as authoritative on the subject of bird
photography and bird life, for in truth it covers every phase of the
life of the birds described, and contains much of other nature subjects.
By this time Mrs. Porter had made a contract with her publishers to
alternate her books. She agreed to do a nature book for love, and
then, by way of compromise, a piece of nature work spiced with
enough fiction to tempt her class of readers. In this way she hoped
that they would absorb enough of the nature work while reading the
fiction to send them afield, and at the same time keep in their
minds her picture of what she considers the only life worth living.
She was still assured that only a straight novel would "pay," but
she was living, meeting all her expenses, giving her family many
luxuries, and saving a little sum for a rainy day she foresaw on
her horoscope. To be comfortably clothed and fed, to have time and
tools for her work, is all she ever has asked of life.
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