Alice May Douglas (June 28, 1865 – January 6, 1943) was
an American poet, author, and editor.
Alice May Douglas was born in Bath, Maine, June 28, 1865, which remained
her residence for the remainder of her life. She had no formal training
in writing, saying instead that "All my poems and stories are the result
of inspiration." She was daughter of Joshua Lufkin Douglas
(1833–1905) and Helen L nee Harvey (1838–1935) and had three sisters,
Ella, Ida and Varie. By religion, she was
Methodist.
She began her career as an author at the age of 11 years, when her first
published article appeared among the children's productions of St.
Nicholas Magazine. The reading of Little Women at the age of 13 marked
an epoch in her life. She determined to be an author like Jo, and, like
her, send for publication a composition from her pen to test her chances
of authorship. Consequently, she sent a poem pertaining to a little
sister, who shortly before death was seen throwing kisses to God. The
Zion's Herald. to which the poem was sent, published it, and from that
time, Douglas was a constant contributor to the press.
She was also engaged in editorial work on two monthly papers, the
Pacific Banner and the Acorn. Her first volume of poems was Phlox (Bath,
Maine, 1888). This was followed during the same year by a second volume,
May Flowers (Bath. Me.. 1888). Then she published Gems Without Polish
(New York, 1890). She next wrote two juvenile books, one for boys and
the other for girls, in the interest of the Lend-A-Hand Clubs. Most of
her books first appeared as serials. Among them were Jewel Gatherers,
Quaker John in the Civil War, How the Little Cousins Formed a Museum,
The Peace-Makers, and Self-exiled from Russia, a story of the
Mennonites.
Douglas was State superintendent of the department of peace and
arbitration of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She also assisted
the national peace department of that organization, by preparing much of
its necessary literature and by founding a peace band for children,
which had branches in Palestine and Australia.
Douglas died January 6, 1943.
Research note:
• Alice was a descendant of Cornelius Douglas (12 Sep 1749, Hampshire
County, Massachusetts, USA - 20 Jun 1821, Durham, Androscoggin County,
Maine, USA), himself the son of Elijah Douglas and Phebe Taylor.
Cornelius moved to Royalsborough in 1773 and bought Lot 28. His log
house is said to have been the fifth built in Royalsborough, but this is
doubted. It was on a little hillock some distance from where the highway
now is.
This family is of Scots descent, claiming connection with the old Earls
of Angus. John Douglas, Cornelius's father, born in 1695, was the first
emigrant to America and settled in Middleborough, Massachusetts. He
lived in Harpswell for a while and settled in Royalsborough, Maine in
1775 on the Meadow Road. He died in 1814, aged 94. He was the first of
the name to unite with the Society of Friends, having joined them at
Falmouth 29 June 1754.
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