The number of women who win success in literature grows larger almost every year. Catherine Duer and her sister, now Mrs. Henry Wise Miller, began as Mrs. Whitney did, to write verse before they turned their pens to fiction of a kind that reveals chiefly the New York they know best. They had never thought of writing as a profession when their first poems were published, but success led them on until they were well established on the magazine lists. Miss Duer is now a regular contributor to all of the fiction magazines.

Mrs. Wharton is, of course, the best known of the women who have made for themselves a better place in literature than they occupied by right in society. She was a Miss Jones, of Philadelphia, and a sister of Cadwalader Jones. Her husband is a man of wealth.

Writing began in her case as a result of an irresistible desire to see what she could accomplish with her pen. Her health was never robust and much of her writing was done to pass the time while she was confined to her house. For years she practiced in this way, so that when her works came first before the public she was already a finished writer.

Mrs. Wharton's home, "The Mount," at Lenox, is another example of her solicitude and care in the details of life. This comparatively small establishment is wonderfully maintained.

Mrs. Clarence H. Mackay is another woman of wealth who has found time among the duties of a great position in the world of wealth and fashion to yield to the inclination to write. She has already published a play and written a novel, and she delights in gathering literary men about her.

Absorption in other interests has made it impossible for her to write much of late, but she has confided to her friends that she is going to do something in the line of authorship more important than anything she has yet attempted. Educational matters, which have taken so much of her time for the past two years, are likely to figure in this new work.

Mrs. Mackay is just now especially interested in trade schools as the result of her studies in socialism at Barnard College during two terms. She attended lectures regularly and no student was more industrious or showed greater interest in her work.

A newcomer in this field is Miss Frances Davidge, who, although only out of her teens, is the author of one of the "best sellers" of the year. Her first novel has been uncommonly successful, although she had no other preparation for her work than the ordinary education of a young woman of social position. She is the daughter of William Davidge, a merchant, and her mother was a Miss Robinson, a daughter of Beverley Robinson, of Staten Island. She is one of a set of young girls to which belonged the former Miss Clare Bryce, who was married the other day to J. Sargeant Cram. Although Miss Davidge is just arriving in the literary field, her success has been brilliant for a beginner.

Another newcomer among the poets is Blanche Le Roy Shoemaker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Shoemaker, of New York. She was introduced to society only last winter, but she has published a book of verse good enough to find many admirers outside the circle of her own friends.

Mrs. Edwin Post, who was the beautiful Emily Price, daughter of the late Bruce Price, the architect, is another recent addition to the list of women writers. She has so far confined herself to fiction and always signs "Emily Post."

The success of society women in literature is by no means a new thing. Ever since Mrs. Sidney Harris, who was Miriam Coles, wrote "Rutledge" and other novels, thirty years ago, literature has been a favorite occupation of women in society, who have met with varying degrees of success in pursuit of its laurels.

Mrs. Van Rensselaer Cruger was one of those who attained the most widespread popularity. Mrs. Burton Harrison, although a Southern woman by birth, gained her reputation as a writer after she had won a place in New York Society. From her earnings she built a house.

Coming along in this same line is Miss Doris Francklyn, who though not yet introduced to society, has written several plays that have been acted by amateurs with success. Her first p lay, acted at the Carnegie Lyceum last year, was a fairy story, and two little farces b y her were given last week. Miss Francklyn is considered to have unusual dramatic talent, and her plays, in view of the fact that she is still in her teens, are considered to possess remarkable merit.

Other society women have tried their hands at play writing, but they had first won their laurels as writers of fiction. Both Mrs. Wharton and Mrs. Mackay have tried the dramatic form.

Mrs. Francois Tonetti, formerly Miss Mary Lawrence, daughter of a wealthy New York family, as a girl took a great interest in sculpture. She possessed such talent that she decided to make sculpture her life work. In the course of her professional career she met Francois Tonetti, the Italian sculptor, and they were married. Painting has interested several women so much that they were able to make a profession of it and find success in it. The Emmets are probably the most striking examples of success in this art.

By birth they are connected with many of the most fashionable families and could have had any social pleasures they desired. They are cousins of the Astors, and on account of their own positions as well as their cleverness, they could have gone to any houses they cared to.

But their art interested them too much to allow other diversions, and they surrendered themselves to it with very gratifying success. Jane Emmet, who married Robert Von Glahn, the painter, and Eleanor Emmet have had great success with their portraits, and a sister (Rosina Emmet, now Mrs. Arthur Sherwood) won fame as a painter nearly twenty years ago.

Mrs. Albert Herter, who used to be the beautiful Adele Maguiness, is another portrait painter. Mrs. Leslie Cotton, who was Miss Pansy Benedict before her marriage, is a welcome guest at the most exclusive houses and few women are more popular at Newport. Yet Mrs. Cotton now supports herself and her family by her portraits. The possession of talent, a large visiting list, and the ability to make her sitters acquainted with her society friends, the elements that can make a portrait painter very successful.

Music also has absorbed many New York women who might otherwise have devoted themselves wholly to the pleasures of society. Mrs. Grenville Snelling, who was born Anthon, has been a serious student of music for years merely from the desire to cultivate a beautiful voice to the fullest extent. She has occasionally appeared with success in public and contributed to the delight of a wider circle than that made by her friends by her artistic use of a lovely lyric soprano voice.

Miss Frances Ives has just appeared in public for the first time, and her success on this occasion seems to show that she may have chosen her career wisely. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bravion Ives. For five years her interest in music led her to take up the study seriously, and she expects ultimately to enter on an operatic career, although there is only her ambition as the impulse to such an undertaking.

Of all the other New York women who have interested themselves in music none has gone so far as Miss Mary Callender. She has even begun to teach and has so many pupils that her time is taken up with them to the exclusion of almost every other occupation.

Mrs. E. Marey Raymond, daughter of a physician famous a half century ago, is one of New York's wealthy women who have found great pleasure in music. Her art is creative and she has composed many songs as well as a comic opera that was produced years ago with some success. Pel Plancon has sung a number of Mrs. Raymond's songs in concert.