Laura Elizabeth Richards Biography
Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards (February 27, 1850 - January 14, 1943) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a high-profile family. During her life, she wrote over 90 books, including children's, biographies, poetry, and others. A well-known children's poem for which she is noted is the literary nonsense verse "Eletelephony."
Her father was Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, an abolitionist and the founder of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind. Samuel Gridley Howe's famous pupil Laura Bridgman was Laura's namesake.
Julia Ward Howe, Laura's mother, was famous for writing the words to The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
In 1871, Laura married Henry Richards. He would accept a management position in 1876 at his family's paper mill at Gardiner, Maine, where the couple moved with their three children.
In 1917, Laura won a Pulitzer Prize for The Life of Julia Ward Howe, a biography, which she co-authored with her sister, Maud Howe Elliott.
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant-
No! no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone-
...
Skinny Mrs. Snipkin,
With her little pipkin,
Sat by the fireside a-warming of her toes.
Fat Mrs. Wobblechin,
...
The Robin sings of willow-buds,
Of snowflakes on the green;
The bluebird sings of Mayflowers,
The crackling leaves between;
...
Antonio, Antonio
Was tired of living alonio.
He thought he would woo
Miss Lissamy Lu,
...
Two angels came through the gate of
Heaven.
(White and soft is a mother's breast!)
Stayed them both by the gate of Heaven;
...
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