Show r I LI I 1 D A P 7 a Y Fanny Fern SARA PAYSON WILLIS was born in in Portland Maine in 1811 II In In that fine old town in that fine old State where she says the timbers and the human huma beings are re sound she spent the first six years of her life Dur During ng those years our country passed through a troublous time The shock and tumult of war did not seriously disturb little Sara but the heart of the noble mother was pained by bythe bythe bythe the tragedies privations and of that time and II she brooded brooded over the little life baby-life in sheltering peace love as a robin when her nest rocks in the tempest shields her unfledged darlings wit with jealous care Grace Greenwood says she has a theor theory flanked Banked by whole columns of biographical biographical biographical bio bio- graphical history that no man or wo woman an of genius was ever born of an inferior or ora a place common-place woman The mother of Nathaniel Richard and Sara Willis was a large-brained large as aswell aswell aswell well as hearted great-hearted woman The beautiful tributes of her poet son made all the world aware of her most lovable qualities her faithful maternal tenderness tenderness tenderness tender tender- ness and broad sweet charity but to these were added rare men mental tal power and character of singular nobility and weight In 1817 Mr Willis removed to Boston Boston Boston Bos Bos- ton where for man years he edited the Recorder a religious journal and The Youths Youth's Com Companion anion a juvenile paper of blessed memory In Boston Sara spent the remainder of her childhood She he was an happy and merry child indulging in her own glad fancies in the bright present she had little reverence for the past or apprehension for the future She was educated at Hartford in jn the far famed Seminary of Miss II r- r Catherine Beecher At that time Harriet Beecher afterward Mrs Stowe was teacher in this school Sara Willis must a here have laid an excellent foundation for successful authorship though probably probably probably ably nothing was farther from her thoughts at the time than such a sion If she grappled with the sciences ces they suffered very little in the en en- counter For geometry she had an r especial dislike Mrs Stowe tells a astory astory story of her having torn out the leaves tY of her Euclid to curl het her hair with t. t But in the laughing spirited high-spirited girl I there existed unsuspected by those t about her almost unsuspected by herself herself her her- 1 self the courage and energy the tenderness tender tender- ness the large sympathy the reverence for the divine and the human which love and sorrow the trials and stress of oft t misfortune evolved from her nature nature and her gen genius ius revealed I It t was here that the germs of those graceful Fern t Leaves that were to bring to the literal literature literature litera litera- ture of the people new vigor and verdure verdure very ver ver- y dure the odor of woodlands and exceeding exceeding ex ex- l 1 p pleasant easan t tures of f nature i h. h i were conceived After leaving school Miss Willis mar- mar ired fired Mr Eldridge of Boston and for several years lived in ease and comfort and domestic happiness Three daughters daugh daugh- were born to her and the wondrous experience of motherhood subdued the passionate impulses and undisciplined of her nature But relentless If Death descended descend d on that happy little household robbed it first of its fath father r then of its first-born first a little girl of of seven Then followed a weary weary beating out against the heavy sea of sorrow of that dismantled p pleasure ea ure boat o of life I with one poor grieving inexperienced soul at the oars Behind was the lie- lie shore of despair beneath cold bitter I f merciless want and very faintly in the horizon shone the fair firm land In 1851 Fanny Fern was born to toi literary life An essay was penned it i was but a little essay but it was wa a aventure aventure aventure venture quite as important to its auth author br bras as was II Jane Eyre to Charlotte hariotte Bronte After a patient trial and man many rebuffs she in finding a publisher who received her essay and paid for it fifty cents The essay proved an excellent excellent excellent excel excel- lent beginning and was widely copied and commented on It was followed by many others written in the same original original original inal fearless styles which were gladly received by the public and a little better paid for by publishers A few months more of patient perseverance and earnest effort in her new field and II Fanny FannyFern FannyFern FannyFern Fern could command her own price for her labor A most astonishing instance of literary success was the first book of Fern Leaves of which no less than seventy thousand copies were sold in inthis inthis inthis this country alone The winds of good fortune scattered those first Fern Leaves far and wide till the country was green with them Then followed II Little Ferns for Fanny's Little Friends In 1854 Ruth Hall Hallwas was published and in 1857 II Rosa Clarke These are the only novels of Fanny Fany Fern They were eagerly read much commented upon and had a large sale They were translated in into to German and French In 1856 Fanny Fern married Mr J James ames Parton of N New ew York a man brilliant brilliant brilliant bril bril- but with emin eminently practical ability as a writer They had many tastes and characteristics in common and both decidedly improved in their association together Fanny Fern made an en engagement with Mr Bonner of the New York Ledger to furnish an article every week week for his journal and for fourteen years she never failed one week to produce the stipulated stipulated stipulated article on time What habits of industry what system what thoughtfulness thoughtful- thoughtful ness what business integrity what superwoman superwoman superwoman super- super woman punctuality does this fact prove Aspasia wes was Plato says the J j tress of Socrates she formed the rhetoric of Pericles and was said to have composed composed composed com com- posed some some of his finest orations but buth h she never furnished an article every week for the Ledger for fourteen years Hypatia taught mathematics and the philosophy of Plato in the great school of Alexandria through most learned and eloquent discourses but she never furnished furnIshed furnished fur fur- an article for the Ledger every week for fourteen years Etena eminently a woman of letters mastered Greek Latin Arabic Hebrew Spanish and French wrote astronomical and mathematical dissertations and received a doctors doctor's degree from the University of Padua Laura Bassi Novella dAndrea and Matilda T ambroni were honored with degrees and filled professors' professors chairs in the University of Bologna but not one of these learned ladies ever furnished furnished furo fur fur- o an article for the Ledger for years Fanny Fern is from the first a most acceptable writer for children Her motherhood is a true motherhood of the heart She had a heart full of spontaneous spontaneous spontaneous spon spon- sympathies and enthusiasms she never gets so far away from her own youth that she cannot feel a thrill of kindred delight in looking on the pleasures pleas pleas- ures of the young yet while ready to rejoice in the innocent mirth and exultant exultant exultant tant hopes of youth she can also feel tender charity for its follies and a yearning yearning yearning yearn yearn- ing pity for its errors No poor unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate in her utmost extremity of shame and sad abandonment need fear from her lips a word of harsh rebuke from her eyes a look of lofty scorn or merciless condemnation But for the heartless betrayer of an innocent for the despoiler of hearts and homes she has rebukes that scathe like flames and scorn that bites lik like frost She has a hearty reverence for all truly devout souls She valiantly takes F sides with Gods God's poor and is an earnest humble practical Christian r f l She is whole hearted in her patriotism patriot patriot- ism and stands gallantly up for our America because it is what it is the hope the refuge the sure It rock of defense defense de de- for the poor and oppressed of all nations As a writer of brief essays and slight sketches Fanny Fern As a novelist perhaps she exaggerates a little Her tone is sometimes a little cynical when treating of the shortcomings of the world of fashion But her genius is practical her language plain and simple and she has served the people well well welland and received a generous reward in hearty popular favor |