New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-03

In q little whis We were seated next Margaret O.
Ter aud very soon ell our precCnceived notions OF
( her selfwilled erotism melted away like snow drifts
In The ,ui shine We confess 20 having felt the mag
neiism Of which her friends say SO much. Perhaps
Margaret in an especially gentle MOOD ina h'ghti
ueriaps the geniaty Of her host, himself poet per-
veded the social atmosphere. However this might
BE- the conveTsatiCn was noways gladia'oria pat
though brilliant sympathetic. Margaret talked more
than any one ell il Il true but then II was t4cy
conceded that she talked the best OF any one 10 lhe
room She respected an honest difference Of opinion
if il casually arose and even Tire" no" ana iheh an
arguu ent into her opponent scale Dut a;FefluS
a. she did so-arguiLg for the sake OF trnih ana mol
for victory. She was tender IN her manner 10 very
youpp peoule and seemed full Of kindly courtesy T.
ali. Little did suspect when we clasped her mana
al parting that accident would prevent dnoineI
meeting and that in the next four years ol her NE
would crowd more woe and joy and stirring aiierna-
tions of events than sometimes occur in the long
course Of three score and ten years OF existence
With these pathetic words, we close on extracts from
Mrs. Crosa1d, 20 whom we indebted for no small
satisfaction in the perusa of her volume, and who
has laid us under still deeper obligation by the rare
Justice which she has accorded to American genius
and excellence.
THE FINALE PROSE WRITER'S OF AMERICA By
JOHN & HIATT, LII b. $40, PIP $780, Philadelphia
T. II Butler & Co.
Several new names Of successful authOresses are
added TO this edition Of DR.. Harris we.known vol
ume which may be regarded as an illustration Of the
remarkable facility Of composition among the women
Of this country The specimens quoted from their
vritines give favorable idea of their culture and
ability and in general we think, do justice to their
respectve merits Most Of the biographical sketches
are brief while two or three of them unnecessarily
prolonged as they celebrate char ping young ladies',
no doubt hut whose principal literary distinction
consists in their having been frequent contributors to
Sartain's Magazine. OF the new names, DR..
Hart gives the fullest account of the popular writer
who reoices in the pseudonym of Fanny Fern. We
copy one or two of his interesting paragraphs.
We would be glad to give the true name of this
authorizes. But she prefers still to maintain her m
cogn,0, and proper difference to the o6g cations oil
courtesy (which are binding in literary "a in So
cia life forbids doing what would otherwise be an
equal qualification 10 readers aud ourselves With
regard TO the personal history of Fanny Fern we feel
asimilar restraint. We shall therefore, only toach
and that lightly, upon such points rs, under the cir
cumstances may be referred 10 without the slightest
violation of proprety.
Not many ears since, Fanny Fern was living-no
matter wherein aflluence. No home need be more
lovely no family more happy, than was hers. Ample
webIih devoted love, cultivated intellect, refined
taste and fervid religious spirit combined TO make
that home whatever could be desired ON earth, ana
excited the respect and admiration of all admitted to
the happy circle But suddenly bolt fell. DEAN
came. The husband and father was smitten down.
The widowed mother and the half orphan children
left TO fight The battle OF lie alone. ADVERSELY
succeeded adversity. Poverty followed in the dismal
train and illness and want had the afflicted family at
their mercy. The mother struggled on as best she
could but all know how hard Is for a lay 10
empoN ment which will enable her 10 obtain livell-
hood even for herself much less for family Of chill
dren. The female teacher generally receives only
meagre salary; the copyist pursues an uncertain call
ing the sesmstress can at best earn Dut hsera1ie
pittance And so, at last, after bitter years, the
widowed mother from sheer desperation, took to her
pen and another and bright star was added to our
literary galaxy. ~ ,
FANNY Ferns frat article was written and published
in july in 1851 Ii was Immediately copied far and
wide. Each succeeding piece met with similar favor
until most of the newspapers OF this country, and
MANY British periodicals, were regularly enriched
with her articles But while she thus furnishing
amusement and instruction TO the public she was not
receiving an adequate reward. Whenever a woman
is obliged TO go out into the world and earn her yn
living che has TO undergo trials and difficulties of
which man can perhaps form no just idea. deli
cate sensitive lady cannot for instance, call at news
paper offices TO solicit employment or 10 offer an
article for sale without being exposed TO annoyances
which to her are painful, but which man might not
observe. refined ledy i'll brook the nquiring gaze
andmpertDentstareo of hang she bargain
for proper remuneration, nor call again and ain,
ard again, if need lie, in foul ss well as fair
weather And then, il is often assumed that woman
should be paid less for her labor than for his
though hers be equally valuable and it IL only
after she has acquired commanding reputation that
she can ordinarily obtain Just equivalent for her
productions. And thus, for many months, the con-
pensation which Fanny Fern received for her writ
ines was not at all commensurate with their value
For articles which worth fifty dollars and which
would have commanded that sum- had she known
better how TO sell them, che often received but
a tenth of that amount; and during this time her
income far from being sufficient 70 maintain her
self and children comfortably. But with unyieldin-
perseverance, and with her trust in God unsh AIKEN
she worked on, until she triumphed all obstacles
earned a name of which she may well be proud
secured an ample fortune and won the increased re-
spect and love of those who know her best. IL is
perhaps, needless TO remark, that she now commands
the highest prices paid TO writers in this country
In examining Fanny Ferns writings even the
earliest of them, struck with the evidence they
exhibit that the writer understands her own powers
perfectly rather that she knows positively that she
can do certain things better than they have been
done before. Though this is unQuestonably the case
STILL ste doubtless often achieves more brilliant TIL
umphs than she anticipated; in other words she ia
probably often surprised at the excellence of her
articles She never makes 8 mistake because she
never attempts what she cannot successfully achieve
This fact has been manifested throughout her literary
career. At first her articles were mere paragraphs,
and col tanned generally only one clearly pronounced
ano s1mSaoly developed idea No words were wasted
The idea or fact principle sought to be presented
was distinctly stated, and clearly worked up in every
attractive and telling phrase possible las Beethoven
worked up inc theme OF symphony and tien the
article was nronght TO an immediate but artistic con-
cusion. With practice, her confidence seemed TO in-
crease, and ste struck out into holder paths Having
tried and proved the strength Of her pinons she took
lofier fights and continued longer on the wing. Re
heved of pecuniary enbarassments and surrounded
more with the comfort. of life, she wrote with
gre alter freedom and certainly gave TO her articles
polish which some of her earlier pieces did not pos
sess Her latest productions models OF style and
competition.
ihE WORLD IN TIE MIDDLE AGES. By ADotrHvs
n ,t0''s hotrrEs folo, PIP 81 d. Appleton -
Inc geography of the medieval world hiss been
~ sb