New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-16
AMERICA IN FEN4LE LITE RATUBE-LETTER
From FANNY FERN.
10 Il. rd.t,r Of T1eN !. Trlbaae.

To tie Editor Of ne y. Tribune
SIR: In The Daily Times of The 5h inst. appeared an
article entitled American Female Literature, IN which
the following passage occurs:
whatever differences Of opinion may exist as 10 the
merit of our female writers there can be no doubt
as 10 their popularity and influence. Neither Irving nor
Coouer has been read in anything Ike the same numcr c
ratio as Fanny Fern Miss Wethere, and others OF the
same class The fact significant. No doubt their tai
en,s have had due share in this unprecedented POPULAR
ty. But folly to attribute the result 10 TINS caue
mainly There Is sort Of proportion between ,he ge
MUS shown in hese volumes and he immense sale they
have bad The true Is in combination OF crcu-
stances among which to be enumerated the present
plopossessOn OF The public mind in favor OF any good tg
that ladies' undertake to do and consequently the ease
with which they the public Women OF any IN
teectua force end the American world more than ready
do them Justice They are really anxious to admire
them. III American woman of preension and position
writes Inferior book she cannot be half 30 sorry for II
the ,erder-hearied public
VIII Tie editor of Tie Times inform why, ii Il" the
American world" is really anxious TO admire .e-
male talent and more than ready do i, justice, that
editors take 70 much pains persuade the public thaethe
sole of popular book by female writer is owing to such
combination OF circumstances as he names Why with
such chvalrc feelings nc claims that entertain for
our sex aotc these ladies' without any disclaimer the
full benefit of their though in his opinion It
be mainly owing 10 adventitous causes Why damn
with faint praise, after this fashion Very good for
" lady book huddc literary ladies together with this
contemptuous expresson- Pecoat rush for print
why whine at ALL like vexed school-boy, because
" girl has e0i up 10 tie keGd?
why, if .women of any intellectual force find the
American world than ready 10 IN them justice did
tie writer below alluded to- at whose literary baptism the
editor OF Tie Times himself stood godfather receive the
following unmis.akable rebuff:
enIy j. RsyhaSd Edo9 Of T5e Nc York bGg Times
EewYork: Charles scdbner. Boston; Redding s. Co.
the former evncng at times some little Orignslity-the
latter of the most commonplace description As whole
the book Is not above mediocrity.
Boston Saturday Evening Gazette
Why did those gallant American fingers uncere-
moniousy wiring the neck Of this aiys hrs literary bant
ngl
Why, on the first appearance Of Uncle Toms Cabin
did some Of tie gallant Editors of the American world
pronounce it too powerful to have been written by
woman" and when driven from this chvalric" opin
ion, why did they still sneakngy cling 20 the belief That
her husband must have assisted her in writing it, And
if the American world including OF course American
Editors Is 20 anxious TO admir-" the female sex when
developed iterarly, why anecdote stating
that Mrs. Stowe, when travelling, was mistaken by a
gentleman for Irish servantwoman passed from ono
editorial hand to another with so much gHsto'
Again, the Editor of Tie Times says:
"There il something in this 10 be remembered oy our
aspiring women To make men, you must treat them as
arcOndonsers treat the water IN hre-ehghe sH W
eight additional aiospheres in pressure on Their brains
and By resistance calf forth their strength. Ihey must
have obstacles 10 surmountsuierng to test ,he orti
tude-dangers to arouse their courage faciity IN ihe
sense of easnes the enemy Of manly genus But
for tie impeachment in Demostheness u,terance-he mis-
fortunes in Sir Walter Scots clrcumstances-the poverty
Of Burns and the deformy of Byron-ther genius would
never have impressed the world so poteny. But womanly
mind loves sympathy, admiration praise. The fragrant
atmosphere which these create, must float around the
plant OF her genius il can flower IN Sumner fullness
Is this fruel Have literary obstacles to
eounter-no dangers TO surmount-no impediments to
overcome Can literary roman, how talented soever
she may be, command her deJet great remunera
ton for her literary contributions as can obtain
under the same circumstances
Hasshe Ouery path Who reared in luxury shrinking
delicate suddenly finds herself thrown by mis-
fortune upon her exerons for daily bread r hersei
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