The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-02-07

| WOrk OF ncLlo1 the distinguished lea
ture of which is an attempt to embody
in the guise of romance, partial accoun
of the public and private history of tht
literary star whose name graces IL,
head of this article, we consider it dut
to our readers, who were the first to form
the acquaintance of Fanny as a writer
due also to ourselves, to the public gen.
orally, and above all to the personal
friends and relatiyessof the lady in ques-
tion, to answer, in as plain and concise
manner as possible, the oft-repeated
inquiry Who is Fanny Fern ?"
Fanny's maiden name was Willis
She is the daughter of Mr.. Nathaniel
Willis, one of our most industrious and
respectable townsmen, now a man we'll
advanced in years. 1t is scarcely nee
essary to add that she is sister to Mr..
N. p. Willis, the brilliant essayist and
poet.
Mr.. Willis, senior, commenced life''
as mechanic, and at the time of his
marriage, worked at the case as a jour
neyman printer He afterwards pub
lished the Eastern Argus, in Portland
Meeting with reverses in that city, he
removed to Boston, where he establish
ed, and, for many years, edited the ';Re-
corder," the oldest religious paper in
New England. @ ---
Mr.. Willis has met with a similar ex-
perience to that of most men of his call
ing. He never made fortune at pub
fishing. At the present time, although
aged and infirm, he finds it necessary to
devote his'failing energies to the publ
cation of that agreeable juvenile, the
Youths Companion" Yet, notwit! :
standing his narrow means, Mr.. Willis
contrived-at how great sacrifice only
parents can guess-to give his sons and
daughters that education which is poor
mans noblest legacy.
In accordance with the course he had
wisely planned for his children, Sarah
Willis, the veritable Fanny, was favor
ed with an early introduction into the
seminary of Miss Catharine Beecher, in
Connecticut. At this we'll conducted
establishment, the most popular in the
country, at the time, Miss Fanny recei-
we'd her first strong impressions of life
and the world. We have never heard
her spoken of as very apt or studious
pupil. Staid works of philosophy and
learning were not much to her taste
But frow the prohibited pages of roman
ces and poems, eagerly devoured III Sc
cret, her craving genius derived an ac-
tive stimulus.
Already she had become keen dis
secter of the human heart, and she found
plenty of pleasant practice for tho seal
pei Of her wit among the young ladies
of the school. Here, too, the novel and
startling experiences of the boarding
school Irritation gave their warm color
ing to her future life. Fanny possessed
a large capacity for this description of
knowledge, and her writings show bet
ter memory for those pleasant branches
of female education than for the dry
rules of syntax and prosody. In fact,
the best of her sketches are transcripts
of her schoolgirl life-for Fanny writes
we'll only when giving the concentrated
vinegar and spice of her own experien-
ces.
Our limits compel US to pass over the
interval between Fanny's graduation at
Miss Beechcr's school, and the next i'm
portant step, to which young ladies look
forward with such anxious interest. At
a period of well-matured womanhood,
Sarah Willis became Sarah Eldridge.
The fortunate husband Of the yet unde-
veloped genius, was an only child-the
son of the late Dr. Eldridge, highly
physician in one of our sur
burban towns. Two daughters, the
fruit of this union, now reside with their
mother in New York. One is about
ten, and the other we should judge from
her appearance to be fifteen years of age
Mr.. Eldridge enjoyed handsome in
come from his services as cashier of7the |
Bank, the largest institu-
ton of the kind in this city. Now, VIC
esteem the domestic virtues of economy
md prudence but penurious mode of
life is not 50 readily pardoned as the op-
1osite extreme of lavish expenditure
ind the devoted husband of SO spirited
young wife, may certainly be excused
or g living" to the extent of his means
But as Othello very properly observes,
: Who can control his fate ?" Had the
foung banker been as wise as he was
and indulgent, he would have
ooked forward through the long bright
-ista of the present, to the proverbial
rainy day." liable at any time to be-
all US. In the pride of manhood he
vas cut off by sharp, quick stroke
rom Deaths remorseless baud, and the
rife and mother, awakening suddenly
rom her gay dreams, saw afliction and
descend upon her like pail.
Fortunately for the subject of our
ketch, her father, though poor, as we
ave said, hastcned to make what pro-
ision he could afford for the comfort of
he broken family. Nor did DR.. El-
ridge turn deaf ear or pass by on the
ther side. Some bitter thoughts were
occasioned by the remem-
rance of the luxuries of which she had
zen so suddenly bereft. 1t was hard
o sink like star behind the hills of ad- /
ersity-to pass suddenly from gay
I'd splendid career into the obscurity ;
f a more commonplace and quiet life; ;
nd we can excuse the sensitive Fanny I
or some unreasonable complaints; bat {
hanks to her own and her husbands
ather, che had the consolation and
reasare of a home-a home, which, how,
yer modest, was in every respect coIn-
,rtable, and not altogether inelegant.
Sarah Eldridge was now in the full
ush and vigor of womanhood-and I
-idowi It is wise provision of ma .
1re which ordains that the most deep-
? wounded heart shall not always bleed. |
Iope springs from the ashes of grief |
'ime buries the dread past. and lifts .