Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-01-10
From the True Flag for December S0th
"WhO is Fanny Fern ~
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF FACTS.

n
.Speak of ME as am nothing extenuate
Nor set down aught in malice. ce."-OTHELLo.
In consequence of the recent issue Of a
work of fiction, the distinguished feature oil
which is an attempt to embody, in the gulse
of romance, partial account of the pub
lie and private history of the literary stal
whose name graces the head Of this article,
we consider it dae to our readers, who were
the fist to form The acquaintance OF "Fan.
ny" as writer; due also to ourselves, to
the public generally, and, above all, to the
personal friends and relatives of the lady IN
question, to answer, in as plain and concise
a manner as possible, the oft-repeated in
quiry-"Who is Fanny Fern p
Fanny's maiden name was Willis. She
is the daughter oil Mr.. Nathaniel Willis, one
of our most industrious and respectable
townsmen.--now man well advanced in
years. 1t is scarce necessary 10 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 mar
riage, worked at the case as journeyman
printer. He afterwards published the Eas-
tern Argus, in Portland. Meeting with re-
verses in that city, he removed TO Boston,
where he established. and, for many years.
edited the Recorder" the oldest religious
paper in New England.
Mr.. Willis has met with similar eXpe-
rience to that of most men of his Calling
He never made fortune at publishing
At the present time, although aged and IN
firm. he finds it necessary 10 devote his fail
inc energies to the publication of that agree
able Juvenile, the youths Companion. =
Yet. Notwithstanding his narrow means, Mr.
Willis contrved-at how great sacrifice
only parents can guess-to give his sons
and daughters that education whichis apool
mans noDleSt legacy.
In accordance with the course he had
wisely planned for his children, Sara VIII
Is-the veritable Fanny favored
with an early introduction into the semlna'
ry of Miss Calharine Beecher, in Connects
cut. At this well conducted establishment
the most popular in the country, at tha
lime-Miss Fanny received her first strong
impressions Of life and the world. We have
never heard her spoken Of as very apt Oh
studous pupil. Stad works OF philosophy
and learning were not much to her TASTE
But from the prohibited pages of romanceS
and poems, eagerly devoured in secret. hel
craving genius derived an active stimulus
Already she had become keen disSectel
of the human heart, and she found plenty
of pleasant practice for the scalpel OF he'
wit among the young ladies OF the school
Here, too, the novel and startling eXperlen
ces of boarding school Irritation gave thell
warm coloring to her future l:te. Fanny
possessed large capacity for this descrip'
ton of know ledge, and her writings show
better memory for those more pleasant
branches of female education than Tor the
dry rules of syntax and prosody. In fact
the best of her sketches are transcripts oI
her school girl ife-ior Fanny writes well
only when giving the concentrated vinegar
and spice OF her own vivid experiences.
Our limits compel US to pass over the Ia
terval between Fanny's graduation at Miss
Beecher's school, and the next important
step, to which young ladies look forward
with such anxious interest. AT a period o
we'll matured womauhood Sara Willis be.
came Sara Eldredge. The fortunate hus.
band OF the yet undeveloped genius, was an
only v-child-tbe son of the late DIR. Eldredge
highly esteemed physician in one of oul
suburban towns. Two daughters, the frui,
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 some fifteen years Of age.
Mr. EIdredge enjoyed handsome income
from his services as cashier of the Mer,
chants Bank, the largest institution of the
kind in this city. Now, we esteem the do
mestic virtues Of economy and prudence
but penurious mode OF life is not so read
ily pardoned as the opposite extreme of Law
ish expenditure and the devoted husband
of so spirited young wife, may certainly
be excused for living" to the extent OF his
means. But as Othello very properly OBJ
serves, "Who can control his lat?" Had
the young banker been as wise as he was
generous and indulgent, he would have look
ed forward through the long bright vista OF
the present, to that proverbal rainy day" "
liable at any time to befal. In the prime
of manhood he was cut off by sharp. quick
stroke from Deaths remorSeless hand and
the wife and mother awaking suddenly from
her gay dreams, saw affection and widow
hood descend on her like pail.
Fortunately for the subject of our sketch,
her father, though poor, as we have said,
hastened to make what provision he could
afford for the comfort of the broken family.
Nor did Dr. Eldredge turn deaf ear or pass
by on the other side. Some bitter thoughts
were doubtless occasioned by the remem-
brance OF the luxuues Of which she had
been SO suddenly bereit; it was hard to sink
like star behind the hills of adverSity-to
pass suddenly from gay and splendid ca
reer iato the obsculity CT more common
place and quiet life; aud we can excuse the
sensitive Fanny for some unreasonable COM
plants; but thanks TO her own and her hus-
bands father, she had the consolation and
treasure of home.-a home, which, how
ever modest was in every respect comfor.
table and not altogether inelegant.
Sara Eldredge was now in the full flush
and vigor Of womanhood-and widow -
1t is wise provision Of nature which or
dains that the most deeply wounded heart
shall not always bleed. Hope springs from
the ashes Of grief. Time buries the dread
past, and lifts the curtain from the glowing
future. Night comes, that another morn
ing, with all Its glory and freshness, may
dawn upon the earth. Why then waste the
energies OF youth IN mourning over graves
They will not give up their dead already
the spirit Of the lost one looks down upon
us from blissful spheres, and says, s'Be hap
py !' to our sorrowing hearts. Such voice
came to the young widow. She called rea-
son and faith to her aid She saw herself