Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-14
Comfort for Fair Young Asprants.

quent contributions Of dreamy, heavenly,
trsnscendental sentiments which nobody ever
reads but themselyes) in hopes Of thereby es-
tabiishing literary reputation, and ulti-
mately being psaned as one Of the coterie Of
distinguished authoresses." To give pre-
monitory warning to such, and TO dispel much
of the illusory splendor which glitters before
their eyes, We have quoted q passage in the
literary experience Of Mrs +. d L. n South
worth, which must touch the inner fountain
OF every feeling heart, and cause il 70 give
| forth Its sympathy freely and abundantly.
The occasion for such a confession from her
was to account TO the " SATURDAY. Eyening
Post for her delay Of "Vivian,'' a story
which she was ~ have commenced in the Post
| on November 3:
Heretofore, as you all know, no circum.
stance has been strong enough TO postpone NV
| obligation TO you Nothing within or without:
| no adverse condition of mind, body, or estate:
| no pleasure, however inviting, and no pain,
however distressing, has had power 10 break
| my plighted word to you. In q brief retros
pect can show you this, and also show you
under what disadvantages an authors work
sometimes goes on.
While writing Retribution," "a serial
work written, as all my books have been, from
week to week, to supply the demands Of a
weekly paper, was keeping school and keep
| ing house. The school numbered more ID an
| eighty pupils, and was sole teacher. At the
same time one Of my own children was con-
fined to his bed with long and dangerous
| illness; and I was his nurse Nv salary from
the school was but two hundred and fifty dol
lars, and with family Of four to support, it
was absolutely necessary to do something elso
| 10 increase our income. " Retribution'S WAS
Therefore, written, and written, too, before
| and after school hours at night, and in the
| intervals when the sick boy was Sleeping. or.
at least, free from pain The great Source #
Lie gave me vitality enough TO do and bear
| oil that was required of me The school,
keeping, the house keeping, the nursing. and
| the novelette,, all went on ; and not once yere
my readers disappointed of their chapter.
The earlier portions of the " Deserted Wife,
were written under somewhat similar circuu-
stances
" And then, as my work was not destined
10 oe always excessively difficult, had the
comfort of writing three or four books in COM
paratlvely easy circumstances, with little
other trouble than hectic fever, and the con-
slant hurry Of supplying copy from week 10
week TO continue the stories
But in writing % The Foster Sisters -
which was my sixth book my sight from over
work began to fail. And, rather than disap-
point my readers, L continued to write under
circumstances that have irreparably injured
my eyes
When the next work, "The Children OF
the Isle" was in the course Of publication,
81
! for the Post, both my children were taken in
with the scarlet fever, the little girl espe.
cialiy was i'll almost unto death We were
ut crowded hotel, and she had no nurse bat
me. Yet the work Of the pen went on in ST
| lent watches of the night, and by the bedside
OF that suffering child; but God did not try
| beyond what L was able, and Lottie got we'll
Clifton was written under fairer ausnices
IN The sweet cottage home to which we som
after removed and which has since become
our own.
But may God in his mercy save Us forever
more from such accumulated trouble as visit
our nome during the two successive years in
which The Lost Heiress' and Miriam"
were written 1t is marvel 70 me vet how
either Of those works were ever completed
The worst of what we suffered L will not even
hint to you, because it duplicates others
whom L would much prefer to leave N the
judgment of God. But besides our greatest
sorrow, sickness. death, litigation, the parting
from friends identified with our liyes-aIi fli
lowed in close succession, until I was almost
tempted ~ believe that tie evil destiries had
received permission " test the full strength
OF my human heart. L cannot dwell uSon
the trials of those last two years, or even give
you the least details about them You know
that my work went on through all, for Won
saw tbat the Literary contributions 10 the Post
were uninterrupted, even when Law pr1s-
trated with illness, and had to invoke ths aid
OF friend as an amanuensis who took down
the words at my bedside. Enough. The
dark season drew to a close, the sick got we'll
and time recOnciled US to those bitter senara
tions by death and by absence God gave us
more patience under wrongs, and more faith
In His fnal justice. My long task also an
preached its end. The last chapter was writ
ten, and a rain 'prOmissory note append
ed and then heart and brain, so long and
cruelty overtasked, gave way, utterly gave
way, beneath the burthen could not have
believed that the spirit which had done and
borne so much, could suffer such a total de-
feat L thought that week or at most a
month, would restore my strength. And again
and again L essayed to commence the prom-
ised work, but Intellectually, because the viii
as well as the power was exhaused At last
L thought that should never write another
line tor the press, circumstance Of small in
terest perhaps 70 any except two obscure chill
dren, who, In losing their mother, would lose
their only earthly support But Providence
ls perfect Father, and Nature is a wise and
good mother. Even this coerced submission
to their laws was fraught with incaIculabIe
benefit to their exhausted child In this en-
forced idleness of several months 1.-THE frs,
rest have had in several years. health and
inspiration have tided back to heart and
brain, and, Providence permitting, the best
life Of both shall go forth to my friends and
readers in the beginning of the new work