Nebraska advertiser., 1858-02-11
Death Of Miss Leslie.

We have to announce to-day the dec-
ease ofa lady who was probably as widely
known by her writings as any one thar
has sver lived In the United States. Miss
Eliza Leslie died yesterday at Gloucester
n. J., opposite this city, where she has
been confined to her room for some
months from an injury received there last
summer. Miss Leslie was Dative Of
Philadelphia, and was sixty-nine years Of
age. Her family, on the fathers side.
were Of Scotch descent, her greai-grand-
father having come from Scotland, and
settled IN Cecil county, Maryland, IN
l745. His wife was of Swedish descent.
so that Miss Leslie might well declare
that she had ''not drop of English blood
IN her veins" Her father, who was l.
man Of much ingenuity, a devoted stu
dent Of mathematics and natural Dhiloso-
phy, and a familiar friend Of Franklin,
RitteIIhouse, Jefferson and others Of the
greatmen Of Philadelphia society in those
times, went 10 London towards the close
of the last century, and there his son, C.
X. Leslie, one Of the greatest painters in
England, was born In the year 1924.
Mr. Leslie returned to Philadelphia in
1900, and his children received the best
education that the schools of the-day af.
fOrded. Eliza received thorough instrue-
ton in the homelier as well as the more
elegant accomplishments. She went 10
Mrs. Goodfellow's cooking school, and her
first essay at authorship was little vol.
ume called 'Seventy-Five Receipts,' de-,
signed to assist ladies in housekeeping.
Afterwards she wrote number of little
books for young readers, which were ex,
cellent of their kind and very popular
The first genuine sensation, however.
that her writings created, was. that pro-
duced by the lively sketch called Mrs.
Washington Potts. which appeared in
1882. This and other spirited tales.
IN which satire was pleasantly mingled
with genial pictures of American social
life, were collected IN a volume published
In 1888, called Pencil Sketches Seve-
raj similar volumes were published sub
sequently. Some years later she wrote
'Althea Vernon and Amelia, or Young
Lady's Vicissitudes,' both of which were
quite popular.
But 1t Is as writer of books on Cook
cry and Housekeeping that Miss Leslie
Is most widely known, and there is scar,
cely home In the United States where
her name is not literally household
word Her various receipt books have
! probably attained a larger circulation than
almost any other American books ever
written She is also the author of The
Behavior Book, a clever manual of the
proprieties of life, and was engaged in
writing the life of John Fitch, of steam
navigation fame, but we are not aware
that Ii has ever been completed.
Without any pretentiOn as a composer
of Sine writing" or as a woman of i'm
aginative power, Miss Leslie pleased bv
the simplicity of her style, and the strong
common sense which characterized every
thing that came from her pen. In con-
versahOn she was always animated and
interesting, her remarks on events and
persons were pointed, and she had a fund
Of anecdote reminiscence, wherewtth TO
illustrate her remarks, that seemed well
nigh inexhaustible. For a number of
years she has suffered from i'll health and
various infrmities, but her mind continued
clear, and her energy scarcely gave way
TO the inroads Of disease.
The injury received last summer pre-
vented her from using her pen for some
time, and It was only lately that she was
able to write at all. One Of the last. per-
haps the very last effort of her pen, was a
contribution which appeared IN the Buile-
tin two weeks ago, IN the shape of several
! New Receipts. These came to us ac-
companied by note, apolOgizing for the
hand writing, and explaining the cause Of
1t, her hand being still partially crippled.
She expressed hope Of haTing the free
use Of 1t speedily restored and promised
I a continuance Of contributions of the same
kind.
Miss Leslie's family have all shown ia
lents Of various kinds. Besides her bro
ther, the celebrated artist, she has Young
sister who excels as a painter, and other
members of the family have been noted
for connoisseurship as well as creative IA.
lent--Phi. BuLdin,