St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1858-10-14
HARRIET HOSMER.
From the Englishauoman's Journal.

Born at Watertown, in the State of
Massachusetts, in the year 1881, Harriet
Hosmer is the onl y surviving daughter
Of physician, who, having lost wife and
child by consumption, and fearing like
fate for the survivor, gave, her horse, dog,
gun and beat, and ;. insisted upon an out.
doors life as indispensable to health. A
fearless horsewo9lan, good shot, an adept
IN rowing, swimming, diving and skating,
Harriet llosmerl is a signal instance Of
what judicious physical training will effect
in conquering even hereditary taint Of
constitution, Willingly as the active,
energetic chlidsSacquiesced in her fathers
wishes, she coatrived, at the same time,
to gratlty and develop her own peculiar
tastes and many time and oft, when
the worthy doctor may have fattered
himself that his darling was> in active
exercise, she 1inight have BEEN found in
certain clay.pff, not very far from the
paternal tesid ;;nce, making early attempts
at modelling horses, dogs, sheep, men and
women, any,$ objects, in short, which at
tractea her attention. Then, too, both
here and Subsequently at .Lenox, she made
good use qf her time by studying natural
history, ana of her gun by securing spec
linens tor herself Of the wild creatures of
the wocac4s, feathered and furred, dissecting
some lley, and with her own hands preparing
.4ld .stnfag others. The walls Of the
. room, deXNed to her special use in "the
old house ,ct home" are covered with
birds, bats, butterflies and beetles, snakes
AID toads, while sundry bottles Of spirits
COT ain subjects ca.efully disseeted and
sprr jared by herself
ingenuity and taste too are shown in
!, the use to which the young girl applied
5. thett,e eggs and aud feathers of the nests and
birds she had pilfered. One inkstand, in
particular, a very early production, evin-
chg mechanical genius and artistic taste.
Taking the head, throat, wings and side
feathers Of blue-bird, and having blown
il aehen's egg, she set it on end, forming
the breast of the bird, as it we're, by the
oval surface Of the egg, while, through
thee o.Soen beak and extended neck, entrance
wags4ined> to the cavity of the egg con.
tanning the ink. .'*
~ = In fact, no one can look round this
apartment. occupied by the child and
young; girl; without at once recognizing
the force and individuality of character
which have Since distinguished her. So
trueis it that the child is father of the
man. .:
Fullof fun and frolic, numerous anec-
dotes are tola Of practical jokes perpetrated
to such an excess that DR.. Hosmer, salts
fed With the progress towards health and
4 strength his child had made, and having
: endeavored, without success, to place her
under tuition in daily and weekly SCHOOLS
near home, determined to commit her to
the care Of Miss Sedgwick, Of .Lenox,
Massachusetts,. Thither the young lady,
having been expelled from one school,
! and given over as incorrigible at another,
was1accordingly sent, with strict 5iiinjunc.
tons that health should still Be para para
y mount consideration, and that the new
!: pupil should have liberty to ride and
walk, shoot and swim, to her hearts con.
L tent. In wiser Of kinder hands the young
gin could not have been placed. Here,
Y TO, she met With Mrs. Fanny Kemble,
whose Influence tended to strengthen and
develop her already decided tsstes and
predictions. To Mrs Kemblc w have
Il heard the young artist gratefully attribute
Il the couragement which decided her to
follow sculpture as i progression, and to
u devote hsrseH and her lfs, 9 the pursuit
II at = MI: 1, III;