Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-04-12
st. gainesville, Ohio, April ~.
Pen Portraits of Distinguished
Persons--Fanny Fern, N. II.
willis, 'sTeulah.


FANNY FERN.
Fanny carries her so years with as soar
ing a,head and as springy a step as she could
possibly have done in her 203. Fanny has
set that strong, ~resolute face OF hers against
growing old. She will not, and she
won't. Rapose is a very feeble rll in her
beng Troubled and stormy are the ole.
ments of her natur troubled and stormy
have been her days. Her experiences Of
life would have aged an ordinary woman
years ago. But like every other enemy,
Fanny deies age, aud he has not dared to
harm her as he can. Even when at last
death shall cease and carry her off, he will
have to do it in terrible hurry or miss his
prise for FANNY is a woman who will never
submit to " die by inches. " Fanny Ferns
face bears a striking resemblance to that of
her brother, n. 2. Willis. The iresem
blance is SO striking that, as you trace it,
you wonder while "Hvacinth" was such a
prig, how Ruth Hall" could have: been
such an angel. The stylish figure, the grace.
eyes, the strong law are alike in both, only
Fanny carries before her by far the most
nroud, powerful and aggressive nose
Fanny Fern is an elegant woman. Her
dress is usually f~aultless, quiet in tone, fas-
tidious in taste ; yet, in spite of herself, the
effect il striking. Her haughty head, her
stylish form, make it 80. Thus as Ear as
the eye can trace her, Fanny Fern is a mark
ed woman in a Broadway crowd. Fanny
has done her best to make the public be-
lieye that she lisa ternagaHt, and has sue
ceeded. She delights in outre assertions
and savage sentences. 1t rather p~leases
her to think that the whole tribe Of out.
sidsrs consider her a dragon. Like many
of her sister women, she doubtless inds it
very difficult to walk a full fedged angel
here below, and the men who married her
should have been sure that they possessed
the power Of subjugation or the gift of sub.
mission, If they desired peace. And yet un-
der this volcano of birthstone rinple a hun
dred rills offender feeling, and Fanny Fern
in word and deed can be gentle, womanly
and good. Not long ago, on tho sunny side
of Broadway, in its nurses arms, she saw
somebody's baby. Who owned the baby l
cannot say. | can only tell yon that | came
pat upon Fanny Fern wedged in a corner,
apparently oblivious to everybody and every
thing but that baby. Such ccstacy. and
such baby talk, and such TRANSPORTED face,
all the pride and har|hnnss in it melted in.
to mother love. Well, | looked and listen
ed even while the crowd jostled me on, and
concluded that n woman who looked and
talked like tina tn a baby. was, whatever her
iau'ts, much more n loving woman AZ heart
than a virego or blue stocking. Nobody
need despair Of the "inal salvation of a
woman who can talk like that to o baby, and
that baby not her own.
N p. WILLIS.
Fanny Fern il lost in the crowd. and here
come, her brother, N. P. Willis, the Beau
Brum mel of our ~literati, the literary Adonis
nfthA last .nnarntinn " ID nrfha ra.apt
day bears a faint resemblance to the beauti.
FIJI Antinuous smiling amid the ringlets on
,hs front page Of his Scripture poems. He
is now the relic Of that handsomas youth,
c,n.ending with time at last at most unequal
odds. y, n. p!
why will you Irvine that wint-y curl
In such II spring like way" .....
1t Is melancholy to trace tho burrows of
time on the face of woman who has always
lived for tho world. 1t is more melancholy
still to look into the face Of such a man.
Through all the bcSt years of his life it was
the misfortune of N. p. to be the pot of
drawing rooms, the spoiled darling of wo
men. They defrauded his genius by diluting
it with folly, Whatever Of profound con
%viciion,. whatever of exalted purpose be
mosphere ola false life. The atmosphere
VI Nlub NV pDl WIN sun -hiSObiuh
and imagination continually travel back to
the splendor OF %sprinr, and the summer of
his trinmphs. He ta,ks with you, not of
the great s~truggle..oi his time, Of the issues
of the hour, Of the human nature around
him but of the breakfasts Of Lady Blessing
ton. Of the magniicence Of Count D'Orsay,
the fls %,inations Of Lady Bulwer, the charms
Of Lady Morgan, the perfection of Euro
pam high life, the Notifying commences
Of our own, Thus as an author, his fine
genius has been nearly all squandered upon
the merest trivialities. How the hair should
grow upon the back of your mock the shape
Of your ears; the size Of your feet; your
fashion ofholding your fork, all these themes
to be d~ignitied into essays, Yot we cannot
forget that no is almost the last Of the bril-,
liant %coterie Of young poets, whose lyrics
were the delight of our mothers, and which
nre not without a charm for ourselves. | am
sure | don I forget that my school girl eyes
forth tender tears for Hagar that every
pulse has stirred with the inspiration of the
valedictory at Yale, or that N. p, Willis has
written some ofNhe finest lyrics Of our times,
/ Had this exquisite genius ev1r been quick
= ened by apennobling purpose had he writ
ten aud not only tor society but hui
manit,, haV Bight have left behind him crea
tons Of Thought which would have made his
name "joy forever. +" Thus about this
still very elegant man hovers all the pathos
of the Might have.been. As he passes feebly
on with tho crowd, | think how the gay pro
cession of life has nearly all passed before
lis eyes. Tho carnival of his youth, the
pAgcantry Of his prime, beautiful women,
gifted men, glittering assemblies, fashion,
~1,ttery, fame, all that makes life to such o
\ man, passed like a dream gone by; and
Aehat is loft for him more than fos us all
few days Of iuirmity and pain, the grave,
kad the hereafter.
II AUTHOR OF BEULAH.
As a rule, the 5 uthern woman is a crea-
tare OF prejudice an1 passion, She has ar
dent impulses, intense affections, but she is
not Intellectual. She fascinates by the
charm of her manner, not by her %intelli,
Rence. She is not learned and philanthrop
10. AMI angular, like her sister ri New York.
Shs y never hardened with a mission. "
She has no ambition for a " career" greater
than 10 DO mistress Of many slaves, and tho
mother Of many children. She plays the
piano, speaks French, perhaps, Isl splendid
hsusewoman, but of all '%ologies aud philos.
LN - A.