The New York herald., 1874-10-26
"Maria Monk,s Daughter."

the boys hair stand on end these coming long
evenings.
"Maria Monks Daughter"
handsomely printed and bound and literally
Illustrated octave volume or 900 pages, bearing
the mysterious but suggestive title OF maria
Monks Daughters" an autobiography by Mrs. l..
St John Eckel. lies before Us. maria Monks
Daughter" From the great body OF our readers
OF the present day such inquiries as these will
arise, who and what was Maria Monk, and for
what was she so greatly distinguished, that Mrs.
Eckel, IN procaiming herself the daughter OF this
mythical parsonage OF the past, apparently be-
Heves That she VIII command the public sympathy,
confidence and support ~ Is IL the mantle
OF q Famous leader OF fashion authoress,
or saint, renowned for her good works In which
maria Monks Daughter 80 proudly presents
herself to the world Is 1t the glory OF o great
name which she thus claims as her rightiul in
heritance, and does she aim TO dazzle us with its
splendors In the announcements Oh no. There
Is nothing OF social literary or sanity pre-emin-
ence belonging to the name OF Maria Monk
nothing of goodness or brightness, nothing OF
which daughter can boast, but everything OF
wlcKedness, darkness. degradation and shame
from which daughter may shrink in
terror and dismay. What motive, then,
and for what purpose has Mrs. Eckel
been induced to publish this book as maria
Monks Daughter 9' WHAT can she gain, and what
has she not to lose by this repulslve revelation
She answers this question to ner complete vindi-
cation in this exceedingly interesting story OF her
strangely active and eventful life.
We have said that 1t is an exceedingly interest
Ing story, but 1t Is more than this. 1t Is pro-
foundly impressive and Instructive. 1t Is one Of
those records OF facts which are stranger and
thn
history, richly colored with all the required fan.
cies and roma noes OF an absorbing novel. 1t Is a
chapter OF designs, incidents and accidents, as
steadily tending through all distractions to
browning glory and satisfying peace as tends the
stream from the mountains back TO the maternal
bosom of the sea- 1t is the philosophy, the earnest
philosophy, OF life devoted to search
Tor the truth teaching the way to success by
example, through many trials and sorrows.
1t is Drama abounding In stirring and
widely contrasting situations from the squalor
and wretcnedness Of New York tenement house
TO the splendors OF An imperial reception at the
Tuieres. 1t is the record OF life's journey more
wonderful In Its achievements than all the dan
gers, distractions and enemies overcome by
Christian through his heroic pilgrimage until he
stands IN full view OF the Delectable Mountains.
IL is the story OF poor child, girl ignorant and
neglected-a wal, without friend or . nome,
airift upon the world ragged and wretched
apparently helpless and hopeless jeered and de-
spised, avagrant drudge, living under constant
torture awake or asleep-it Is the story, we say,
OF such an unfortunate as this, advanced through
her own resolute will and perseverance to the
society OF scholars, poets, philosophers, mobiles,
princes and crowned heads, and to the dispense.
ton OF imperial favors. 1t Is the story OF q woman
thus exalted who has sacri6ced all these things
and the strongest OF all earthly affections and the
most inviting OF social advantages to her convic-
tions OF religious duty..l 1t is the testimony OF
woman who. from her unhappy surroundings and
sunerings, and her desperate struggle for exist
ence as child, was readily taught by q devoted
in6del husband to read and believe the pernicious
teachings o such false lights as Gibbon, Hume and
Votaire, but who, finding In their feast or reason
only husks and char, next sought ior the bread
Of lie, and found 1t at the loot of the Cross.
This record Of the extraordinary vlclssitudes OF
Mrs. Eckers busy career would meet all the
usual requirements OF an autobiography, If limited
to the moral in a worldly view OF her rise from
degradation to distinction, from Deggary to afnu-
ence, from rags to regal robes and diamonds but
far broader and higher is the moral OF her story
1t is q remarkable Illustration OF those conspicu-
Ous qualities Of the go-ahead American-the 1alth
in a fixed purpose and the pluck, the dash the
snap, the boidness and perseverance whereby
even poor, ragged girl from the street Arabs
may remove mountains. But the pervading
plea and the crowning moral OF this
book are reparation and indemnity from
the daughter 1or the mothers book of
calumnies scattered broadcast over the land
nearly forty years ago against the Catholic Church
in Maria Monks awful Disclosures" This book
was pretended revelation by an escaped nun OF
dark and dreadful crimes alleged to have been
committed In Catholic convent at Montreal, and
for time its effect was widespread, fearful and
mischevous agitation against the Roman Catholic
Church The reparaton, embracing the discios-
ures OF Maria Monks degraded and reckless life
and miserable death. and the narrative OF all the
varying fortunes Of the daughter to the building
by her In Duchess county OF the little Catholic
church OF st. Genevieve, and thence down to her
humble lite as devoted believer, Is re paratlon u
which amply attests the fulness OF her conversion
and ner convictions OF duty and her absorbing de-
votion IN the service OF her Lord and Saviour.
A brief extract or two from the volume will
to indicate the driit OF the courageous little
woman's extraordinary history, ana her natural
and wholly unafYected style as writer. In the ex-
tract which follows she Is speaking OF her father's
family, in which as an eight-year-old. she played
the character OF "Iick:"-
The family had been getting more and more
miserable, and their home was now SO wretched
that the father dreaded to come near It, Although
Mr.. st. Jonn received the annuity left him by his
uncle, 1t did no, seem to better his conditions Tor
his family would live Tor few days sumptuously,
and like peggars for the rest OF the year. They
had long since done without servant. GeorQina,
VINO was in her tenth year. did oil the
indoor work, while Tick did all the errands. The
only trouble about sending Tick on errands was
that tney could never depend on her. II she met
organ-grinder she felt as though 1t looked mean
and poor to pass nim by without giving him some
thing, and the money that was intended to buy
loaf OF bread would often be put into the out
stretched paw OF a monkey. The father used some-
times to give Georgina the money to provide for
the family but she would have TO conceal 1t from
the mother lest she wuuld l0rce 1t from her for
beer. Otentlmes the mother would 20 OF and the
father would come home late TO find the three little
children sitting dscOnsolate around the stove,
the youngest crying with hunger. The girls, too,
were hungry, out they were long accustomed to
tnat.
Passing over all the other hardships Of her girl.
hood. and her diligent studies as q woman, and
her marriage to "a shiftess" young dreamer, we
Ova rha foowtnO frankly rnvaalinU har ono n.