The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-12
4 SEWING GIRLS TRIUMPH.

Il SEWING GIRLS TRIUMPH.
Tzo1v prSN11Ess SEAMsrREss BECAME A Sue
CEssFuL AUTRoREss.
TBattle Greek (AIich) Cor. Chicago Times.l
"The well-known publishing house of
d. Lothrop & Co., of Boston, have
new book in press entitled "a White
Hand A Story of Noblesse Oblige,'
by Miss Ella Farman, of Johnstown,
Barry county, this State, which will be
issued in time for the holiday trade"
Such is the announcement that has
gone the rounds of the Michigan
papers. But the readers, who prob
ably glanced carelessly over the brief
paragraph, had no idea of what his
tory it contained-a history of success
attained after a hard struggle with
poverty and want. The story of the
life of the authoress is story of the
final triumph of poor sewing girl over
difficulties that would have made many
q stronger heart give up in despair.
Miss Farman came to Michigan from
Augusta, Oneida county, N. Y, which
was the place of her birth, at the COM
mencement of the rebellion, and took
up her residence in this city. She
made a living, or rather attempted to
make living, by doing sewing for one
of the tailoring establishments. Soon
after her arrival here she made the
acquaintance of Miss Emma Shaw,
whose parents reside in Johnstown,
and who was also seamstress. They
were congenial companions, and an at
tachment sprang up between them
which ripened into friendship as con-
stant as that of Damon and Pythias,
and ever since they have lived constant
ly together. The two girls rented
rooms in a dwelling house, did their
own work, and endeavored to earn their
bread by the needle. But your CORE
spondent Is informed by those who were
acquainted with their circumstances at
that time that they had hard struggle
to get along that their earnings were
often too small to afford them more
than scanty subsistence, and that they
frequently failed to "make both ends
meet" They were very self-reliant and
independent, however, and would not
accept assistance from any one, but re-
lied entirely on their own efforts to
make a liying-barely living at the
most. While striving and laboring on
in this manner Miss Farman occasion
ally wrote short stories and sketches
for the newspapers, but with little
pecuniary results. About this time
the Detroit Tribune offered several
prizes for short stories. The obscure
authOress took the fourth prize, which,
although but a small sum of money,
was a God-send" to the poor girls.
This small reward encouraged Miss
Farman to persevere in her efforts to
become an authoress, and she continued
TO write until her talents did become
tributed to the atlantic, HaTper'S 8
iScribner's and the GALAXY, and her sto-
ries are now solicited by theleading pub
fishing houses of Boston and New York.
Her previous works consisted of stories
and dialogues for the young, among
which are the following books: 'The
Allie Bird Series" s'Annie Maybe, :"
ga Little Woman" and Grandma
Crosbyis Household"
With her first earnings Miss Farman
bought little house and four acres of
land in the township of Johnstown,
Barry county, nine miles from this city,
and short distance from Bedford Cen
ter, Calhoun county, which is her pres
ent postofice address. From time to
to time, as circumstances would permit.
she has added to her possessions, and
now she has q little farm of thirty five
acres. With her still resides her con-
stant and ever true companion, Miss
Emma Shaw, between whom and her
self there exists o singular and most de-
voted attachment. Miss Farman's
widowed mother, In her declining age,
finds a comfortable home with her
affectionate daughter. The three con-
stitute this happy little household.
Miss Farman has one sister, young
lady who is engaged as a teacher in the
public schools in this city.
Miss Farman has received numerous
letters from the admirers of her writ
ings In the East, and has had several
earnest solicitations from wealthy peo-
pie of Boston and New York to spend
the summer with them at their summer
residences. It must be particularly
gratifying TO her when she looks back
on the years that she passed in this
city overcoming apparently yinsurmount-
able difficulties, entirely unrecognized
by our citizens, to think that she is now
the recipient of the most hattering con-
gratulations from the Eastern IiterGtS.
Michigan has furnished the literary
world with but few novelists, and among
the number Miss Farmah Will rank with
the foremost. Her new book is a novel
entirely complete within itself. and is
said to be her best effort. 1t win meet
with rapid and extensive sale in this
section, where the story of her literary
Life is known. That az =: :,