, 1875-11-27
hssn published, And It ahould st1nd A;do by aldo
With that on tho shelves Of oyery lover OF pura
1tronR thouRhts put In purs, strong words
" "lrAxie!iA In 4 book 10 bo lored.


atronR thouRhts put In purs, strong words
"drAxis!iA " IN = book 10 bo orcd.
MRS. FLETCHER,
Arronfn1nAT1tr OF Mnn FIr7cttrn. Nrru rr4rrp
AMI OtHFa F4xtL1 MtnoniAts' E.itted ii hv III Il,
ha!stvor of Her Family. j4mo,, ~, 31G. Uos.ou
Noberfs Brothers. Prize, $2.5o.
Tbs subject Of this Autobiography was born IT.
Yorkshire. England. in Ito. and liod It Ian.
or!gg in tho Lake District. In 1868, 1t tho ad
Fauccd ago Of 81. Her fatber "was descouded
from respectable race Of seo.nen,n aud wae
tho owner OF snllll estate. and land. .nurvoyo,
W profession. Her mother, daughter OF an
old and honorable family. died fow days sftcl
giving her birth. and tbs young girl grew up The
tndufged, yet not hpoiled, pet Of household in
which grandmother and maiden aunta
nero prominent Inmates. from i nor.
trait accompanying tho volume. NO dis.
ooFer that bisHa Dawson, IT tho ago Of
10 posaesscd bright, anliAbc, ind
Attractive counscnancc, rejecting m Intelligent
aua arrisht1y mind; whiIo tho autobiography in
iorms us TINT, few yearh tator, her hand Was
sought by many eligible suisors. Among those
"ero DF. Cartwright, the poet, Clergyman, and
Inventor Of the power-!oom. and Lord Grantley.
aGentloman Of wealth a. wol as titlo But Mies
Dawson favored With her regard an Edlnbu1g
"H1''oNSaf "hdNAs AoA tQAGt Au4 &HcAsG- 1.-Two fEkf8
her senior.
Her inclination towards this gentleman uas
strongly opposed By her father, who lad formed
"spundid oxptc!atiohH for tho child on whom
10 doted"; yet tho persistence OF tic lovers
orosbore his disapprobatiou. and they were mar.
ried when Ellza sAa = llttio beyond 81. Abappy
union Of thirty.seven 5eats a.testcd tho wisdom
Of Miss Dawson's marital choice. "Durioe
al that finn u
tho beginning Of Ter widowhood, "I
never experienced an unkind word
or decd from my husband; ncver know him do
thing that was not strictly honorable aud high
pr3nciplcd. , Ills indulgence towards mo
knew no bounds; and he secured my rcspect
and affection BY the virtues Of his character, tho
pouudnesss Of Lis understanding aud tho ten-
dotncBa OF his hoalt." Oftlo sevcn chlijron tl1at
wore tho fruit of thia nnfon, oac daughter became
this wife Of Or. Davy, brother nf Fir Humnhrey
Da7y. and another Of Bir John Richardson, the
Arctic explorer.
At tho ago oi 67, NlrH. Fletcher was induced ly
her Children 10 write her autobiography for cir
cuI&tion among her relatives and friends, From
tlo unnven.f1l tcno*of her life, Is Indicated By
tho 10" details NO havo given above, it might
reasonably DO asked ahy these porsoual sccol-
IecstonH Of Nh individual quito "unknown
to fame" weEo not limited to tho c1sclo
Tor whom they were originally Intended. The
autobiography 1ssolf Will furnish satisfactory
answer. Tlev aro written in mn eaay nnd
animated style, md, without nffcctation Or
vanity, preseus aTlcasfng and instructive picture
OF 3 lofty t,pe Of womanly character. and OF tho
rcfnenant aud charm Of EnR!,sll domestic life
among tho cultured middr.classcs Thoy also
bratod men and women OF Great britain, with
whom, socially and intellectually, Mrs. Fletcher
was entitled to rink OIL t"rrnB OF equality.
" ATS. Fletcher IL was said by cue Who L"ew
her well whlls she was resident OF Elinht1rT,
snd an acknowledged ornnnont to It's cultiva Cd
society: Z" have known as bcsntiful, es httrnct-
i've, and moro wltty young women; but have
mover known any ono 30 tendcriy, and trulv. and
universally beloved" In her old age whea s!lo
aad estsbi.hed herself among ber ftieuds tho
Laho-country, Il Was said Of her bv Mtrgarot
Fuller. who met her sho!e: "geyeuty-slx Years
bare passed over hsr head, only to provo ia hcr
.hs e1 truth Of NY theory TINT need nover grow
manner aud gesture, Of dignity; i.er voico, rlch.
and finely modulated; her tide OF taltrr
nsaracd By caudor md Justice, showing in ovory
aoatenco her ,lpc experience, and her nobla.
of her IN tho beautiful scclueion Of hor hone
alnong the mountAins. "a picturesque, flower
wreatAed dwelling, whero affection. tranquilllty,
aud wisdom were the gods OF the hearth, TO whom
vas offered no rain ,oblatIon. Grant US mora
such women. Tins! Grant to men to revor-
eneo. 70 seek for such" Lord Jeffrey, life
long friend Of s1ra. Fletcher. playfu1lY charac-
ter'zc1 her AZ ono Of tho 'womcn that .eould
plAsue him with rational conversation"
o. TUG inviting social acenes TO which Mrs.
ng the features Of poiitn intercourse in tho
highest c,rclcs Of Edinburg at lt1e closo Of tho
ass century. ia not the least interesting:
l,te before this time, tho forms Of toc!al ucct-
n71 t&1 f1Af fh4t hh11r
.hen knaw Einbur9 nrst- Largo dinnsr. parties |
ssss les frequent, snd sSpncE.pastte:-1 msan hot
a. II sat ss
ooms could sousonIsnly huld,. where c.rd-ylayinv
'encsay garo place to music conversation Tic cou-
seso handed about at o and the guests sat down to
ONE ltgs cold setreahments Inter on in tho evening:
eopls i not, IN tae.e parties; meat to as by. 10
lades steuiug to tho brilliant talk Of Mr jeffrey;
different p.tt q tae room, perhaps smother cir
tudcns, 1ending their to the payfu ina Enatiyo
scoursos Of DF. Hro~n,-whie irof I1ayiair would
onse. t1, throw IT, ~ ingenious Of quiet t,rk tas
aalon' old Alr. Mackenzle woud ell.en tho eonyeT-
ation With anecdotes Of men aud snanuora gono by.
aat Lord John Russell. then IN inmate OF lrof T1y.
stf used to spend foe Of tho eyening-hours that 10
From the numterle 81 light s1eschea Of persons
distinction with which Mrs. Fletcher emAel-
she8 hoF autobloErs phy, We content ourselves
!th Beocttng tho following Of tho author OF
8fnple Husnn' aud othor popular novels:
Mlas EdRawosths personal apptaraace vss not at.
active but her yvacfty, good hu.nor, xud ceverness
/ conversation quits eluaIed my expectasioua.
ioud sAS sho was moro apfightly and brilliant than
dned. aho ezcu'ea in tho raeiuess Of 1tiah Autunr
ut the great defect Of her anuer, 1t seeed to mo-
~ IN eIcess OF pltu1cnt or what In Irslant IL
llled "htarney," and III oHs wlo moved in Tia hest
relcs, both - to manhers snt mind 1t suspraod mo
Dt lttlo. sho rcpelled sll sppFoach to 1nm4sy un
y part by the Of her Complimentary rscs1tlon
me ~Lan first introduced to each ottes.
never felt confidence IN. the reality OF What sho ssi
teEwArda. do not know whether It was Tho - |
me- Of good taste iu hcr. that ato supposed wa4
lly and enough to DO tattered hy such yefbaxc
was tue Grst tins In MY nfe Lad 1not will uucA |
!czncsol cyllity: but was glad Of All opportunity
mteItug pctson who&s geniua aud powers of mind |
ID bern exercised II heuettug The worlI, - hers
ID toen. Miss Fd2swotth aud hpr two yefy |
teeAhe siatets ~ere ptosssd 10 Al our house sr
obeft and I.aa!J Lston. MIAa Ed9pwor.ht !
'rted Information aud quick sspaFteo spptarsu 10
eat adTaptge IN conversation with the pofiaheI AZ
IN 'assados Of Conssantinop!s who always reminded
. Of ths coup!et
''Polite, ~ all bis lie in Gousta had 1eea:
Yet good, ~ lie tho wufIl hat never eeeu.n
Tho reader Nill conclude from ~ ACQUAINTANCE
th Mrs. Natchos. that ler humility, alarmed at
. psatsoa ftec!y spoleu bY 11lxa Edgewort4, be-
a init {,.,t +. l. |