The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1876-09-06
REBEcCA.
TSan Francisco Chroniclc.l

Il
Tho Chronicle recently printed the fol-
lowing vagrant Item under the personal
| head: stA t
.Miss Grundy says that tl,e original
oL sir Walter Scol1s. Rcbecca, IN the
novel OF Invanl,oc,' was Philadelphia
Jewess, whose picture Washington living
showed to Scott 80 p
This publication has called FROM weil-
Informed correspondent sunle interesting
particulars ~ the part taken by Irving
IN supplying sscott with this Interesting
literary picture from real life, including
the American authors early love, disap-
| p,intn,emt, and tllr mutual vows OF ceii-.
bacy taken by hInnelf ninl tile lady who
loved but was not permitted to wed him,
and who is reproduced In Seotts char
ming character of Rel~cca. Our e0rrcs-
ln,ndcnt has lis information from n
relative Of tho lady in question:, aud tho
already known facts leave hut little room
10 dDubt That these freshly-lublisIied de>
tail, are subsequently correct. The story,
as mir correspondent relates IL, Is us fol-
lws:
Washington irving, IN carly life, boz
came acquainted with a very intelligent
aud beautiful Jcwess In Philadelphia iby
tile name of RelTtca Griz. This nc
quainlance riPened into love, in which
bslh shared, aud Irving prolssesi marriage
aisi was accepted on condition that tho
Is,ients ~ the lady would CONSENT TO The
union ~ their daughter toa GENTLE The
Hebrew religious forbade such q marriage,
and tlsough the parents esteemed the
suiior highly they could not bring their
minds 10 consent To a violation of s0sacred
regulations Of their faith Tho attsch-
ment was 10 strong between the lady and
Irving that nothing but their elevated
sense % tile duty ola child 10 parental
authority kept them from wedding. They
resolved, however, that in sentiment they
would remain true 10 each other through
life aud never wed.
IL was during this state Of their relations
that Irving made his first visit to Sir Wal
ter Scoit. The latter had already made
for himself mn undying reputation rs an
author, and the former. with i,is literary
productions, had attracted the attention
Uf the .tXizard of the North - who was
nc that time inciIbating in his mind that
wonderful story of "Iyanhoe.' Personal
intercourse with Irving so won upon
seott's confidence that he sketclied 10 him
the plan Of the story. confessing ut the
same lime tl,at lac felt the need Of q
heroine other than Rowen9 lrying's
heart and head were full of his romantic
lave FOR Rebecca Gnslz. and he modcstly
proiiere,l 10 furnish Scott with heroine,
many OF the incidents connected with
whom should be drawn from real life.
The olier was accepted, and Irving's
ReLcccs,, mutually pledged with him 10
unwedded eaithly fidelity, stood as the
model of tile immortal Rebecca Of 'Invan-
hoe Scott Of course adapted itto the
exigcncies os his stnry, but the great ideal
~ furnished by Irving was unchanged.
IL Is known 10 every one that Irving
never was married, aud those who were
intimate with him knew also, or believed,
that the Cause Of it waa an carly attach
ment. about which cloud OF mystery
hung, rendering him insensible 10 the
Establishments aud charms Of other wo-
men. by whom le was highly esteemed,
and IN the breasts Of some it was supposed
warmer sentiment existed. Rebccca
0ntz. gentle aud loving, with heart and
hand ever open 10 suffering and sorrow,
remained tuo to her plighted faith, and,
like Irving, died unweidcd.