, 1877-03-04
Harriet Martineau's Autobiography in
Press-'-The Book Of the
- Year.
what Charlotte Bronte Thought Of
her--.SydneY Smith and Hill
:. nlln> :"
4haoketay as snob-:outtipg the Mar
'quls Of Landsdowne On Prin~-
ciple. -.

ttneau IS so nearly ready for publication ,ha
the advance sheets arc on hand, In poinr ~
1nef' am constantly reminded of the snecr;n<
comment that came from New York ionrna
last winter, or it may have bccn no later thu,
Tue autumn Ut this season, in reference to tb.
paragraph which was quoted in several of tn.
daily prints FROM Miss Martincau, vhcrt
she SAYS she cannot see any reason
to suppose that Harriet Martinez,
should exist hereafter. cannot now recall the
exact words Of comment as expressed in the
journal, but the spirit was offensive, Us marked
BY hostility which evidently proceeded from a
bitterness Of crecd-worship and conformity
which. allied with certain fear Of the growing
frec-tliinEing Of the day, assumed to itself .
censorship which smackcd little too much OF
the old-fasfion risidity Of Calvinfstic authority
| to be palatable cren to those who .li!1cr ycrr
materially from Miss A1artncau, With some
general knowledge OF Miss Martiucau,s writings
and career, + felt the Injustice OF
this criticism, to say nothing of its slalIowncss:
out fresh from the perusal of this most remark
able record OF remarkably upright aud pure
intellectual life, the injustice .aud shalIowucss
Of such comment is still more apparent. Most
melancholy as it seems to us, to whom
THE HorE OF 1stNonrALlrr 49,
IS The so1acc and tile Justification, Is it WERE Of
this imperfect existence, to Harriet alarttneau,
this lack OF belief, Of hope, was simply calm
matter Of philosophy, which did hot iu the least
impair her serenity and cheer. On the con-
trary, It seems to have left her, in those last
days OF her life, in Il delightfully."- peaceful
Il dn,s 20 oe saa ai.ane oI mlnei, Or at least
and efo,b,sns seeni 10 lass impaired that peace
1erent standpoint, her position seems TINT of
munuetaul courage, ior contrary to the Shallow
s,",.,t ,;ss, - Ite ~" !osk Journal, II wc re-
w.. st ioa alu,n ano gfcat beauty Of life,
1a r..snt., 01,es 1,ae a,o respSet Miss Martnea1.
v - ire, tnen' but alter a-and this
rraIiv scemx ~ orra,,rd va .I.a. aoe,-the1e
uas 3,v ~ ioE oeieshg that there
perceive tJat + ,1.s an ~ .or ~ rs W. sead on VIC
ment anti the philosophy which grew |
out Of that temperament, and thcrtfor.
nav mayer Of the o. the qactsst aessptapss
tl1ot,rh. as ,c ,,n,1"r:t anJ ,o,rs. ~ T. ous
Sc1s we must give M tnaf term ~ si no11 o9Et
stats ii mind sad eo1.ist!oa, Us It
@ ~efe,Mthers Is another virtue greater than cour-
age which this remarkable wo1l,a,, showed and I
that, all absence of ecotlsm In this trannn;iI;t..
Of unbelicf i'll her f11fure eyisfenc,. ,rhicl :; l
.r n, nUt lne .Gase o. ner great Qualities There
hok,rnn5en1 WY, upGn reaa1ne TUG auto
se't-Pts4 ,tt''oI'a u ueE Lac, WIZ at ufSt De
'tfack With this very close detail and term it
,got1sm, but it is not the quality which we
Usually associate with that wo1r1l, for
If H. Is cgntisn, - - - - " 80. S1t1.
rhich fnvoiyna - nar+a;n - .,st sr nctltu1 anu,
q to znaap sh,ah ess,an sofI ol lmpsrsonahty,
leness:. but ln disbelie7ing IL persunal i'm
Inn. Ut tns lnalvlaual, bliss Mart1ncau
~ Ge net lclu4ulsn INC oenc1 10 what she calls
Iiatcs narson.i miusG, ~ dl'ou9 sue en5fely repu-
ras whot T. 70 Ia+ ~ @ ~. e-5Ms ;ne-to Der
- Nv. mn't - ~ uoI TO tnost tnoughtful PERSONS
, ;tto,,,t;o. e ~; ~ o.ss, o. gre!t constitution
= sue 1ouhd hcr existence here SO
hnsn tnaae sne enula "1lle sucti words us
~ yaera ~ auu 4G1toetatciy wnen III those
~. YEATS sue eheetlully awaited death:
H. T nm mistaken II surprising that am now va
! ~ pace Ine universe: which Is to be I'LL:
,ns Of ;i, u ha ~ r, eonsc,ons N atter the
said the sonosticn f., ~ NJ a oa.: as
IN understand why anybody should e11cct mo I
desire anything else than this ricldin,r ~. nv
lace. II VIC may venture 10 speak, !u]itcd a. ~
e. OF anything whaterer beng important We
nF tat tue important thing ss tha. the universe
~ at.I "a ,' ,s' Us we suppose II 70 oe, under
the nn;vcrse ho " fr,, 's =, uHre'se; Hs amt :
It see how it can sinnifv - uon.hs. H., ean. =
lmau faculty OF cons:iousness Of ident,v oi,s Is
esesved and carried forward wher, ali the rcst Of
examination is gone to dust. or so chf,scd Is II
be In no respect properly the same. In bric1 | q
nn3t see bow it Hattcrs whether successor he
:, t,ar L. H. ,, o. -: u. OF e am satisfied e
n;ysrsc as M u.s., oo ss nca conscious i,fe til CT
utv Is enough even ar NV narrov &h nna .aat Ger
otion. which hnwcvc9 c:,,, I;ccrn .st % T.
,ut itat ali Is mere human view and emot;on l.,
q real r,..l ius1itahl.. oni bn,nr,;,ia sh =.
crust to hulnn beings, living and DYING !. thc ~
Hare OF their fellows, surrounding tleul or sur
m =; ,hs, ,nen' Pout 1a1s do care. and supreme
~ "''as WY VIII te'' presently. -;
)reary rs a.! this seems, wc cannot but allow W
It tt IS Charged with i ,ot'le auL unseiish ]
TIT. bat ! am atso rcmlnde:', upon reading th