The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-07-31
8qisrsllanv.
Mrs Sarah A. Dorsey.

I Mrs. Sarah A. Dorsey, who died in
New Orlesns on the fourth instant, was
Eone Of the most notable women of the
Heuth. The New Orleans papers in
their notices Of her death have scarcely
done full justice to her, and have failed
to note some OF the most interesting
points in her history.
Mrs. Dorsey was Miss Ellis, of a
we'll known and wealthy family Of
Natchez, Miss. where she was born, in
February. 1929. She was niece of
Mrs. Catharine Anne Warfeld (nee
Ware), the novelist, author of 1.-THE
Household of Bouverie," "Beausein.
court" and other romances of a strange,
wild, weird originality and power. Mrs.
Warfeld's first publications We're two
volums of poems Q843 and 1844) by
herself and her sister, Mrs. Eleanor
Percy Lee, who appeared before the
public MS 1.-TWO Sisters Of the West "
; Mrs. Lee died soon afterwards; and
Mrs. Warfeld subsequent literary ca
reer was confined exclusively to prose
fiction. She died in 1877, leaving her
neice, Mrs. Dorsey, to act as her liter
ary executor, with, as is supposed, a
large mass Of unpublish manuscript in
her hands.
Miss Ellis in her youth enjoyed in
Natchez the advantages of what was re-
puted to be the most cultivated and pol
ished society then existing IN the South
west. She married, when about twen-
ty five years of age Mr.. Samuel W.
Dorsey, q lawyer and planter of Tensas
parish, La, which was her home un-
til the death of her husband in 1875,
when she removed to Beauvoir, a sea-
shore residence in the extreme south
ern part of Mississippi.
Having no children, and her hus-
band possessing an independent for
tune, Mrs. Dorsey had exceptional fac>
ilities for the enjoyment Of literature,
society and travel. in all of which she
delighted. She became know to the
public as the author of "Athalie," ;"
agnes Graham" "Lucia Dare" and
more recently QS77) of "Panola.' OF
these novels the best known, and pro-
badly the best. is "Agnes Graham, 4"
believed to be founded upon remarka>
BILE and romantic incidents in the fam
lily history of the author. She publish>
ed also, in 1867, "Recollections of
Honry W. Allen" late Governor of
Louisiana, and is the author of several
essays on philosophical and scientific
subjects. especially on the Oriental sys-
tens ofreligion and morals, in which
she tookssa lively interest. having,
among other accomplishments, acquired
some knowledge of Sanscrit literature.
She was Greek and Latte scholar and
read aud conversed in several modern
languages.
Mrs. Dorsey was well known in Its
erary society, both in Europe and Am
erica. She was on terms of personal
friendship with Carlyle, Herbert Spen>
Ger, Dean, Stanley, the Rosettis and
others, and had correspondents in
Rome, Dresden and Calcutta. as we'll as
New York and London. She kept up
to the close of her life the exercise of
an elegant and refine hospitality. and
hers was one of the few Southern
homes IN which, since the war, any
thing approximating the style of enter>
tainment OF the olden time could be
maintained.
She was an earnest, ardent, faithful,
unchangipg and enthusiastic friend.
Her admiration for certain persons-as
for Governor Allen. Thomas Carlyle
and her aunt, Mrs. Warfeld and few
others, of less note. partook of the
character OF hero worship in its highest,
best and most unselfish form. Above
all was her reverent admiration for JEFF
ferson Davis. Her house was habitual-
ly the home of the Confederate ex~
President and his family, and it was
her chief delight in very possible way
to show him respect and honor combin
ing the Office of hostess with that of
secretary or amanuensis, as circum-
stance might require.
A few months ago the progress of an
old hereditary malady admonished her
of the necessity for submitting to sur
gical operation which might either give
relief or prove fatal. With the ut
most composure and deliberation she
made:fnll preparation for either alter
native. and when this was done went to
New Orleans and placed herself in the
hands of the surgeons. With charac-
teristic thoughtlessness of self, her first
question on recovering from the effects
of chloroform, after the operation. was
to inquire whether refreshments had
been provided for the two or three
lady friends in attendance upon her.
She fingered for some two or three
months in a condition which gave her
friends alternate horefulness and ankle.
ty. but finally sank rapidly and quietly |
to rest.
Mrs. Dorsey bad been very earnest
church>woman Of type msthetically
rather than doctrinally characterized
as 'ritualistic. When the mistress Of
plantation, with many slaves, she had
provided chaplain, chapel and all
the accessories of worship for them, and
had devoted much personal attention to
their religious training. DisappoInt.
ment freely expressed at the result Of
these eforte, together with indications
in some of her later essays of the infiu>
ence of the modern school of latitud-
marian philosophy, had given rise to
many apprehensions among some of her
friends as to the ultimate effect upon