Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-04-05
MRS. L. vRGINI e
Death OF the Famous Southern
Authoress Near McRIinnvilIe
Her Brilliant Literary
Career.
Nashville Americana

Nashville Americana
The sad intelligence reached us yes
terday of the death, at her home near
MoMinnville, after a protracted i'll
ness, Of Mrs. L. Virginia French,
known far and wide throughout the
southern states and distinguished for
her literary work and her estimable
womanly virtues. With Mrs. Augusta
Evans Wilson and Christian Reid,
she formed one of an illustrious trio,
who more than any other of the female
writers of the southern states made
notable and meritorious contributions
to southern literature. To the best of
our recollection, the first effort of her
pen to attract attention was a poetical
Christmas address to the readers Of
the old Louisville journal before the
war, then edited by the late lamented
George D. Prentice. Mr.. Prentice,
ever the friend of, and brilliant CO.
laborer in, establishing a literature in
the section of his adoption, to encour-
age the young writers of the south,
offered a premium Of one hundred
dollars for the best Christmas address,
to be sent by a given day. To the
contribution of Mrs. French-then
Miss L. Virginia Smith-was awarded
the palm, and the address, accom-
panied by a gallant and complimentary
introduction from the inspired pen Of
Prentice himself, was published in
the Louisville journal. Its young
author was then teaching in one Of
our southern female seminaries.
She was after that a frequent con-
tributor to the Journal and to
other southern newspapers, one IN par
%ticular, which we remember most dis
tinctly, being the Nashville Patriot,
then being conducted by DR.. John II.
Calendar and the late William Hy.
Smith. The older readers Of that
paper still living will remember the
numerous prose sketches and charm
ingly original and rythmical verse oe-
c~asionally appearing in its columns
over the signature of l.. Virginia
Smith. A number Of her fugitive
poems were collected and published in
a book issued ftom the Southern Meth
odist publishing house before the war.
She was married to Colonel John H.
French a short time before the late
war, and, we believe, at hat time or
saon after. was the editor of a liter
airy magazine published in New Or
leans. We know that she edited a
household and ladies department in a
literary weekly published in this city
by Williams & Glenn, called the
Southern Homestead.
Since tina war she had charge Of and
edited a similar department in the
Rural Sun, and, jointly with Mrs:
Bryan, we believe, had control and
conduct of a department in the Sunny
South, publisdhe in Atlanta by John
H. Seals.
Among other literary works, since
the war, by Mrs. French was a story
issued from the Philadelphia press Of
Benson, Haffel6nger X Co. Her best
story, the title Of which we do not
now recall, was published as a serial
in the Detroit Free Press, being a
story of the late war, the scenes Of
which were principally laid in the
Cumberland mountains and in the ro-
mantle region about Beersheba
Springs. Her most notable poem, and
the one creation Of her mind, which,
perhaps, moro than any other gave her
national reputation, was the spirited
lyric entitled 1.-THE Palmetto and the
Pine breathing a genuine patriotism
and spirit of nationality worthy Of
emulation, and especially Of the study
of political writer's and speakers Of
sectional proclivities and p~rejudices.