The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-07-19


tlan Reid She i the elde>. daughter
of Colonel Charles, + Fisher, gallant
officer. who was killed at tie iir>t battle
Of Manassas Mis- Fisher i, a give o.
Salisbury, North Carolina and .'.des il
that village, with her aunt a.'d sister
The family are devout Roman atHolic,,
and are exclusive IN their tastes s.id sym
pathic>, warm Southerners in the npin
ions, aud peculiarly intellectuai andre
fined. Miss Fisher tir t book was called
Valerie Aylmer. and was pubiis he'd by
the Appletons IN 1870. The New York
Eceamg Post made the following genial
and ju.t comments on it. Valerie Ay'-
mer Is unde niably charming. The plot
interests and the style delights u. There
! is much excellence in Its dramatic con
struction, and In its dellDeation Of charac
ter-and as literary work, it's altogeth-
1 er worthy OF praise. Chrlstlan Reid,
the pseudonymouS author, betrays on
almost every page a wide acquaintance
with literature, not that eucyctpredlc
/ pedautry which Is 50 wearlSome,y mani
i tested by certain popular nOvellsts, and
which ranges from the Talmud TO Tenny
son, but an easy familiarity with the best
authors and love for whatevegyrn them
| is pure, and lovely, and of good eport. :
Valerie Aylmer' may be takes rs a fair
| Indication of Miss Fishers excei.ences as
Al author, although prefer one or two
! of her latter novels She is 4 prolific
writer, and the Messrs Appleton have
issued, seriaiiy and in bookiorn. the fol-
lowing works from her pen: Morton
House. in 1872 Mabel Lee, "Ebb>
! Tide, and other Stories the same year !;
| Nina Atonement, and Other Stores,
in 1873; IA Daughter of Bohemia '
in 1874 "A Question of Honor," and
Hearts and Hands, in 1875; THE
Land ofthe Sky; or, Adventures In Noun
tain BY Ways, IN 1876; "BonLv Kate. Z
in 1873; and, "A Gentle Belle, in 1879
Miss Fisher has written, in addition to
the above list, "Carmen's S inheritance, y
''Af,er Many Days, ''Rosslyn's For
tunes, aud number of brief tales. 1t is
special gilt, in which many great writer's
are deficient, to make short story almost
as entertaining as long one; and Miss
Fisher is entitled to praise for the interest
and sprightliness she iuftsses into
! her best efforts in this line. .4ier des-
descriptions OF scenery are also admirable,
and those VINO have never travelled 10 the
lovely mountain region of North Carolina
would do well to read her Land of the
Sky, the next best thing to seeing the
landscapes themselves The faithful
nove-reader will like the book none the
less because slight plot, some pleasant
characters, and a tew agreeable love-
passages enliven the routine of travel.
As proof of Miss Fishers undminished
popularity as novelist, | have only tC
cite the testimony OF an acute observer,
who recently visited the circulating libra
ry at Atlanta with view to 0lcOver what
authors are most widely read in that rising
city of the South. The Atlanta cores
pondent writes as follows: "Of oul
Southern nOvelists, ''Christian Reid is il
such demand that | could find but one o.
her books, and it showed list of sixteer
readers"
Mrs, Mary +. Bryan follows widely
different course IN fiction from Mis-!
| Fisher. The emotional element is con
spicuous in her writings, and her chic
: strength lies in that direction. 1t would
be impossible for her to compose a sue
! cessful story of the Trollope type; for he
) methods are more closely allied to thoS,
of the French than the English school o
, novelists.
Mrs Bryan is native of Florida, anC
5 daughter of Majo John ID. Edwards
t one of the settlers Of that State. She i
descended from excellent and honora
BILE" families, both on the paternal anc
maternal sides of the house. When
5 school girl, scarcely sixteen years of age
: she married Louisiana planter and wen
with her husband TO his home on the
i banks of the Red River. She has beer
editorially connected with the Literur!
) Crusader, published at Penfed, Georgia
and Southern Field and Firestcle, and ha
! contributed to many other periodicals
, One of her earliest stories was Haywood
; Lodge" have never seen a copy OF it
but her social story published III Scott
! Magazine, under the name OF The Mys
r terry of Cedar Bay, attracted my youthtu
taste for the mysterious IN fiction. |
J was somewhat in Wilkie Collins style
and bad decided merit.
Mrs Bryans husband fought in tn,
war. and during his absence she was lef
in charge of the household and planta
ton At the termination of the struggle
Mr.. Bryan was financially embarrassed
, and his wife accepted position on The
. Senu- Weekly Times, issued at Natchito
| ches, Mississippi. Here she acquired
some experience as writer on polite
for the Times She has written many
i, poems and essays, and has never full!
followed her vocation as novelist. Sh,
is now editorially associated with Ih'
Sammy South, literary weekly publish
: in Atlanta She has several children
; and home apart from the dust anC
noise of busting railroad ceutre. IL
1850, the Appletons published, in hand
: some form. her MaEch, and he autho
: has had no cause to complain OF II re
ception from a popular .tand point,