The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-02-09
CHRISTIAN REID.
HER HOME AND HER QUIET LIFE
IN SALISBURY.

HER HOME AND HER QUIET LIFE
IN SALISBURY.
The Old Rowan Strength which Mi.for-
tune directed to Literature and Pro-
duced our Best Novels.
SJ1eciut Correspoadence Of The Chron icle
SALISBURY, n. c., February 5, 1884
Two generations ago in that rough and
jolly period which we fancy was the good
old times,'' two of the most stalwart and
doughty men in North Carolina were old
| Judge Caldwell and the elder Charles
Fisher, of Rowan county. Mr.. Fisher was
| a stronger Democrat than Andrew Jack
son himself and Judge Caldwell was
| Wing. They were politicians militant,
not your finer theorists who wage puny
| war Of twedledum and twedledee. When
| they met they met and embraced in anger
| and exchanged compliments knuckle- wise.
| They had fists in their convictions, and
were men every inch of them. To them
| and to such men as they were we owe our
| strength of brain and limb
| In what steady and calm power their
! strength has shown itself in the second
| generation! For to the blood and force
and brains of these two old men we owe
the cleverest artistic literary work that has
ever been done in North Carelina-''Val-
Land of the Sky'' and the others of the
now long list of the most famous books
| ever born among us.
OF course the young Charles Fisher
| must needs have married a daughter of his
| fathers enemy, else for what purpose were
| the old men rivals? Col. Charles Fisher
| (and my North Carolina reader may pull
| Oft his hat when he prOnOunces the name)
left three children, Miss Frances Fisher
and Mr.. Fred Fisher and Miss Annie Fish
er, the two last being twins. Miss Frances
Fisher, Of course, is "Christian Reid.'
When the the body of Col. Chas. Fisher
was brought home from the battlefield Of
Manassas, his sister, Miss Christine Fisher,
forbade any one enter the room where he
| lay until she had finished portrait OF
| him. Then when he was buried with the
! tears Of all the Southern people, she made
herself mother to his children. She is a
devout Roman Catholic and a recluse. But
for the care of her brothers children she
would have taken the veil.
! In 1865 when all things came to an end,
$50 at least we regarded it them the Fish
er estate fell into the hands of the Philis-
| tines. The recluse sister of the dead hero
and his children were left with the old
home in Salisbury it is true, but with moth
ing more. Then it was that Miss Frances
Fisher became ''Christian Reid'', and war
| which wrought her irreparable loss
brought us our chief literary renown. 1t
| was a matter Of bread and butter. But
the blood Of the elder Caldwell and of the
| Elder Fisher having fought one another
for politics and having fought for the lost
cause, now in the veins Of brave young
| woman fought mis- fortune with all it's army
of ills and threats. ''Christian Reid has
established her fame and held the old
homestead, Mr.. Fred Fisher has been ed
| ucated to the law and Miss Annie Fisher
| is now finishing her musical training. 1t
| is variously gifted family. Miss Christine
Fisher uses her pencil with much grace
and Miss Annie Fisher has musical talents
of very high kind.
At present during the absence of the
last from home the household consists only
Of these two maiden lades-Miss Frances
Fisher and her recluse aunt. They live at
the old Fisher place." which with the
little brown Catholic church makes one OF
the large squares of the town. It is a
cozy but hardly cheerful place The old
two-story frame house with its ''beaded''
weatherboards was once painted brown.
The dark frOnt-dOOr suggests retirement.
The stone floor of the piazza has somehow
a hint Of a convent in its appearance.
The kitchen stands far back in the rear
and large area OF pear trees and box
bushes stretches down to the little church
In the front yard are oaks and cedars and
an avenue of small box bushes leads to the
front door.
Miss Fisher herself lives an almost re.
tired life, not from inclination SO much as
because she is very busy. During these
years since she began to write fiction she
has been as industrious as the busiest man
in North Carolina. The work has no,
been a recreation but creation, anC
; ; therefore hard and continuous labor.
The people of Salisbury with nut regarc
, to creed not only esteem her highly bu
even regard her with sort of homage
''Bless your life,'' said gentleman to me
'slhere isn't man in Salisbury who would
: not pull off his best coat for Miss Fanny
; Fisher to walk on and wish it were mad,
of better cloth to be so honored.''
She spends nearly all her time here, ant
rarely goes anywhere but to Baltimore
Although not a tenth of the gentlemen il
this town see her once month, you can
not mention her name but they speak o
her exceedingly graceful bearing and o
her marvellous conversational powers.