The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-07-04
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She is now some % years old, and was born
in Nashville, Tenn. She has the blood of
revolutionary heroes in her veins. The town
of Murfreesboro, Tenn, gets its name from
her family. Her mother inherited a beau
tiful home at Murfreesboro. The family for
tunes were broken by the war, and they re-
moved thither when Mary was little girl
They spent the summers in the mountains.
A partial paralysis of the feet prevented
Miss Murfree in childhood from running
about and taking part in active play. But
with the Iameness of her feet perhaps the
wings of her soul became all the stronger
She turned to mental occupation. She was
very fond of fiction and history. So power.
full was her imagination that she acted over
mentally, in play, the stories she read,
with her family and those she knew as char
acters. All the time she was watching, with
her deep, bright gray eyes, the mOuntaineers,
the negroes, and all the life about her, I'M
consciously making character studies for her
future stories. A Boston friend who knows
her well says this:
1.-THE popularity most strongly marked in
her is her quickness of observation. I never
met ANYBODY with such power in this line.
She absolutely sees ever thing"
So she gathered material for the striking
sketches the public is familiar with through
The Atlantic Monthly, such as 1.-THE Dancin'
Party at Harrison's Cove" 1.-THE. Harnt that
Walks Chillowee,n 'Electioneering on Big
Injun Mounting" etc. OF the short sketches,
Drifting Down Lost Greek" has a power
and pathos that have been seldom excelled
"Where the Battle was Fought" is another
thrilling story. A serial, ''The Prophet of
the Great Smoky Mountains" is now run
ming through The Atlantic Monthly.
Miss Murfree never had manuscript re-
jected. Her first story was published when
she was IT, The first offered to The Atlantic
was THE Dancin' Party at Harrison's
Cove" When the calm announcement
came from the publishers that they
were pleased to inform ''Mr. Craddock'
that his story was accepted, the young lady
exclaimed, in the words of a character in
one of SCOTS novels who was informed that
the king was pleased to appoint him to an
Office Honest, my lordl well pleased am l."
When this wonderful news reached her she
was at home and costumed in a simple linen
lawn dress. She at once said, This lady is
not dressed worthily of such news as this"
and at once proceeded to make a grand
toilette for the occasion, in which she re-
ceived the congratulations of her family
She once found a gold ring in the empty
grave from which the body of soldier had
been removed. 1t was the founda ton for
strong incident in ''Where the Battle was
Fought"
The lady's publishers believed her to be a
man, as others did. One, to look at the
strong signature above, would never fancy
it written by a woman's hand. Mr.. Henry
o. Houghton used always to send the checks
for payment Of her articles to IN. N. Muir
free, Esq.," and after awhile it all came out
that the strong brain that had created new
figures and fancies in American fiction was
the brain Of a woman. How surprised
every body was
For the last few years the novelist has
lived with her family in st. Louis. Her
father is a lawyer and himself writer. Miss
Murfree is of short stature, but has large
head and strong features. She has brown
hair. She is sunny-natured and full of hui
NOR. Besides the stories mentioned, she has
written some very successful ones for Chi
dren, published in Wide Awake and else
where