Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-05-28
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MISS M. N. MURFREE.

She is now some 81 years old, and was born
| n Nashville, Tenn. She has the blood of
| evolutionary heroes in her veins. The town
| If Murfreesboro, Tenn, gets its name from
ler family. Her mother inherited beau
iful home at Murfreesboro. The family for
unes 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
ibout and taking part in active play. But
with the lameness of her feet perhaps the
wings Of her soul became all the stronger.
She turned to mental occupation. She was
7ery fond of fiction and history So power
,uf 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
ler deep, bright gray eyes, the mountaineers,
| consciously making character studies for her
future stories. A Boston friend who knows
her well says this:
'The popularity most strongly marked in
aer is her quickness of observation. never
net anbody with such power in this line.
She absolutely sees everything"
| So she gathered material for the striking
! sketches the public is familiar with through
The Atlantic Monthly, such as ''The Dancin
Party at Harrison's Cove" "The Harnt that
Walks Chillowee," ''Electioneering on Big
Tnjun Mounting" etc. OF the short sketches,
Drifting Down Lost Creek" 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 rum
uing through The Atlantic Nc nthly.
| Miss Murfree never had Manuscript re-
jected. Her first story was published when
she was IL. 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 'lIr. Craddock"
that bis story was accepted, the young lady
exclaimed, in the words of a character in
one of Scott's novels who was informed that
the king was pleased to appoint him to an
| office, Honest, my lord! well pleased am I"
When this wonderful news reached Ter she
was at home and costumed in O simple linen
lawn dress. She at once said, This lady is
rot dressed worthily of such news as this"
and at once proceeded to make grand
toilette for the occasion, in which she re.
ceived the congratulations of her family.
She once found gold ring in the empty
grave from which the body Of a soldier had
been removed. It was the foundation for a
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 woman's hand MIR. Henry
O. Houghton used always to send the checks
| for payment Of her articles to AN. 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 woman. How surprised
every body wasl
| For the last few years the novelist has
lived with her family in St Louis Her
father is 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 bu-
NOR. Besides the stories mentioned, she has
written some very successful ones for chi :
dren, published in Wide Awake and else.
where.