Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-03-26
Charles Egbert Craddock."
Mss MCRFREg AND HER HISTORY


From The st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Ms. Murfree is described by friend as
not tall. not beautiful IN form OF face Vet
wonderfully attractive IN conversation. Pa
ralysis IN childhood caused lameness pain
fully apparent, and Of such character that
she could not participate in any Of the Wild
sports Of children, while reading habit
was developed and having all Of ehills
need OF amusemen; she invented kind of
play all her own. Her fondness for work.
Of fiction was marked. she read with much
seriousness and afterwards PLAYED out the
story in her imagination, with mother,
father, and all the household invested with
the characteristic, OF the personnel Of the
romano. This pasilmr streng thened an
originally vivid Imagination and her ubser
va;lons grew wonderfully acute. There was
much to see in the Tennessee country, in
which she spent a greater portion OF her
life. and all those quickly drawn suggestions
that compose her early stories and later nov
els ARE from the life. She was born in
Nashville, Tenn. and lived there until after
the war. when her family removed TO Mur-
freesboro, where they lived until three or
four years ago, when they came to ST. Louis.
William l.. Murfree, father Of the young
author. was a successful lawyer in Nashville
prior to the war, and owned a large amount
of property in and about the city. His
wife, Priscilla Dickerson, was the daughter
of Colonel Dickerson. whose residence, near
Murfreesboro, was in its day the most mag
niicent in the region. 1t was from cham
her window of this house that Miss Murfree
saw where the battle was fought" Miss
Dickerson was an heiress, and not TO an in
considerable fortune, which, with that OF
Mr.. Murfree, diminished terribly "afier the
war" Ii was in the light of these misfor-
tunes tha, the family went to live in the old
Dickerson mansion. They were to STAY
there only a short time, but did stay years.
Life in such place is very barren of amuse-
men,, and it was out of that barrenness that
the first Of the stories, now known under
the collective title, of sin the Tennessee
Mountains" was evolved: "rhe Dancin'
Party at Harrison's Cove"
1t had been the custom during the sum
mer months, when living on the lowlands Of
Tennessee is not especially conducive to
health, for the family to go into the noun
tains of Eastern Tennessee, and it was in
some fifteen summers of such opportunity
for the study of the peculiar types found
there that the material afterward used was
unconsciously gathered. None of il was
used, however, until about six years ago,
when, having previously, for her own amuse-
ment, written little tales, Miss Murfree I'M
dertoek to write story with the intention
of offering it for publication. "The Dancin'
Party" was the outcome Of this endeavor.
and was read when completed to the family
for criticism. The praise they accorded de-
termined her to offer tito The atlantic, in
which magazine the story, or rather study,
was published. "A-Playing of Old Sedge
a, the Settlement" "The Star in the Valley"
Romance of Sunrise Rock" "Electioneer-
ing on Big Injun Mounting" "Over on
T'other Mounting" and "The 'Harnt'
that Walks Chilhowee." followed in the
same magazine. the last. ghost story
of peculiar power, being possibly the most
successful. The quaint titles Of most Of
these stories aided in the impression created
not little.
In addition to the work upon which Miss
Murfree's reputation is based, she has con-
tributed to The Youths Companion a num-
Der Of charming stories for boys, with whom
she has a wonderful amount of sympathy.
"Old Daddy's Window" ghost story print
ed in that periodical, vas the best of those
but another which never reached the printer,
was thought to excel it. The manuscript of
Borrowing Hammar" was lost in the mail
while in transit for publication in The Com
panion, and no trace Of il has ever been dis
covered. "The Prophet of Great Smoky
Mountains" serial, is now running in The
Atlantic. 1t was written in much shorter
time than the first novel, and on a commits
sion. "Down the Ravine,' serial, is now
an attraction of Vide AWake.
Mr.. William L. Murfree, jr.. brother Ct
the lady, says Of her work "She has stu-
diously avoided drawing portraits, though
it has been said Where the Battle was
Fought contains several that have been rec