The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-25
Gm gntAiqmer.
once %. % aal " r@o4rIsenIa ssreet
EIIzApRTn srUAnr pnpLps.


Her Alma nnu Art,
Copyrighted lSS6
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, more than an,
other American writer, combines in
noble degree the imagination Of poet
the artistic and dramatic sense Of a tru
atory.telleF, and q broad ~philosOphic cas-
of mind, which gives to fiction aincerlt,
and truth. There ia no living writer q
wider snd livelier Bympathles, He
stories, though absorbing and entertaining
always have purifying and Strengthening
effect upon the mind Of the reSdeT, Thes
things make her one Of the most lOvet
and most read OF our Writers.
The announcement, therefore, that OF
November 80 q serial story, by ElizAbstl
Stuart Phelps, will begin IN the IETRLLI
GEECER, will be warmly welcomed by on
readers, and this brief outline OF her liz
and work viii, no doubt, be read will
great interest.
She was born August 81, 1874, in Boa
ton, during her fathers Blk years paste
rate in that city, In her fourth May sht
was removed 10 Andover, Mas, on bel
fathers taking q psoleEsOrshiR In thu
Theological Seminary there, and AIdoVsl
has bsen their home since, She Wal
Christehed Mary Gray, for an intimate
friend OF her mothers; but on her moth
er'a death, which happened when thu
child was eight years old, the name o.
Elizabeth Stuart WAS given to her instead,
Her mother, Elizabeth Stuart, was the
eldest daughter Of Moses Stuart, M OIL
the bright lights Of the Seminary in the
days when Andover was the maln centre
Of intellectual and theological life In
Massachusetts,. Professor Stuart was
known as q man Of moods and variable
power, but Of exCeptionRble fascination
and brilliauCy. His daughter Elizabeth
inherited the literary gilt from him, and
though III q style subdued TO the tone Of
surrounding atmosphere, she wrote sever
al. charming stories, largely read at the
time.
Eiizabath Harriet Phelps was the eldest
Of three children, and the only daughter,
In her the storytelling faculty was carly
indicated in y marked way. She spun
amazing ySrns for the children she played
with, while dolls were still in the ascend
ant. The first thing she printed waa q
story in the YOuth'S Companion, She was
then thirteen. as o gin sh6 attended the
school OF Mrs, Professor Edwards, where
her bent was toward rhetorical and philC.
sophiCal studies. In the spring Of 1858
she sent q war story, called "a Sacrifice
Consumed" to Harper'S Magazine, Tbs
editor returned her u generous check for
it, with the request that she write Tor
them again. "Liarper'S never refused a
story Of mine in all my life," she says,
with one single exGeption-thRt not
when | Yves a beginner. 10 this uniform
encouragement / attribute more than any
one thing what literary SUCCESS l after.
wards had"
AT twenty years Of sge the plan oil
Coates AjAr" began 10 form itself in her
mind. She was busyi in writing this book
Tor two years, " lay for two yeara in the
publishers hands, and came out In 1868.
Although the first, IL Is the best known OF
all her books. 1t reached in this country
u circulation oil about one hundred thOus.
and copies, and had q very large English
sale. II has been reprinted In Scotland and
translated into German, French, Dutch
and Italian. Most Of the successive books
by the same hand have been thus reprint
ed and translated. A friend Of Miss
Phelps, travelling q few years ago, was In.
PRODUCED to IN officer OF rank IN tho FruB.
sian Court, and Miss Phelps' name being
mentioned, be said, "Ah, that book,
THE Gates Ajnr;' l understand It has
made more Christians than all the
.preasheIH."
IN The autumn Of 1877 a venture full Of
interest absorbed Miss Phelps thought
and strength tho delivery OF q course Of
Il Gtureg on hR%eptCRPntatiVe Modern Flo.
ton" before the Boaton Uniyera!ty. II
was the fret thing Of the sort ever Ct.
tempted by q woman in this part Of the
world. Her power over the audience 10
Baid to haYe been leMRrkablo. While her
voice In conversation Ia Blngularly low and
sweet, some peculiarly penctrative quality
made 1t distinct without the slightest
effort for the listener in every part OF .
large hall. Theaudience was oil studenta
OF both sexes and different ages, from
various departments Of the University. AT
the close Of every LECTURE, says n pres
ent, "they would gather round her, and II
seemed Rs II they would devour her, fol-
loHing her 90 lar So possible when shO
went away" Something In her face
seemed to ask more for love than praise.
To them II teemed as II a new and geutler
Hypatia had come 10 speak q Rweeter sort
OF wisdom. MI. Whittier says Of them;
"They were admirable in manner and
matter. have never heard q woman
speak with such magnetic power"
In the same autumn Of hGr work at tho
Boston University, "Tho Story Of Avis"
came out, which added to her fame.
Eight Yeas ago Miss Phelps built q lii.
Ito cottage for q summer home on the
rocks Of East Point, at one side Of Glou.
Csster hArbor. There 10 hardly o more
rugged spot on Cape Ann, but one forgets
all but the piCturesQuenesS OF the shore in
looking out on tho harbor with tue quaint
old town,oi Gloucester at its head. A mile
away, across the Bheltering rim Of land,
the narrow strip that curves around the
harbor's mouth, the spif breaks on the
rocks, or rolls In on the sandy Rh0re Of
the cape. "Sealed Orders" a collection
Of short stories published not long after
"Avip," has one or two pictures Of winter
storms in the Ice bound hatbor, md the
cruel struggles Of the fishermen for tcanty
bread; and critics haye called THE Lady
Of Shalott," ono Of the best sketches in
the collection, the best American short
story.
No sooner was Miss Phelps summer
home planted on the GlouCester shore
than she cav how in%temperanCo on East
ern Point added to the hard lot Of fisher.
mems families, and through her Efforts q
Reform CluB9o of sixty.dye members. was
sustained there. A club.room had been
otherwise secured, 1t was frightened with
pictures and music; addresses were do.
iiyered and sermons preached 10 the men,
but her personal work waB Of q deeper
and more wearing sort. She made herself
the friend Of each one, They came to her
house with their hopeg and despair, their
temptations and troubles. The nervous
strain Of sympathy and anxiety, with III.
eraty work, some years ago caused her
strength 10 give way, and che has not yet
physically recovered. Miss Phelps still
makes Andover her winter home. Her
winter study 10 In the Bummer'houae Of
80. Ik..l. .aGaan uttNlaot III IaRk