The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-11
A QUARTET OF LITERATI.
Four Women Who Have Made Names for
Themselves in the Literary World.
Marion Harland and Her WOrk-Mrs. StOd-
dard, Mrs. SouthWOrth. the Novelist,
and Mary Mapes Dodge, the Editor
correspondents Of the Indianapolis Journal


the year 1851 was sketch entitled Marrying
from Prudential Motives" published in we'll
known magazine, by bright. handsome GIRL
scarcely sixteen years Of age. 1t was copied in
England, France and Germany. In 1854 the
same gifted young lady published a novel emit
tied 'Alone." 1t quickly ran through nineteen
editions. The author was precocious Southern
girl. who has become widely known under the
nom de plume of Marion Harland. Her maiden
name was Mary Virginia Halves. and she was
born in Amelia county, Virginia in 1885. Her
father was descendant of the Pierce fam
iy one of whose members, Franklin Pierce,
became President CT the United States. Her
mother was lipeal descendant of brother of
Capt. John Smith the famous pioneer of Vir-
ginia. The future authoress was yet in her
childhood when her parents removed to Rich
mond, and it was there that she began her liter
airy career at an usually early age. In 1856 she
was married to the Rev. Edward Payson Ter
hume. After her first successful venture in fic-
ton she wrote some nineteen novels. including
such meritorious works as Moss Side, ""Sunny-
bank" Nemesis Judith" and Husbands and
Homes" not TO mention others which were
equally well received She acquired her national
reputation however by works devoted to the
household and it's Improvement Her book
entitled Common Sense in the Household
has had sale of 100, 900 copies 'The Dinner
Year Book" breakfast Luncheon and Tea"
and "The Cottage Kitchen" like her other works
of similar character have met with marked
success. She owes her success as writer on
household topics to the fact that she is thor
oughly practical. She is not a mere pen-and-ink
expert in culinary art. She understands 1t from
practice as clergyman's wife. She believes
that cookery is weghty matter in every house
hold. The culinary productions of some house
wives are sufficiently weighty to justify this view,
both in a serious and a serio-comic sense. She
has unquestionably done incalculabe good n
convincing many young girl, too proud to enter
her mothers kitchen and become pratt
cally proficient in the management of a
household. that she could do herself quite as
much honor theirs ae in drumming entirely with
out provocaton on bleating piano. or devoting
her time exclusively to some other equally profit
able employment What nousekeeper
needs most" observes Marion Harland, SIS the
just conception in cookery, as in graver con-
Germs, of the Importance OF common things
She is apt to slur over such weightv matters of
the law of dietetics and health as bread
making and potato boiling, and rush
with mistaken ambition after fancy dishes. ;
She must learn the rudiments of the art
for herself. Let her consider that she has pro-
fession and resolve to understand 1t In all its
branches" The young lady who will ponder
these words and act unon them will be in no
danger of making bread heavy enough for
hombardng purposes on our men-of-war. Mrs.
Terhune has for about two years been a resident
of Brooklyn, where her husband has q pasto-
rate. Her attractive home is on South Ninth
street. near Bedford avenue, where she still does
considerable writing for the press and various
periodicals She has the genial Southern tenn
permanent and is as highly esteemed for her
graces of character as for her gifts of intellect
Mrs Elizabeth D. B. Stoddard the wife of the
poet, r. III. Stoddard. has published three novels,
1.-THE Morgesons, 1.-TWO Men" and Temple
Home" powerful portrayas OF old colony times,
some of the scenes being laid, it is understood,
in Mattapoisett. Mass, where she was born and
reared. She has in years past been prolific
writer of unusually strong short stories. which
have generally appeared in Harper's periodicals.
AS a poetess, Mr.. Edmund Clarence Stedman
gives her high rank in his American Poets.
She has not written much of late, owing to poor
health. She is short and slender in figure, with
delicately marked features of the New England
type. The Stoddard home is in East Fifteenth
street Her son, Lormer Stoddard, is a rising
young actor.
With certain class Mrs Southworth has for
many years been popular writer of novels.
Emma d. E. n. Southworth was born i'll Wash
ingtop, Dec %, 1918. Her father, Capt Charles
Nevitte, lived at one time at Alexandria, Va
Her childhood seems to have been as sombre
and cherries as that Of Charlotte Bronte. In
1841 she became Mrs. Southworth, but cloud
came "widow in fact but rot in name.' Not
few noble women have had similar lamentable
experience. With no assured income, and
with two children to support, she de-
voted herself to literature and teach
ing in a courageous but unpromisng
sketches for periodicals and also taught in
of the public schools of Washington, her labors
being rewarded with mere pitrance. 1t was,
however. only the darkest hour before the dawn
g wAA llar
comparatively early in her literary career, and
her popularity seems in nowise diminished even
to-day Speaking of the dark early days she
said on one OCCASION ''The circumstances under
which my first novel was written and the success
that attended its publication are a remarkable
instance of sowing in tears and reap
ing in joy; for, in addition to that bitterest
sorrow, with which l may not make
you acquainted-that life sorrow had many
minor troubles. My small salary was inadequate
to our comfortable support My school mum.
bered eighty pupils, boys and girls and had
the whole charge of them myself. Added to this,
my little boy fell dangerously ILL., He would suf
fer no one to move him but myself. Thus my
time was passed between housekeeping and
school-keepine my childis sick bed and my lite
rary labors. The time devoted to writing was
the hours that should have been given to sleep or
fresh air. My health broke down. was at
tackled with frequent hemorrhages of the lungs.
Still persevered. did my best for my house,
my school, my sick child and publisher. Yet
neither child, nor school, ner publisher,
received justice. The patrons of the school
grew unsatisfed, annoying, and sometimes in
sulting me, and as for the publisher, he would
reject whole pages of that manuscript which
was written amid grief and pain, and toll. that
he knew nothing of. l was forced to keep up
struggling when l only wished for death and
rest"
Her first novel, "Retribution," appeared in
the Washington National Era, whose editor had
sought her ont after r'eceivinO ekatch from
her which he regarded as unusually promising.
He induced her to write other tales and sketches.
"Resribution" was begun as short tale, to be
finished In two numbers of the Era, but it grew
into novel; which published in
l849 by Harper g. Brothers. This was
the turning point in her career. The
novel proved so popular that she soon
achieved independence. She recovered, and the
son whose hold on life then so feeble is
a practicing physician at Yonkers N. Y. En-