Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-06-16
The Late Miss Mary Helen ferguson.
In Jacksonville, Florida, died of malarial fe'
yer, on the 4th of this month the Young jour.

In Jacksonville, Florida, died of malarial fe-
yer, on the 4th of this month, the young jour.
nalist, Miss Mary Helen Ferguson, formerly
| EDITOR OF the New York American Queen, now
9oa0n Topics, at the age of 25 years. She was
| porn in Norfolk, Va. but her father removed
| To New YORK when she was a child, and died
there six years ago. Proud of the family whose
name she had inherited, and passionately de-
voted to the memory of the father who had
| taught her from child to mould herself on the
highest principles of honor and duty, she threw
herself with all the ardor of her strong nature
| Into the task of striving to fill her fathers
place in the care of her mother and her young
| er sister and brother. A born Journalist. she
won her way steadily up till she became one OF
the youngest editors in the country. But her
ardent zeal had been too great. In the last
year of her editing the american Queen, even
her splendid health gave way. and she. who
had not known a days illness, was forced to
| take a vacation. Overwork had broke down
the fine organization and the fatal signs OF
consumption appeared in the form of slight
but persistent cough. Last Winter, she went
to Florida, and with the help of science Gil
mate. and the most tender care and nursing,
the terrible malady was being conquered,
when it was decided to go to Asheville, where
would more quickly restore the returning
health. But alas for human plans At the
first stage of the journey, the symptoms of ma
arial fever developed themselves. and in four
days she lay dead in the city of Jacksonville
She was buried where her father was buried
at Baltimore, in the beautiful cemetery of Lou
doun Park
And, so quietly has passed out of this world
a rare and noble nature-as strong to help, as
modest TO assume-one on whom her hiendS
leaned, often, alas! too heavily. During her
Illness. when her poor head ached and throb-
bed, she would weary herself thinking out
their troubles and perplexities. and when her
hand was too tired almost to hold Il pen
would force it to write letters of wise counsel
and prudent warnings, and above ALL the ten
derest sympathy. In her, journalism has lost
one of its purest writers, and most talented
and balanced brains. Taking keen interest
in all that was of importance 10 the world in
which she lived, from politics down to the
fashions, she expressed in clear, terse, beauti-
full English the most refined taste and thought,
and with all that che was forced to write, often
with hardly time TO consider, in the pressing
demands of journalism, not one sentence ever
flowed from her pen that could jar on the most
delicate sensibiites or shock the taste of any
peculiarly beautiful and characteristic No
hurry or discomfort ever made it inelegant.-
A great student of character, speaking of one
of the last things she ever wrote, without
knowing who the writer was, said:-' 1t was
written in what the Germans ould call Lapi-
dar style, in characters as firm and solid as
though they were taken from the lace Of
granite monument" Only a few weeks later
the firm hand was forever still.
Miss Ferguson had in preparation volume
of her own poems, and trsnslati0ns from the
German, chiefly of Iieine's, arrangements for
the publishing of VIII ich had been interrupted
by her broken hea,td, but which she was be-
ginning to look forward 10 again witt eager
interest as her health returned. Yet the bright
hopes of an exalt ed nature were allowed to die
without a murmur. No word of regret or
complaint escaped ner. and though she made
a brave struggle for her life. she yielded " 18th
ont g word when the battle was too strong for
her. She was conscious until a half hour be-
fore she died. and then her lie faded rapidly
away and went quietly out-so peacefully we
hardly knew when she was dead.
V. Fl.