New-York tribune., 1888-04-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A FAMOIlS WOMAN.
FAMOUS WOMAN
HANNAH MORE. BY euARI1rfs N. YosaA lsns'

HANNAH MOkE. BY CHkhIDIfb "a. lOS0h ASnsSs
PIP 227. Bostsn: Robert Brothsra
The life OF Hannah More is a bright and picturesque
addition to the Famous womeu' series and to those
who have not read tho standard biographies and the
letters this may appear little singular, inasmuch as
the popular idea Of Hannah More is rather solemn than
lively There are many whose youth was vexed oy me
painfully goody. literature associated with the name
of this prolific II not versatile writer ana perhaps nos
few who may have contracted prejudice against the
stage In their childhood through an enforced literary
regimen of Hannah More's sacred Dramas To such
as were frst brought In contact with these and similar
stiff and ess productions the aspect presented by the
celebrated suthoress when examined moro nearly apt
to surprise by its contradiction TO preconceiVed
notions Miss Youge has done her best TO show the
now venerable Hannah she was In her private ana
unconstraincd life, and the picture presented Is GER
tainly of kind to deepen the respect and strengthen
the Hiking which cannot but bc felt for this really ad-
mirablc
One of FIVE sisters, daughters Of poor schoomaster,
Hannah Moro's early experience involved an
ideal union of plain living and high thfnhing When
quite a young woman she was engaged to marry
retired merchant much older than herself Az the
last moment this suitor sbrank from the fulfment OF
his pledge perhaps because Of the disparity Of years.
but being Just man he sought to compensate his
forsaken sweetheart by settling upon her annuity
sufficient 10 mahe her comfortably independent
whether this experience prejudced her against msri
mony or not. she never married did any OF her
sisters. all Of them, after passing middle age coming
together and living in establishment, until time
and infrmitIes reduced the family, leaving Hannah,
the strongest, sole survivor In her youth she
was prepossessng in appearance bright, alert Of In
tcect and shone in society. She was an early and
lifelong friend of David Garrlck and his wife. Old
Doctor johnson took great liking her. praised her
literary efforts often with what seems extravaganza
to-day and declared her to possess poetic genius,
han
Yet II must be admitted that many OF her early verses
arc pleasing and especially because they discover
clear commonsense and soIidty of Judgment markedly
contrasting with the sentimental wish-wssh that
passed for the poetry Of sensbiiity In those days.
Hannah More showed her good taste and robust
sense I'm attacking the "sensbllity. mania promptly
She saw its insincerity and hypocrisy at once She
revoltcd from the peculiarly Gallo disposition to
the confecton OF sham sentiment which j. j. Rousseau
gave so powerful and mischevous an impetus TO. She
was. In fact most practical little woman: fui OF
all loving. tender and helpful qualities. pous, I'M
selfish and apt at renunclstion but realizing fully the
evil of all those intellectual frtatlons with ecling
which result in the evolution Of malebeleve phantss
NAL aud barren manifestations. Laurence Sterne who
made tho public Join him in weeping over dead ass,
and while nduging this excessive sensibluty aban-
doncd his family, was striking example on tho
vogue which Hannah More instinctively condemned
and denounced Good women are great realists One
that they put themselves In direct tonch WIN
the material evils and sufcrings of life. Picture
the gulf that separates Laurence sterne from Florence
Nightingale. for example. ons cannot fancy the
heroine of the Crmea tolerating the perusal OF
the Sentimental Journey" yet how Infinitely beyond
its authors capacity her sensbility IL is thus
that good women put benefcent feeling Into benei-
cent action whereas too often content themselves
with the feeling, their colder minds not linking IT, as
the women do, with imperlous sense of duty II
was of snch noble spirits that tho cearesseeing poet
Of the century sang when protesting against attempts
to dereligonizc woman, and cried:
"reave thou thy sister when she prays,
Her early Heaven, her happy views,
Nor thou with shadow'd hint confuse
life that leads melodlous days;
T faith thro' form is pure as thine'
Iter hands are quicker unto good:
O. sacred he the flesh and blood
To which she links a truth divlneP
She does not. perhaps, understand high philosophy
She ideas about the knowablity OF the absolute
or the rclativity Of knowledge She may not under
stand what Anthropomorphism means and her con-
ception Of the descent Of man may be mediaevally
crude and primitive but love and faith do their perfect
work In her and en- action also testify for her,
can manifest the desire be helpful that burns In her,
she to find the way TO such physical demonsus
ton Science can achieve Last al
the cross and earliest at the grave,' symbolzes the
lines OF womans devotion, and 1t was on these simple
vet eternally sufficient lines that Hannah More pro-
ceeded The Mendlp Hills had for centuries been In
babted by a alfsavage tribe Of miners, for whose
civilization nothing had been done either by Church or
State OF the parishes were represented, on
paper by recors and Wears; but they were as rule
onresdents, and the cure Of souls throughout the
whole region was the merest sham and pretence. a
rougber people could be found nowhere than these
Mendip Hill folks, and the manufacturing element In
the small towns By was In an equally backward
state Hannah More, Informed by Wberforce of the
condition of things In this neglected region, undertook
In conjunction with her sister Patty, practical mis-
sion She organized education all through the district
gathered funds from ali her friends established Schools
framed the whole scheme Of instruction, and supple
mented this work by writing scores Of simple stories OF
ddacc turn adapted to the receptive capacity OF the
adults well the young people This delicate
all the risks of personal intercourse with
the semi barbarans of the Mendip Hs and often went
where men were literally afraid 60. The results
were encouraging. The people were grateful and
appreclatve accepted the gifts offered with eager
ness There was plenty OF opposition and even some
persecution, and this came sometimes nom brutazed
soures and property owners, who thought education
would loosen their grip upon their thrslls, and some
times from clergymen, who were bgoted and inolcran
Hannah More however, went her way resoutely and
silently, answering caumnes, and her success was
great.
This was undoubtedly the main work Of her life.
Her writings exercised influence not to be despsed
or moderated, and timely at period when the
doctrines of tbs French Revolution seemed to be
loosening the foundations of ethics aud religion. Her
more ambitious works. however appealed chiefly to the
educated classes and were above the heads of the
masses, presupposBg familiarity with doctrine sell
dom to be found among the poor. her tracts were
3opulaF IN style and method though dsfcent In magn
alton and the art which makes fiction live. Engaged
in these activities the brave and good little
grew old, and by her sisters dropped at her
side until presently shs was solitary. Her life was
beautiful useful and happy. The love which marriage
and maternity forces upon the family was in her case
spread abroad widely She was ascetic, no mystic
She enjoyed ne she entertained largely to the end OF
her She cheerful, wholesome minded
clearslghted and eminently practical She lived te
be noary ninety, and died at last esteemed and loved
nv a host of which be