Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-14

ub0 GhCAI SCthlCh WlLAout ICNCollbS
their own position to the enemy's gunners,
but now that they can operate them at an
indefinite distance they will be able to re-
main practically invisible, unless other
search lights are opposed to them.
THE FLEETING SHOW.
Some OF Its Facts and Fancies.
Written for the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l
SOME LITERARY gossip.
Miss Jessie Fothergill, the author of
"The First VIOLIN" considered tho best
of musical novels after ''Charles Auches-
ter" WAS an unpretentious quiet, SEEM
ingly ordinary young woman, who in her
uneventful childhood gave little promise
of talent or literary ability. She was fond
of books, but not of textbooks, was not
musical, and could neither play nor sing,
had no linguistic talent, no poetic fervor,
no aspirations toward art, and no dreams
of future fame. She was not beautiful,
though she had a fine forehead and ex-
keen, and sunny tempered, with latent
forces which only needed the touch of ad
versity to develop them. A Lancashire
girl of Quaker descent, her home WAS in
Manchester, where her father WAS manu-
facturer. In that city of dreadful night"
as Manchester becomes in the winter, her
surroundings were prosaic enough, but
when she wove bright threads of fancy
with the duller warp of provincial life and
characters, her first books, though peIvad
ed with Lancashire view of things, were
so honest and fresh that they gained for
her an interested audience. Her success
enabled her to live for while in Dussel-
dorf, where she developed an enthusiasm
for music and gathered from actual obser
vation of life there the material for the
story by which she is best known to Amer
lean readers.
Miss Fothergill was compelled by failing
health to spend much of her time abroad,
and though she won both money and rep
utation, she was personally unknown to
English literary circles and was not ambi
tious for social prominence. A few days
before her death, which occurred in Swift
zerland last summer, she put the finishing
touches to her last book, "Oriel's Daugh-
ter" which will be published this winter.
Mrs. E. G. Coates, who, as Mrs. Sara
Jeanette Duncan, furnished for the worlds
amusement those entertaining books GA
Social Departure" and "An American Girl
iE London" is native of Brantford, On
tario. After graduation she taught in a
public school for while, but her first lit
erary venture, ga Trip to Montmorenci,"
published in Outing, being we'll received,
she laid down the ferule for the pen, and
serving literary apprenticeship on the
Toronto Globe: soon became the regular
correspondent of several Canadian and
American papers. The "Orthodocia" of
&Iox Ill oh
cled in "a Social Departure" is Miss
Lillian Lewis, also a newspaper woman.
Mrs. Cotes is now resident of Calcutta,
where she met her husband, who holds a
scientific appointment in connection with
the Indian museum, his specific field being
Indian entomology.
Mrs Mary Elizabeth Hawker, the young
Engishwoman who under the pen name
"Lanoe Falconer" published the novel,
| "Mademoiselle Ixe," experienced all the
| hardships and disappointments that usual
| ly distress unknown authors. The first
manuscript copy of the book was literally
worn to tatters as in journey after journey
| it sought acceptance. Nevertheless the
| lady persisted in writing. and now, as she
| says, there is more trouble about not pub
| fishing her stories than there used to be
| about publishing them. Several copies of
"Mademoiselle Ixe," which is said to have
been inspired by the pathos of certain
Russian music, were posted to various ad-
dresses in Russia. They came back, after
passing the ideal of Russian censorship,
the leaves scored with red pencil marks,
and the word "Defendu," (forbidden),
stamped upon the covers. The case was a
| clear one for prohibition, nevertheless, as
all tho leaves were cut and other marks
than the red pencil were apparent, it was
evident that the story had found few
readers, even in the land of the car. Miss
Hawker is described as having a bright
and youthful face, and charming manners.
She is keen and sympathetic observer,
and abounds in quantity witty sayings.
Mrs. Alexander Van Allstyne, or, as
she is popularly known, Fanny Crosby,
has written more Sunday school hymns
than any other ten living writer's. For al
but the first few weeks of her life of sixty.
one years she has been entirely blind, bu
this deprivation, usually considered {
crushing misfortune, has had no depress
ing effect upon her cheerful, heroic spirit
At eight years old she wrote in childish
rhymes the motto of her life:
SO what a happy soul am
am resolved that in this world
| Contented will be.
How many blessings enjoy
That other people don't;
l
cannot and won't!"
A spirited declaration this, but happil,
, maintained, and in later years verified b,
another: "Praise God that cannot seel
would not change if could for I know
this is best for me- If 1 could sec perhap
: I would not be able to do the good cal
, do now"
:, Fanny Crosby was educated at the New
:, York Institute for the Blind, and fo
eleven years before her marriage sh
. taught in the same school. While teach
t ing she wrote many of the popular song
. of the day-old- fashioned songs one neve
sees nor hears nowadays, but Tor all tina
still to be recalled by many as among tn
pleasant memories of youth. There wer
i simple, sentimental ditties, set to prett
: little airs, and with easy accompaniment
;. but no one now sings "Hazel DELL" Q
! "Rosalie the Prairie Flower. The cantat
D of 'sThe Flower Queen" for which sh
: wrote the words and George F. Root th
a music, is, however, still produced. Thre
volumes of her workings were published
o but these, too, are forgotten. Her re,
q work began in 1854 when she began
e write Sunday school hymns, and i
e the twenty seven years since then she hs
- composed nearly three thousand hymn
l. for one firm of publishers, with 9th.
D. work for music-writers and singers. 81
.e furnishes a fixed number of hymns p,
- week, and has a marvellous faculty fl
knowing what will ''sing;" besides tn
9. she does considerable revising of Il
a. hymns of others to make them suitab
a for music. Another speciality Of hers
the composition of hymns for the annu
publications used by Sunday schools
!. Christmas, Easter, and Children's d,
= festivals. Her hymns are known Il
- world over, having been translated in
ri nearly every language. They have be,
of the inspiration. the consolation
to thousands, uplifting the soul into
= brighter atmosphere, awsking desire for
N better life. Not always meritorious
1g poems, they have fine quality as hymn
II and many Of them will endure, continuil