The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-08-04
A TALENTED WRITER.
Helen Hunt Jackson and Her
Life Work.

jackson, who passed from this world
nearly four years ago, at her tempora-
~ home in San Francisco, at the a e
Of fifty.,hree. Mrs. Jackson's intel
lectual gifts were OF exceedingly rare
type, and her force in the literary
world was such that its influence can.
not wholly perish, but will remain
brilliant and inspiring, an ince nlive for
all writers who shall come after.
Theae was but little in the early life
Of Mrs. Jackson to justify the pre-
diction that, in after years, she would
become one of the foremost writers OF
her time. with fame the envy of The
most cultivated everywhere. At this
period she was a schOol-miss at Am.
heret. New Hampshire, independent
in all that characterized her life, aud
evinciDg a decided ambition for letters
"a career, however, on which she
did not really enter until after her
marriage. which took place on her
twenty.first birthday. Her school es-
says were remarkable for their origin
atty, and to this day are remembered
by her friends Of those years with
great pleasure. focially she was
very attractive, even with those who
we're more convers,nt with her indie.
pendence of character.
Heten Hunt was the daughter OF
Professor Fiske, for many years .
member Of the faculty Of Amherst
college, Massachusetts,. Q gentleman
who died while on . tour 10 Palestine.
where he had gone for purposes Of
health and observation. Her frat hus-
band Was q gentleman Of the name of
Hunt, who died . few years after
their marriage. Some time after this
sad event, Mrs. Hunt began to turn
her attention quite seriously to travel
and literature, contribu ing to the
magazines and newspapers poems,
sketches of travel, and essays on
various subjects, all marked by strong
individu .lity. aud interest absorbing
in the highest degree. Among the
first publications to which she contri-
outed was the New York Independ.
ent. Through this paper her poems
made her acquainted with Olivor
! johnson, then managing editor, who
proved to the end Of her life ole Of
her most ardent and sincere friends.
Her poems brought ner into great
prominence and won her the praise o,
the leading literary minds of the day.
Among the latter was Ralph Waldo
Emerson, who was 90 impressed with
her work that on . given occasion he
expressed the opinion that she was the
for. most poet in America.
OF her poems. lofty in conception
and graceful in treatment, the sonnet
entitled Thought" especially captiva
ted the sage Of Concord:
o Messenger, art thou the Kioa or 1?
Thou dailiest outside the pslsce gate.
Till on Thy idle armor lie the late
And heavy dews; the morn's bright storm.
full eye
Reminds thee; then. in subtle mockery,
Thou smilest At the window, where wait,
Who babe thee ride for life. In empty
state
Nv days 70 on, while false hours prophesy
They quick return; At last. ia sad desp ,ir,
cease to bid thee, leave thee free as air.
When, 10! thou standest b,fore me glad
and feet,
And lay'st undreamei-of treasures at my
fest!
Alb, Messenger, thy royal blood to buy
am too POOR. Thou art the King, not l.
1t is only natural to suppose that
work of so rare . character as this
should win Helen Hunt great favor
with all cultivated people and that
her reputation should continue to
grow in strength and beauty, unfold
ing itself hour by hour, even as
lovely flower uafolds itself in the at
mosphere of June. In 1870 Messrs.
Fields & Osgood of Boston, published
her first volume, q collection Of verse,
which received a warm welcome at
the hands of an apprecia.ive public.
This was followed some three years
later by another volume embracing
the same poems, with new ones, the
latter showing added depth and grace.
This time Messrs. Roberts Bros. of
Boston were her publishers, q firm
which ever after continued to hold
this relationship with the author.
Among the poems contained in this
second volume was the one entitled
'Resurgam." In this lyric occur the
following expressive lines concerning
Heaven. in response to certain specu-
latiye theories current in the world
know no'-and glory that I do
Not know-ths', for Eternity's great ends,
God counted me Is worthy Of such trust
That I need not be told.
Years after her great sorrow, Mira.