New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28
CONSTANCE KENMORE UOOLSON.
HER WORK AND PERSONALITY.

HER WORK AND PERSONALITY.
Constance Fenimore Woolson. whose sad death in
Venice is reported. illustrated the rare union Of
great literary gifts with the elevation Of character
which eIdows a with distinction.
A novelist of her ability would naturally be missed.
What little is known OF her personality the
side world would suggest that she would be sincere
ly regretted Blu. only a few Of
the great loss which is sustained in her death The
consciousness OF that will become wider her
posthumous fame increases. and the student Of
American literature grows 10 feel more and
ihe fascination of OF its most engaging figures
The quality which gave 10 Miss Wooson special
charm based 10 some extent upon the cond-
tons OF her early life Mr.. Stedman. in speaking
OF her the day after her death. reverted to this
source Of her special characteristics He did not
know her in her New England girhood. later
when she being educated in Cleveland and
New-York. under the most conventional of cir
cumstances; but when he met her for the first time
In Florida, about 1875 and found her a woman
gracefully impusive and Independent, he was struck
also by che serene poise Of her character and de-
meanor. She enjoying with avdity the pleas
OF boating. she ignored the formal fashionable
strata of society at ST. Augustine. bur she was. with
al. Mr.. Stedman puts II. like old lace" She
had the reserve and dignity nseparabe from a Sc
date seclusive training under eXactlng Epsco-
pallan Influences one OF delights OF her youth
a series Of jaunts about Ohio and ether West
STATES In carriage with her father. and 1t
confirmed In her taste for an outdoor rowing lfe
but no experience of this Sort then later, could
counterfeit the reticent sef-contained habit. which
always characterized her. She did not have haul
tour. exactly but she did have an inviolable re-
serve. She had a surface OF repose the gypsy
instinct. the love of liberty. which made her spend
the last fourteen fifteen years OF her life in Eu-
rope. where she changed her residence frequently
now living In England and now in Italy II
not a mere surface of manner 1t was natural
sense OF moderation thai. went hand In hand with
her lberality of mind
There was correspondence between Miss Wool
sons life and her work. Mr. Stedman spoke OF her
reast with the TRANSPORTING faculty OF an
idealist. writer who made you think of Miss Aus
ten. sometimes. bu.. infinitely more OF poet
than the author of Sense and Sensiblity." and
was more fairly to be named with the Brontes. In
his view Miss Woolson had the "sub-dramatic'
quality OF Browning. the dramatic fire without
constructive power In the more theatrical sense.
He pointed out that her novels not crowded
with figures thai. the important personages In this
story or that form at best small group. some
times only couple Yet that small group is in
stnct with fiery vitality. Where the early inhu-
to which Mr.. Stedman referred came In to
make this element in her work less obvious than Il
would be II Miss wooson had ever caught the ul-
tra-modern manner In leading her to conclude
that love must yield to duty. 1t is this. argues her
friend. that preserves her novels realistic all Of
them. from the lawlessness which is commonly sup
posed to. constitute realism Miss Wooson knew
the common people perfectly; no one knew them
better. She showed this I'm the Lake Superior
sketches which among her first productions.
and she showed II to the end. The difference be-
tween her and the ordinary reast, adds Mr.. Sted-
man. is that they pick out the sordid side OF life for
representation as the only side that is alive" and
she preferred to look for noble. enhancing char
acters They exist in real life in common life and
she sought them out. She an arta. whose light
always shone through her vase. She liked beer-gar-
dens and concert-hals- such as they have the
Contnent-and accustomed to study nature In
Its commoner az we'll lis finer phases. but she
always leaves her reader with sense OF gentleness
gh-mindedness Such Is the opinion OF Mr.. Sted-
man, who knew her Intimately when she was In
this country and knew her In the same way. when
she was abroad. through letters which he describes
as delightful. Summarizing the recolecsions OF her
characteristics which have been embodied in these
notes, he calls her one OF the leading women n
the American literature Of the century.