The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-10
Hnrriet Reecher Stowe.

Mrs. James T. Fields has rendered
thoughtful readers a great service in edit
ing a volume to which she has given the
name Life and Letters of Harriet Beecher
Stowe" 1t is, indeed. a charming book,
chiefly because in four hundred pages, 1t
gives a clear insight into the life Of wom-
an of rare genius, and whose influence upon
a generation may be said to have been
greater than that of any contemporary.
While Mrs Stowe will be remembered
chiefly as the author of Uncle Toms Cab
in,' which will always be read, her other
contributions to literature have given her
a prominent place in the New England CO.
terie of writer's to which she belonged. To
the present generation she is known only
in literature, and, being only thus known,
she stands apart Mrs. Fields has given us
an insight into the private life and the
everyday thoughts and acts of this most
remarkable woman. One who was intimate
with her in later years, and who learned
her life. has, with a happy faculty. made
us acquainted with the woman, who, more
than ali others, led the American people 10
see the wrong of human slavery rms sne
had done by weaving into simple MARIA
ton extracts from many of the letters
which she wrote both before and after she
came to worldwide fame Mrs Stoves
early life indeed, her life until she gave
her great story to the world, was one OF
poverty and often of privation. Her father
was one of the powerful inteNecss OF ms
age vet when his ability was recognized
his salary was but $500 a year ana the
promise Of fuel. When he went TO Hanover
street Church. Boston, where he became
the shining light of orthodoxy In New Eng
land his salary was but $1,000 As one OF
a Very large family, she was early thrown
upon her own resources, but she found a
few hooks to read and her genius was
quickened by the intellectual energy cf her
father. But two years older tnan Henry
Ward she taught him Latin. While YET q
young girl she had promptings to write
pieces" which appeared in local papers;
When twenty-five years old she married
DR. Stowe in Cincinnati. where ne vas ue-
voting his energies TO the building up or
Lane Theological Seminary. During TINS
period she wrote much and was paid for It,
hut only meagerly. Very naturally, she be-
came interested in the antl-siaVery move
ment and was a contributor TO It's htera-
ture as well as to other papers and period
icals 1t was while her husband was
poorly-paid professor in BowdOin College at
brunswick. Me, that she wrote the greater
part of Uncle Toms Cabin one would
think that the production OF such work
would demand leisure ana freedom from
care and interruption, but at that tline sne
with a young infant and with number or
pupils to whom she impaired daily lessons
Nevertheless, this great story wnlsh was 70
move a nation was in her mind, and at night
she put upon paper what was In her heart-
When the lengthening chapters In me Ma
tional Era caused the publisher, VINO had
contracted to issue the story in book
form. to intimate that 1t might be toc long,
Mrs Stowe replied that she was moved TO
write and must follow the lead of the spirit.
Indeed she frequently declared In her let
tiers that Uncle Toms Cabin was an in
spiration. The first chapter OF the story
which she put on paper was that giving an
account of the death of Uncle Tom; She
saws that the idea came TO her while far-
taking of the Lords Supper In the chlrch
in Brunswick. The reader car nut note IN
these letters, covering a period of nearly
fifty years the gradual change IN her theo-
logical views which indicated the change
which was taking place silently IN the the
ology of New England Published by
Houghton. Miftiin q Co, Boston and New
York.