Evening journal., 1914-01-09
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
-Four Nineteenth Century
American women NOveIiStS
BY Holland.

In the early fall OF 1873 J called
upon the late James r. Fields. who
had gained international reputation
as a book publisher. as the intimate
personal friend of almost all Of the
successful men and women of letters,
both of the United States and OF
Europe, and as the editor OF the At
lantic Monthly. There was also a ro-
mantle association with Mr. Fields,
due to the fact that, having explored
a drawer of a writing desk Of Haw-
thorne's home at Salem, he discover
ed the manuscript Of a romance
which afterward gained recognition
as great American classic, THE
Scarlet Letter"
When ! met Mr.. Fields at his hotel
in New York City he had just return
ed from Europe; in fact, only few
hours earlier he had been still at
quarantine went to him with a
message from Charles A. Dana, who
was a personal friend.
Mr.. Fields personality greatly i'll
terested me. The peculiar cut of his
whiskers, a queer mannerism which
seemed to suggest AN inability to keep
still for even a moment. and. above
all. a constant twitching Of his eye
lids, as though he We're rapidly ana
without cessation winhng, we're
superficial characteristics which, for
the moment. caused anyone at the
time of his first meeting with Mr.
Fields to forget his long and unusual
career as q publisher. editor and in
innate associate of those who had
gained high repute in literature.
In the course of very rapid con-
versation Mr.. Fields said that while
he was in Europe he had learned for
the first time that the novel written
by Mrs Ann S. Stephens. entitled
Fashion and Famine" had been
translated into the French language
and had gained great popularity in
France.
"On my way back from Europe" 3"
said Mr. Fields, while ] was think
ing of Mrs. stephens success IN
France with her very popular book
it occurred to me that between 1850
and 1870 the really great successes
in the field of fiction we're made by
American women. They beat the men
out completely.
"Then it also occurred TO me that
these successes of American women
were not to be attributed to any To-
cality or special environment For
instance, there was Augusta J. Evans.
born in the South. educated at home
never so far as know i'm personal
touch with the leading literary men
and women of the United States. VINO
while still very young woman
wrote novel called 'Buelah,' which
sold enormously
1T was at about the same time
that Mrss Stowe. in her humble home
I'm Maine, wrote the epOch-making
novel, Uncle Toms Cabin Her
entire training was different from
that of Mrs. Evans. Yet her story
sold by the hundreds of thousands
and, like Mrs. Evans 'Beulah,' is still
selling.
About that time a young woman,
who was born and reared ON beau
tiful little island i'm Long Island
Sound-by the way. Il is the Identical
island which is now the summer
home OF Mr. Dana wrote and pub
lished novel without even putting
her name on the title page. II was
called 'Rutledge. II sold by the hum
dreds and thousands, and It was in
practically the same decade that Mrs
Ann $. Stephens. who was native.
] think. OF little village in Connect
cut. wrote and published a mover
called Fashion and Famine. which
became also enormously popular.
81 have been trying to explain than
singular phenomenon. I can't do IT,
but the fact remains that the great
est popular successes in the field Of
fiction writing between 1850 and 1s.S
were those gained by four women
whose birth and training were IN en-
tirely different parts OF the country" p"
(COpvright. 1914. bv n. j. Edwards.