The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-04
A Very victorian Hack writer.

OF the personalities back of them. No
one could read Jane Eyre" or "Wuth-
ering Heights" without curiosity "a
to h personalities that created these
turbulent. impassioned stories. Some
how THE Legends OF the Madonna
and Social Life in Germany" never
have stimulated the same SORT Of in
tcrcst. So IL Is somewhat Of a sur
prise to come across a new book. Anna
jumrson; Letters and Friendships.
edited by Mrs. STEWART ERsKINE (Dut-
toni. and find a real, living personal
ity behind those books. The penalty
n complainant hack writer pays for his
or her contemporary obedience is the
sacrifice Of personality. II was quite
possible TO use the Legends and
THE Memoirs Of Early Italian Paint
ers' for what they were worth with
out wondering about the compiler. In
deed. such writings remind us OF
Bernard Shaw's recent announcement
concerning the popular novel. that he
IL sure II he n his mind to me-
chanics for two months he could in
vent a typewriter attachment which
would turn out such novels unaided.
The books In question might have been
turned out by an industrious mechan-
ical device. II is interesting and in
formative to find at the back Of them
n very representative early Victorian
lady. who was "a social and literary
parsonage In her day and who lived
and supported a family OF parents and
sisters by her bookish industry.
In the present volume the interest
Ing life Of this traveller. student.
writer is somewhat too sketchily given
us. For example we are told OF
Mrs. Jameson's first book. THE Diary
of an Ennuyee." hat It laid the foun-
dalton of her fame as a writer. brought
instant recognition and opened the
door to her further efforts: yet that
her only payment for the work was a
Spanish guitar. How and why Span
ish guitars were used AZ that time us
coin OF the realm is In no wise
explained. However. autres temps,
autres mpurs. II would be quaint
and enlivening to-day to receive a let
ter from a publisher saying:
DEAR MADAME: Our book department has
examined with much ,n,eres, your sub
mitted manuscript on - - and
we are inclined to undertake the puhli-
cation Of the same should you agree to our
terms. which are to take over the entire
expense of the publication Of a small edi-
ton OF your work. guaranteeing you proper
advertisement Of the same and placing
with all the best booksellers, In return
therefor W. will make you a statement OF
sales In the first month OF the year fol-
lowing the date Of publication. and three
months later. should we feel Justified In
50 doing. We will present you with one
Spanish guitar.
We are left to wonder and question
about the Spanish guitar as We are
largely about Mrs. Jameson's inter-
rupted marital relations.
Anna Brownell Murphy was born
in Dublin in 1874. the daughter Of an
impecunious miniature painter. In
early youth she showed an interest
In literature, practised versemaking
n wrote rather priggish little letters
to her fond father asking for criticism
of these early efforts. At the & Of
Is she took up the burden Of earning
a living. IA burden which the brave
soul never once in her mortal days
laid down again. and took "A position
as nursery gOverness. While staying
in her second g~overness's position size
met and fell in love with IA young bar
r!ster. Robert Jameson. TO whom she
became engaged. So certain was she,
however, Of the ultimate incompati-
bility OF the dispositions Of herself and
her future husband that she broke
the engagement and accomp inied her
patrons. the Eowles. and their family
-. .-.. -. a.. .E. tho al
young ladies of IA literary tendency,
| she provided herself with a volumi-
nous diary, and thus. with a broken
heart thrown in. she had the complete
impedimenta of a Victorian lady's it,
erary career. This was before Vic
toria came to the throne. hut Anna
Jameson was a true early victorian
none the less, although she was a few
| years ahead of the correct date. While
abroad she wrote the "Diary OF an
E%.rnuyee" and voluminous descriptive
letters to her family. Upon her re-
turn she tool "A new position as gov
! erness and wrote to her mother: mir.
Jameson is very unhappy and perse-
vering and vehement and makes me
uncomfortable without meaning or
Wishing u uo 81. ! u Hot N'"iiS"
without cause and I cannot change
again: it is not my nature or char
acter."
Three years later, however. she
changed her mind and married her
constant admirer. The wedding took
place on Wednesday. ON Sunday the
bridegroom announced his intention OF
going to the country to spend the day
with some old friends whom he was
accustomed to spending Sunday with.
The bride was at a loss what to do.
She was u~nacquainted with her hus-
bands friends and did not want to Of
fend conventlonality by paying the
first visit. on the other hand she
hes!tated to stay at home alone in
tear that some Of her friends or
family, coming to congratulate her.
would find the four day bride desolate.
She started out to pay the visit with
her husband, but as II came on to rain
she turned back and her husband went
on. For FOUR years. l.,wever, the
Jamesons seem to have remained to-
gether, when Robert received an APP
pointment as Judge in dominica, His
departure is not mentioned in any Of
Annals published letters and she
started with her father and Sir Gerard
Noel on a tour abroad. In her Visits
and Sketches at Home and Abroad
she says of this journey:
| thought. not without gratitude. OF this
! contrast between present feelings and thors
Of a former journey, To abandon oneself
N the auickeninG influence of new OBJ