Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-02-02
Her Place
to
Literature
HANNAH MORE
By Mary Alden ]
lH0nfmQns. $3.50.

Reviewed by
NINA PEMBERTON


When Miss Hopkins decided to
write this book about Hannah More
one Of her main objects was to dis
pei the commonly held viewpoint
that Miss More was 'just an old
lady who wrote religious tracts and
hymns" Not only has Miss Hop
kins fully succeeded in this but she
has also given a colorful and de-
tailed account Of the learned set
comprising such illustrious and we'll
known names as johnson, Macau-
ley, Garrick, the great actor; Sir
Joshua Reynolds and his sister
Frances and a host of others. Last,
but, by no means least, was Miss
Hannah More, playwright, poet and
novelist.
London, during the second half
of the 18th century, was IN the
throes of cultural achievement ana
all doors were open to any per-
son in the accepted" intellectual
group of the period, These persons,
living it would seem in the rarlfleo
atmosphere of the written and spok-
en- word, appear to have gone in Tor
a great deal Of mutual adulation
and praise. Such words OF praise
were the breath of life to Hannah.
School for Young Ladies.
Money was scarce in the More
household, but their social contacts
permitted Hannah and her four
sisters to found school Tor young
ladies in Bristol called the Hannah
More School," A school by TINS
same name is flourishing at tins
time in Maryland and as recently
as 1919 there was girls preparatory
school bv the same name in Bristol,
Tnoland Both are namesakes OF
the school commenced nearly 200
years ago. . 49,.
The social promoter" OF the
school was Hannah. She was not
one to stay for any length OF time
in Bristol, but went up to London
for frequent and lengthy visits;
AS her circle of friends grew SO dlo
her fame. her writings and her m
come. She wrote many plays, among
which was percy" 1t opened al
Covent Garden in 1777 and was re-
viyed intermittently until as iate
as 1915. .,us..r
Hannah was confirmed spinster
and rejected all offers OF marriage.
Her good looks. her brilliant mlno
and her preference Tor men w
women. ali cried against TINS en-
forced austerity, but although there
were one or two very special maze
Influences in her life, namely, Dr.
Johnson and David GarricK, ner
feelings for them were held In cneck.
At an early age Hannah had peer
bethrothed to gentleman WIZ
failed to 60 through with the mar.
rage and had instead bequeatnea1
To her an annuity of two hundred
pounds a year. This jiltlng mlgns
have been the cause OF Hannah )
viewpoint on matrimony, and the
financial independence prough.
about by this small income mlgnI
have sealed the matter OF security.
Victory for Hannah.
As the wears rolled by Hannah
became more and more deslrous Oh
improving the lot Of the country
people. She had her troubles as
manifested in the struggle the More
sisters had in establishing their
first Sunday school. The rich farm.
ers rose in body to quell TINS tnreat
to the existing order. They did not
wish to enlighten the unfortunate
ignorant folks who toiled Tor the
farmers profit. Hannah was VIC,
torious, however, in the END anu
was greatly assisted by William Will
berforce, well known for his oppo-
sition to slave labor. Oddly enough
one of the localities where the Sun
day schools were met with least
onnosition was in the mining areas.
In 1900 there occurred the "Blag-
don Controversy" the More Sun
day schools being the subject under
fire. The evangelical branch OF the
Church of England favored the
Sunday schools; the conservative
group regarded them as instruments
of Methodist propaganda. Hannah
became the object of vicious attacks.
The press took up the fight and
much pamphleteering and letter
writing ensued, ending in a half
hearted victory for Hannah. Her
last 10 years or more were spent
in dwindling health and receding
mental capacity. She lived to be 80.
Strictly "bas bleu." a humanl-
tartan and an intellectual, MISS
Hannah More appears to have con-
tributed her fair share and more
to the literature and social achieve
ments of the 18th century.
Miss Hopkins, a native OF Maine,
made several trips to England and
traced down much data on Hannah
More and her group Miss Hopkins
has worked for several organiza-
lions investigating child labor,
minimum wages, etc. Her articles
on these subjects have appeared