HARRIET MARTINEAU.

V

R F FENW ICK LLER. M S . . MI

B O ST O N

R O B E R T S B R O T H E R &

1 8 8 5 . Co r fit py ég ,

BY R BE O RTS BROTHE RS.

UNIV E RSI TY PRE SS

OHN W I LSON A N D SON A M BRIDGE . J , C P R E F A C E .

m

HE i i T material for this biographical and c r . c al sketch of Harriet Martineau and her works f has been drawn from a variety o sources .

'

n e own A u toozo p Some Of it is quite w. Her g rap/W was completed in 1 8 5 5 and there has n ot hitherto been anything at all worth calling a record of the twenty- one years during which sh e E lived and worked after that date . ven as

of e regards the earlier period , although , cours I have drawn largely for facts upon the A uto

' ozo m k I n ew g p y, yet have found much that i s

F or to relate . some information and hints about this period I am indebted to her relatives of wn D r o . her generation , J ames Martineau ,

T of N a and Mrs . Henry urner, ottingham , s W well as to one or two others . ith reference

- to the latest twenty one years Of her life , my rec ord i s entirely fresh , though necessarily P RE F A CE .

f A . C o . . . brief . Mrs hapman , Boston , U S , has written a volume in completion of the

' A n toozo ra /z g p y , which should have covered this later period ; but her account is little more

of than a repetition , in a peculiar style , the story that Miss Martineau herself had told , and leaves the later work of the life without syste

- matic record . As a well known critic remarked “ in M a c m illa n This volume is on e more illus tration of the folly of intrusting the composi tion Of biography to persons who have only the wholly irrelevant claim of intimate friend ” ship . But it should be remembered that h c w en Miss Martineau ommitted to Mrs . Chap .

of man the task writing a memorial sketch , and when the latter accepted the undertaking, both Of them believed that the life and work

of I Of the subj ect it were practically over . have reason to know that if Harriet Martineau had supposed it to be even remotely possible that s o much Of her life remained to be spent

o n e and recorded , she would have chosen some more skilled in literature , and more closely acquainted with E nglish literary and political “ ”

L . affairs , to complete her ife Having once P REFA CE.

asked Mrs. Chapman to fulfill the task , how e too ver, Harriet , Martineau was loyal and gen e rou s a friend to remove it from her charge ;

m o n and Mrs . Chap an , her side , while contin ually begging instructions from her subj ect as ‘ s h e s a while doubtle s s to what was to y, and aware that sh e would not be adequate to th e undertaking which had grown so since sh e

et accepted it , y would not throw it Off her u hands . But her vol me is in no degree a rec

' o rd of o th se last years , which constitute nearly

’

- M rti I a third of Harriet a n e au s whole life . h ave had to seek facts and impressions about

s that period almost entirely from other ources .

m b e My deepest Obligations are due, and ust

th e first expressed , to Mr . Henry G . Atkinson ,

’ Of Martin eau s dearest friend Harriet maturity .

m s h e It is com only known that forbade, by her

of will , the publication her private letters ; but she showed her supreme faith in and value for

e r . h friend , Mr Atkinson , by specially exempt ing him from such prohibition . Her Obj ection to the publication Of letters was m ade o n gen

o wn eral grounds . H er letters are singularly beautiful specimens of their class ; and she viii P RE F A CE . declared that sh e would not mind if every word that ever she wrote were published ; but sh e looked upon it as a duty to uphold the principle

c on fiden c e s that letters should be held sacred , j ust as all honorable people hold private c on

' versation s , not to be published without leave .

n But in authorizing Mr . Atkinson to pri t her

sh e sh e letters , if he pleased , maintained that was not departing from this pri n ciple ; fo r it was only the same as it would be if two friends I agreed to make their conversation known . feel deeply grateful to Mr . Atkinson for allow ing me the privilege Of presenting some of her l s of etter to the public in this volume , and perusing very many more . I have been permitted , also , to read a vast

’ number o f Harriet Martin eau s letters a ddressed to other friends besides Mr. Atkinson , and how much they have aided me in the following work and in appreciating her personality , may easily

o f I be guessed ; but , course , may not publish t these let ers . Amongst many persons to whom ” I am indebted for helping me to ge t touch

u I m with my s bj ect in this way , ust specially R . of thank two . Mr Henry eeve, the editor P RE F A CE . ix

’ ' znonn n R eview n the E a g , was a relative and i ti

Of mate friend , Harriet Martineau ; and her correspondence with so distinguished a man. of

t was n le ters , aturally , peculiarly interesting not the less so because they differed altogether f on O . many matters Opinion Her letters , which R Mr . eeve has kindly allowed me to see , have F been Of very great service to me . Miss

Fox How th e Arnold, Of , ( youngest daughter

f r of R t o D . o o Arnold , ugby, ) is the sec nd whom like particular acknowledgments is due . She was young enough to have been Harriet

’ Martineau s daughter ; but she was also a a beloved friend , and was lmost a daily visitor at Th e Knoll during the later years of Miss

’ Martin eau s Th e life . letters which Miss

Arnold , during occasional absences from home, received from her old friend , are very domestic, lively, and characteristi c Of the writer . It has been Of great value to me to have seen all the letters that have been lent me , but especially

so these two sets , s o different and yet similiar as I have found them to be .

v N w I ha e visited or ich , and seen the house where Harriet Martineau was born ; Tyne x P RE F A CE .

sh e mouth , where lay ill ; Ambleside, where sh e lived so long and died at last and Birming

n ham , to see my valued frie ds , her nieces and If I nephew . should thank by name all with

of whom I have talked her, and from whom I have learned something about her, the list would grow over-long ; and S O I must content myself with thus comprehensively expressing my sense of individual Obligations to all who have laid h even a small stone to t is little memorial cairn . C O N T E N T S .

E CHAPT R I .

THE CHILD AT HOME AND AT S CHOOL

C HA P E T R I I .

E ARLY W OMANHOOD ; D EV ELOP ING INF LUENCES 29

CHA PTE R I I I .

E ARLIEST W RITINGS

HA P C TE R IV .

G F S U P RIE TR GGLE , AND ROGRESS

HA P R C TE V .

THE GREAT SUCCES S

A CH P TE R V I .

“ F IV E A CTIV E YEARS

CHA P TE I I R V .

F V Y OF M M I E EARS ILLNESS , AND THE ES ERI C Y RECOV ER . x11 CON TEN TS .

A P E CH T R V I I I .

T HE HOME LIF E

HA P E I C T R ! .

IN THE MATURITY O F HER P O W ERS

CHA P TE R ! .

IN RETREAT JOURNALISM

C HA PTE R ! I .

THE LAST YEARS HARRI ET MARTINEA U.

C H APTE R I .

THE CHIL D A T HO ME A T S CH OL AND O .

I W HE N L ouis ! V . Of France revoked the E 168 8 dict of Nantes , in , a large number Of the Protestants who were driven out Of France by the impending persecutions came to seek

o Of Of refuge in this fav red land liberty ours . Many who thus settled in o ur midst were amongst the most skillful and industrious work e rs of , various grades , that could have been found in the dominions Of the persecuting king T who drove them forth . hey must have been , to o - , in the nature Of the case , strong hearted ,

of clear in the comprehension their principles , and truthful and conscientious about matters Of

Opinion ; for the cowardly, the weak , and the own false could stay in their land . From the good stock of these exiles for conscience - sake sprang Harriet Martineau . Her paternal Huguenot ancestor was a sur 2 T M A R TJN E Z HARRIE U.

- geon , who was married to a fellow country

CO - woman and religionist Of the name Of Pierre . This couple Of exiles for freedom of Opinion N settled in orwich , where the husband pursued T his profession . heir descendants supplied a constant suc c es s i on wOf highly -respected s ur geons to the same to n , without intermission , Of until the early part this century, when the line Of medical practitioners was c losed by the ’ death Of Harriet Martin eau s elder brother at Th e les s than thirty years Old . Martineau family thus long oc c upie d a good professional of N position in the town orwich . ’ Harriet s father, however, was not a surgeon , Of of but a manufacturer stuffs , the very names — which are now strange in our ears bomba E zines and camlets . His wife was lizabeth

R Of - refi n e r Ne w ankin , the daughter a sugar Of

- - castle on Tyne . A true Northumbrian woman was Mrs . Martineau ; with a strong sense Of of duty, but little warmth temperament with the faults Of an imperious disposition , and its correlative Virtues of self - reliance and strength o f T will . hese qualities become abundantly apparent in her in the story Of her relationship O n with her famous daughter. both sides , therefore , Harriet Martineau was endowed by hereditary descent with the strong qualitie s

- the power, the clear headedness , and the keen H M AN D A T S A T O E CH OOL . 3 — conscience which sh e interfused into all the work Of her life . T E homas and lizabeth Martineau , her father and mother, were the parents of eight Children , two of whom became widely known and infl u i e n tial as thinkers and wr ters . Harriet was

f at Nor the sixth Of the amily, and was born on 1 2th of wich , In Magdalen street , the June , 1 8 02 , the mother being at that time thirty ld The 1 80 O . years next child , born in 5 , was

D r the boy who grew up to become known as . James Martineau ; s o that the two who were to make the family name famous were next to each other in age . Another child followed in 1 8 1 1 this family group , but not until , when Old S O Harriet was nine years , that she could experience with refere n ce to this baby some of that tender, protective affection which is such s o an education for elder children , and delight ful to girls with strong maternal instincts such h as s e possessed . The sixth child in a family of eight is likely to be a personage Of but small consequence . ’ Th e parents pride has been somewhat satiated by previous experiences Of the wonders of the dawning faculties of their children ; and the indulgence which seems naturally given to “ the baby gets comparatively soon transferred from poor number six to that interloper number T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U.

’ ‘ M rs t oo was o n f . e O seven . Martineau , , that of s a sort women who , as they would y, do not “ R spoil their children . eady to work {0 1 them , to endure for them , to struggle to pro vide them with all necessary comforts , and even with pleasures, at the cost , if need be , Of per sonal sacrifice Of comfort and pleasure , such mothers yet do not g1ve to their children that of bountiful outpouring tender, caressing, ma ternal love, which the young as much require for their due and free growth as plants do the f th TO floods o e summer sunshine . starve the emotion s in a child is not less cruel than to To i stint its body Of food . repress and cha n up the feelings is to impose as great a hardship , as it would be to fetter the freedom Of the limbs Mothers who have labored and s uf fere d through long years fo r the welfare Of their children , are Often grieved and pained in after days to find themselves regarded with respect rather than with fondness ; but it was they themselves who put the seal upon the fountains Of affection at the time when they might have e — be n Opened freely and whose fault is it if,

is ' found for later, the outflow to be checked evermore Th e pity of it is that such mischief is Often wrought by parents who love their children of intensely, but who err in the management A T H M A N D A T S H O E C OOL . 5 t e h m for want of the wisdom Of the heart , the Of so power sympathetic feeling, which is seen much Stronger sometimes in’ comparatively shal low natures than in the deeper ones that have really more Of love and of self-sac rifi c e in their

‘ T wh o Of souls . hose lack tenderness either o r manner feeling, those to whom the full and free expression Of affection i s difficult o r seems a foll y, may perhaps be led to reflect , by the ‘ ’ Martin eau s o n story Of Harriet childhood , the suffering and error that may result from a Of ro neglect the moral command Parents , p voke not your children to wrath

My life has had no spring , wrote Harriet

Martineau , sadly yet there was nothing in the Outer circumstances of her childhood and youth ’ to j ustify this feeling . Her mother s temper and character were largely responsible for what “ Harriet calls h e r habit o f misery during w childhood . It is right to explain , ho ever, that this unhappiness was doubtless partly due to physical causes She was a weakly child , her health having been undermined by the dis honesty O f the wet nurse employed for her Th e duringthe first three months Of her life . n woma lost her milk , and managed to conceal th e fact until the baby was found t o be in an almost dying condition from the c on s e uenc es far q Of want Of nourishment . How her 6 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

- frequent ill health , during many succeeding years , was to be ascribed to this cannot be known but her mother naturally attributed all ’ Of Harriet s delicacy health to this cause , even

s h e u the deafness from which suffered , altho gh this did n ot become pronounced till sh e was v Of over twel e years age .

H er deafness , which was the most commonly k nown Of her deficiencies Of sensation , was not S h e her earliest deprivation Of a sense . was

sh e never able to smell , that could remember ; and as smell and taste are intimately j oi n ed v together, and a large part Of what we belie e to be flavor i s really Odor, It naturally followed that s h e was also nearly destitute o f the sense T Of taste . hus two Of the avenues by which the mind receives impressions from the outer

h e r world were closed to her all life , and a third was also stopped before she reached wo Th e manhood . senses are the gates by which pleasure as well as pain enter into the citadel f . O where consciousness resides all the senses , those which most frequently give entrance to

se ldom e st pleasure and to pain , were those which “ sh W n out e had lost . hen three se ses of five “ sh e i f are deficient , as sa d , the di ficulty of cheerful living is great , and the terms Of life are truly hard . f She su fered greatly , even as a little child,

8 T M A R T/NE A HARRIE U.

o n w me Of mark , were the children Of a mother of uncommon mental c apacity . Her business a s o SO f culties were good , and her j udgment of a clear, that her husband (a man sweet and gentle disposition) invariably took counsel with f her about all his a fairs , and acted by her advice . There are still inhabitants Of Norwich wh o

M rs remember . Martineau , and their testimony ’ “ Of her is identical with her son s . She was ” on e the ruling spirit in that house , says Of “ W them . hatever was done there , you under ” wa sh wh o Th e stood that it s e did it . way in which this gentleman came to know so much ’ Ma rtin e au s Of her corroborates D r. declaration “ that she was really devoted to her children , and would do anyt hing fo r them ; if we were miserable in o ur Childhood (a fact which he does n ot dispute) it could not be said to be c on l ” s c io us y her fault . Mr. was the husband Of a lady who had been reared from early child hood by Mrs . Martineau , having been adopted by her simply in Order to provide her little

E n wa s n daughter, lle , who nine years you ger than Harriet , with a child companion somewhat own T about her age . his lady, her widowed

n th e husba d tells , retained a most warm admiration and affection for Mrs . Martineau . Mothers who have brought up eight children Of their own c an appreciate the self-devotedness A A T HOM E A N D T S CHOOL . 9

' Of this mother in receiving a n inth c hild by adoption in order to increase the well -being o f i her own l ttle daughter . Several other instances were told to me Of ’ Ma rtin e u s Mrs . a benevolence and kindness Of Y disposition . oung men belonging to her

religious body, and living in lodgings in Nor

wich , were uniformly made welcome to her O n e house , as a home , every Sunday evening w m Of the Nor ich residents , with who I have

talked about her, received a presentation from

her to the Unitarian Free School , and after

wards , in his school life, met with constant

encouragement and patronage at her hands . H e tells me that he has never forgotten the stately and impressive address with which she

gave him the presentation ticket , concluding with a reminder that if he made good use Of this Opportunity he might even hope o n e day to become a member Of the Town Council Of

- that city, and at that giddy eminence her

’ rote e n ow n p g sta ds .

For the sake Of the lesson , it should be understood that sh e was thus truly benevolent

o r . and kindly, and no vulgar termagant scold It i s for us to see how such a nature can be spoiled for daily life by too unch ecked a course u of arbitrary rule , and by repression Of O tward

of signs tenderness . I O HARRIE T M A R TINEA U.

Not the least evil which a stern parent , who m a n d aintains a reserve Of demeanor, who requires strictness Of discipline within the home , may do to himself and his children , i s that by denying expression to the Children ’ s feelings he Closes to himself the possibility Of knowing what goes o n in their young minds .

T s o hus , a Child restrained may for years suffer under a sense Of inj ustice , and Of undue

o r u favoritism shown to another, nder a belief ’ that the parent s love is lacking , when a few words might have cleared away the misappre h en sion , and given the child the natural happi

Of ness its age .

Speaking Of her childhood , Harriet says I had a devouring passion for j ustice ; j ustice ,

o wn first, to my precious self, and then to other

Oppressed people . Justice was precisely what

o ur was least understood in house , in regard to

No w servants and children . and then I des pe rately poured o ut my complaints ; but in general I brooded over my in j uries and those of others who dared not speak , and then the temptation to suicide was very strong . Th e most vivid picture that s h e has drawn Of the discipline under which such emotions were

T/ze Cro ton induced in her is found in a story, f

B o s sh e y , which wrote during a severe illness , and under the impression that it would contain A T M A T C HO E AND S HOOL . I I h er last words uttered through the press . Mrs .

TIze Cr ton B o S ~ is Proctor, in of y , depicted with remarkable Vividness by a series Of little of touches , and in a succession trivial details , d with an avoidance Of irect description , that

Of o f reminds us the method Jane Austen . Harriet never achieved any other portrait Of a character such as this o n e ; for this is treated with such minute fidelity, and such evident n unconscious ess , that we feel sure , as we some a times do with picture , that the likeness must o n e S O be an exact . distinct an individuality w is sho n to us , and at the same time , the evi ’ de n c e s of the artist s close and careful Observa of tion his model are so obvious , that , without

eel th e having seen the subj ect , we f accuracy of d the likeness . So oes the portrait Of a mother ” in that tale which Harriet wrote for her last words through the press , Show us the n Of ature Mrs . Martineau in her maternal relation . “ s o Mrs . Proctor seldom praised anybody that her words o f esteem went a great way E veryone in the house was in the habit Of hid ing tears from Mrs . Proctor, who rarely shed them herself, and was known to think that e th y might generally be suppressed , and should ” s o be . If any person were weak enough to express 1 2 T M HARRIE AR TINEA U.

emotion in this way in her presence , Mrs . Proc tor would promptly a n d sternly intimate her

O f disapproval such indulgence Of the feelings . W hen the little lad was leaving home for the

e first time , all the rest Of the household becam a little unhappy over the parting . “ Susan came in about the cord for his box , ’ i and her eyes were red , and at the s ght of her Agnes began to c ry again and Jane bent down over the glove she was mending for him , and her needle stopped . ‘ ’ ‘ Jane , said her mother, gravely , if you are not mending that glove , give it to me . It is ’ getting late .

Jan e brushed her hand across her eyes , and T stitched away again . hen she threw the gloves to Hugh without looking at him , and ran ” to get ready to go to the coach . S O little allowance was ordinarily made in

o r m that house for signs Of affection , anifesta

Of i tions personal attachment , that the Ch ld who was going away fo r six months was “ amazed —to find that his sisters were giving up an hour Of their lessons that they might go ” E with him to the coach . ven when Hugh got

s o e his foot crushed it had to be amputat d , though his mother came to him and gave him

s aw n every proper attention , yet Hugh o tears from her nothing more than that “ her face A T M ' N D A T C HO E A S HOOL .

was Very pale and grave . His anticipations Of her coming had not been warm ; his one anxiety

’ h ad b e e n that he might bear h is pain re s olutely “ before her . As Hugh cried , he said he bore

' it so very badly he did n o t know what his mothe r would s ay if s h e saw him And it was well that he had n ot anticipated any o ut burst Of pity o r expression Of sympathy from “ h er s h e i , for, when did come , she k ssed him ” lOn s h e with a long, g kiss ; but did not speak . Her first words in the hearing Of her agonized child were spoken to give him an intimation that the surgeons were waiting to take Off his ’ Th e — foot . boy s reply was not to cling to her for c om support , and to nestle in her bosom for fort in the most terrible moment Of his young “ D O n o w i s o life, but not stay ; th s pain i s ’ ! I c a n t D O bad bear it well at all . go , now, bid w ? ” and them make haste , ill you

L wa s ater, when the leg better, the poor ’ e boy s mental misery once overpower d him , ’ in even his mother s presence . Sitting with ‘ her and his sister H e said , He did

h o w l not know he shou d bear his misfortune . W hen he thought Of the long, long days , and m onths , and years , to the end Of his life , and

v a n d that he should ne er run and play, never be like other people , and never able to do the m t co monest things withou labor and trouble , H A R RI E T M A R TTN E A U.

he wished he was dead . H e would rather have died ! ’ Agnes thought he must be miserable indeed if he would venture to s ay this to his mother . Such was the idea that these chil dren had of maternal sympathy and love ! S O little did they look Upon their mother as the on e person above all others to whom their secret troubles should be Opened I t is proper to Observe that the mother Came ut of T n o o this test well . here is record that

Mrs . Martineau was ever found wanting in due care for her children when th e pent -up agony Of their bodies o r spirits became s o violent as to burst the bonds of reserve that her general demeanor and method of management imposed ’ upon them . Her Children s misery (for Harriet was not the only o n e o f the family whose child hood was wretched) came not from any in te n tio n al o r f o n neglect , even from any indi ference

- her part to their comfort and happiness, but m solely, let it be repeated, fro her arbitrary of e manner and her quicknes s t mper . It is worth repeati n g (if biography be o f val u e for the lessons which may be drawn from it fo r the conduct Of other lives) that the mother whose

s o - children were Spirit tossed and desolate was , o n e v nevertheless , who ga e herself up to their interests , and labored incessantly and unself

for n ot ishly their welfare . I t was love that

I 6 T fl/ A R TI N E A HARRIE U.

naturally bad . Even with all motherly sympa i thy and encouragement , so s ckly a child would have been likely to suffer from timidity , and to fall into occasional fi ts o f despondency and

a n irritability ; but , with fe r co tinually excited

d i n of in her min , and w th an eter al storm passionate opposition to arbitrary authority raging in her soul , it i s no wonder that the poor Child m ade for herself a character for will h s h e s uf fulness and obstinacy, w ile internally “ fe re d n dreadfully from her conscie ce . In my “ sh e o r d childhood , says , I would assert eny anything to my mother that would bring me

i T s o through most eas ly . his was ex c lu sivel o n e y to person that , though there was remonstrance and punishment I was n ever regarded as a liar in the family . Her strength Of will was very great ; and when s h e had been placed in a false position by her dre ad o f re buke , the powerful will came into play to main tain a dogged , stubborn , indifferent appearance . — Ye t all the while her conscientiousness the

a s strong convictions to what was right , and the ardent desire to do it , which marked her whole — career was at work within her, causing a mental shame and distress which might have been easily aided by gentle treatment to over come the fear and the firmness which were acting together to make her miserable and a sinner . A T M A T C I HO E AND S HOOL . 7

' I t sad stor but I is altogether a y, have not

" tOd Th e l it at length without reason . fact that other Children are suffering similarly every

day makes the record worth repeating . But , V o f besides this , her ivid remembrance her childish pangs tends to show how warm a nd f strong were her natural a fections . If Harriet ’ Martin eau s mind had n o t been sensitive and her emotional , and if love for those united to

s h e her by family ties had not been ardent ,

s h e would not have felt as did in her childhood,

sh e h aVe and would not remembered , all through h er h owsh e life, had suffered in her early years

NOW from unsatisfied affection . , this soft ,

loving, emotional side of her character must be recognized before her life and her work c an be properly appreciated . Th e intellectual influences of her home life m were not more happy than the oral ones .

She , was thought by her family anything but a

C D r lever child . Indeed , . James Martineau V (whose recollections are peculiarly aluable , both from his nearness to Harriet in age and from their great attachment in early life) still

s e thinks that h really was a dull child . Her i intell gence , he believes , awoke only in her later youth , coincidentally with some improve ment in health . It is hard to guess what the impression of her childish intellectual powers 1 8 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

n o might have been under different co diti ns . * “ She suggestively remarks : It should never be forgotten that the happier a child is the T cleverer he will be . his is not only because of in a state happiness the mind is free , and at liberty for the exercise of its faculties instead of spending its thoughts a n d energy in brood ing over troubles , but also because the action of the brain is stro n ger when the frame is in a state of hilarity ; the ideas are more clear ,

m i impressions of outward obj ects are ore V vid , ” th n ot and e memory will let them slip . More o f over, it is a fact worthy note that the recog nition by her family of her mental development followed upon her return home after sh e had a been away for time , and had been learning at “ a boarding - school under the first person of h ” s e . whom never felt afraid Still , the fact remains that Harriet was the ugly duckling of to be her family, and supposed the most stupid

Of the group Of Martineau Children .

- o She was active minded en ugh , however, to begin early that spontaneous self -education of which only intellects real power undertake , o r either in childhood in later years . wa W Milton s her master . hen sh e was seven years old s h e came by accident upon a

P a ra dis e L os t copy of lying Open upon a table .

9" House/told E ducation 2 , p . 02. A T M A T C 1 HO E AND S HOOL . 9

T sh e saw aking it up , the heading Argument, and ’ in the text her eye caught the word “ a Sat n . Instantly the mind which her rela tions thought s o sluggish was fired by the desire to know how Satan could be argued about . She sought the passage which tells h o w the arch -fi e n d was

Hurled h ea dlon fla min from th e eth ereal sk g g y, W ith hide o us ruin a nd c om u s ti n b o , down

T o botto m le s s erditio n there to dwell p , I n i n ada m a t ne c hain s a n d penal fi re .

For the ensuing seven years her th oughts of th e dwelt daily in the midst solemn scenes , and moved to the sound Of the sonorous music ’ Of Milton s poetry . I wonder how much Of it — I k n e w by heart enough to be always repeat ing it to myself with every change of light and

s orind of darkness , and , and silence, the moods ” Th e the day and the seasons Of the year . wh o dull child , neglected her multiplication

s o - table, did because her mind was pre occupied o with thoughts f this grander order .

Her love of books increased , and her range M of . reading became wide ilton , although the favorite , was by no means her only beloved v author . She read rapidly, and , as cle er chil W or . dren Often do , voraciously _ hole pages “ Th om scenes from Shakespeare , Goldsmith , p 20 M T HARRIE T AR INEA U. s on s h e Sh , and Milton learned by heart , until e knew enough poetry to have fitted her for the

of i occupation a wander ng reciter . In this way

- E her self education in the nglish Classics , and o n in literary style , went at the same time with her daily education by living teachers . ’ Harriet s formal ed ucation was somewhat desultory ; but it is a noteworthy fact that it

s o was , far as it went , what would have been called a “ boy ’ s education ” In this respect the history of her mental development is the same as that of many other illustrious women f ’ o . the past Girls High Schools , and Univer s it n y examinations for you g women , are prod

‘ u c ts of n the prese t day , and are rapidly ren dering obsolete the old ideas about the n e c e s sary differences and distinctions between the B ut u education of boys and girls . p to the

of of first quarter this century, the minds boys

of subm itte d to and girls were commonly x entirely \V hile different courses of training . the boys learned precision in reasoning from mathematics , the girls were considered sufficiently equipped for their lot in life by a knowledge of the W first three rules Of arithmetic . hile any fac ulty of language that a lad possessed was trained o f and exercised by the study the classics , hi s sister was thought to require no more teaching in composition and grammar than would enable A 2 I A T HOM E AND T SCHOOL .

E m her to write a letter . laborate sa plers , spec im en s of of fine stitching, hemming done by a of thread on the most delicate cambric, marking in tiny stitches and wonderful designs , and of lace more noticeable for difficulty in the doing than for beauty, have come down to us from ’ our grandmothers days , to show us how the school - time of the girls was being disposed of E while the boys were studying uclid , .Virgil , ' If and Homer . we have Changed all that , and are n ow beginning to give a considerable pro portion of o ur girls the same mental diet for the growth and sustenance of their minds with that which is supplied to boys , it is largely owing to the direct efforts in favor of such a course put forth by women such as Harriet n Marti eau , who had themselves been , at least “ ” c on partially, educated like boys , and were scious that to such education they owed much f v o their mental superiority over a erage women . In her earlier years Harriet was taught at home by her elder brothers and sisters , with the addition of lessons in some subj ects from masters . She was well grounded in this man L ner in atin , French and the ordinary element B ut ary subj ects . her systematic education did s h e sh e not begin until was eleven , when and her sister Rachel were sent to a school kept by o a rec eiv a go d m ster, at which boys also were ing their education . 2 2 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U.

- Th e school life was delectable to Harriet .

Mr . Perry , the master, was gentle in his man ner, and methodical in his style of teachi n g ; sh and under his tuition the y, nervous child felt fo r a the first time encour ged to do her best , and

n ot aided merely to learn her lessons , but also Th e to expand her mental faculties . two years ’ sh e that remained at Mr . Perry s school gave a fair L her _ insight into atin and French , and enabled her to discover that arithmetic was to her mind a delightful pastime rather than a f E di ficult study . nglish composition was for T ’ mally and carefully taught . his was Harriet s favorite lesson ; but she would spend her play time in covering a slate with sums for the m e re pleasure of the exercise W hen Harriet had been at this school for N h Th . e about two years , Mr Perry left orwic . home system of education was then resumed . L She had visiting masters in atin , French , and music . For the rest , Mrs . Martineau selected

of n o n a course readi g history, biography , and n e literature . O of the girls read aloud daily

- while the oth ers did needle work . “ Th e amount Of time we spent in sewing now appears frightful ; but it was the way in those ” days among people like ourselves . Harriet b e

- came a thoroughly accomplished needle woman .

She had , indeed , a liking for the occupation ,

2 T T 4 HARRIE M AR INEA (I .

of In these days , when the development the means of communication has made division of n of labor more ge erally practicable than old , and when nearly all men and women , from the artiz an richest to the classes, wear garments made chiefly by machinery , I doubt if many ’ readers c an be got to realize how much a girl s intellectual training was diminished when Har riet Martineau was a Child by th e vast amount Of time consumed in training h er as a seam stress . Harriet was taught how to make all own her clothes , even to covering shoes with

fo r Silk dancing, and to plaiting straw bonnets . It is as though every boy were taught in his

- so school life to be a thorough carpenter, as to out be able , in youth , to turn , unaided , any arti h ow cle of furniture . It is Obvious much time u T such technical training must swallow p . o h ow conceive a girl was held back by it , we must ask ourselves : W hat was her brother doing while sh e was learning needle -work ? Th e matter did not end with the waste of

- time alone . Health , strength and nerve force

- in ower a word , p was squandered upon it to a degree truly lamentable . Harriet Marti neau ’ s testimony * upon this point may be the taken , because of her real fondness for employment and the skill which s h e displayed in it

’ ’ '

ons /I tzon . 286. II e ola E a uea , p A T M A N D A T S 2 HO E CHOOL . 5

I believe it is now generally ag reed among those who know best that the practice o f sewing has been carried much to o far for

health , even in houses where there is no poverty o o NO c an r pressure f any kind . one well be

more fond Of sewing than I am , and few, except

professional seamstresses , have done more Of t it, and my testimony is that it is a mos hurtful

occupation , except where great moderation is i n observed . I think it is not so much the s tti g \ and stooping - posture as the incessant m onoto nous action and position of the arms that W causes such wear and tear . hatever it may

be , there is something in prolonged sewing

which is remarkably exhausting to the strength ,

and irritating beyond endurance to the nerves . Th e censorious gossip , during sewing, which ” “ of o ur s h e was the bane youth , adds , wasted more of our precious youthf ul powers and dis positions than any repentance and amendment ” in after life could repair. Harriet ’ s reading for pleasure in childhood

had mostly to be do n e by snatches . She learned much poetry by keeping the book

o n under her work , her lap, and glancing at a s h e line now and another then . Shakespeare

first enj oyed , while a child , by stealing away

i of o n e from table in the even ngs winter, and

o f - reading by the light the drawing room fire, while the rest lingered over dessert in the

d - sh e ining room . In this way, too , had to read

the newspaper . 26 VE HARRIE T M A R TI / A U.

Th e f older she grew , the less time was a forded i her from domestic dut es for Study . She was

o f i sent , at the age fourteen , to a board ng

of school near Bristol , kept by an aunt her

s h e o n own , where stayed fifteen months , and her return home her education was considered T h finished . hencefort it was a struggle to Obtain permission to spend any t i me In reading o r u a s sh e writing, and such opport nities got , or of could make , had to be taken advantage

s re s in e c y. “ It is melancholy to read of her spending a ” o f frightful amount time in sewing, and being “ expected always to s it down in the parlor to ” “ s ew , instead Of studying ; Of her being at

- the work table regularly after breakfast , making o r o f t e my Own clothes the shirts h household , or o r about some fancy work , if ever I shut m yself int o my own ro om for an hour o f soli

of tude, I knew it was at the risk being sent for to j oin the sewing- circle ; and of the necessity that sh e lay under “ to find time for study by stealing secret hours from sleep . But

’ ’ it is needful to lay stre ss upon these hindrances through which the growing girl fought h er W way to mental development . ide though her n knowledge was , great though her me tal powers c an became, who tell how much was taken from her possibilities (as from those of all other T M A N D A T S 2 A H O E CHOOL . 7 great women o f the past) by such waste of her powers in Childhood and youth P i Th e It is distress ng to think about . only it — i Of comfort i s that was inev table . all the causes that unite to make the women o f the present more favorably circumstanced than those Of the past , none is more potent than the progress of mechanical discovery having relieved them from the necessity of making all

‘ o wn the clothing Of mankind with their hands . — E rrin a From the era when , the Greek poetess , mournfully lamented that her mother tied s her to her di taff, down to the days in which

Harriet Martineau studied by snatches , and k i spent her days in ma ing sh rts in the parlor, an enormous amount of fe m in in e ~ powe r has i been squandered wastefully in this d rection . If

“ women hereafter draw o ut a Comtist calendar of days , upon which to reverence the memory of those who have helped them on in the scale for Of beings , assuredly they must find places

of - the inventors the spinning mule , the stock

- - ing loom and the sewing machine . Religion formed the chief source Of happi ness to Harriet Martineau in childhood and early youth . Her parents were Unitarians , and ’ c of their hild s theology was , therefore , a mild type , lacking a hell , a personal devil , a theory of sin original , and the like . She did not fear ’ 2 8 i l HA RRIE T / A R TI N E A U.

i s h e God , wh le feared almost all human beings , and her devotion was thus a source of great j oy and little misery

W s h e B - hen was at the ristol boarding school , she came under the ministerial influence of the

R ev D r great Unitarian preacher, the . . Car

n t r Th e of h n pe e . power his teac ing i creased

o f the ardor her religious sentiments . She was \ j ust at an intense age between fourteen and ’ D r n sixteen . . Carpenter s religious instructio s m ade the theism in which she had been edu ‘ c ate d become a firm personal conviction , and caused the natural action of a sensitive c on

- m of science , the self devotion and hu ility a of deep power veneration , and the truthfulness

of and sincerity a rare courage , to be blended indistinguishably in their exercise with emo tion al of outpourings the Spirit in worship , and with attachment to certain theological tenets . . Her younger sister well remem bers that Harriet ’ s fervent and somewhat gloomy piety was the cause of a good deal of quizzing amongst her elders, when she returned home B s from ri tol ; their amusement being mixed , however, with much respect for her sincerity B ut and conscientiousness . , as her mind sh e h o expanded , thoug t as well as felt ab ut her theology, and her religious development did not end with childhood . C HAPTE R II .

E R W M HO O I E E P N G F UE E A LY O AN D D V LO I IN L NC S .

O L D of Norwich , in the early years this century, was a somewhat exceptional place . It so chanced that besides the exclusiveness natural even now to the society of a cathedral town besides the Insular tone o f thought and man ners which most towns po s s e s s e d in those pre

our W railway days , and while continental ars were holding our country - people isolated from — foreign nations besides all this , Norwich then prided herself upon havin g produced a good deal

’ W illia m T a lo r of literary ability . Her y was considered to be almost the only German scholar

E . in ngland , and other men , whose names are now nearly forgotten , but who in their day were looked up to as lights Of learning and litera

E n fi e ld ture Sayers , Smith , , Alderson , and Of others , gave a tone to the society Norwich , which , if somewhat pedantic, was , nevertheless , favorable to the intellectual life . It is no small testimony to the healthy and stimulating men tal atmosphere of Old Norwich that there suc o M T 3 HARRIE T AR INEA U. c e s sive l o ut y came from her, in an age when individuality and intellect in wom a n were stead

Of ily repressed , three women such mark as O E Amelia pie , lizabeth Fry and Harriet Mar tin u e a . But even in Norwich the repression j ust

was E alluded to felt by women . ven there it

th e u was held , to say least , peculiar and nde sii' able for a girl to wish to study deep subj ects . “ W ” e hen I was young, Miss Martin au writes , it was not thought proper for young ladies to st udy very co n spicuously ; and especially with ” T pen in hand . hey were required to be always “ re c eive c alle rs of ready to , without any sign

-sto c kin is m blue g which could be reported abroad . My first studies in philosophy were carried o n

wo n with great care and reserve . I time for what my heart wa s set upon either in the

o r early morning late at night .

It was thus at unseasonable hours , and with out the encouraging support of that public feeling of the value and desirability of knowl

th e of edge , and honorableness its acquisition , ’ by which a young man s studies are un c on s c io u sl y aided , that Harriet in her young woman L hood continued to learn . She read atin with

e r h brother James , and translated from the L e e classics by herself . Her cousin , Mr. , read Italian with her and her sister ; and in course

2 T M A R T/N E A ] 3 HARRIE L .

Th e earlier of these was the gradual o n

. h e r coming and increase of deafness . She

l a began to be s ightly de f while she was at Mr . ’ Perry s school , and the fact was there recognized s o far as to cause her to be placed next to her s h e v teacher in the class . How keenly e en then felt this loss , she has in part revealed in the story o f Hugh Procter ; and a few li n es from an essay of hers o n Scott may here be added Few have any idea Of the all - powerful in flu ence which the sense of pe rsonal infirmity of exerts over the mind a child . If it were n known , its apparent disproportio ateness to h ot er influences would , to the careless Observer, appear absu rd ; to the thoughtful it would afford new lights respecting the conduct of educa tion al discipline ; it would also pierce the heart of many a parent who now believes that he

s o knows all , and who feels tender a regret for what he knows that even the sufferer wonders

B ut s e c ie S ' Of at its extent . this is a p suffering c an f which never obtain su ficient sympathy, n ot because the sufferer himself is aware , till he w has made comparison of this ith other pains , ” how light all others are in comparison .

As pathetically , but more briefly, she says about herself My deafness , when new, was the uppermost thing in my mind day a nd night . W N EARL Y OM A H O OD . 3 3 Her inability to hear continued to increase by slow degrees duri n g the next s ix years and “ when sh e was eighteen a sort of accident suddenly increased it . Music had , until then , on e of been her great delights , and it shows of how gradual was the progress her deafness , that sh e found herself able to hear at an orches tral concert , provided She could get a seat with a back against which sh e could press her

- e shoulder blad s , for a long time after the music had become inaudible without this assistance . Such a gradual deprivation of a most important o sense is surely far m re trying than a quick , unexpected , and obviously irremediable loss Th e would be . alternations of hope and de ’ ffi of f Spair, the di culty inducing the su ferer s friends to recognize how serious the case is , the perhaps yet greater difficulty to the patient to resolutely step o ut of the ranks of ordinary people and take up the position of o n e deficient

m o rtifi c ation s in a sense , the which have to be endured again and again both from th e ign o rance of strangers and the mistaken sympathy — of friends all these make up the special trial of one who becomes by degrees the subj ect of c h ron i c an a c affe ction . No sensitive person possibly pass through this fiery trial unchanged . Such an experience must either refine o r harden must either strengthen the powers of 34 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U. endurance or break down the mind to querulous ” ill - temper ; m ust either make self the centre of

' creation o r greatly add to the power o f putting personal interests aside for the sake of wider and more unselfish thoughts and feelings . W hich class o f influences Harriet Martineau accepted from her trial the history of her cour a e ou s - n g , resolute life work , and her devotio to u s h e saw f tr th and duty as them , will su ficiently

Show . How much sh e suffered in mind was quite unknown to her family at the time . She was always reserved in speaking about h e r o wn feelings and emotions to her mother, and in

r Mrs u this pa ticular case . Martinea , with the kindest intentions , discouraged , as far as possi

of ble , all recognition the growing infirmity . Th e society Of Norwich had never been very attractive to the young girl , who was above the in r average natural abilities , and still fu ther removed from the petty and frivolous gossip of the commonplace evening party , by the exten sive and elevating course o f study through

s h e which her mind had passed . Had been

sh e a c well able to hear, could have quietly c e te d p what such intercourse could give her . . T his would have been much . Kindliness and good feeling , common sense , and ideas about man and his circumstances , are to be enj oyed R Y E W M N O D . A I , O A H O 3 5 and gained quite as much in ordinary as in what B ut is commonly called intellectual society . in the freshness of her sensitive suffering Har riet shrank from the Norwich evening parties .

Her mother, however, Insisted upon her taking of n her full share Visiti g . Th e case was made worse by the customary o f errors in the treatment deaf persons ; namely, the endeavoring to keep up the illusion that

‘ n o t she was deaf, the occasional assurances that she could hear as well as ever if it were not fo r i o f s o her hab ts abstraction , and forth , and the imploring her to always ask when sh e did not hear what was said , followed by scoldings

(kindly meant , but none the less irritating to foun d th at the obj ect) when it was i she had been silently losing the larger part o f a conver

. exa c sation False pride , pretence , and selfish tions were thus sought to be nourished in her ; while the blessings Of an open recognition of her trouble , and a full and free sympathy with her pain and her diffi c ulty ' in learning to bear it , were at the same time withheld . I have spoken of this method of treatment of B ut such a case as erroneous . in such a matter only those wh o have gone through the

o ut of experience and have come it at last , as

’ th e n n she did , with moral nature stre gthe ed ,

of - and the power self management increased , 6 A RRI E T M A R T 3 H INEA U. can b e really competent to express an opinion upon the proper method of behavior to similar

f . su ferers I hasten to add , therefore , that in substance the View that I have given is that ’ expressed in Harriet Martin eau s L elter lo the

D ea 1 8 . f , published in 34 In that remarkable fragment of autobiography s h e appealed to o f the large , number people who suffered like i of herself, to nsist upon the frank recognition their infirmity, and to themselves acquiesce with patience in all the deprivations and morti fi c ation s of which the loss a sense must bring . Th e revelation in this essay o f her own suffer ings is most touching ; and very noble and beautiful i s the way in which s h e urges that the misery must be met , and the humiliation must be turned aside , by no other means than cour n age , ca dor, patience , and an unselfish deter mination to consider first the convenience and ’ happiness of others instead of the sufferer s wn o .

“ Instead of putting the singularity out of sight we should acknowledge it in words , pre pare for it in habits , and act upon it in social T a n intercourse . hus only c we save others o u r sad from being uneasy in presence , and T when they think of us . hat we can thus alone make ourselves sought and beloved is an infe o n e rior consideration , though an important to ec us , to whom warmth and kindness are as p u EARL Y W OM A N HOOD . 3 7 liarl y animating as sunshine to the caged bird . T his frankness , simplicity, and cheerfulness c a n only grow o ut of a perfect acquiescence in

o u r . circumstances Submission is not enough . B u Pride fails at the most critical moment . t hearty acquiescence cannot fail to bring forth Th e of cheerfulness . thrill delight which arises during the ready agreement to profit by pain ( emphatically the j oy with which no stranger in term e ddleth) must subside like all other emotions but it does not depart without leaving the spirit lightened and cheered ; and every visitation leaves it in a more genial state than the last . I had infinitely rather bear the perpetual sense of privation than become — unaware of anything which is true of my de fi c ie n c e s of dis ualifi c ation s intellectual , my q of m of for society, my errors in atter fact , and of the burdens that I n ecessarily impose o n W e a n those who surround me . c never get beyo n d the necessity of keeping in full View the worst and the best that c an be made of our h e i i lot . T worst is e ther to sink under the tr al Th or to be made callous by it . e bes t is to be i as wise as possible under a great d sability , and as happy as possible under a great privation .

fo r o f It is es sential , a correct understanding

‘ h er u character, that this great trial Of her yo th should be presented amidst the moulding influ en c e s of that time with as much strength as it f was experienced . But it is di ficult , within the e i s of u t n a n n cessary l mit q ota io , to convey idea 8 T 3 H A RRTE T M AR INEA U. to the reader Of either the intensity and bitter of o r of fi rm ness the suffering revealed , the ness and beauty o f the Spirit with which the

s h e trial was met . N or was the advice that sh e gave to others mere talk , which herself i never put in pract ce . If her family did not s h e realize at the time how deeply suffered , still less could her friends in later life discover by anything in her manners that h er soul had been

s o s o searched and her spirits tried . So frankly of and candidly, and with such an utter absence sh e of affectation , did accept this condition her life , that those around her hardly realized that she felt it as a deprivation ; and a few. lines u sh e in her a tobiography, in which mentions how conscious sh e was of intellectual fatigue from the lack of those distractions to the mind which enter continually through the normal ear, came like a painful shock to her friends , mak ing them feel that they had been unconscious of a need ever present with her throughout life . sh e For some time after the deafness began ,

ot ear- L did n use an trumpet . ike many in a

s h e similar position , persuaded herself that her deafness was not sufficiently great t o cause a ny considerable inconvenience to others in conver sation . At length , however, She was enlight ened upon this point . An account appeared in a Unitarian paper of two remarkable cures of

0 T T E A 4 HARRIE M A R IIV U. m ortifi c ation s to which the o n coming Of h er

H ow . a deafness gave rise much , in such case, it must have been , when the hour at last came fo r the history of the heart to be written H ow delightful the time when sh e could cherish in her thoughts a love which was at once an equal friendship and a V ivid passion ! How great the revolution in her mind when s h e found that the man whom sh e co uld love would choose her of d from all the world women to be his earest , the partner of his life !

It would be a proof, if proof were needed at

- this time Of day , that it is well nigh impossible for any person to give a candid , full and uner

of his o wn ring record past , and the Circum stances in it which have most influenc ed his u development , to turn from the brief and c rsory ’ record which Harriet Ma rtin e au s autobiography of e gives this attachment , to the compl te story as I have it to tell , here and in a future chapter. Th e strongest of all the family affections o f her childhood and youth was that which sh e

for felt her brother James . He was two years T younger than herself . hey had been play o mates in c hildh o od a n d companions in study on later . Harriet s first attraction to Mr . ’ W orthington was that he was her brother s Th e friend . two young men were fellow students at college , preparing for the Unitarian RL Y M N 1 EA W O A HOOD . 4

W ministry . orthington was already well known ’ to Harriet from her brother s letters before s aw she him . He then went on a visit to

of Norwich , to spend a part the vacation with

James , and the interest which the friend and m the sister already felt in each other, fro their f for - mutual a fection the brother, soon ripened T 1 8 2 2 into love . his was , I believe , in , when sh old e was twenty years . Her father an d mother looked not unkindly of Th e upon the dawning this affection . s o brother, however, who knew the two well , felt quite certain that they were not suited for

' of each other . Harriet was a strong, decided a n d temper, even somewhat arbitrary hasty, quick in her j udgments , and firm in her Th e of W Opinions . temperament orthington , o n im the other hand , was , I am told,gentle; l pre s sion ab e and sensitive in the extreme . He

- was highly conscientious , and ultra tender in his treatment of the characters and Opinions of Th e r others . two seemed in many espects the antipodes of each other . He who knew the m both best was convinced that they would

e not b happy together, and that Opinion he has never changed . It is above all things difficult to predict beforehand whether two apparently antago n istic Characters will really clash and j ar in the 2 “ T 4 HARRIE T M AR INEA (I .

of o r on close union married life , whether, of o n e the contrary, the deficiencies the will be supplemented by those opposite tendencies which are rather in excess in the other . It i s notorious that marriages are seldom perfect matches in the View of outsiders ; the in c o n gruitie s in the temperaments and the habits of u life and tho ght , are more easily discerned than the fusing influence of ardent love can be

Nor c an h measured . , indeed , the c anges which will be worked in the disposition by a surrender to the free play of emotion be accurately fore n e seen . Co siderations such as these , how ver, do not have much weight in the mind of a young man whose experience of the mysteries of the human heart is yet to come ; and James Martineau was strongly averse to the engage n of T me t his sister and his friend . heir attachment was not then permitted to become W h — an engagement . ort ington was poor was still only a student Harriet was supposed , at m that ti e , to be well portioned ; the sensitive temperament of the young lover felt the variety of discouragements placed in the path of his

s o affection , and that affection which should have brought only j oy becam e , in fact , to w Harriet the cause Of sorro , suspense and Yet anxiety . its vivifying influence was felt , and the true happiness which i s inseparable W M N EARL Y O A HOOD . 43

h from mutual love, owever the emotion be checked and denied its full expression , was not

F o r lacking . some insight into what Harriet of Martineau knew and felt love , we must look elsewhere than in the formal record Of the * Autobiography . But this , like all the other c v of hief e ents her life , has found a place in her works under a thin veiling of her person L e t on e of ality . us see from her early essays how Harriet Martineau learned to regard love . “ ’ Th e essay is called In a Hermit s Cave .

Th e n ot - place was ill chosen by the holy man , if the circumstances could but h ave been adapted — to that highest worship the service of the life . B ut there is yet wanting the altar of the human heart , on which alone a fire is kindled from above to shine in the faces of all true wor

* in s w it s o m e h h a i Mr. H . G . A tk on r e t S e d wr tten m uc h m o r e a t length ( than is publ is hed) in her A utobiogr a phy ab o ut h er c ou r tship ; b ut sh e c on s ul ted m e a b o ut publishing

a d i ed h er n o t to do s o —the m atte c o unte d fo r it, a nd I v s r

The uo tatio n whic h I i s o l ittl e in s uc h a life a s h e r s . q g ve he r e s h ows f o r what it did r e a lly c o unt in th e histo ry of h er B ut s o diffi c u t m us t it n eeds b e f o r m enta l de v e l opm ent . l the write r of an a uto biogr aphy to spe a k fr ankly o f the m o r e

n es of th e i e th at it is n o t s u is in that s a c r ed e xpe rie c l f , rpr g “ ” Ha ie t M a tin e au dest o e d wh at S h e h ad w itte n whe n rr r r y r , i d h o m s h e o n s u t d I n ee d o n s o a dvis e d by the fr en w c l e . ly an new detai s a out the ac ts of this m atter a dd th a t the m y l b f , e to i e I h a e e c e i e d om two o f her whic h I a m abl g v , v r v fr

ation o th o f wh om we e ver intimate riends of own gen e r , b r y f hers a t the tim e when all this o c c urr ed. T M T 44 HARRIE AR INEA U.

s hi ers f for ; W r pp ever he e this flame , the glow of human love , is burning, there is the temple of t vil worship , be it only beside the humbles lage hearth where it has not been kindled there is no sanctuary ; and th e loftiest amphitheatre of th e - mountains , lighted up by ever burning n o - o f stars , is more the dwelling place Jehovah than the Temple Of Solomon before it was filled of with the glory the Presence . Y e s L I S , ove worship , authorized and approved . Many are the gradations through which thisservice rises until it has reached that o n which God has bestowed His most manifest o n benediction , which Jesus smiled at Cana, but which the devotee presumed to decline . N ot more express were the ordinances o f Sinai than the Divine provisions for wedded love never was it more certain that Jehovah benig n an tly regarded th e festivals of His people than it is daily that He h a s appointed those mutual of b ut rej oicings the affections , which need to be referred to Him to become a holy homage . Y et there have been many who pronou n ce c o m m on Go d o r that which has purified , and rej ect disdain that which He h a s proffered and blest H ow ignorant must such be Of the growth o f that within How unobservant of what passes without W ould that all could know how from of the first flow the affections , until they are u shed abroad in their plentitude , the p rposes Of W creation become fulfilled . ould that all could know how , by this mighty impulse , new strength is given to every power ; how the intellect is V ivifi ed and enlarged ; h ow the spirit becomes EARL Y . W OM A N HOOD . 45

of - bold to explore the path life , and clear sighted to discern its issues For that piety which has humanity for its Obj ect —must not that heart feel most of which tenderness has become the element ? Must not the spirit which is most exercised in hope and fear be most familiar with hope and fear wherever found P How distinctly I saw all this in those who are n o w sanctifying their first Sabbath of wedded h love . T e one was at peace with all that world which had appeared s o lo n g at war with him . H e feared nothing, he possessed all ; and o f the ove rflowings of h is love he could spare to i Th e every living th ng . other thought of no i one th world but the br ght above , and e quiet o f o n e one before her, in each which dwelt in h whom s e had perfect trust . In her the pro re s sion s o and s o g has been regular, the work m perfect, that any return to the for er per turb atio n s i Of her Sp rit seems impossible . She entered upon a new life when her love began ; and it is as easy to concei ve that there is one Li fe Giver to the body, and another to the spirit , as tha t this progression is not the highest work of o n God earth , and its results abounding to To His praise . those who know them as I of know them , they appear already possessed an experience in compari son with which it would appear little to have looked abroad from the o r - Andes , explored the treasure caves of the

, o r i deep to _ have conversed with every nat on s e e under the sun . If they could all that the of fi rm am en t eyes the look upon , and hear all the whispered secrets that the roving winds bear 6 T 4 HARRIE T M AR INEA U.

in their bosoms , they could learn but little new for the deepest mysteries are those of human of love , and the vastest knowledge is that the ” human heart .

E sh e ven more vividly, at a later period , told something of her experiences in o n e of her of fictions , under the guise a conversation between a young husband and wife

D o you really think there are any people that have pass e d through life without knowing ’ what that moment was , that stir in one s heart on being first sure that on e is beloved ? It i s most like the soul getting free of th e body and D O rushing into Paradise, I should think . you suppose anybody ever lived a life without hav ing felt this ? ” W s o s o alter feared it might be ; but , if , a man missed the moment that made a man of o n e that was but an unthinking creature before and a woman the moment best worth living fo r . “ ‘ “ E flie It s eems to me , said , that though G h a s v of od — kindly gi en this token blessedness to all o r to s o many that we may nearly s ay — of or all without distinction great humble, o r rich poor, the great and the lowly use them Th e selves to the Opposite faults . great do not seem to think it the most natural thing to marry where they first love and the lowly are too ready to love . “ That is because th e great have to o many things to look to besides lo ve ; and the lowly

8 4 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U. and enj oying ; and I felt as if I could have brought the whole world nearer to God , if they would have listened to me . I shall never forget the best moment of all — when my mind had suddenly ceased being in a great tumult , which a W had as much pain s pleasure in it . hen I ‘ ’ said distinctly to myself , She loves me , H eaven came down round about me that

T his tells how Harriet Martineau could love

r in h e y outh . Perhaps the stream ran all the more powerfully for its course being checked for it was over three years after she met and W o became attached to Mr . orthingt n before their love was allowed to be declared , and their — engagement was permitted a long period for hope and fear to do their painful Office in the

of o n soul , a long test the reality of the love both sides .

H er extensive and deep studies , her suffer ings and inward strivings from her deafness , n and the j oys and a xieties of her love , were the chief moulding influences of her early W e s e e womanhood . shall soon how she came to seek expression for the results of all these in litera ture .

“ at I llustra tion s o P olitic al E c on om A T a e Of the T n e f y l y , This a a e is do u inte estin o m th et se . s s e pp . 54, q p g bl y r g fr a c t that M r M a th us the disc o e e o f the Po u ation Law f . l , v r r p l , h h r f r ha in w itte it s ent s pec ia lly to t ank e o v g r n . III C HAPTE R .

E R E T W R T G A LI S I IN S .

’ HA RR IE T MA RT IN E A U S first attempt to write fo r publication was made in the same year that W i her acquaintance with Mr . orth ngton was

1 8 2 2 s h e formed ; in , when was twenty years

of Old . It was , apparently , at the close the vacation in which W orthington had visited his

n sh e ~ frie d Martineau at Norwich , that com m e n c e d a paper with the design of offering it

T/i e M ont/i l R e to the Unitarian magazine , y

s i or po t y . She had told James that when he had returned to college s h e should be miser le ab , and he had , with equal kindness and sense ,

' advised her to try to fo rge t her feelings about n the parting by an attempt at authorship . O a

s h e bright September morning, therefore , when had seen him start by the early coach , soon

s ix sh e after , sat down in her own room with a supply of foolscap paper before her to write i her first art cle . — Th e account wh ich she writing from mem

- ory gives in her autobiography, of this little 50 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U.

far transaction , is curiously inaccurate , as as the trifling details are concerned . H er own state “ ” ment is that sh e took the letter V for her

n s h e sig ature , and that found her paper printed m “ in the next number of the agazine , and in the ‘Notices to Correspondents ’ a request to hear more from ‘V ’ of Norwich ” Her little errors about these facts must be corrected , because the truth of the matter is at once sug tiv n ge s e and amusi g . Th e article may be found in the M on thly

s ito for 1 8 2 2 n o t R e o O . p i ctober, It is signed , “ ” “ ” D Th Is V, but iscipulus . , It need hardly

o ut m a s c u lin e of be pointed , is the form the

L o r Th e atin for learner, apprentice . note in the correspondents ’ column is not in that same month ’ s magazine but in the number for the suCc e e din g month , the editor says in his “ answers to correspondents Th e continuation ‘ ’ f D H is o iscipulus has come to hand . other proposed communications will probably be ” m acceptable . If ore proofs than these were required that the youthful authoress had pre sented herself to her editor in a manly disguise , it would be furnished by a passage in one of

D s h e de fi these iscipulus articles , in which n ite l u y figures herself as a masc line writer, “ f i e o our . as speaking sex ( . the male sex) a T e man would do . h interesting fact is thus R I W E A L E S T RITINGS. 5 1 disclosed that Harriet Martineau adds another to th e group of the most eminent women writers of this century wh o thought it necessary to assume the masculine s ex in order to obtain a fair hearing and an impartial j udgme n t fo r their ou r D earliest work . Surely, as iscipulus

G E , takes her place in [ this list with eorge liot E l George Sand , and Currer, l is , and Acton B ell , great deal is disclosed to us about how wome n in the past have had to make their way

i a a ins t t/ze tide of to recogn tion g public opinion . That first printed essay is interesting because it was the precursor o f s o long a course of liter Ye t ary work , rather than for itself . it is not

own without its interest , and is very far indeed from being the crude , imperfect performance “ Th e of the ordinary amateur. subj ect i s F e ” of D male W riters Practical ivinity . Here a re the first words that Harriet Martineau uttered through the press I do not know whether it has been re h marked by ot ers as well as myself, that some of the finest and most useful E nglish works o n the subj ect o f practical Divinity are by female authors . I suppose it is owing to the peculiar of susceptibility the female mind , and its con of sequent warmth feeling, that its productions , e e wh n they are really valuable , find a mor ready way to the heart than those of the other 2 5 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U. s ex ; and it gives m e great pleasure to s ee women gifted with superior talents applying those talents to promote the cause of religion and Virtue . There is n othing remarkable in the literary

sh e form of this first article . How soon came of o wn n to have a style her , vivid , stirri g, and i m a instinct with a powerful indiv duality, y have been gathered already from the quotations e giv n in our last chapter . But in her first paper the style is coldly correct ; imitative o f good but severe models , and displaying none

’ ‘ f Two o the writer s individuality . points as regards the matter Of the essay are o f special interest , and thoroughly characteristic . It is

r s h e inte esting, in the first place , to know that who was destined to do probably more than any other one woman of her century for the e n largement of the sphere of her sex in the field

f fi rst artic l o , e letters , should have written her o n the subj ect of the capacity of women to

Th e teach through their writings . second

- “ point worth not i cing I s that her idea of prae ” D n Th . e tical ivi ity is simply, good conduct ological disputation and dogma do not disturb w i D her pages . Her Vie of pract cal ivinity is that it teaches morals and it is largely because the women to whose writings she draws atten tion have occupied themselves with the attempt T W EARLIES RITINGS. 5 3

o ut of to trace rules conduct , that she is inter e ste d in their writings , and rej oices in their

s h e labors . Indeed , only alludes once to the Opinions on dogmatic theology Of the writers s h e whom quotes , and then she does it only to put aside with scorn the idea that morality and teaching should be rej ected because of differ n c e es upon points of theology . E ncouraged by the few stately words with which the editor of the R epos itory had recei ved f “ D the o fer of more contributions , iscipulus continued his literary labors , and the result “ E appeared in a paper on Female ducation , . published in the M on t/aly R epos itom/ of F eb ru T 1 8 2 . ary, 3 his is a noble and powerful appeal fo r the higher education of girls and the full

o f of our s x development all the powers e . It is written with gentleness and tact , but it courageously asserts and deman ds much that of was strange indeed to the tone that day, though it has become quite commonplace in ours . Th e b e author (supposed to be a man , it remembered , ) disclaimed any intention of prov ing that the minds of women were equal to

of n w those men , but o ly desired to sho that W hat little powers the female intellect might Neve rth e possess should be fully cultivated . o ut less , the fact was pointed that women had 54 HARRIE T M A R TINEA U. seldom had a chance of showing how near they m en might be able to equal intellectually , for while the lad was at the higher school and l “ co lege , preparing his mind for a future , the

low h e r girl is probably confined to pursuits , a s irin s sh e p g after knowledge are subdued , is taught to believe that solid information is unbecoming her s ex almost her whole time is

o n expended low accomplishments , and thus ,

of re before she is sensible her powers , they a checked in their growth and chained down to mean Obj ects , to rise no more ; and when the natural consequen ces o f this mode of treatment are seen , all mankind agree that the abilities ” n of of women are far i ferior to those men . Having shown reasons to b elieve that women would take advantage of higher Opportunities D if such were allowed them , iscipulus main tain ed in detail that the cultivation Of their minds would improve them for all the accepted of feminine duties life , charitable , domestic and social , and that the consequent elevation of the female character would reac t beneficially on the male ; cited the - works of a cl uster of eminent authoresses , as showing that women could think upon “ the noblest subj ects that c an exercise the human mind and closed with th e following paragraph , wherein occurred the phrases by which it is shown that o ur Dis c i

6 T M R T A 5 H A RRIE A T NE U.

h e a utum n s am e ear 1 8 2 in t of the y , 3 , by Hunter, ’ h of . St . Paul s Churc yard

Th e little volume was published anonymously . “ Its title - page runs thus D evotiona l E xerc is es ; consisting Of R eflections and Prayers fo r the To us e of Young Persons . which is added an B l Address o n Baptism . y a ady . Th e character of the work is perhaps suffi c ie n tly indicated by the title . But it would be a m istake to suppose that the book is a common

n e o f d place o . It contains a good deal ogma l tis m . and many platitudes It contains , ikewise, however, many a noble thought and many a a high aspiration , expressed in words equ lly R flowing and fervent . A eflection (some thing like a short sermon) and a prayer are sup plied fo r each morning and each evening o f the th seven days of e week . She had already attained to such an insight into the human mi n d as to recognize that religious devotion is an exercise of the emotions . Proof, too , is given in this little work Of the fullness with which s h e realized that true religion must be expressed by service to mankind to those nearest to one first , and afterwards to others ; and indeed , that a of S i high sense ocial duty , w th a fervent and

is unselfish devotion to it , religion , rather than

- o r either the spiritual dram drinking, the dog matic irrationality to which that name of high import is frequently applied . T EARLIES W RITINGS. 57

Th e prayers in this little volume differ much from the supplications for p ersonal benefits

which are commonly called prayers .

T o r hese are rather aspirations , meditations . Th e highest moral attributes , personified in r of God, are held up for the wo ship the imper

feet human creature , with fervent aspiration to approach as nearly as possible towards that light

of unsullied goodness . Th e lack of petitions for material benefits “ ” which appears in th es e Devotions was by n o or means unconscious , instinctive , accidental . She had deliberately given up the practice of

praying for personal benefits, partly because s he for held that , since it is impossible us to foresee h ow far o ur highest interests may be served o r hindered by change s in our external n o for circumstances, it is t us to attempt to or to indicate , even form a desire , as to what those circumstances shall be . As regarded the

of emotional side her religion , she had come to prefer to leave herself and her fate to the unque s tion e d w direction of a higher po er . B ut there was more than this in it . In her of philosophical studies , she had , course , met with the eternal debates o f metaphysicians and

h o n t eologians Foreknowledge , Fate , and Free o f: W Th f . e dom the ill di ficult question had , indeed , presented itself to her active and acute 8 T M T 5 HARRIE AR INEA U.

\ e n young mind long before those studies b ga . She remembered that when she was but eleven years old she found courage to offer her question ings upo n this point to her elder brother : w Thomas . She asked If God forekne from eternity all the evil deeds that every o n e o f us

in our c an n s should do lives , how He j ustly pu i h

for us those actions , when the time comes that ? we are born , and in due course commit them H er brother replied merely that s h e was n ot old th e Th e yet enough to understand ; point . n ot i n an swer did satisfy the ch ld . She k ew h Old f t at if she were enough to feel the di ficulty, she must also be mentally fit to receive some o f B ut kind explanation . under the pastoral

f D r th o . e influence Carpenter, emotional side of v her religion was culti ated , and such doubts and difficulties of the reason were put away “ for the time .

‘ Not e th c - for all time , how ver, could problem be shirked by so active , logical , and earnest a sh e mind . It recurred to her when was left to

wn L th e her o spiritual guidance . ong before “ ” date of these D evotions sh e had fought o u t own the battle in her mind , and had reached the standpoint from which h er Prayers are writ ten . She had convinced herself of the truth of the Necessitarian doctrine , that we are what we of are, we do what we do , because the E A RL I E S T T W RI INGS. 59 impulses given by our previous training and circumstances and that the way to amend any human beings o r all mankind is to improve

r e s ur thei education , and to give th m good roundings and influences , and mental associa tions in short , that physical and psychological phe 'nomena alike depend upon antecedent phenomena, called causes . As soon as sh e had thus settled her mind in of sh e the doctrine Necessity, perceived that of prayer, in the ordinary sense the term , had

- h becom e impossible . If it be believed t at all that happens in the world is the consequence of the course of the events which have happened c an before , it is clear that no petitions alter the state of things at any given moment . A belief “ in the efficacy of be se igin g Heaven with prayers ” implies a supposition that a Supreme Ruler of the Universe interferes arbitrarily of T W ith the Sequence events . hose whose minds are clear that no such arbitrary inter o n ference ever does take place , but that , the

e fol contrary, lik events always and invariably low from like causes , cannot rationally ask for this fundamental rule of the government of the ’ universe to be s et asid e for thei r behoof ; even although they may believe in an all - po werful D R e ivine uler, who has appointed this sequenc of events for the law under which His creatures shall live and develop . 60 T ZUA R TI /VE A HARRIE U.

v u Still , howe er, Harriet Martineau s pplicated for spiritual benefits , as we have seen in the

of D evotiona l E xerc is es T littl e volume . hese aspiration s not only gave her an emotional

u stifi satisfaction , but were , she then thought , j able on necessitarian principles ; for each tim e that we place our minds in a certain attitude we “ ” increas e thei r s e t in the same direction ; and sh e believed at that time that a holy life was in this way aided by frequent reflections o n and aspirations towards the highest ideal of holiness personified in the name of God . T Her religious belief was , then , pure heism .

T o her, it was still very good to be a worship

of E E per Jehovah , the ternal Presence, the ver living Supreme ; and Jesus was His Messenger, the highest type that He had e ver permitted to be revealed to man of the excellencies of the B ut divine nature . there was no Atonement , E O n e n o no personal vil , hell , no verbally t inspired revela ion in her creed . It will be u nnecessary to s ay more about her theological beliefs till the next twenty years have been recorded , for in that period there was substantially no change in her Views . T here did come , indeed , a change in her method o f self -m an agement and in her Opinions as to the way in which religious feelings Should affect daily life . She soon concluded that we 6 1 EARLIEST W RITINGS. are best when least self -conscious about our o wn goodness , and that , therefore , we should rely upon receiving inspiration to right and elevated feelings from passing influences , and

o ur i should refrain from putting m nds , by a of regular exercise volition , into affected post ures in anticipation of those high emotions which we cannot command . Under these

. beliefs she _ soon ceased all formal prayer

- Meantime she was still , at twenty one years

of D evo Old , in the condition mind to write tiona l E xerc is es . Th e little book met with a favorable accept ance among the Unitarians , and speedily went T n . into the seco d edition hu s encouraged , Harriet began another volume o f the same

n o t character . Such work could proceed very w d fast , ho ever, for her omestic duties were not light , and her writing was still looked upon in her family as a mere recreation . She labored under all th e disadvantages of the amateur . B ut events soon began to crowd into her life of to alter this View the case , and to prepare the way for her beginning to do the work Of her life in the only fashion in which such labor — c an be effectively carried o n as a serious ’ of occupation , the principal feature every day s duties .

After a long period Of poverty and distress, 6 2 HARRIE T M A RTINEA U.

‘ Na oleon ic wa rs E caused by the p , ngland , in 1 8 2 4, experienced the special dangers of a time T of rapidly increasing wealth . here was more

i to e x a n real wealth in the country, ow ng the p

' of o n re - sion trade , which followed the Opening of c the continent to our commerce , but spe ula tion made this development appear far greater than it was in reality T h of here was , at t at time , no sort check

of No t upon the issue paper money. only did the Bank Of E ngland send out notes without limit ; not only could every established bank multiply its drafts recklessly ; but any small tradesman who pleased m ight embark in the same business , and put forth paper money without check or control Thus there was

.

th e ~ rate of money in abundanc e, interest was low, and prices rose . The natural and inevitable consequence of h of t is state things , at a moment when trade d was sud enly revived , was a rage for specula tion . Not only merchants and manufacturers were seized with this epidemic ; the desire fo r higher profits than could be Obtained by quiet and perfectly safe investments spread amongst “ every Class . As for what the speculation e o n was lik , it can hardly be recorded the open u B page Of history witho t a blush . esides the

n - o n j oi t stock companies who undert ok baki g,

6 T TWA R TIN E A 4 HARRIE U.

~ Such a crash came , from such causes , in the ’ Ha rrl early winter of 1 8 2 5 . e t Ma rtin ea u s

e o n e fath r was Of those Inj ured by the panic , without having been a party to the errors which produced it . H e had resisted the speculative mania, and allowed it to sweep by him to its

flood . It was , therefore , by no fault of his o wn that he was caught by the ebbing wave , and carried backwards , to be stranded in the ‘ shallows . His house did not fail ; but the on e struggle was a cruel for many months .

’ H ow severe th e c risis was may be j udged from the fact that between sixty and seventy banks six stopped payment within weeks . Th e strain of this business anxiety told i of heavily upon the already del cate health Mr .

of Thomas Martineau . In the early spring 1 8 26 it became clear that his days were num o f bered . Up to the commencement that troubled winter it had been supposed that his daughters would be amply provided fo r in the d B ut s o event Of his eath . much had been lost in the crisis, that he found him self, in his

t was last weeks , compelled to al er his will , and only able to leave to his wife and daughters a

o n bare maintenance . H e lingered till June , and in that month he died . u ill It was while Mr . Martinea lay , that Har ’ ’ ’ rie t s A a a ress es P ra ers a nd second book , , y , E IE W 6 A RL S T RITINGS. 5

H m ns y , passed through the press , and the dying father took great interest and found great com ’ h o f fort in his child s work . Muc it he must have read with feelings rendered solemn by his situation . Thi s little volume s o closely resembles the

D evotiona l E xerc is es , that it is unnecessary to Th e refer to it at greater length . hymns , of t which are the special feature his volume , ' ll for T n o t do not c a much notice . hey are quite commo n place ; but verse was not Har ’ rie t s nat ural medium o f expression she wrote ‘ c o n side rable uan tit of a q y it in her early days , as most young authors do but she soon came to see for herself that her gift of expression in its most elevated form was rather that which makes the orator than the poet . Th e comparative poverty to which the family ’ Ma rtin ea were reduced on Mr . u s death at once freed Harriet , to a considerable extent , from the obstacles which had previously been inter posed to her spending time in writing . It was still far from being recognized that literature was to be her profession ; but it wa s obvious that if her pen could bri n g any small additions d to her income they woul be very serviceable .

A friend gave her an introduction to Mr . Houl ’ n riblishin W Sh rO sto , then p g at ellington , p s h e shire ; and a few little tales , which had 66 M T HARRIE T AR INEA U.

f lying by , were O fered to him . H e accepted them , issued them in tiny volumes , and paid

h of her five guineas for the copyrig t each story . T his , then , was the beginning Of Harriet ’ tine o o au s profes si nal auth rship . C HAPTE R IV .

G E GR IE F STRUGGL E AND P R O R SS.

THE loss o f pecuniary position did something more for Harriet Martineau besides opening the Th e d way to work In literature . knowle ge that sh e was now poor gave her lover courage to declare himself, and to seek her for his wife .

Poverty, therefore, brought her that experience ’ s o which is much in a woman s mental history , ’ however little it , perhaps , goes for in a man s .

A love in youth , fervent , powerful , and pure ; a love , happy and successful in the essential h ow point that it is reciprocated by its obj ect , ever fate may deny it outward fruition such a ’ love once fillinga woman s soul , sweetens it and

f r r preserves it o h e whole life through . Pity the shriveled and decayed old hearts which were n ot thus embalmed in y outh ! Harriet Martineau did have this precious experience ; and her womanliness of nature remained fresh and true o f and sweet to the end of her days because it . There may be many married women old maids

- — in heart z to be s o is the punishment of those 68 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

a who marry without love ; and there are m ny, i like Harriet Martineau , who are single in l fe ,

s o but whose hearts have been mated , and made sh e alive . I do not know that would have gained

a n fi zva o f by marriage , in y y, except in the chance motherhood , a yet greater fact than love itself O n to a woman . the other hand , her work must have been hindered by the duties of m arried life, even if her marriage had been thoroughly happy, and her lot free from exceptional n material cares . Matro age is a profession in Th e of itself . duties a wife and mother, as domestic life is at present arranged , absorb n s o much time and stre gth , and diminish the of possibilities intellectual labor . Moreover, the laws regulating marriage are still , and fifty t years ago were far more , in a very bad s ate ; and , leaving a woman wholly dependent for o r fair treatment , whether as a wife mother, upon the mercy and goodness of the man sh e ’ Ma rtin eau s marries , j ustify Harriet Observa “ Th e th e tion Older I have grown , more serious have seemed to me the evils and disadvantages of married life , as it exists among us at this ” Th e time . wife who is beloved and treated as e m an equal partn r in life , the other whose natural rights in the guardianship Of h e r family are s h e respected , the mistress of a home in which of is the sunshine husband and children , must F T A N D P 6 GRIE S RUGGLE ROGRESS. 9

of w B ut ever be the happiest omen . far better — is it to be as Harrie t Martinea u was a widow — of the heart by death than to have the affec tions torn through long years by neglect and cruelty, springing less from natural badness than from the e vil teaching of Vile laws and customs . Fifty years ago marriage was a dangerou s step for a woman and Harriet Mar “ tin e au T had reason for saying at last hus , I am not only entirely satisfied with my lot , but

for think it the very best me .

For a while , however, the happy prospect of a beloved wifehood cheered her struggling and

u B ut . anxio s life . it was not for long Her actual and acknowledged engagement lasted , Mr W I believe , only a few months . . orthington had , at this time , but lately completed his course as a Divinity student ; and he h ad been appoint ed to th e j oint charge of a very large Unitarian

Church at Manchester . Conscientiousness was o n e of the most marked features of his character, according to his college friend ; an d Harriet “ herself declares that sh e venerated his moral nature . He had thrown himself int o the very heavy pastoral work committed to h im with all the devotion of this high characteristic . More e of over, the long doubt and susp nse his love for n m h ad her before their e gage ent , , doubtless , worked unfavorably upon his nervous system . 0 T M T 7 HARRIE AR INEA U.

Th e of end it was , that he was suddenly seized w ith a brain fever, in which he became delirious . ’ He was removed to his father s home in L e ic e s te rsh ire o f , to be nursed ; and in process time , th e the fever was subdued . But mind did not

l sh e regain its balance . H e was sti l , as says , “ insane but from o n e of her clear and early friends , I hear that his family did not call it — insanity, Only a feeble and unhinged state , from which recovery might have been expected hopefully . In this state Of things it was thought desirable that the wom an he loved should be brought to Th e s e e . him beloved presence , his physician

Old believed , might revive impressions and happy an d o n e anticipations , might be the thing need ful to induce a favorable change in his condition . His mother wrote to beg Harriet Martineau to come to him ; Harriet eagerly sought her ’ mother s permission to hasten to his side ; and

Mrs . Martineau forbade her daughter to go . Th e o ld habit Of obedience to her mother, and of the early implanted ideas filial duty, were too stro n g for Harriet at once to break through them ; sh e did n ot defy h e r mother and go ; — and in a few more weeks terrible weeks of doubt and mental storm they must have been , between her love and h e r ob edience draggi n g — W her different ways orthington died , and

2 T M 7 HARRIE AR TINEA U. — This beautiful piece of writing far mo re of a poem in essence than anything which she ever published in verse —is spoiled as a composi — i tion by mutilation in quot ng . But its length leaves me no Option but to select from it only a

of few the more confessional passages , to aid us in o ur psychological study

This weary watch ! In watching by the couch of another there is no weariness but this lonely ’ tending of one s o wn sick heart is more than - c an W of the worn out spirit bear . hat an age woe since the midnight clock gave warning that — m y first day of loneliness was beginning to of others a Sabbath , to m e a day expiation a nd All is dull , cold dreary before me , until I also c a n escape to the region where there i s no bereavement , no blasting root and branch , no of - W rending the heart strings . hat i s aught to of - i me , in the midst this all pervading, thrill ng ? Th e torture , when all I want is to be dead w n o future is loathsome , and I ill t look upon it the past , too , which it breaks my heart to think about — what has it been It might have been n a s happy , if there is such a thi g happiness but

I myself embittered it at the time , and for ever . W hat a folly has mine been o f _ Multitudes n ow of n sins rise up in the shape besetti g griefs . L ooks of rebuke from those now in the grave ; thoughts which they would have rebuked if they of had known them ; moments of anger, cold ness sympathy withheld when looked fo r repression of its signs through selfish pride GRIEF S TR UGGLE AND P ROGRESS. 73

s v and worse , far wor e e en than this all O ! i comes over me now . if there be pty, if o f there be pardon , let it come in the form insen sibility ; for these lon g echoes Of co n dem nation will make me desperate . B ut wa—s there ever human love unwithered by crime by crime of which no hu man law it takes cognizance , but the unwr ten everlasting laws of the affections Many will call me thus o ut innocent . Th e departed breathed thanks and blessing, and I felt them not then as reproaches . If , indeed , I am only as others , o n m o f affe c shame , shame the i purity human ! of tions ; or, rather, alas for the infirmity the hum a n 'heart ! For I know not that I could love more than I have loved . i S nce the love itself is wrecked , let me gather i a d u p its rel cs , n guard them more tenderly, i . T more stead ly, more gratefully his seems to i o open up gl mpses f peace . O grant me power — o f to retain them the light and music emotion , the flow of domestic wisdom and chastened m - lOn o f irth , the life g watchfulness benevolence , — the thousand tho ughts are these gone in their reality ? Must I forget them as others forget ? If I were to s e e my departed o n e that insen — n sible , wasted form standi g before me as it was wont to stand , with whom would I exchange ? B ut my j oy it is not possible to lose all . Th e s h adOws of the past may have as great n i i power as their substa ce ever had , and the sp r t o f human love may ever be nigh , invested with a maj esty worthy to succeed the lustre of its mortal days . 74 HARRIE T M A R T/N E A U

’ of Martin e a u s This is the poem Harriet love . This is what remains to show that the girl whose intellect was so powerful , and who had habitually and of choice exercised her mind upon the most abstruse studies and the most difficult thoughts h n e ve rth e w ich can engage the attention , could

at less feel least as fervently , and deliver her u self p to her emotions at least as fully , as any

o r - feeble , ignorant , narrow minded creature that u th e ever lived . S rely, with truth emphasized by such an example , the common but stupid delusion that the development o f the intellect diminishes the capacity fo r passion and tender ! T ’ ness , must fade away his girl s mental power and her mental culture were both unusually large ; but here i s the core of her heart , and is “ it n ot verily womanly This experience did more than give her hours of happiness it did more than bri n g to her that enlargement o f the Spirit which she s o well

fo r described it taught her to appreciate , and to n o f n properly value , the influe ce the emotio s

N on e of in life . ever in her works , never in a

n h of si gle p rase , is she found guilty that blas h em p y against the individual affections , into which some who have yet sought to pose as high priests of the religion Of humanity have fallen on e and lost themselves . In all her writings fi nds the continual recognition of the great truth T P GRIEF S RUGGLE AND ROGRESS. 75

“ which was in the mind of him who said : If a h m man love not his brot er who he hath seen , how shall he love God whom he hath not seen ? ” a truth o f the very first consequence to those who aim at expressing their religion by service

o f to the progress mankind .

Th e 1 8 26 so year , to Harriet crowded full of W trouble , came to an end soon after Mr . orth ’ in n s to . g death In the following year, though she was in very bad health , she wrote a vast

of of quantity manuscript . Some it was pub lish e d at once . Other portions waited in her

of c ontribu desk for a couple years , when her

TAe M ont/i l R e os itor tions to y p y recommenced , after a change in its editorship . She wrote in the year 1 8 2 7 various short sto Houlston of ries , which were published by , o n Shrewsbury, without her name their title T pages . heir character may be guessed by the fact that they were circulated as Mrs . Sher ’ ! wood s writings In tone , they resemble the ordinary Sunday - school story - book ; but there n is a fire , an earnestness , and an origi ality often disco verable in them which are enough

- w to mark them o ut from common hack riting .

Two m TAe R ioters T/ze Ta rn Ont of the , and , deal with topics of political economy but the questions were thought o ut (very accurately) in

o wn her mind , for at that time she had never read a book upon the subj ect . 76 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U

These little stories were s o successful that h w o n e the publis er invited her to rite a longer , n which should have her ame attached to it .

She went to work , accordingly, and produced a on e good little tale , Of hundred and fifty pages of s h e l P rinc i le a nd P ra c print , which cal ed p tic e of . It recounts the struggles an orphan f family in their e forts after independence . As all of own ex e in her writings this kind , her p ri n n e c e is interf used into the fictio . No part o f this story is s o in teresti n g as that where a young man who has m et with an accident h a s to reconcile his mind to the anticipation of life ‘ n — s h e Th e lo g lameness as to deafness . sis of ters this orphan family, too , make money by a kind of fancy - work by which sh e herself was earning a few guineas from the wealthier mem of b bers her family, namely , by cutting ags and

o f d baskets out pasteboar , fitting them together with silk and gold braid , and painting plaques ’ P rinc i le a n a P ra c tic e upon their sides . p was s o warmly received in the circle to which it was th e suited that publisher called for a sequel , which was accordingly written early in the fol lowing year . There was a vast quantity of writing in all

s h e these publications ; and , besides this , was at continually work with her needle . Such , unremitting sedentary occupation , together T N P GRIEF S RUGGLE A D ROGRESS. 77

with her sorrow, caused a serious illness , from i which s h e suffered dur ng 1 8 2 8 . It was an of affection the liver and stomach , for which

- in - law she went to be treated by her brother , “ -o n Mr . Greenhow, a surgeon at Newcastle T yne . of n Her remarkable powers steady applicatio , * n and her untiring i dustry, were always amongst — in her most noteworthy characteristics as ,

of deed , is proved by the vast quantity work of she achieved . In each her various illnesses , friends wh o had watched with wonder and

' sh e wrote an d alarm how much , how unceas in l o r g y she worked , either with pen , or book, needle In hand , told her that her suffering was “ caused by her merciless industry . Her stay ing power was great ; sh e rarely felt utterly an d s h e exhausted , therefore was impatient of

sh e - being told that had , in fact , over exerted s h e her strength . Sometimes , indeed , admitted sh e that worked too much , and pleaded only — that sh e . c ould n ot help it that the work

' i or needed doing, that the thoughts pressed for

“ it I s h oul d think th e r e ne v e r was s uc h a n industrio us la d s aid the m aid wh o wa s with h e r for th e ast e e e n y, l l v “ e a s of her li e when I c a u ht s i ht o f h e r us t o nc e y r f ; g g , j , le anin a c in h er Ch ai with h er a m s h an in do wn a n d g b k r , r g g , ’ o o in as thou h sh e wasn t even thin in a o ut a n thin l k g g k g b y g , it a I lt S he ust e ill to s it i e g v e m e q uite a turn . fe m b l k ” th at ! 78 H A RRJE T M A R TINEA U.

of utterance, and she could not refuse the call B ut m sh e duty . ore often said , as in a letter “ to Mr . Atkinson , which lies before me , My best aid and support in the miseries of my life — has been in work in the intellectual labor ” which I believe has done me nothing but good . So h e r immense industry in 1 8 2 7 may have seemed to her a relief from her heart - sorrows at the moment ; but none th e less it probably was the chief cause of her partial breakdown in the next year . A blister relieves internal inflammation ; but a succession of such stimuli too long continued will exhaust the strength , an d render the condition more critical than it would have been without such treatment . At Newcastle there was a brief cessation ’ from work , under the doctor s orders . But in the middle of 1 8 2 8 Harriet began to write again

R e os itor ut for the p y, in response to an appeal p

ratutious forth by the editor for g literary aid . That editor was the well - kn own Unitarian W o f preacher, illiam Johnston Fox , South Place ’ c am Ma rtin e a u s Chapel . Mr . Fox be e Harriet

first literary friend . He had no money with which to reward her work fo r his magazine ;

a m l in of but he paid her p y a course frank , full , and generous private criticism and encourage “ ” sh e ment . His correspondence with me , “ says , was unquestionably the occasion , and , in

8 0 T M HARRIE AR TINEA U.

of are in the Formation Habits , which Simply

- an accurate , clear, and forcibly reasoned state m ent of the philosophical doctrine of Associa o f tion , with which that Necessity is inseparably T connected . hese were , it has been already sh e Observed , the theories by which was learning both to guide her own action and to s e e that society is moulded , however unconsciously, as of t regards most the individuals composing i . of o r A clearer statement the doctrines , a more forcible indication Of how they c an be made to serve as a moral impulse , cannot be imagined . H ere is very different work from D evotiona l

E xerc is es o r P rinc i le a n d P ra c tic e , p . But it brought its author neither fame nor money .

of n 1 8 2 8 o r Another piece work do e in , early

L e o H owa rd in the following year, was a if f , which was written on a positive commission from a member of the Committee of L ord ’ “ Brougham s Society for the Diffusion Of Us e ” o ful Knowledge , who pr mised her thirty h T e . pounds for it . M S was at first said to be lost at the Office ; eventually she found that its contents were liberally cribbed by the writer o f the L if e which was published ; but s h e n ever received a penny of the promised pay

T o f ment . hese were her times stress , and struggle , and suffering, and disappointment , in

s literature as in ordinary life . Her great succe s , I F T P 8 1 GR E S RUGGLE AND ROGRESS.

so when at last it did come , was sudden that her pre vious work was obscured and pushed o ut of

of B ut sight in the blaze triumph . these years of labor, unrecognized and almost unrewarded ,

o u r if must not be left out of View, we would of u j udge fairly her character . Courage , resol

- tion , self reliance , determination to conquer in a field once entered upon , are displayed by her quiet industrious perseverance through those laborious years . Harriet Martineau did not make a sudden and easy rush far up the ladder of fame all at once ; her Climb , like that of m most great men and wo en , was arduous and n slow, and her fi al success proved not only that sh e of had literary ability , but also the strength Character which could work o n while waiting for recognition . i i Fresh trouble was yet mpend ng . After ’ Martin e au s s on Mr . death , his Henry remained a partner in the weaving business which the father had carried o n so long ; and the incomes f n (small , but su ficient for a maintena ce) of the widow and unmarried daughters had to be paid f out of the profits o the factory . Just three ’ M a rtin e au s years after Mr . death , however, in 1 8 2 u June , 9 , the Old house became bankr pt , with but small assets . Mrs . Martineau and her daughters were thus deprived suddenly of all

o f means support . 8 2 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U.

Th e whole family met this final blow to their fortunes with calm courage . It was soon settled that the two girls who possessed all their senses should go o ut to teach ; but Harriet could not — be s e t to work in the same way fo r pupils could n ot easily be found who would s ay their

- Th e lessons into an ear trumpet . husband of the lady brought up by Mrs . Martineau with her youngest daughter tells me th at upon this occasion Harriet ’ s mother said to her adopted “ of child , I have no fear for any my daughters , except poor Harriet the others can work , but ,

s Ae with her deafness , I do not know how can ever earn her own bread Th e first resource for Harriet was fancy work “ of different kinds . I could make shirts and ” “ puddings , she declares , and iron , and mend , an d get my bread by my needle , if necessary as it was necessary , for a few months , before I won i a better place and occupation w th my pen . During the winter which followed the failure of

old n the Norwich house , she spe t the entire

- daylight hours poring over fancy work, by which

s h e alone could with certainty earn money . But s h e did not lay aside the sterner implement of l - labor for that bright litt e bread winner, the ’ s h e needle . After dark began a long day s o wn literary labor in her room . F T A N D P 8 GRIE S RUGGLE ROGRESS. 3

E i w i very n ght , I believe , I was riting t ll two , m i i or even three , in the orn ng, obey ng always the rule of the house of being present at the

- breakfast table as the clock struck eight . Many a time I was in such a state of nervous exhau s tion and distress that I was obliged to walk to and fro in the room before I could put on paper i o f o r t the last l ne a page , the last half sen ence Y t Of o r . e an essay review was I very happy . Th e deep felt sense of progress and expans i on wa s delightful ; and s o was the exertion of all my W faculties ; and not least , that of ill to over i come my obstruct ons , and force my way to that power Of public speech of which I believed or myself more less worthy .

She offered the results o f this nightly liter ary toil to a great number o f magazine editors s uc and publishers , but without the slightest T L cess . otally unknown in ondon society, having no literary friends o r connections beyond

Of of the editor the obscure magazine her sect, her manuscripts were scarcely looked at . E verything that she wrote was returned upon her hands , until she offered it in despair to the

M ont/i l R e os itor s h e inva ri y p y , where was as ably successful . Her work , when published

e h th re , however, broug t her not an atom of fame , and only the most trifling pecuniary F ox return . She wrote to Mr . , when she found herself penniless , to tell him that it would be impossible fo r her to continue to render as 8 T [ M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U. much gratuitous service as she had been doing to the R epos itory ; but he could only reply that m the eans at his disposal were very limited , and that the utmost he could offer her was “ 1 sh e £ 5 a year, for which was to write as ” s h e W this le t much as thought proper . ith ter he forwarded her a parcel of ni ne books to review, as a commencement . A considerable portion of the space in his magazine was filled by Miss Martineau for the next two years o n these terms . Th e o n essay previously referred to , the Agency of Feelings in the Formation of ” R e os itor Habits , which appeared in the p y for 1 8 2 February and March , 9 , was Harriet Mar ’ in - t eau s first marked work . It was followed

of up by a series , commencing in the August “ of E o n of the same year, ssays the Art T n hinking, which were conti ued in the mag

D two azine until ecember, when chapters were

o n e given in the number, in order, as the editor remarked , that his readers might possess entire in o n e volume this valuable manual of ” of T the Art hought . “ ” o f su V, the writer these articles , was p

of s ex posed to be the superior . In those days , F ox Mr . would have shown rare courage if he “ had informed his readers that they were re ” c e iving valuable instruction in how to exe r F T P 8 GRIE S RUGGLE AND ROGRESS. 5 cise their ratiocinative faculties from the pen o f a woman . In the Index, I find the refer “ e n c e s run O de to Religious Lib ” “ ” e rty ; Iris L ast Tree of the Forest ; Itis

E o f T i ssays on the Art h nking, etc . , etc . “ ” Th e E ssays o n the Art of Thinking are

L s ub nothing less than an outline of ogic . In stance , they present no great originality ; but they display full internal evidence that the ’ thoughts presented were the writer s own , and not merely Copied from authority . It is really no light test o f clearness a n d depth of thought

in to write on an abstruse science lucid , per s ic uo us i i vi n p fash on , g g a brief but complete

View Of all its parts in their true relations . O e nly an accurat thinker, with a mind both capacious and orderly, can perform such a task .

Th e i highest function of the human m nd is , f Th t o . e doubtless , tha the discoverer original k thin er, he who observes his facts from nature at first hand , who compares them , and reasons about them , and combines them , and general

' izes a principle from them , is the one whom posterity to all time must honor and reverence for his additions to the store of human knowl

B ut n ot edge . far inferior in power, and equal in immediate usefulness , is the disciple who i ’ can j udge the or ginator s work , and , finding it perfectly in accordance with facts as kno wn to 86 M T HARRIE T AR INEA U.

m , c an , in him receive it into his ind arrange it‘ order, deck it with illustration , illuminate it

of with power language , and represent it in a form suitable for general comprehension . There is originality of mind needed for such

o f work ; that which is done , the adaptation the truths to be received to the receptive

o f OrI I n al powers the multitude , is an g work performed upon the truths , hardly inferior in difficulty and utility to that of him wh o first

T of discerns them . his was the class work which Harriet Martineau was beginning to do , and to do well . But there was more than this in her purposes .

As these articles , though vastly inferior in

sh e n eve rth e execution to what afterwards did,

’ less show the essential characteristics of h er work , this seems to be the most favorable opportunity to pause to inquire what was the

of special feature her writings . For, various though her subj ects appear to be , ranging from

of the humblest topics , such as the duties

-of- - o f maids all work , up to the highest themes

o n e mental and political philosophy, yet I find o n e informing idea, and the same moving l of impu se to the pen the writer, throughout

L et s e e the whole series . us what it was that sh e u really, though half ncon sciously perhaps , kept before her as her aim .

8 8 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

‘ noticeable might be c ulle d fro m amongst them as , indeed , could be inferred from the fact that ‘ an able leader of her religious body allowed her to fill s o very large a portion o f the pages u by which , nder his guidance , the Unitarian public were instructed . In all the essays , a distinguishing feature is the earnestness of the effort put forth to j udge th e questions at issue by reason , and not by prej udice . It is true T C that the effort Often fails . here omes the moment at which faith in dogma intervenes , an d submerges the pure argument ; but none

of the less do the spirit j ustice and fairness ,

of of and the love truth , irradiate the whole these compositions .

Mr . Fox soon asked her if she thought that a ny of her ideas could be expressed through the s o medium of fiction . It happened that the suggestion precisely fell in with a thought that had already occurred to her that of all delight ful tasks , the most delightful would be to describe , with all possible fidelity, the aspect o f o f the life and land the Hebrews , at the critical period of the full expectation of the ” s h e Messiah . She wrote a story which called

Tlze H o e o th e H ebrews p f , in which a company o f young people , relatives and friends , were shown as undergoing the alternations of doubt and hope about whether this teacher was indeed P 8 GRIEF S TR UGGLE A ND ROGRESS. 9

of Messiah , on the first appearance Jesus in Th e Palestine . day after this story appeared

R e os i or o x a n niv r in the p t y Mr . F was at an e of s o sary dinner the sect , where many per

sons spoke to him about the tale , that he wrote and generousl y advised Harriet not to publish an but y more such stories in his magazine , to f m ake a book o them . She adopted the sug gestion the little volume was issued with her

name, and proved her first decisive success . Not only was it well circulated and highly E d n appreciated in nglan , but it was tra slated e c c le sIastic al s n into French , under high anctio , and was also immediately reproduced in the

United States . W hile this book was in the press , she went L to stay for a short time in ondon . Mr . Fox , hearing from her how anxious she was to earn

her livelihood by literature , succeeded in Obtain ing from a printer friend of hi s an Offer for her “ i d to do proof correct ng and other rudgery,

sh e L o n ddn f o r if liked to remain in the work . This would have given her a small but certain income , and there could be little doubt that , if sh e L stayed In ondon , she would gradually get into som e j ournalistic employment which would to enable her support herself tolerably well . T a here were no great hopes in the m tter . Mr . Fox told her that o ne hundred o r one hundred 0 H E R T M TI N E 9 A IE A R A U.

and fifty pounds a year is as much as o ur most ‘ successful writers usually make success here

of ou meaning , c rse , full employment in hack

work . It had not yet occurred , even to Mr .

F o x h ! , t at she was to be really a successful

to author . But to do even this drudgery, and f d take the poor chance now o fered to her, implie ’ that s h e must make h e rhome in London ; and of she wrote to inform her mother this fact . ’ Th e same post which carried Harriet s letter

Or b e . to this effect , to Mrs Martineau a second

missive, from the relative with whom her

daughter was staying, which strongly advised s to that Harriet hould be recalled home , there pursue the needle -work by which s h e had proved s h e Th e could earn money . good lady had been wont to ask Harriet day by day “ how much she would get for the literary labor upon which s h e had expended some hours ; and the poor ’ yo ung author s reply not being satisfactory or t precise , her hostess looked upon the time spen

’ s o at the desk as much wasted . She gave “ of Harriet some pieces silk , lilac, blue , and ” h er i pink , and advised to keep to mak ng little

bags and baskets , which the kind friend gener ously promised to assist in disposing of for good

coin of the realm . Th e mother who had stood between her full grown daughter and the bed Of a dying

R A/ 9 2 HA RRI E T M A TI E A U.

She went to work immediately upon the

Catholic essay, which was to be adj udicated upon th e W six months earlier than other two . hen it sh e was finished , paid a schoolboy, who wrote a sh e C good hand , a sovereign that ould ill spare , for i Copying the essay, wh ch was about two of Th e thirds the length this volume . essays were to be superscribed , as usual in such competi ’ tions, with a motto , and the writer s name and h ad address to be forwarded in a sealed envelope , with the same motto outside . In September, 1 8 0 n 3 , she received the gratifyi g news that th e committee of adj udication had unanimously h e r awarded thi s prize to . Th e other two essays were commenced with O n e of the Spirit induced by this success . them was Copied out by a poor woman , the other by a to schoolmaster . Harriet was careful even have the two essays written upon different sorts of paper, to do them up in differently shaped pack ages, and to use separate kinds of wax and seals . Th e sequel may be told , with all the freshness of M on t/i the moment , in a quotation from the ly “ R e os itor 1 8 1 W e p y for May, 3 were about to

i e review it [ . . the Catholic essay]when the somewh at startli ng fact transpired of her having carried off the other premiums Offered by the Association ’ s committee for tracts addressed to the Mohammedan s and the Jews W e shall n o t N D P GRIEF STRUGGLE A ROGRESS. 93 n ow stop to inquire h ow it has happened that our ministers would n ot or could not prevent the honor of championing the cause of pure Chris tianity against the whole theological world from developing upon a young lady . However that s h e may be , has won the honor and well deserves ” to wear it . Th e essays were published by the Unitarian T Association . here can be little doubt that , however many ministers may have competed , the Committee did select the best papers off ered Th e rem arka to their choice . learning in all is ble the freedom from sectarian bitterness , from of bigotry, and from the insolent assumption e moral and religious superiority , is ven more n striking, in such proselytisi g compositions . W hile waiti n g the result of the prize compe n fo r tition , Harriet wrote a lo g story young

i e ea rs o Yoa F v Y ta. people , which she called f It is o n e of the prettiest and most attractive of all her writings of this class . It has a moral

o f — a o n e obj ect , course somewhat similar to ’ that of Jane A usten s S ens e a n d S ens ibility; but the warning against allowi ng sensitiveness to pass into sentimentality i s here directed to girls j ust budding into womanhood ; and the punish ment for the error is not a love disappointment , but the diminution of the power of domestic and social helpfulness . T 94 H A RR/ E T M AR INEA U.

’ of 1 8 0 Harriet s work this year, 3 , comprised

- of , the doing much fancy work for sale , making and mending everything that she herself wore , knitting stockings even while reading, studying

' of a course German literature , and writing for the press the following quantity of literary

Tra ditions o P a les tine matter f , a duodecimo volume of 1 70 printed pages ; Five Yea rs of

Yont/z 26 , 4 small octavo pages ; three theo logical essays , making a closely printed crown octavo volume of 3 00 pages ; and fifty-two articles Of various lengths in the twelve numbers

w sh e had touched the highest point of i Th e sectar an fame . chosen expositor to the h er outer world of form of religion , and the writer of its favorite Sunday School story - book of s h e the hour, must already have felt that her in dustrion s , resolute labor through many years had at last borne some fruit . But the moment for wider fame and a greater

w w o usefulness a s n o at hand . In the autumn f ’ 1 rs on vers io s 8 27 sh e had read M . Marcet s C a t n on P olitic a l E c onom y, and had become aware that the s ubj ect which sh e had thought o ut for

of Tli e herself, and treated in her little stories

R ioters TIze Tu rn - On t , and , was a recognized science . She followed this up by a study of

oth er ec on om ists Adam Smith , and , and the idea R

6 T M A R T 9 HA RRIE INEA U. the temper of the tim e / C ould doubt that their feeble Opposition would be speedily swept aside , and that self -government was about to be

" extended to a new class of the peOple ; Most suitable was the occasion , then , for offering information to these upon the science and art of society . Harriet was right in her j udgment when s h e started her proj ect o f a series of tales t of E illus rative Political conomy, under a “ - thorough , well considered , steady conviction that the work was wanted , was even craved for by the popular mind .

of She began to write the first her stories . Th e next business was to find a publisher to share her belief that the undertaking would —be acceptable to the public . She wrote to o n e a L nother of the great ondon publishers , instant refusal to undertake the series h er a little of that delusive h Ope which ends by plunging the mind into deeper despair, j oined with their brethren In declining to have any thing to do with the scheme . a L Fin lly, she went to ondon to try if per sonal interviews would bring h e r any better t success . She stayed in a house a tached to a brewery belo nging to a cousin of n R bers , and situated ear the City oad . T th e m ud hence , she tramped about through F T P GRIE S RUGGLE AND ROGRESS. 9 7

’ and sleet o f D ecember to the publishers offices

day after day for nearly three weeks . Th e B ut result was always failure . though she

- returned to the house worn out and dispirited , her determination that the work should be

done never wavered , and night after night she s at up till long after the brewery clock struck

twelve , the pen pushing on in her trembling

two u of hand , preparing the first n mbers the

series , to be ready for publication when the

means should be found . It was the kind friend wh o had helped her before who came to the rescue at last at this

W . . crisis . Mr . J Fox induced his brother Charles to make her proposals for publishing

her series .

F o x Mr . Charles took care to offer only such arrangement as should indemnify him from all

risk in the undertaking . He required , first , that five hundred subscribers should be Obtained for the work ; and second, that he , the pub l sh e r -fi ve i , should receive about seventy per of cent o f the possible profits . Hopeless any sh e thing better, accepted these hard terms , and it was arranged that the first number 1 8 2 should appear with February, 3 . Th e original stipulation as to the time that this agreement should run was that the engage ment should be terminable by either party at 8 H A RRTE T M T 9 AR INEA U.

f n B ut the end o every five umbers . a few c alle d u o n days afterwards , when Harriet p Mr . _ W F ox . J . to Show him her circular inviting sh e subscribers for the series , found that Mr . Charles Fox had decided to say that he would n ot publish more than two numbers , unless a of 1 thousand copies No . were sold in the first fortnight ! This decision had been arrived at chiefly in consequence Of a conversation which W . J . Fox had held with James Mill , in which the distinguished political economis t had pro n oun c e d against the essential point of the scheme — the narrative form —and had advised that , if the young lady must try her hand at E sh e Political conomy, should write it in the orthodox didactic style . D l W Mr . Fox lived at a ston . hen Harriet left his house , after receiving this unreasonable “ s e t o ut and discouraging ultimatum , she to th e walk the four miles and a half to Brewery .

I could not afford to ride more o r less ; but , weary already, I now felt almost too ill to walk

. O n at all the road , not far from Shoreditch , I became too giddy to stand without some support and I leaned over some dirty palings , pretend

- m ing to look at a cabbage bed , but saying to y ‘ self as I stood with closed eyes , My book ’ will do yet . T hat very night she wrote the long, thought

R C HA PTE V .

THE GRE AT S UC C E S S

THE work which had struggled into printed existence with such extreme difficulty raised its

Te n d author at a bound to fame . ays after the

F ox publication of the first number, Charles sent Harriet word that n o t only were the fi f teen hundred COpie s which formed th e first e di

all tion sold Off, but he had such orders in hand that he proposed to print anoth er five thousand

Th e at once . people had taken up the work Th e n instantly . press followed , i stead Of lead ing the public in this instance ; but it , too , was

of enthusiastic in praise , both the scheme and f the execution o the stories . More than o n e p ublisher who had previously

fo r rej ected the series made overtures it now .

s aw o n e of Its refusal , as they , had been those striking blunders of which literary history has not a few to tell . But there is no occasion to cry out about the stupidity of publishers . T hey can j udge, well how far a work written o n lines already popular will meet the demand 10 1 TH E GREA T SUCCESS.

or of the market ; but an entirely original idea,

o f n the work an origi al writer, is a mere lottery . There is no telling h o w the public will take it until it has been tried . Publishers put into a good many such lotteries , and often lose by them then nothing more is heard of the mat B ut ter . the cases where they decline a spec ulation which afterwards turns o ut to have been

o n e . a good are never forgotten Still , the fact - remains that it was Harriet Martineau alone

saw who that the people needed her work , and whose wonderful courage and resolution brought out it for the public to accept . i Her success grew, as an avalanche ga ns In volume , by its own momentum . Besides the ’ sh e publishers communications had letters , an d - pamphlets , and blue books , and magazines forwarded to her in piles , in order that she ’ might include the advocacy of the senders n e hobbies in her series . O day the postmaster sent her a message that sh e must let a ba rrow be fetched for her share of the mail , as it was to o b a n L ulky to come in y other way . ord Brougham 2declared that it made him tear his hair to think that the Society for the D iffusion of Knowledge , which he had instituted for the very purpose of doing such work as she was h undertaking, seemed not to ave a man in it with as much sense of what was wan ted as this 1 02 fi E T M T/N E A H A R A R U.

Th e little deaf girl at Norwich . public interest

in the work was , perhaps , heightened by the fact that s o ignorant was everybody o f her per ’ s on alit of B y, that this description rougham s h e was h . s s e passed muster But not little , and

w - was n o twenty nine years of age .

Sh e n on -in stayed in Norwich , goi g writ g of 1 8 2 hard , until the November 3 , by which

o f a d time eight numbers her series h appeared .

T sh e L i hen went to ondon , taking lodg ngs with an Old servant of who

lived in Conduit street . In the course of a

few months , however, Mrs . Martineau settled L an d herself in ondon , her daughter again Flud er resided with her, in a house in y street , W estminster . Th e purely literary success which s h e had h itherto enj oyed was now turned into a ' social being lionized sh e could not avoid the attentions and honors that were poured upon h e n It is little to s ay that all the distinguished people in town hastened to know her ; it was even con s ide red to give distinction to a party if she L could be secured to attend it . iterary celebri o f n ties , titled people , and members Parliame t , competed for the small space of time that she

could spare for society . ’ Th n ot v e r she is was y much , for the work had

N 104 HARRIE T M A R TI EA U.

of d Political economy treats the pro uction , - n o r of distribution and co sumption , use , all the

of material Obj ects human desire, which are f T l o . ca led by the general name wealth hus , it is a subj ect which conce rns every o n e o f us in o ur daily lives , and not merely a matter belong ing (as its name unfortunately leads many to suppose) entirely to the province of the legisla

Th e of n tor . great mass ma kind are producers of l wea th . All are necessarily consumers for the bare maintenance of existence demands

f Th e - the consumption o wealth . well being of the community depends upon the industry and skill with which wealth is prod u ced ; upon the distribution of it in such a manner as to e n c our age future production and upon the c on sum p tion of it with due regard to the claims of the ’ d future . It is indivi uals who , as the business Of common life , produce , exchange , divide and con c ’ sume wealth ; it is , therefore , ea h individual s business to comprehend the science which treats of his daily life . A science is nothing but a

o f collection facts , considered in their relation ’ Ma rtin e a u s ship to each other . Miss plan , in a her series , was strictly wh t I have indicated as being always her aim ; namely, to deduce from an abstract science rules for daily life

o r e . the secondary , practical concrete sci nce It was the union of a scientific basis with practical R TH E C EA T SUCCESS. 5 morals that made this subj ect attractive to her in f mind , and led her ( the words Of her pre ace , ) to propose to convey the leading t ruths of e u political conomy, as so ndly, as systematically, ain stak as clearly and faithfully, as the utmost p ing and the strongest attachment to the subj ect ” will enable us to do .

She did her work very methodically . Having first noted down her o wn ideas o n the branch of s h e the subj ect before her, read over the chapters relating to it in the various standard Sh e n works that had at hand , maki g references sh Th e w as e read . next thing to do was to dra out as clearly and concisely as possible the truths that she had to illu stra te this summary ” of s h e f principles , as called it , was a fixed to

B i sh e s e e 111 each tale . y th s time would what of of part the world , and amongst what class people , the principles in question were Operat ing most manifestly ; and if this consideration of u dictated the choice a foreign backgro nd , t h e next thing to be done wa s to get from a o f library works travel and topography, and to glean hints from them for local coloring . Th e material thus all before her in sheets of notes , she reduced it to chapters ; Sketching o ut dra m a tis ers ona the characters of her p , their action , and the features of the scenes , and also the political economy which they had O6 T M T HARRIE A R INEA U. to convey either by e xe m plifi c ation o r by

h e r conversation Finally, she paged paper . “ T Off hen the story went like a letter . I did ” “ s h e it , says , as I write letters ; never alter ing th e expression as it came fresh from m y ” brain . I have seen the original manuscript of on e of T the Political E conomy ales . It shows the statement j ust quoted to be entirely accurate . Th e writi n g has evidently been done as rapidly as the hand could move ; every word that will

f o o . S c admit it is contracted , to save time y “ “ in de e n dc e . agst p , these were amongst the abbreviations submitted ’ to the printer s intelligence ; not to mention wh commoner and more simple words , such as . , Th e t wd . . , and the like calligraphy, hough

h a s very readable , a somewhat slipshod look . T h o f hus , t ere is every token extremely rapid Ye t o n composition . the corrections the MS . are few and trifling the structure of a sentence is never altered , and there are but seldom

of Th e emendations even principal words . manuscript i s written (in defiance of law and order) o n both sides o f the paper ; the latter of being quarto , the size now commonly called s erm on - paper, but , in those pre envelope ages , it was letter paper . H er course of life in L ondon was as follows

1 8 T M 0 HARRIE AR TINEA U.

h sI c al b no extraordinary p y strength , was a le to maintain with but little cessation o r interval for

W - two years . hen I look at the thirty four lit tle volumes which sh e produced in less than as m any months , and when I consider the character o f s a c o n their contents , I am bound to y that I sider the feat of mere industry unparalleled , within my knowledge . Th e I llus tra tions of P olitic a l E c on omy are

of plainly and inevitably damaged , as works

to art , by the fact that they are written convey Th e definite lessons . fetters in which the story moves are necessarily far closer than in the o r “ din ary novel with a purpose ; for here the ‘ n ot m e rel obj ect i s y to Show the results , upon o r particular Characters upon individual careers , of a certain course of conduct , and thence to argue that in similar special circumstances all person s would experience similar consequences but the task here is to show in operation those springs of the social machinery by which we i a ll uite un c on s c iousl are , generally q y, guided in our eve -da ry y actions , the natural laws by which a ll o ur in evita al To lives are y governed . do this , the author was compelled to select scenes from common life , and to eschew the striking and the unusual . Again , it was absolutely necessary that much of the doctrine which had to be taught must be conveyed by dialogue ; n ot TH E 10 CREA T SUCCESS. 9 beca use it would not be possible to exemplify in action every theory of political economy — for all those theories have originally been derived from Observation of the facts of human history — but because no such a small group of persons and such a limited space o f time as must be taken to tell a s tor a bout c an y , possibly display the whole consequences of many of the laws of social

Th e of o ur science . results daily actions as members of society are not s o easily visible as they would be if we could wholly trace them o ut amongst o ur own acquaintances o r in our own

h of o ur own . T e careers consequences conduct ,

o r c om e roun d good bad , must to us , it is true , but T often only as members of the body politic . hus , they are very Often in a form as little distin ~ guish able to the uninstructed mind as we may suppose it would be comprehensible to the brain , if the organs of the body had a separate con s c io u sn e s s n o wn , that it was respo sible for its aches a rising from the disturbance o f the liver B ut consequent upon intemperance . in a tale it is obviously impossible to show in a c tion any more of the working of events than can be ex e m lifi e d o n e o r p in two groups Of persons , all of whom must be , however slightly, personally

Th e a n d rin c i le s associated . larger questions p p at issue must be expounded and argued o ut in

of conversations , or else by means an entire lapse 10 T T HARRIE M A R INEA U.

from the illustrative to the didactic method .

th e N ow, as ordinary people do not go about world holding long conversations o r delivering h o f o n t emselves dissertations political economy , it is clear that the introduction of such talks and preachments detracts from th e excellence of the story as a work of art Still less artistic ally admirable does the fiction become when a lesson is introduced as a separate argument d s of intrude into the cour e the tale . Political economy as a s cien c e was then but

rom ul fifty years Old . Adam Smith had first p gated its fundamental truths in his immortal

l i a ions 1 6 R W ea t/ o N t . f , in 77 Malthus , icardo , and one o r two others had since added to the exposition of the facts and the relationship th e t s a between facts ( hat is to y, the science)

Of social arrangements . But it was not then nor is it , indeed , yet , in an age when the great rewards of physical research have attracted into that field nearly all th e best intellects for — science of the time a complete body of of reasoned truths . Some the positions laid ] w i down by all the e a rlie r . r te rs are now dis

fe w credited ; others are questioned . In a pas sages , accordingly, these tales teach theories n It which would now require revisio . must be added at once that these instances are few and h of w . T e far bet een reasoning, the grasp the

1 1 2 T MA R TI N E A HARRIE I U.

' D n h private secretary (Mr . rummo d , the aut or “ of the world - fam ous phrase Property has its duties as well as its rights to supply Miss Martineau with information to enable her to prepare the public for the forthcoming Budget . Th e chairman o f the Royal Commission o n

“ E xcise Taxes gave her the manuscript of the

of of evidence taken , and the draft the report the Commission , before they were formally presented to the Ministers of the Crown (a thing without in order that s h e might use th e facts to pave the way for the reception of the report in the Ho use and by

Th e of s tu the people . whole public male dents of h e r science paid her work what men consider in their unconscious insolence to be the highest compliment that they c a n pay a ’ woman s work the milder -mannered ones said “ ” She had a masculine intelligence ; the stronger characters went further, and declared that the books were s o good that it was im po s

a wom an sible to believe them to be written by . Newspaper critics not infrequently attributed L L them to ord Brougham , then ord Chancel lor ; that versatile and (at the moment) most popular politician was supposed either to write o r them all himself , to supply their main features for the inferior mind to throw int o shape . R 1 1 TH E C EA T SUCCESS. 3

W n i hile statesmen , politicia s , th nkers , and students were thus praising the clearness and appreciati n g the power of the work as political

economy, the general public eagerly bought

o n and read the books , both for their bearing the legislative questions of the day and for A n d their Vividness and interest as stories .

indeed , they richly deserved to be read as of works fiction . R emembering the limita

to th e ir tions , artistic excellence previously

adverted to , they may be with j ustice praised for most of the essential features of good

- novel writing . The characters are the strongest point .

o ut Clearly individualized , consistently carried , e thinking, sp aking, and acting in accordance n a with their ature, the ch racters are always personages ; and some o f them must live long in the memories of thos e who have made their Th e acquaintance . sterner virtues in Cousin

L E o f Garve loc h Marshall , in ady F in lla , e and in Mary Kay, are no less clearly and attra tive ly depicted than the milder and more pass in of i V an de r ut ive ones the patience Christ an p ,

o f in the unconscious devotion to duty Nicholas ,

’ in the industry and hopefulness O f Frank and E of llen Castle , in the wifely love and agony n i i of Hester Morriso , in the quiet publ c Sp rit

Charles Guyon , in the proved patriotism of the 1 T T 4 HARRIE M AR INEA U.

Polish exiles , and in a dozen other instances . Her feelings and her spirit are at home in depicting these Virtues of the character ; but none the less does s h e well succeed in realizi n g both Vice and folly . Her real insight into char

— r acter was q uite remarkable ; as D . Martineau “ ’ Observed to me , when he said , My sister s ” powers of Observation were extraordinary . If, o n o n e the hand , her deafness often prevented her from appreciati n g the delicacies and the chances of verbal expression (which really re veal s o much of the nature) in those around

s o sh e her, that was apt to draw sharper lines than m ost people do between the sheep and the h e r on s h e goat s in estimation the other hand , saw more than those whose minds are distracted of n by sounds , the light and play the counte ance , of and the indications character in trivial actions . Th e excellence of her character- drawi n g in these novels gives abundant evidence that the dis qualification was more than counterbalanced by the c ultivation of th e other faculty . Th e unc onsciousness of her mental analysis is at once its greatest charm and th e best token of its truthfulness . Florence Nightingale real iz ed how fully this was s o with reference to the finer qualities Of morals . In her tribute to ’ Harriet M artin e au s memory Miss Nightingale j ustly observes

1 16 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

P a u ers of p are , despite the , unattractiveness

of T/ze P a ris /z their topics , the highest interest . ,

Tbe Town Tbe ers e m en M eetin Tbe ers e , f y g, j y m en P a rtin T/ce S c lzola rs o A rns ide g, and f , would assuredly b e eagerly read by any lover o f fiction almost without consciousness that there was anything in the page s except a deeply interest ing story . Archbishop W hately pronounced Tb e P a risa

n sh Va nder u the best thi g e had done . p t a nd

S noob of , the story dealing with bills exchange ,

L ro u was the favorite with Mr . Hallam . ord B g O n sh e ham , whose engagement did the five

- L a w Poor stories , wrote most enthusiastically that they surpassed all the expe c tion s that her previous works had led him to form . Coleridge told her that he “ looked eagerly every m onth ” for the new number ; and L ord D urham re counted to her how o n e evening he was at Kensington Palace (where the widowed D uch

of ess Kent was then residing , and devoting herself to that education which has made her of daughter the best sovereign her dynasty) , when the little Princess Victoria came running h from an inner room to show her mother, wit “ of T delight , the advertisement the axation tales for the young Princess was being allowed

I llus tra tions to read the , and found them her

- most fascinating story books . THE T 1 1 GREA SUCCESS. 7

’ e Harriet s experi nces , however, were not all “

s o . quite agreeable Mrs . Marcet , who had a great Opinion o f great people of people great b f yany distinction , ability , o fice , birth , and what not and innocently supposed her o wn taste to ” be universal , formed a warm and generous friendship for Miss Martineau , and used to de “ ” light in carrying to her the homages of the savants and the aristocratic readers of the ’ I llus tr io s a t n . in France , where Mrs Marcet s on e acquaintance was extensive . She day told d L Miss Martineau , with much elight , that ouis of Philippe , the then King the French , had ordered a Copy o f the series for each member of

a n d his family, had also requested M . Guizot to s have the storie translated , and introduced into n T the French ational schools . his was pres ently confirmed by a large order from France a n d offic ially for copies , by a note from the appointed translator requesting Harriet Mar tin eau to favor him with some particulars of

fo r her personal history , introduction into a periodical which was being issued by the Gov e rn m e nt fo r the promotion o f education amongst M Th e . the French people . writer added that ’ Guizot wished to have Miss Martin e a u s series specially noticed in connection with her o wn

s h e personality, since afforded the first instance on record of a woman who was n ot born to “ 1 1 8 H A RRI E T M T AR INEA U.

sovereign station affecting p ractical legislation o otherwise than thr ugh a man . At the very time that s h e recei ved this flat

teringnote , Harriet was engaged in writing her

t Frenc /z W ines a d P olitic s welfth number, n . Th e h of topic treated in t is story is that value, with the subsidiary questions relating to prices Th e and their fluctuations . tale takes up the R period of the great French evolution , and shows how the fortunes of certain wine -merchants near

of o f Bordeaux, and the head the Paris house in

of connection , were affected by the course that h e n u great social convulsion . T scene was ques l Th e tion ab y happily chosen . circumstances

were abnormal , it is true but the causes which

created such vast fluctuations in prices , and such

Changes in the value of goods , were , in fact , only the same fundamental causes as are always at the basis of such alterations in price and value ; it was merely the rapidity and violence Th e Of the movement which were peculiar. “ sto ry was well put together ; and the Illus tration was in every way admirable for every

” for possible desirable Obj ect , except only the on e of being pleasant to the ruling powers in

of 1 the France 8 3 3 . ’ Harriet Ma rtin e au s constant sympathy with

r of democ acy, her hatred oppression and tyranny,

and her aversion to class government , all became

1 20 T M T : HARRIE A R INEA U.

Here were the servants o f tyranny quailing o f Th w before the glance the people . e t o e rs of a p laces might be seen afar, where princes were quaking at this final assurance o f the downfall Of their despotic sway, knowing that the assumed sanctity Of royalty was being wafted away with every puff Of smoke which Spread i i m itself over the Sky , and their irresponsib l ty elt in g in fires lighted by the hands which they had " n vai ly attempted to fetter, and blown by the ul breath which they had imagined they co d stifle . They had denied the birth of that l iberty whose baptism in fire and in blood was n o w being cele b rate d in a many-voiced chant with which the fo r earth should ring centuries . Some from other lands were already presen t to hear and wbn j oin in it ; some free Britons to aid , some dering slaves of other despots to slink home wards with whispered tidings Of its i m port fo r o f l of from that day to this , the history the fa l the Bastile has been told as a secret in th e vin e _ O f n of yards Portugal , and amo g the groves Spain , and in th e patriotic conclaves of the youth of ro Italy, while it has been loudly and j oyfully p claimed from on e end to the other of Great

Britain , till her lisping children are familiar with the tale .

Besides such passages as this , scarcely likely to please the French king, there was the special ground for his Obj ection that his immediate E é n ancestor, galit , was i troduced into the story, and depicted in n o favorable light h is efforts to inflame the popular Violence for his selfish ends , TH E T 1 2 1 GREA SUCCESS.

his s o o n his hypocrisy , cowardice , and , being

. . S h e held up to contempt Mrs Marcet , when

"

read all this , came breathless to Harriet Marti neau to ask her how s h e could have made such a blunder as to write a story that plainly would of (and , course , in fact , did) put an end to the f of o ficial patronage her series in France , and would destroy for ever any hopes that She might have entertained of being received at the Court of L ? , ouis Philippe Greatly surprised was the good lady at finding Harriet ’ s reverence for that monarch s o limited in extent She replied to her kind friend that She “ wrote with a View to ff the people , and especially the most su ering of them ; and the crowned heads must for once take ” their chance for their feelings . ’ - Mrs At the very moment that . Marcet s

was remonstrance made , Miss Martineau was writing a story of a character likely to be even more distasteful to the E m pe re r of Russia than of this one to the King the French . She had found it difficult to illustrate the theory of the currency in a story treating of the existence o f

Th e Civilized people . only Situation in which

o f s av she could find persons , above the rank a id of age s, transacting their exchanges by a kind of money which made the business only o n e remove from bartering, was amongst the

Polish exiles in Siberia . She therefore wrote 1 2 2 RRI T M T HA E AR INEA U.

Tbe C/za rm ed S ea stor ~ fo unde d , a y upon the terrible facts of the lives o f the exiled Poles “ ” of E in the depths astern Siberia, working “ in a silver-mine near the western extremity of Dao u rian R of the ange , and within hearing the waters o f the B aikal when its storms were ” fiercest . Had the melancholy tale been writ in of ten the service the Poles , it could not

S O have been more moving . powerful and h interesting was it , indeed , t at the criticism of the E din burg/z R evie w was that the fiction t oo entirely overpowered the political economy . Th e arrival of Tbe Clea r/ m ed S ea in Russia changed the favorable Opinion which the Czar had previously been s o kind as to express about

llus tr tions the I a . H e had been purchasing largely o f the French translation of the series for distribution amongst his people . But now he issued a proclamation ordering every copy in Russia o f every number to be immediately

s et burnt , and forbidding the author ever to foot upon his soil . Austria, equally concerned w in the Polish business , follo ed this example , ’ and a description of Harriet Ma rtin e au s per n son was hu g in the appointed places , amidst R the lists of the proscribed , all over ussia,

a n d - D Austria, Austrian Italy . espots , at least , had no admiration for her politics . The only important adverse criticism In the

1 2 T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U. these two ladies would h aVe given me abundant warning and exhortation - both from their very keen sense of propriety and their anxious for m affection me . But they were as co placent and easy as they had been interested and atten s aw tive . I that all ought to be safe .

Th e Qua rterly R eview seized the Opportunity of the appearance o f this number to make a

V ile l atta c k upon the series and its writer . ’ Harriet suffered under it to a degree which

’ Th e is o seems almost excessive . review s

Obviously full Of fallacies , as regards its Polit E ical conomy , that any person whose Opinion was worth having could hardly hesitat e in

Sh e deciding that , and not her critic , was talk ing comm on - sense and arguing logically; A S to the personal part of the article , it is , though

S O scurrilous , and even indecent , very funny that the attacked might almost h ave forgotten the insult in the amusement . Nevertheless , L the writers , Croker and ockhart, did their

' Crok e r o enl worst . p y said that he expected to lose his pension very shortly, and , being wish ful to make himself a literary position before “ that event happened, he had begun by toma . ” hawki n g Miss Martineau . All that could be painful to her as a woman , and inj urious to her

wa s o r c on as a writer, said , attempted to be

ve ed . y , in this article 1 2 TH E GREA T SUCCESS. 5

L et us s ee ; Garvelo c h what it was all about , o n e of the Hebridean islands , is seen in the “ ” Illustration rapidly multiplying its popula b tion , oth by early marriages and by immigra t ion , under the stimulus of a passing prosperity I n Th e the fishing industry . influx Of capital and the increase of the demand for food , have led to such an improvement in the cultivation of of a the land , that the food produce the isl nd b E has een doubled in ten years . lla, the hero

- ine (a fine , strong, self contained , helpful — woman one of the noblest female characters in these works) , foresees that if the reckless ’ of of increase population continues , the supply

b - -b food will y and y run Short . Her interlocutor o u asks how this will be the case , since the p p lation will surely not double again , as it has d ? T ua rter one already, in ten years hen the Q ly ’ E o n quote s lla s reply, and comments it

n ot s a or Certainly but y twenty, thirty, fifty of any number years you choose ; still , as the of number the people doubles itself for ever, of while the produce the land does not , the people must increase faster than the produce . T his is rare logic and arithmetic , and not a i little curious as natural history . A pla n person n ow would have supposed that if the produce doubled itself in ten , and the people only in a hundred years , the people would not increase uite q so fast as the produce, seeing that at the 26 T AR HARRIE M TINEA U. end of the first ce ntury the population would be o n e multiplied but by two , the produce by thous

- a re th e dis ~ and and twenty four . But these c ove rie s of genius ! W hy does Miss Martineau our write , except to correct mistaken notions “ and to expound to us the mysteries of the f ” principle o population .

Th e o n the reviewer goes to suggest , in sh e broadest language , that has confounded the rate of the multiplication Of the herring -fi sh e r women with that of the herrings themselves ; “ reproves her for writing on these ticklish topics with s o little physiological information “ sh e and tells her that , poor innocent , has been ’ an puzzling over Mr . Malthus s arithmetical d geometrical ratios for knowledge which She should have obtained by a Simple question o r o n e two of her mamma . In and the same “ h e paragraph , he tells her that is loth to bring a blush unnecessarily upon the cheek of any

s h e info r woman , and asks her if picked up her “ m ation o n the subj ect in her conferences with the L ord Chancellor ? ” This is enough to Show to what a sensitive “ youn g lady was exposed in illustrating a prin ” c i le l p as undeniable as the multip ication table , and in stating the facts upon which hangs the of and h o e of explanation the poverty , t eref r

1 28 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U. n ot ra idl im rove n i —wh more p y‘ p its co d tion y — the poor have been always with us and why teachi n g such as Harriet Martineau here gave must be received into the popular mind before the condition of society can be expected to be improved in the only way possible , by the wis of m dom and prudence its me bers . s h e Painful as was the attack had undergone , intensely as sh e had suffered from its character and w nature , Miss Martineau did not allo what Sh e had felt of personal distress to have any e on influenc her future writings . H er moral u e co rag had been well trained and exercised , first by the efforts that her mind h a d had to m ak e in following her conscience as a guide to th e of to formation Opinions , in Opposition the tendency implanted by her mother ’ s treatment to l bow supinely before authority ; second y, by th e lesson of endurance which her deafness n ow had brought to her . She had to Show, for n o the first , but by means the last time , that hers wa s on e of those temperaments wh i ch to of belong all leaders men , whether in physical or moral warfare ; that danger was to her a stimulus , and that her courage rose the higher the greater the demand for its exercise . defam a Praise and blame , appreciation and n and tio , strengthened enlarged her mind during TH E GREA T S UCCE S S Q

i i B ut of th s per od . at the end it , Sydney Smith “ could s ay Sh e has gone through such a sh e season as no girl before ever knew, and t own has kep her own mind , her manners , and ’ ” n f o . her w voice . She s sa e I C H APTE R V .

F IV E A CTIV E YE ARS .

O N the conclusion of the publication of the

I ll s tra ions o P olitic a l E c onom u t f y , Harriet went to the United States , and travelled there for more than two years . Her fame had preceded her ; and sh e received the warm and gracious greeting from the generous people of America that they are ever ready to give to distinguished guests “ ” - from their little Mother isle. She travelled n ot b ut only in the Northern States , in the

W on e dire c South and the est too , going in the Y New O tion from New ork to rleans , and in E the other to Chicago and Michigan . very s h e where was received with eager hospitality . Public institutions were freely thrown open to her, and eminent citizens vied with each other in showing her attention , publicly and privately , Th e most noteworthy incident in the course o f the whole two years was her public declaration of - The - her anti slavery principles . Anti Slavery Th e movement was in its beginning . aboli tionists were the subj ects of abuse and social

~ 1 3 2 HA RRTE T . M AR TINEA U pened that sh e reached Boston the very day a ’ ladies anti - Slavery meeting was broken up by

of the Violence a mob , and that Garrison , falling of u into the hands the enraged multit de , was

- h ad half murdered in the street . Harriet given a promise , long previously, to attend an aboli ’ tionists meeting ; and though these occurre n ces sh owed her that there was actual personal dan

sh e n ot ger in keeping her word , was to be intimidated . She went to the very next meet ’ of d ing the ladies society , which was hel a h o n e s o mont after the violently disturbed , and “ there , being unexpectedly begged to give them ” of the comfort a few words from her, She rose, f and as the o ficial report says , with great dig ” of nity and Simplicity manner, declared her full

of sympathy with the principles the association . She knew well h ow grave would be th e social consequences to her o f thus throwing in h er lot with the despised and insulted abolitionists ; but She felt that “ She never could be happy again if s h e sh runk from the duty of expres Th e sion thrust upon her . results to her were

s h re as serious as e had apprehended . She c eived innumerable personal insults and slights , public and private , where before all had been homage ; the Southern newspapers threatened in c e n her personal safety , calling her a foreign a nd diary , to crown all , she had to give F 1 I V E A CTI V E YEARS. 3 3

n O o n up an inte ded hio tour, the information of an eminent Cincinnati merchant that he had heard with his o wn c ars the details of a plot to L hang her on the wharf at ouisville , before the respectable inhabitants could intervene , in order ” o t e r m e ddle som e to warn all h foreigners . All this abuse and insult and threatening o from the lower kind of pers ns , interested for

of their purses , had , course , no influence upon the hundred private friendships that She had d forme . Ardent and de ep was the affection with which many Americans came to regard her, and with some of them her intimate friend ship lasted through all the succeeding forty of E on e of years her life . merson was these fre friends , and Garrison another . It was her quent correspondence with these and many others that kept her interest in the affairs of th e s o United States active , and made her so well -informed about them as to give her the E great authority that she had , both in ngland and America, during the life and death struggle of s o the Union , that at that time , when She

s for L D a il N ews was writing leader the ondon y ,

W . . E Mr . Forster said that it was Harriet Martineau alone wh o was keeping E nglish pub lic opIn I o n about America o n the right side through the press . L oath to leave such friendships behind , and - 1 34 HARRIE T M AR TINEA OT

. New yet longing for home, she sailed from “ Y 1 8 6 ork at the end of July, 3 , and reached

L iverpool o n the 26th August . A parting act of American chivalry was that her ship -passage was paid for her by some unknown friend . It was while s h e was in the United States that the first portrait of her which I have seen was painted . She herself did not like it , calli n g the attitude melodramatic ; but her sister R I achel , am told , always declared that it was the only true portrait of Harriet that was ever

of taken . At this point , then , some idea her person may be given . e She was somewhat above the middl height , Th e and at this time had a slender figure . face in the portrait is oval the forehead rather

d n ot. a re broa , as well as high , but either to

Th e e c u markable degree . most noticeable p liarity of the face i s found in a slight proj ection Th e n o t of . the under lip nose i s straight , at n all turned up at the end , but yet with a defi ite Th e tip to it . eyes are a clear gray, with a calm , steadfast , yet sweet gaze indeed there is Th e an almost appealing look in them . hair is o f so dark a brown as to appear nearly black . A tress of it (cut off twenty years later than v this American isit , when it had turned snow white) has been given to me ; and I find the treasured relic to be of exceptionally fine tex‘

1 6 H A RRI E ' T M 3 A R TINEA U.

fo r £900 it . She completed the three goodly volumes in six months . ’ She h ad wished to call the book Tkeory a ha

' ' P ra etzee o S oezez in A m eric a f jy , a title which would have exactly expressed the position that sh e took

viz up in it , . , that the Americans should be j udged by the degree in which they approached , in

of their daily lives , to the standard the principles h laid down in their Constitution . H er publis ers s o sh e c on strongly obj ected to this title , that

’ n S ec zel in A m eric a se ted to call the work simply y . n She held to her scheme no e the less , and the D c book proceeds upon it . She quotes the e lara tion of Independence that all men are cre a ted equal , with an inalienable right to life , liberty ,

of h and the pursuit appiness, and that Govern ments derive their j ust powers from the c o n h E h o f t e . s e sent governed very true citizen , claims, must necessarily be content to have his self-government tried by the test of the principles to which , by his citizenship , he has become a subscriber She brings social life — in the United States of 1 8 34 6 to this test accordingly . That method of approachi n g her subj ect had some advantages . It enabled her to treat with of peculiar force the topics of slavery , the ex

lusion of f c women from political a fairs , and of the sub servience to the despotism o f pub F V C T V 1 I E A I E YEARS. 3 7

lic Opinion which s h e found to exist at that time

in America . sh e But herself came to see , in after times , that her pla n (leaving the details aside) was “ radically faulty . She was , as she says , at the ” most m etaphysic ial period of her mental his T sh e tory . hus , failed at the moment to perceive that she commenced her subj ect a t Me wrong ’ “ ena in taking a theory and j udging the facts of American society by their agreement o r dis

a riori agreement with that p philosophy . It was the theory that h ad to be j udged by the way in which the people lived under a govern

e n o t ment fram d upon it , and the people by the

degree in which they live up to the theory . Th e E nglish public wanted a book that would help them to know the American public and its ways ; the Americans required to see through

of a the eyes an observant , cultiv ted foreigner, n what they were bei g and doing . It is this — ‘ which a traveller has to do to o b s e rve f a ezs

to draw lessons from them , if he will , but not to consider the facts in their relationship to a

- is pre conceived theory . Human experience perennially important and eternally interesting and this is what a traveller has to note and

record . Political philosophies must be gathered from experience instead of (what she attempt ed) the real life bei n g viewed only as related 3 8 HA RRIE T M AR TINEA U.

to the philosophy . In fine , her error was in treating abstractedly what was necessarily a concrete theme . W ith this obj ection to the scheme of the book , all criticism may end . All criticism did not end (any more than it began) in this way in 1 8 3 7. Speaking out so boldly as she did on a

sh e variety of the most important social topics , naturally aroused opposition , which the power an d of eloquence the style did not mitigate . Th e anti - slavery tone of the book alone would have ensured violent attacks upon it and

of its author, as , after her ostracism because

- her anti slavery declaration , she well knew w “ T ould be the case . his subj ect haunts us ” on every page , distressfully wrote Margaret Fuller ; and greatly exaggerated though this h statement was , it certainly is true that t ere is hardly a chapter in which the reader is allowed to forget that the curse of humanity made mer c h a n dis e w d o r , shado e life , directly indirectly , throughout the whole United States . N either

of n o r by the holders slaves in the South , by in their accessories the North , was it possible th at s h e could be regarded otherw i se than as a n d an enemy , the more powerful , therefore of the more to be hated and abused , because her standing and her ability . In estimating the courage and disinterestedness which sh e

1 0 M T 4 HA RRIE T AR INEA U.

Chapter to showing the evils whic h spring from Of the accumulation enormous fortunes , and incidentally attacked the laws and customs o f of o f primogeniture , the transfer land , and the like, which are devised “ specially to facilitate and encourage such accumulations : in these o f and other passages an equally radical nature , s h e braved a large body o f opinion in E nglish society, as well as in the other country for h s e . which wrote She mentions subsequently, that fo r many years she was occasionally startled by finding herself regarded in various quarters

- as a free thinker upon dangerous subj ects , and of as something a demagogue . I have little doubt that the advanced political philosophy of S oc iezj / in A m eric a did originate such s uspi

of v cions in minds the Conser ative order, the ” s h e timid party , as described them in this Ye t same book . she adds

of I have never regretted its boldness speech . I felt a relief in having Opened my mind which , I would at no tim e have exchanged for any gain Th of reputation o r fortune . e time had come n whe , having experienced what might be called d f the extremes of obscurity and i ficulty first , and influence and success afterwards , I could pro nounce that there was nothin g for which it was n worth sacrifici g freedom of thought and speech .

' There was b ut little in S oc iety in A m eric a of

of of the ordinary book travels . As an a ccount 1 1 F IVE A C TIVE YEARS. 4 the political conditi on and the social arrange me n ts of the American people it was of singular e B ut e rson ali n c idents of valu . the p travel , the of descriptions scenery, the reminiscences of of eminent persons , all which Harriet Martineau had gathered a store, were entirely omitted

. O from this work . Messrs Saunders and tley suggested to her that she should make a second Of book out of this kind material . She con sented ; and wrote her R etrospec z of W es tern

Tra vel S he . completed the manuscri pt Of this D 1 8 in ecember, 3 7, and it was published soon Th e afterwards in three volumes . publishers gave her six hundred pounds for it . Th e fifteen hundred pounds which sh e thus earned exceeded in amount the whole of what ‘ ‘ she had then received for her [ lla s zra i ions of

P li i l c nom Th e - o z c a E o y . last named great work was nearly all published upon the absurdly unequal terms which Charles F ox had secured c from her in the beginning . It was haracter istic of her generosity in pecuniary matters and her loyalty to her friends , that although her agreement with Fox was dissoluble at the end o f w every five numbers , she nevertheless allo ed it to hold good , and permitted him to pocket a very leonine share of her earnings throughout of the whole publication the original series , only claiming a re vision o f the terms when 1 2 IV 4 HARRIE T M A R TI E A U. sh e commenced afresh , as it were , with the “ ” “ ” - th L aw T a . T e Poor , and axation t les hus ‘ immense popularity of the I lla s zra zions had not of n greatly enriched her . A portion her ear ings by them was invested in her American tour ; and n ow that sh e received this return from her

' books of travels she felt it her duty to make

fo r a provision the future . She purchased a deferred an nuity of o n e hun dred pounds to begin 8 1 0 . in April , 5 It displayed a characteristic calm Confidence in herself that she should thus have entirely locked up her earni n gs for twelve years . She clearly felt a quiet assurance that her brain and her han d would serve to maintain sh e of her, at least as long as was in the flower her age . Th e six volumes about America were not the whole of her work during the first eighteen months after her return to E ngland . She wrote ’ an article o n Miss Sedgwick s works for the ‘ W eS zm ins ter R eview , and several other short

Th e e xtra o rd papers for various magazines . i nary industry with which she returned to labor n after her lo g rest requires no comment . ‘ E arly in 1 8 3 8 she wrote a work called How zo

Oés erve in M ora ls a n d M a n n ers . It forms a cro wn octavo volume of two hundred and thirty eight pages , and was published by Mr . Charles

Th e o n . e Knight book is an interesting , both

1 T M 44 HARRIE A R TINEA U.

Th e next piece of work that Harriet did in of 1 8 of this spring 8 3 was a very different order . Th e Poor - L aw Commissioners were desirous of “ ” o f issuing a series Guides to Service , and application was made to Miss Martineau to write

Tli e some of th ese little books . She undertook ’ ’ ’ ’ Ill a ia o A ll W ork Tli e H ons em a ia Tli e L a a s f , , y ’ M i ress -m a ker T a a and Tbe D . hese were issued

h h e rr n am e o n - wit out the title page , but the e authorship was an open s cret . She was a thoroughly good housekeeper her self . H er conscience went into this , as into all her other business . Housewifery is supposed ” “ to s h e transact itself , wrote but in reality it requires all the faculties which c an be brought m to bear upon it , and all the good oral habits ” a which conscience c n originate . It was in this

sh e fo r spirit that wrote instructions servants . Th e fine m oral tone invariably discoverable in her works , is as delightful here as elsewhere . ” - But the little Guides to Service , contain also the most precise and practical directions for the doing of the household duties and the needle ~ work which fall to the hands o f the classes o f h servants for whom s e wrote . Practical hints are given from which the maj ority o f these

- classes Of women workers might learn much , for bra ins tell in the mean an d dirty scrubbery f o life as well as in pleasanter things , and science F I VE A CTI V E YEARS. is to be applied to common domestic duties as Th e to bigger undertakings . heart and mind of Harriet Martineau were equal to teaching upon

c n matters su h as these , as well as to studyi g the r deeper relations o f mankind in pol itical econ

o m o r o f . y, the state society in a foreign land Her great power of sympathy enabled her to 5 0 enter fully into every human position . well ’ - of— - was the maid all work s station described , and i l o ut her duties indicated , and her tr a s pointed , and h ow sh e might solace herself under those troubles discovered , and the way in which her

s e t work should be about detailed , that the rumor spread pretty widely that Harrie t had u once occupied s ch a situation herself . She regarded this mistake with complacency, as a tribute to the practical character of her little work .

As a fact , she was herself a capable house wife . Her housekeeping was always well done .

Her own hands , indeed , as well as her head ,

o n W were employed in it occasion . hen in her h h e r s e . home, daily filled lamp herself She dusted her own books , too , invariably . Some h times s e did more . Soon after her establish ment at the L akes (an event which we h ave not d yet reache , but the anecdote is in place here) , a lady who greatly reverenced her for h e r writ i ngs called upon her in her new home, aecom 6 T M A T 14 HARRIE R INEA U.

pan ied by a gentleman fri end . As the V isitors b y - approached the house the carriage drive, they s aw someone perched o n a set of kitchen

a - steps , cleaning the dr wing room windows . It was the famous authoress herself ! She cal mly b went for her trumpet , to listen to their usiness

sh e and when they had introduced themselves , r i asked them in , and ente ed into an nteresting n conversation o various literary topics . Before s h e e m they left , explained , with vident a use ment at having been caught at her h ousemaid ’ s i dut es , that the workmen had been long about h t the ouse ; hat this morning, when the dirty windows might for the first time be cleaned , on e of her servants had go n e off to marry a to carpenter, and the other see the ceremony ;

s o of se t and the mistress , tired the dirt , had to

fo r work to wash and polish her window herself. “ ” D for An article on omestic Service , the

W es lm ins ier R eview , was written easily , while

s o th e b e her mind was full of the subj ect , in f 1 B u o 8 8 . t ginning June , 3 a great enterprise — was before her a n ovel ; and at length sh e on settled down to this , beginning it her thirty 1 2th 1 8 Th 8 . e sixth birthday , June , 3 writing of this new book was interrupted by a tour in c n S otla d during August and September, and by writing a remarkable and eloquen t article o n “ The of slavery, Martyr Age the United

1 8 T M A R TI IVE A 4 HARRIE U.

propose to Hester is accepted , married to the s ister he does not love , and sets up housekeep

' ing with the sister with whom he is in love as his Th e an inmate of home wife, moreover, is of i o n a j ealous , exact ng disposition , ever the watch for some token of neglect of her feelings by her friends , anxious , irritable , and hyper sensitive .

H ere is a situation which , the characters being what they are described to be , could in real life eventuate only in either violent tragedy

- o r . of long, slow heart break A woman ultra sensitive and refined feelings could not live with a husband and a si ster under such circum m stances without discovering the truth . A an of active temperament and warm emotions , who declares to himself o n the n ight of his return from his weddi n g tour that his marriage “ has been a mistake , that he has desecrated own to his home , and doomed withering the of — best affections his nature , such a man , with the woman he really loves living in his d home , beside the unloved wife , coul not com pletely conceal his state of mind from every body, and presently find that after all he likes Yet im o the on e he has married best . in the p s sible manner j ust indicated do all things end in

D eerorooR Th e o f . interest the book is then to E suddenly shifted Margaret and nderby. ‘ 1 F I VE A CT! VE YE A RS . 49

Hope and H ester become mere accessories .

B ut o Th e D the plot d es not improve . eer

a o f brook people , hitherto dorers their doctor, suddenly take to throwing stones at him , and to mobbing his house , because he votes for the Parliamentary candidate Opposed by the great of man the village , and because they take it into their heads (n ot a particle o f reason why they do so being shown , ) that he anatomizes W e bodies from the graveyard . are invited to believe that though his practice had been singu larl his y successful , all patients deserted him ; and notwithstanding that Hester and Margaret had each seventy pounds a year Of private to income , the household was thus reduced such distress that they could not afford gloves , and had to part with all their servants , and dined as a rule off potatoes and bread and but ! T ’ E ter hen Margaret s lover, nderby, hears that sh e and Hope loved each other before Hope married ; an d though h e does not for a moment suspect anything wrong in the present , u and tho gh he passionately loves Margaret , this supposed discovery that he is not her first love causes him to peremptorily and with t ff o u explanation break o the engagement .

Presently , however, an epidemic comes and E restores confidence in Mr . Hope ; and nder ’ b s him r y sister, who had given the info mation ‘ 1 0 T M T 5 HARRIE AR INEA D. on e sh e exa which he acted , confess s that had g gerated th e facts and i nvented part of her s o story and it all ends , and they live happily ever after Feeble and untrue as are plot and characters “ in this poor novel (as Carlyle without inj us tice called it) , yet many scenes are well written , the details are truly colored , and every page is illuminated with though t of s o high an order

s o n s o s o and language brillia t , flowing, felici o n e o f tous , that forgives , for the sake merits such as these , the failure of the fiction to be T either true o r interesting . his seemed to n show, evertheless , that Harriet could write s an d e says , and travels , and didactic philosoph ical works , but could not write a novel except “ ” m of with a purpose , when the accomplish ent the purpose might excuse any other sh ortc om

B ut o n e ings . when considers the great excel

of of I llus tra tions lence many the , the decided

n o f drawi g the characters , the truthful analysi s of o f the springs human action , the manner in which the incidents are combined and arranged to develop and display dispositions and histo ’ lza a ries , it becomes clear that she great powers as an imaginative depicter of human nature and social life , and that there must have been other causes than sh e e r in c apa c ityfor the faults

of D eeroroon and the feebleness .

1 5 2 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U

of principles , and trusted to the intuitions her o wn mind for the final working out of her prob “ ” . A , lem s it was if her fact had been a reality, we should have been compelled to account for the placid progress of events by the supposition that sh e had utterly misrepresented the charac ters of the persons involved . This bondage to (supposed) fact was on e cause f h r o e . failure A lesser, but still important rea s on sh e for it , was that tried to imitate Jane ’ of o Austen s style . Her admiration the works f this mistress of the art of depicting human nature ’ was very great . Harriet s diary of the period

sh e D eerbrooé when was preparing to write , ’ sh e re - shows that read Miss Austen s novels , “ T and found them wonderfully beautiful . his

sh e E m m a j udgment annexed to ; and again, after recording her new reading of P ride a nd “ P r udic e ej , she added , I think it as clever as before ; but Miss Austen seem s wonderfully n W afraid of pathos . I lo g to try . hen she did “ sh e o r try, , either intentionally unconsciously,

' h er s t le o n but very decidedly, modelled y Miss ’ B ut Austen s . the two women were essentially f en di fer t . Harriet Martineau had an original

sh e retribu mind did wrong, and prepared the

of fo r tion failure herself , in imitating at all ; and Jane Austen was one of the last perso n s s h e d should have imitate . 1 F IV E A C TI VE YEARS. 5 3

The principal reasons for the inferiority of

D eerérooé , however, are found in her personal

T sh . e history hree months after its publication , was utterly prostrated by a n illness which had undoubtedly been slowly gro wing upon her fo r T r long before . hus , she w ote her novel under the depression and failure of strength caused by Th e this malady . illness itself was partly the result of what further tended to make her work — poor in quality the domestic anxieties , mis

i - er es and heart burnings Of that period . Th e three anxious members of her family T were at this time upon her hands . hat brother ’ who had succeeded to the father s business , " d and in whose charge it had faile , was at this B time in London . efore the weaving business stopped , Henry Martineau was engaged ; but the girl broke o ff the affair in consequence of the downfall of his pecuniary prospects . Henry ’ - n then undertook a wine merchant s busi ess, and wretched with the m ortifi c ation of his double failure in purse and in heart , he yielded to the

of temptations his new employment , and became

D D eeroroon intemperate . uring the time that was being written , he was living with his mother

Mrs . and sister in L ondon . At the same time old Martineau, now nearing seventy years , was Th e o f becoming blind . natural irritability her

“ Th e - temper was thus increased . heart wearing ’ 1 54 HARRIE T M A R TINEA U trials of a home with two such inmates were made greater to Harriet by the fact that an i aged aunt also lived with them , who , bes des the many cares exacted for the well -b e m g o f ’ n e c e s age , added to Harriet s troubles by the s ity of shielding her from the tempers and of depressions the other two . It was in this home that Harriet Martineau did all the work that has now been recorded

o n e wh o after her return from America . No has the least conception of how imperatively necessary domestic peace and comfort are fo r

of the relief the brain taxed with literary labor, W ill be surprised to hear that Harriet ’ s strength and spirits failed during all that summer and

sh e D eeroroon winter in which was writing , and that presently her health completely broke down .

1 6 T M T 5 HARRIE AR INEA U.

- couch in another . From her sick room window o f i she overlooked a narrow space down , the ru ns of f the priory , the harbor with its tra fic , and the n th e fa rth er O . sea . side of the harbor s he th e a could discern through telescope railroad , o n a spreading heath , and , the hills which

two o r To bounded the view, three farms . this

sh e outlook , whose life had been hitherto spent s o o f of actively, and in the midst such a throng of five society , found herself confined for a term

n s o yea rs . At the same time her pai was great that she was compelled to take Opiates daily . “ m I have observed , with inexpressible sha e, s that with the newspaper in my hand, no detail of of o r of n the peril empires , the starvi g mis

of eries thousands , could keep my eye from the

or o n watch before me , detain my attention e second beyond the time when I might have my

F o r -I in Opiate . two years , too , wished and tended to dispense with my opiate for once, to

h ow try much there was to bear, and how I wa s should bear it but I never did it , strong as the shame of always yielding . I am convinced that there is n O ' m ore possibility o f becoming to o f ha inured acute agony body , t n to par oxys m s o f remorse the severest of moral

, pains . A familiar pain becomes more and of n more dreaded , instead becomi g more lightly T esteemed in proportion to its familiarity . he F V F N 1 I E YEARS O ILL ESS. 57

’ O re s pain itself becomes more odious , more pp sive , more feared in proportion to the accumula

of o f tion experience weary hours , in proportion to the aggregate o f painful associations which ” every visitation revives . Some indication o f what she endured in those weary years is given in this quotation . If we had to rely upon the inferences to be drawn from the amount of work which s h e did in her sick room , we should naturally suppose the suffering h s h e not to ave been very great for produced ,

of in the midst her illness , as much and as noble work as we look for from the most active persons in ordinary health . Th e first business of the sick -room life was to write both an article for publication , and a

o f fr1e n ds number letters of personal appeal to , o n of O behalf berlin College , an institution which was being founded in America for the

a o f of educ tion of persons color both sexes , an d o f the students who had been turned o ut Of L ane College for their advocacy of anti -slavery principles . Th e was next undertaking another novel or, ’ a i o f rather, history , imaginat vely treated , the D T negro revolution in San omingo . oussaint ’ L O uve rture , the leader of the revolution and the of R of was pre sident the black epublic Hayti ,

L i e in Me ick- oo f S R m . T M T 1 5 8 HARRIE AR INEA U.

The H d ne M of . our a n t a n the hero this story ,

D ee oroo r k . as a mere novel , is vastly superior to a s a c ontribu Harriet wrote it , however, rather tion to the same anti -slavery cause for which s h e

a had written her preceding rticle , believing that it would be useful to that cause to show forth the capacity and the high moral character which had been displayed by a negro of t h e blackest shade when in possession of power .

Th e 1 8 0 work . was begun in May , 4 , and pub of lish e d in November the same year . L ord Jeffrey, in a familiar private letter to E of mpson , his successor in the editorship the ’ E a in ou li R eview e of Tne H our a nd ng , wrot thus tfie M a n

’ I have read Harriet s first volume , and give in my adhesion to her Black Prince with all my T h e heart and soul . book is really not only n oole do beautiful and touching, but ; and I not recollect when I have been more charmed , whether by very sweet and eloquent writing and glowing description , or by elevated as well Th e c alc u as tender sentiments . book is lated to make its readers better, and does great honor to the heart as well as the talent a nd of fancy the author . I would go a long way to kiss the hem Of her garment , or the hand that delineated this glowing and lofty representation f sh e n ot o purity and noble virtue . And must only be rescued from all debasing anxieties of about her subsistence , but placed in a station

60 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

‘ s o d u u lic to be boun , and would th s s ffer a loss of both freedom and usefulness during whatever

m a l n i re . L life m ght to her ord Melbourne , a 1 8 1 few months later, in July, 4 , made her an t f of of 1 0 n explici O fer a pension £ 5 per a num , and her answer to the Minister was s ub stan tiall y the same as to her friend . She said that s o an d while taxation was levied unequally, while Parliament had no voice in the distrib u

s h e tion Of pensions , would rather receive public aid from the parish , if necessary, than as a pen s ion er infl . She added an earnest plea that all u e ntial person s who held themselves indebted o n

a n public grounds to y writer, would show that gratitude by endeavoring to make better copy s o to right arrangements and foreign treaties , as th e n n secure to authors full , due and i depe dent f reward o their efforts . Th e rare (perhap s mistaken) generosity o f this refusal c an only be appreciated by bearing in mind that she h a d invested a large part o f her earnings a few years before in a form from which sh e D was now receiving no return . uring her

s h e o f s o illness was really in want money, far as

F o r to have to accept assistance from relatives . her charities sh e partly provided by doing fancy u m work , sending s bscriptions both in this for and in the shape of articles fo r publi cation to the anti -slavery cause in America F V YE A R S 1 I E OF ILLNESS. 6 1

In the early part of 1 84 1 sh e began a series of ’ four children s stories , which were published

of Tli e F a / ellow under the general title l yf . These admirable tales are still amongst the best of known and most popular her writings ; simple , v vi id and interesting , they are really model chil ’ dren s stories , and it would have been quite impossible for any reader to imagine that they w f ere written by an invalid, in constant su fer

S ettlers a t H om e . n ing was the first one writte , Tne P rinc e a n d tne P ea sa n t came next ; then

F ea ts on tne F ord and j ; , finally, that one from

Tne which I quoted largely in an early chapter,

ro ton B o s B th e - a C f y . y the time last n med was

‘ an d she finished she was very ill , believed that h s ould never write another book .

Her interest in all public affairs continued , 1 8 1 nevertheless , to be as keen as ever . In 4 she wrote for publication a long letter to sup port the American Anti - Slavery Society under a secession from its ranks of a number of per sons , chiefly clerical , who obj ected , of all things , to women being allowed to be members of the society ! Another piece of work which she did for the public benefit was by a course o f of correspondence , full delicate tact , to per s o n ll t a y reconcile Sir Rober Peel and Mr . Cob den fo r , and so to pave the way the amicable 1 2 I T M T 6 H ARR E AR INEA U. work of the two statesmen in the repeal of th e L Corn aws . 1 8 of In 48 , some her friends who knew her

~ circumstances , and that she had refused a pen

te s sion , collected money to present her with a tim on al . g thus obtained, was invested for her benefit in the Terminable Long Annui s um ties , and a considerable besides was o f Th e L expended in a present plate . adies L of ambton (the eldest of whom , as Countess E o n e of lgin , was afterwards her warmest friends) went over to Tynemouth to use the “ plate with her for the first time , and it was a ” testimon ial fete . too I t was about this time , , that the personal acquaintance , destined to become an intimate association in work , between Harriet Martineau and Florence Nightingale was commenced . ’ Miss Martin eau s you n ger sister E llen had been governess in Miss Nightingale ’ s family ’ Sick - nursing occupied Florence Nightingale s hands and heart long before the Crimean W a r made her famous , and Harriet Martineau was on e of the sick to whom s h e ministered in those earlier days . ’ T th e of 1 8 owards end 43 , Harriet s mind ‘ had accumulated a store of thoughts and feel ings which imperatively pressed to be poured

s ix forth . She wrote then , in about weeks , her

16 T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U.

W o rdswo rth raise d friend . Mr . p it with more — I s a ea rn es tn ess unreserve may y, with more Th e than is usual with him . serene and heavenly -minded Miss Fenwick was prodigal ’ f r W o M s . her admiration . But ordsworth s — was th e crowning praise . She said and you — “ know how s h e would s ay it I wish I had read exactly such a book as that years ago ! It is a gen uine and touching series o f meditati ons by an invalid not sick in mind o r ale heart .

o n e o f From the letters with which Mr.

o Henry G . Atkinson has fav red me and my sh e readers , I find that wrote a chapter for that of book , which undoubtedly must have been not the deepest interest , but which was pub i h d l s e .

T T MR . TK S L E TE R O A IN ON . E t N 1 1 8 2 [ xtrac ] ovember 9, 7 . D E AR FR I E ND You will feel at on ce h ow earn — e stly I must be longing for death I who never wh o loved life , and would any day Of my life W have rather departed than stayed . ell it can o n n ow hardly go very much longer . But I do wish it was permitted to us to j udge for o ur selves a little how long we ought to carry o n the task which we never desired a n d could not n v our refuse , and how soo we may fairly relie e o f of comrades from the burden taking care us .

* D ia r a nd etters o H . C. obinson vol. iii. . 2 . y L f R , , p 3 5 16 FIVE YE A RS OF ILLNESS. 5

’ I won de r whether the chapter I wrote about ” this for the Sick -Room book will ever s e e the light . I rather wish it may, because I believe it utters what many people think and feel . I let it be omitted from that book because it might perhaps inj ure the impression of the rest

Of the volume but , so far as I remember it , it is worth considering, and therefore publishing .

I have made such inquiries as I could (of o ne ’ Ma rtin e au s of Miss executors and others) , but can get no tidings of this missing chapter on E — uthanasia . It was j ust such a subj ect need c om ing for its discussion , courage , calmness , mon sense , and logic , combined with sympathy, of a n d ood and a high standard moral beauty , g ness — as she would have been sure to treat

e T one L e in rar ly well . here is passage in if

fire S ic k-R oom sh e , bearing upon the question Observes that the great reason why hopeless invalids s o commonly endure on when they are un longing for the rest of insensibility, is the certainty as to whether they may not find them v in own sel es still conscious another state . Her history wa s to supply a stronger reason still against the irrevocable action being taken upon our rash assumptions that o ur work and our use sh e fulness in life are ended . As truly observed N 0 o n e knows when the spirits of me n begin to or off or w work , when they leave , hether they 166 T M T I HA RRIE AR INEA ( .

b o r work est when their bodies are weak , when E u they are strong . very h man creature that has a spirit in him must therefore be taken care of , and kept alive as long as possible , that his ” S Os h spirit may do all it can in the world . e wrote at that very time showing how her mind of was pondering every view the subj ect . Th e sentence j ust quoted is from D a wn ’ I s la na o n e - h , a little hundred paged story w ich of she wrote in the midst her suffering, as her contribution to the funds Of the Anti - Corn L aw u t L eag e . It was printed and sold for the benefi of of 1 8 that league , at the great bazaar 45 . “ After the publication of the Sick - Room

of autobi book , she commenced the writing her o ra h — g p y not as it was published afterwards , — be it understood for sh e was to o ill to make much progress with it , and soon stopped writ

never too a n d ing . But she became ill to feel to show a vivid interest in every cause that had the happiness and progress of mankind for its obj ect . She kept up an extensive correspond ’ ence with those engaged in the world s work , and such personal efforts for public obj ects as those above mentioned she frequently exerted — - sometimes over exerted herself to make . Her body was chai n ed to two small rooms but

an d her mind , with all its powers affections , yet v NO on swept freely through the uni erse . e

1 8 T M T 6 HARRIE AR INEA U.

elevated to a commanding position . It is the topic with which the daily papers and the weekly periodicals are filled ; in fact , all classes are o n e moved by common consent , and mesmerism , from the palace to the smallest town in the a h United Kingdom , is the scientific question Th e sorbing public attention . immediate of o f cause all this activity, is the publication ’ of fi ve the case Miss Martineau , who , after years incessant suffering and con finement to her couch , is now well .

I have thought that what needs to be said here of the medical aspect and course of this of of i period suffering, and the final cure , w ll best be said consecutively ; and, therefore , we will look back briefly over the five busy but of n ow suffering years , the work which has been o s e e rec rded , and what were the physical con dition s was under which that work executed . H er health had been declining gradually from 1 834 to 1 8 39 ; there was a slow but a marked

111 deterioration strength , and her spirits became of h e depressed . In April t latter year, when sh e undertook a continental j ourney the fatigue of travelling suddenly aggravated her condition V and in enice , early in June , she was compelled to D r N consult a physician , . ardo . She was

f n e nla r found to be su feri g from a tumor, with g o f ment and displacement an important organ , all this causing great internal pain , accompanied M ESM ERIC RECO V ER Y 1 69

by frequent weakening hemorrhages . She was E carried back to ngland by easy stages , and lying

e wc a s tle -oh -T a t on a couch , and reached N yne of 1 8 the end July, 3 9 . She stayed for some time at the house in that t own o f her eldest sister, and then was removed only nine miles off,

111 - in - T order that her brother law, Mr . . M .

R . . . S Greenhow, F . C , might undertake the

of e . O s h e medical care her cas Until ctober, persevered in taking walking exercise but the pain , sickness and breathlessness which aecom a n ie d s o p this were distressing, that soon after her removal t o Tynemouth s h e ceased to go out f o o r . doors, even to descend the stairs ’ Gree n h ow s Mr. prescriptions were confined n at first to opiates , and other medici es to alle viate Th e tak e n in symptoms . Opiates were not — excess as , indeed, the books written in the ’ Th e period would conclusively prove . patient s

“ suffering was so great , however, that extreme recourse to such palliatives might have been n o t le forgiven . She could raise the right g; and could neither s it up for the faintness which of then ensued , nor lie down with ease because n ot the pain in her back . She could sleep at night till sh e devised a plan of sleeping under a basket , for the purpose Of keeping the weight of the bed - clothes from her and even then sh e was scared by horrors all night , and reduced by 1 0 ~ T M T 7 HARRIE AR INEA U.

. T in sickness during __ the day his sickness creased to such a degree that for two years she

m o f was extremely low fro want food . of i At the end two years , that is to say, n 1 8 1 D . September, 4 , Sir Charles Clarke , M . , was called in consultation ; and he prescribed iodine , remarking at the same time that , in his

in c ura view, such a case as hers was practically ble , and admitting that he had tried iodine in

of an infinite number such cases , and never ” w tlzree e s kne it avail . For the next y a r Miss Martineau took three grains per diem of iodide of n t iro . It relieved the sickness ; but up o

1 8 two th e April , 44 ( and a half years from com m e n e m e nt o f c . its administration) , Mr Green how did n ot pretend that any improvement in

th i _ e physical condit on had taken place . In m that onth , as he afterwards said , he believed “ he found a slight change , but he was not ” Th e sure ; and , if any, it was very trifling . patient , on her part , was quite convinced that her state then was in no way altered . More than once different friends — amongst L L . them ord ytton , Mr Hallam , and the Basil — M o n tagu s had urged her to try mesmerism but sh e had thought it due to her relative to give his orthodox medicines the fullest trial ,

’ before taking herself o ut of his hands in such a 1 8 way . In June , 44, however, Mr . Greenhow

2 M T 1 7 HARRIE T AR INEA U.

Her dear friend during all the years that ” — M r remained to her . Henry G . Atkinson 1

had j ust come into her life . His interest in her

case was enlisted by their mutual friend , Basil

M ontagus ; a n d M r. Atkinson undertook to direct the mesmeric treatment by correspond m e s ence . Margaret , the maid , continued the

merism till September, and then Mr . Atkinson W induced his friend Mrs . Montague ynyard , the

o f young widow a clergyman , to undertake the “ case . In pure zeal and benevolence this lady

came to me , and has been with me ever since . W hen I found myself able to repose on the knowledge and power (mental and moral) of my mesmerist the last impediments to my progress were cleared away a nd I impro ved ” accordingly .

’ TA s this frien dship h a d a pr o found influ enc e upon H a rriet s

h wo s o m e de s c i tio o f M r aft r h u t a n d n . t in e t o g rk , r p A k s o n s eem s in pl ac e ; a nd I n ee d o ffe r th at gen tl em a n n o a po logy f or m e r ely quoting wh a t h a s a ppe a r e d in prin t b e fo r e ab o ut lle o t th us o f im in i him . M a a et F u w e h a ate lett i rg r r r p r v er , n 1 846

in n s a m a ou thi t in th u f h Mr. A t s o i n a t e nes s o is k b r y, f l l

owe s ta l and fi ne o m e d with a h ea d f o r L e on a do to p r , l ly f r , r aint m i a n d c om os ed b ut owe u a nd s a a c io u s p l d p , p rf l g ; H i ti h e do es not thin b ut e c ei es a nd a c ts . e is n m a te k, p r v with a tis ts a in s tudie d a c hite c tu e im s e a s a o e s s io n r , h v g r r h lf p r f ;

u hi o m etim es s tatio n a b t h as s o m e fo r tune o n w c h h e liv e s . S ry an d a c ting in th e a ffa ir s o f o the r m e n s o m e tim e s wa nde ring a out th e wo ld a n d le a n in h e s ee m s o un d b n o tie et b r r g ; b y , y ” ’ f h h a r — em oi rs o lo oks a s i e d e l ativ es in e v ery pla c e . M f

M a r a ret uller b E m s F r on . g , y e M ESM ERIC RECO V ER Y. 73

‘ O n D 6 M r ecember the th . Greenhow found his patient quite well , and about to leave the

o f a n d o n place her imprisonment , start a series of n otwith stan d friendly visits . He declared ,

i /s ic a l c ondition ing, that firstly, her p g was not essentially different from what it had been all

s en through ; secondly , that the change in her s a tions arose from the iodine suddenly and

n ot miraculously becoming more effective , and from mesmerism .

s o Such is the medical history, interesting to all physiological students an d to all sufferers of ’ o f Martin eau s the same class , Harriet five ’ years illness and recovery . My business is simply to state facts , and I need not here undertake any dissertation upon mesmerism . It i s sufficient to add that only those who are unaware of the profundity of our ignorance (up to the present day) about the action of the

li e nervous system , and still more about what f

fo r really is , can be excused rash j eering and hasty incredulity in such a case as this . Harriet Martineau knew that s h e was Well again , and it seemed to her a clear duty to make as public as possible the history o f h o w her recovery had been brought about . She did s o by s ix letters to the A t/zenwum ; and these were reprinted in pamphlet form . Mr . Greenhow was thereupon guilty of o ne of the 1 74 HARRIE T MAR TINEA U.

most serious professional . faults possible . He also published an account Of Tne Ca se of M is s I M I . , in a shilling pamphlet , giving the most

of a n d minute and painful details her illness , respecting no confidence that had been reposed

Th e of i n his medical integrity . result this conduct on his part was that his patient felt herself compelled to break off all future inter course with a man capable of such obj ection able action . It may be added here that th e cure was a * permanent one She enj oyed ten years o f health s o good that sh e declared it taught her that in no previous period o f her life had s h e

s a ever been well . It may be as well to y that sh e never wavered in her assuranc e that h e r cure was worked by mesmerism , and that the cure was complete . All dispute about her firm

I fi n d th e r e is a wide spr e a d im pr es s io n th at s h e e v en tually die d of th e s a m e tum o r th a t s h e s uppo s e d to h a v e b e en

c u ed at this tim e . I t s h o u d b e dis tinc t s tate d h o we e r l l y , v r , h h as e M r. e en o a n d ir th a t if this we r e t e c , Gr w S C . C l a rke

tter o n in th ei dia n s is in 1 we r e b o th u ly wr g r g o 840 . I h a v e ’ Gre e nh o s e ort o t/ze ase o Ill iss r. M a n ea d M w C II . d r R p f f , — the n o te s o f th e po s t- m o rtem lie b efo r e m e kin dly l e nt m e

r K i n f B o a h b th e s u e on M . n o w o e d d P w o m a de y rg , g , f r rk, I n th at th e o an i h M r fi d wh c . n h th e a uto psy. rg Gr ee ow and h is c o n su ta nt oth s tate d to be th e s e a t o f th e dis e as e e n ar e l b , l g m ent a n d tum o in 18 0 is de s c i e d a s ei und aftic u r , 4 , r b b ng fo p ” a t larlysm all and unaffec te d fter dea h .

1 6 H A RRI E T M A R T 7 INEA U.

of n dispute anything being the cause anythi g, if o n e i disputes after read ng this statement , that your recovery is due to mesmerism A nd “ n o w i of , wh le I see false statements the facts , and. false references circulating, as at present , o wn n I cannot find my arrative , written from da to day to y, and do not know where turn next If I had strength I would turn o ut all the in m papers my possession , and make sure for y self . Now , dear friend , do you think you ever s aw that statement ?

E 1 8 1 8 t . [ xtrac ] September , 74 wa s My malady absolutely unlike cancer, and it never had any sort of relation to “ malignant “ Th e disease . doctors called it indolent tumor — ” D ’ most probably polypus . on t you remem h ow v o n ber , at that ery time , the great dispute ’ E llio ts on s hands was whether any instance could b e adduced of cure of organic disease by E lliots on mesmerism was nearly certain , but of of not quite , the cure a cancer case in his w Th e of c on o n practice . doctors were full the trove rs of y, and some them wrote both to me of and to Mr . Greenhow to inquire the nature o r f m . O y case , whether malignant not course NO we both replied . It would be a dreadful m i sfortune if n ow anybody concerned should tell a different story . Greenhow is still living (aged 8 2) and all ali ve and he would like o f nothing better than to get hold it , and bring out another indecent pamphlet . If I could but o n lay hands the diary of the case , written at the t m what a o d be ? i e , security it w ul But I can 1 M ESM ERIC RECO VE R Y. 77

The nowhere find it . next best securit is y” “ L turning back to the statement , etters in f 1 8 T the A tkenceum o the autumn of 44. hose ~ “ L etters ” went through two editions when d reprinte , after having carried those numbers A kenwum O n of the t through three editions . e would think the narrati ve must be accessible u eno gh . Above all things , let there be no mis ' in our take statements . It ought to be enough for observers that I had te n years of robust health after that re c ov ery, walking from sixteen to twenty miles in a o n day, occasion , and riding a camel in the heart o f Nubia, and hundreds of miles on horseback , D through Palestine to amascus , and back to the L evant . I have written s o much because I could not help it . I shall hardly do it again . I will add only that the mesmerizing began in June , 1 8 fol 44, and the cure was effected before the lowing Christmas . D ear friend , am I yours ever,

M. H. CHA PTE R V I I I .

T HE HO ME L I F E .

A T - forty two years old , Harriet Martineau found herself free fo r the first time to form and take

m e o ker own of ko . possession a f N ow, for the

s h e w n first time , could have the luxury hich ma y girls obtain by marriage so young that they spoil it to themselves and others , and which it n w is as atural for each gro n woman to desire , irrespective of marriage , as it is for a fledged — bird to leave the old nest a house and a domestic circle in which s h e could be the organ

i izing sp rit , where the home arrangements

sh e should be Of her own ordering, and where could have the privacy and self - management which can no otherwise be enj oyed , in combina tion with the exercise of that housewifely skill

o r to which all women more less incline . ’ Th e beauty of the scenery led her to fix upon the E nglish lakes for the localityin which to make her home , and , finding no suitable house

sh e fo r f vacant , resolved to build one hersel

of -a She purchased two acres land , within half

1 80 HARRIE T M A R TI NE A UI

“ W Th e . ithin , Knoll i s j ust a nice little resi dence for a maiden lady, with her small house Y . ou hold , and room for an occasional guest

n enter by a covered porch , and find the drawi g

o n of room the right hand the hall . It is a

- fairly large room , and remarkably well lighted ;

- sh e s h e there was a window tax when built , but showed her faith in the growth of political c om m o n - s o sense abrogating mischievous an impost , by building in anticipation of freedom of light

Th e - and air from taxation . drawing room has w on e of two large indows , which descends quite

two o r h to the floor, and is provided with t ree s o stone steps outside , that the inmates may readily step forth o n to the terrace This win dow, by the way, exposed her to another tax

on e of than the Government . Hunters celebri ties were wont , in the tourist season,not merely to walk round her garden and terrace without leave , but even to mount these steps and flatten of the tips their noses against her window . Obj ectionable as the liabilityto this friendly wa s attention would be felt by most of us, it doubly s o to Miss Martineau because of her deafness , which precluded her from receiving ’ warning of her admirers approaches from the — crunching of their footsteps o n the gravel h s o that the first intimation that s he would receive of their presence would be to turn her head by 1 8 1 TH E HOM E LIF E . chance and find the flattened nose and the peer

- T ing eyes against the window pane . here is a

of o n e special record occasion , when her bell on rang in an agitated fashion , and the maid , going, found her mistress much disturbed . T bi bi on here is a g woman , with a g pattern to her dress , beckoning me to come to the win ”

o . dow g , and tell her to go away But simi lar incidents were manifold , and her servant s had to be trained to guard their mistress as if n she were the golde apples of the Hesperides . for sh e Indeed , several years (till became too ill to travel) she used to leave her lake - side home altogether during the tourist season . In her latest years she commonly wrote in the drawm - m g roo , as the sunniest and most cheer to o sh e sit ful apartment , and where , , could by ‘ of the fire, and yet get plenty daylight . Her was on proper study, however the room the of T is m Opposite side the hall . his a long roo with a bay window at the other end of the fi re

- place , and the door in the centre . Book cases lined the whole of these walls but her library was an extensive one , and there were books all e T v ov r the house . his room ser ed as dining room and study, both ; the writing table was

n - near the window, the di ing table further towards the fire . Th e only other room on the ground floor is 1 8 2 M T HARRIE T AR INEA U. l w the kitchen , which runs para lel with the dra n e ro om i g . H er principles and her practice went han d -in -hand in her domestic arrangements as , in her life generally ; and her kitchen was as h er airy, light and comfortable for her maids as

- Th e fo r . drawing room was herself kitchen , ’ - too , was provided with a book case for a servants

. . to library A scullery, dairy, etc , are annexed n the kitchen , and the e trance to the cellars below is also found through the green baize door which shuts off the cooking region from of the front the house .

U - a own p st irs , that which was her room is large and cheerful , and provided with two win w an d do s , a big hanging cupboard , a good sized

- — dressing room the latter indeed , fully large Th e enough for a maid to sleep in . next was th e spare - room and there lingers no small in te re st - about the guest chamber , where Harriet Martineau received such guests as C harlotte E E D Bronte, George liot , merson , and ouglas ’ Jerrold . A small servants room is next to this , o n e so and a larger is over the kitchen , that it

is comes j ust at the head of the stairs . Such ’ the size and arrangement of Harriet Ma rtineau s home . “ Climbi ng plants soon covered Th e Knoll n Th e o every side . ivy kept it green through all the year ; the porch was embowered in

H A RRI E T M A R T A INE U.

th e to capital in stock , stereotypes , and like , leave a ny profit on the sale that actually took place ; and the publication unfortunately coin cided with the agitation of the political world of n about the repeal the corn laws . But o e pleasing incident arose out of them for her per s on all f h ow y. She had been in di ficulties as to to obtain turf to lay down upon the land under O n e her terrace . fine morning, soon after her o n entrance her home , her maid found a

of n sh e great heap sods u der the window, when

Opened the shutters in the morning . A dirty note , closed with a wafer, was stuck upon the was o pile , and this found to state that the s ds were a token of gratitude for the Ga m e L a w , ” Ta les , from a Poacher . Harriet never di s covered from whom this tribute came . She took possession of her home on April D sh th 1 8 6 . e 7 , 4 uring the summer wrote — another story for young people on e of her most interesting tales , and instructive in its

Tbe B illow a nd t e R moral bearing k oc k . It must here be noted , in passing, that this is the last of her works in which the theism that she for had, up to this time , held religious truth , n ew was makes itself visible . A experien ce about to lead her to think afresh upon the theo her n logical subj ects , and to revise opi ions th e of about genesis faiths , and their influence upon moral s . TH E M F HO E LI E . 8 5

‘ of 1 8 6 In the autumn 4 , she accepted an

. R invitation from her friends , Mr and Mrs . . V . Y of L ates , iverpool , to j oin them in a j ourney E to the ast , they bearing the expense . Th e E O party left ngland in ctober, and were met E at Malta by Mr . J. C . wart , afterwards M . P . L T for iverpool . ogether, these four travellers sailed up the Nile to the second cataract , studied

T a w t hebes and Phil e, en up and into the Great ‘ Pyramid , visited bazaars , mosques and (the T . e ladies) harems , in Cairo hen they trav lled of M in the track oses in the desert , passing m . c o Sinai and reaching Petra Next , they letel p y traversed Palestine ; and finally, passed to B e rout through Syria y , where they took ship T again for home . his j ourney occupied eight months . “ O 1 8 Th e In ctober, 47, Harriet reached

Knoll again, and settled herself in her per

of ' manent course home life . As the same d habits were continue , with only the interrup tions of occasional visits to other parts of the

‘ for ears I country, day by day, many y , may as well mention what was the course of that daily home life .

: n ot She rose very early infrequently, in the e se t wint r, before daylight ; and immediately out for a good , long walk . Sometimes , I am t d - e ol , she would appear at a farm hous , four 1 86 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U.

Th off . e miles , before the cows were milked

- s h e Old post mistress recollects how, when was

- th e of making up her early letter bags , in gray the morning mists , Miss Martineau would come down with her large bundle of correspondence , and never failed to have a pleasant n o d an d

o r smile , a few kindly inquiries , for her humble “ friend . I always go out before it is quite light , writes Miss Martineau to Mr . Atkinson , 1 8 in November, 47 and in the fine mornings I go up the hill behind the church — the Kirk — stone road where I reach a great height , and R see from half way along W indermere to ydal .

W hen the little . shred of moon that is left and th e W an sfell morning star hang over , among the b Of i i t am er clouds the approaching sunr se , is O n delicious . the positively rainy mornings , my B walk is to Pelter ridge and back . Sometimes of T it is round the south end the valley . hese early walks (I s it down to my breakfast at half n past seven) are good , amo g other things , in ” preparing me in mind for my work .

R n sh e - etur ing home , breakfasted at half past seven ; filled her lamp ready for the evening, and arranged all household matters and by

- half past eight was at her desk , where she worked undisturbed till two , the early dinner T time . hese business hours were sacred , whether there were visitors in the house or

1 8 8 R T M T HAR IE AR INEA U.

c s ' were not , ertainly, common dome tics . She kept two girls in the house , besides the laboring man and his wife at the cottage and , as the place of was small , and her way living simple , the work did not require that s h e should choose rough women for servants merely because of their O n sh e strength . the contrary, made special efforts to secure young girls of a somewhat

o sh e superi r order, whom might train and attach s h e to herself . She got servants whom had to n o w of dismiss and again , course ; but the time that most Of her maids stopped with her and the warm feelings that they showed towards her, are a high testimony to the domestic charac f ter o their strong minded mistress . At the of time which we are now speaking, her maids “ ” wh o were Jane , had been cured from chronic ’ Ma rtin eau s illness by Miss mesmerizing, and w e who was in her service for seven years, h n t the girl emigrated ; and Mar ha, who had to been trained for teaching, and had resign it

- on from ill health , but who later married the master of Miss Carpenter ’ s Bristol Ragged

Schools , and returned to teaching, after serving for Miss Martineau some eight years . Of C the servants who came after this , aro line was there twenty years , till she was removed by death and Mary Anne served ’ th e m Miss Martineau eleven years , till istress s TH E M 1 HO E LIF E . 89

death closed the long term of attendance and

almost filial love . Indications Of how different the relationship was in this hom e from what it only too often ’ of Martin is , are found in many Miss eau s let W e “ ” . sh e ters h n Martha married , had the rare honor of having Harriet Martineau and a Th Mary C rpenter for her bridesmaids . e m istress gave the wedding breakfast , and par

of it ' too took , , in company with the bride and bridegroom and their friends ; and when she

off sh e s at to had seen them all , down to write her family about her loss with a b urstin g ” R heart . eferences to her feelings for her ” dear friend , Caroline , will be seen presently

1 11 her letters to Mr . Atkinson ; and her care and affection for this valued servant are ex pressed yet more frequently in letters which I n may not quote, to more domestic frie ds . As “ ” sh e to Mary Anne , has travelled a long way

‘ s ee while in delicate health , to me, to tell me of all she could her mistress , and to express “ how glad she was to know of anything being ’ done to make Miss Martin eau s goodness better ” ” n ow understood . Mary Anne i s a married fo r o r woman . She was engaged three four ’ Ma rtin e a u s years before Miss death , but would not leave her mistress in her Old age and her

- T on ill health . hat mistress , her part , when 190 HARRIE T M A R TINEA U.

of n ot a told the engagement , only dmitted the lover to an interview with herself, but even generously urged that the wedding should not a be delayed for her s ke , although at this time sh e had an almost morbid shrinking from stran ' e rs an d of g , the loss the personal attendant o n e who knew her ways , would have been Of the greatest calamities of the commoner order “ that could have befallen her . But Mary ” Anne did not leave her ; and when , at last , it

n became quite certain that death was at ha d , the generous lady said to a relative that it made her so glad to think that , when it was over, there could be nothing to stand in the ’ ” of way Mary Anne s marriage . I have thus anticipated in order to show that the domesti c peace which existed under her household rule was no special thing dependent upon the char acter of a single servant , but was maintained of through all the years her home life , and therefore unquestionably was the result of the ’ o f mistress s qualities heart and mind . W hat may be called her external home -life w that is to say, hat she was to her poorer — o f neighbors during that ten years activity , may also be best noticed before the mental progress and literary work of the period com e w under further revie . E s h e very winter, for several years , gave a

1 2 H A RRI E T M A R T 9 INEA U.

r o n e ove again . But there is no who could tell ,

s h e with the aid Of a cultivated taste , what was O as a public speaker . S eloquent is some of ’ her writing that on e holds one s breath as one reads it ; and the evident rapidity of the pen * of M manship her S . shows that such passages were produced with all the improvisato ry im n a d . pulse flow of the orator If, besides this ,

o n e her delivery was fervent and impressive , cannot but think how great a statesman and parliamentary leader she might have been , with these essential qualificatio n s for modern public life added to all that knowledge , j udgment , of strength principle , and political capacity which made men willing (as we shall see soon) to accept her as their political teacher in the T h ad daily and quarterly press . hat she the ’ orator s stirring gifts , the personal magnetism which compels the mi n ds of a mass to move of with the words a speaker, and the reciprocal of power receiving stimulus from an audience , when T e h earts of m an fi res th e li s of o ne h y p , h on e t ere is shadowy incident left to show, besides the testimony of her local hearers who

* I n spe aking o f h er e l o q uent writings I r efe r s pec ia ll y to h Histor o tlze P ea c e a nd I h a e s ee n the m anus c i t o f t e . y f ; v r p this ea in e ide nc e th a t th e hand c ould not kee ac e with , b r g v p p t the flow of words a nd houghts . 1 THE HOM E LIFE. 93

i : 1 8 B survive . It is th s in 49 Charlotte ronte, then in the first flush of her fame , sought ’ Martin e au s i Harriet acqua ntance , saying that “ sh e desired to see one whose works have s o ” often made her the subj ect of my thoughts . In the following year Charlotte visited Harriet ” at Th e of E Knoll , and heard one the nglish

History lectures . Her bright eyes were fixed on the lecturer all through and as Harriet

o n stood her low platform , while the audience

s h e s a dispersed , heard Charlotte y, in the very E voice of the lecturer, what dward said in the “ ” wind - mill at Cressy Is my s on dead ? They walked silently to the house together — about three hundred paces and when Ha rrl et turned u - p her lamp in the drawing room , the first thing s aw she was Charlotte looking at her with wide, shining eyes , and repeating , in the same tone ,

“ ’ ” Is my s o n dead ? To th ose who know the ’ dramatic quality o f Charlotte Bront e s imagina of tion , there is a beam light reflected from this trifling anecdote upon the force and the manner s o of the speaker who had impressed her. Th e Opinion W hich this keenly observant and candid woman formed of Harriet Martineau is Of and peculiar interest , , as it specially refers to the period and the relations of which we are ’ Ga sk ell s L i e now treating, I quote it from Mrs . f o f Cka rlotte B ronte. It is given in some private 1 M T 94 HARRIE T AR INEA U.

0 “ Th e I le tters n . , writte from Knoll (not , as Mrs E B e Chapman absurdly says , to mily ront , who ' - was dead , but) to Charlotte s life long and most n E 5 confidential frie d , Miss llen Nussey

’ in e au s I am at Miss M art for a week . Her house is very pleasant both within and with out arranged at all points with admirable neat n ness and comfort . Her visitors e j oy the most perfect liberty ; what s h e claims for herself she

allows them . . She is a great and good woman . Th e manner in which she combines the highest mental culture with the nicest discharge Of feminine duties filled me with admiration ; while h e r affectionate kindness earned my grati i a n d n i tude . I th nk her good oble qualit es far n outweigh her defects . It is my habit to co sider

the individual apart from his (or her) reputation , of n practice independent theory, atural disposi

tion isolated from acquired Opinion . Harriet ’ Ma rtin e au s in person , practice , and character f spire me with the truest a fection and respect . “ a n d a n d I find a worth greatness in herself, a consiste n cy and benevolence and persever a n t ce in her practice , such as win the sinceres

esteem and affection . She is not a person to be

j udged by her writings alone , but rather by her o wn n deeds and life , than which othing can be r more exemplary o nobler . She seems to me the n o f of be efactress Ambleside , yet takes no sort credit to herself fo r her active and indefatigable Th e n Of philanthropy . gover ment her house hold is admirably administered ; all she does is of well done , from the writing a history down to

196 H A RE IF T M A R TINEA U

“ sh e showed the people h ow they could buy a house with its rent ” and she undertook all the infinite trouble that devolved upon her when the

of society was formed , as the only member it with legal and general knowledge , and , there o n e fore , the only able to guide its affairs . Before me there lies a package of the notes that s h e sent at different times on this b us 1n e s s to Mr . Bell , the Ambleside chemist , who was the nominal chairman — though she was the real on — Of e the society . Jealousy and ridicule ” went to work against the scheme ; but her philanthropic energy and wisdom were fully Th e s successful . cottage are healthily planned

an d a s and well built , remain there a monument to the efforts which sh e made for the good of her poor neighbors . Besides these more general undertakings for e t their benefit , there y live many amongst them who are grateful to her for personal kindness and W s h . e assistance hile her strength lasted , was ever readv to t ry to relieve others from ill ness by th e means which she believed to have cured herself ; and seven mesmerized patients were sometimes asleep at one time in her

- drawing room . She was a powerful mesmerist . Most of her patients were at least relieved

o f some cured . A present resident Ambleside , who owes his success in business life to her 1 TH E HOM E LIF E. 97

sh e kindness , told me how mesmerized him for n early an hour every day for a year ; and to show that sh e did n ot do this without very

decided results to herself, he remembers that her

fingers used to swell during the process , so as to to almost hide her rings , if she forgot take

them Off before beginning .

Again , her library was placed freely at the

service Of deserving young men in the village , and only book-lovers will be able to appreciate o f the generosity this neighborly kindness . ’ Old Miss Nicholson tells me of Miss Ma rtin eau s kindness to her invalid sister sharing with her the luxuries which were not to be bought in fre Ambleside , but which the famous writer f quently received from some of her many riends . Nor wa s the mere personal human sympathy wanting in her ; those wh o needed no gifts o r material aid from her knew her as a kind for friend , ready to think them and advise with them in their troubles o r perplexities . In mentioning her activities other than liter of ary, during those ten busy and healthy years “ ” I m ust home life , not omit her farming her farm of two acres . She had no intention , of at first , embarking in such an enterprise . She let on h i re that portion of her land which sh e did not wish to have in her garden , and her m of aids and herself , with the occasional help 1 8 T 9 HARRIE T MAR INEA U.

B ut . n a man , kept the garden in order this pla Th e did not answer well . tenant allowed the grass to get untidy, and his sheep broke into the garden to eat the cabbages . Neither the vegetable nor the flower garden could be kept s o nicely as might be wished . Milk , butter, eggs , and ham s , all had to be bought at high prices ; and s o small was the supply at time s that these articles o f country produce were actually unattainable by purchase . Th e energetic lady of the small domain was

of profoundly dissatisfied with this state affairs . So to work sh e went to study th e science of agriculture and practical farmi ng ; and soon a N h orfolk laborer was establis ed on her land, and this small farm was under her own manage

s et - ment . She up a cross pole fence around her o ne L estate , the first ever seen in the ake D s he istrict ; and , like a true woman , planted roses all along the fence , to wreathe and decorate T s h e it in summer . hen initiated her fellow of n farmers into the mysteries high farmi g , and “ ” stall feeding . A cow to three acres was the Lake rule ; but sh e hired another half of own acre land , to add to her , and showed that upon this total of two acres s h e could a lm os t of keep two cows . Fowls and pigs were , u c om course , kept also ; and all the ho sehold forts which cows , hens , and pigs supply were

T I C HAP E R ! .

IN THE M T UR TY O F HE R P W E R A I O S .

THE 1 8 8 w book , published early in 4 , in hich E D Harriet described her gyptian , esert and

E a s tern L i e Palestine travels , was entitled f ,

P s n s a t a d P re ent. If I were required to gi ve from some on e only of her works a series Of extracts which should illustrate the special powers of her mind and the finest features Of her style, it would be this book that I should choose . I do not mean to say that the most eloquent and vivid passage that I might find in all her writ ings is here nor that her deepest and noblest qualities as a thinker are more forcibly displayed B ut here than elsewhere . I mean that in

E a s tern L e P a s t a nd P res ent if , , all her best moral and intellectual faculties were exerted ,

th e ir ‘ a c tion m o n e or and beco es visible , at page another, in reading the book from the first to Th e the last chapters . keen observation , the active thought , the vigorous memory, the power of of deep and sustained study , the mastery to language , giving the ability depict in words M A TURIT Y OF HER P O W ERS 20 1

’ and to arouse ' th e reader s imagination to men tal vision — all these requisites for the writing of / a good book of travel s h e showed that she s h pos essed . But t ere is even more than all this

E s L T i in a tern ife. here is the feel ng for c an humanity in all its circumstances , which sympathize no less with the slave of the harem h at this moment alive in degradation , t an with the highest intelligences that ceased from exist f Th e ence unnumbered thousands o years ago . most interesting and characteristic feature dis tin uishin g g this work is , however, the openness and freedom of its thought combined with the profound reverence that it shows for all that is venerable . It was E a s tern L ife which first declared to the world that Harriet Martineau had ceased

o v t ha e a theology . She had learned in travel E ling through gypt , how much Of what Moses taught was derived from the ancient mythology of E gypt Passing afterwards through the a l nds where the Hebrew, the Christian , and o b serv the Mohammedan faiths in turn arose , ing, thinking, and studying, the conclusion at

i sh e thiS ° wh ch arrived at last was , in brief, That men have ever constructed the image of a Ruler Of the Universe o ut of their o wn minds that all successive ideas about the Supreme

i i Power have been or g nated from within , and 2 T M T 20 HARRIE AR INEA (I . modified by the surrounding circumstances ; and that all theologies , therefore, are baseless of productions the human imagination , and have no essential connection , with those great religious ideas and emotions by which men are e constrained to liv nobly, to do j ustly, and to

s e e love what they to be the true and the right . Her conviction that the h ighest moral c on

th e duct , and the most unselfish goodness , and noblest aspirations , are in no degree connected

of was s u with any kind creed , aided and p

affe c ported , no doubt , by her warm personal

of tion for Mr . Atkinson , and some other her

of o f in sh e friends his way thinking, whom found aspirations as lofty and feelings as admi

l s h e rab e as ever had enj oyed communion with ,

on s c ie n together with a complete rej ection , tifi of c . grounds , all theology Her belief now was that

Th e of u best state mind was to be fo nd , how it ever might be accounted for, in those who were called philosophical atheists . I knew — several Of that class some avowed , and some n o t ; and I had for several years felt that they were among my most honored acquaintances and friends ; and now I knew them more deeply s a c o n sc ie n and thoroughly, I must y that , for to us n e s s i effe c , sincerity, integr ty, seriousness , a n d tli e true reli ious s irit tive intellect , g p , I knew nothing like them .

20 RRI E T T 4 H A M AR INEA U.

- livm o r - ments about still g lately dead person s , and about actions which have been observed with all the freshness o f feeling o f the passing m moment , ust Often seem unduly stern to those who look back through the softening veil o f th e the past , and to whom actors have always been purely historic personages . Moreover, I h have before mentioned her tendency, w ich seem s to me to have arisen from her deafness , to give insufficient ska ding of in depicting

15 character . But wonderfully little allowance , o n after all , required such grounds from the reader at th e present day Of Harriet Marti ’ neau s history of the years between 1 8 1 5 and ’ 1 8 Th e O Con n e ll 45 . view taken by her of ,

Brougham , and some others is perhaps too too stern ; the picture has many dark shades , and n ot a due proportion of light tints b ut it c an scarcely be questioned that the outline is accurate , and the whole drawing substantially Th e correct . earnest endeavor after impa rti ality , and the success with which the j udicial attitude o f the historian is o n the whole main in ta e d . , are very remarkable This appears s o to o n e who looks upon the book with the eyes of the present generation but the recognition o f the fact at the moment h sh e w en wrote is perhaps more conclusive , and the following quotation may serve to show the M A URI T Y OF H E R P 0 W E 2 6 T E S. 5

Opinion o f those who (with her) had lived through the time of which she treats . Miss Martineau has been able to discuss events which may almost be called contemporary as calmly as if she were examining a remote i of i per od ant quity . She has written the his ‘ tory o f a rather un dign ifi e d reign with a dignity that raises even the strifes o f forgotten a n d exploded parties into philosophic importance . She exhibits warm sympathies fo r all that is r o r e xha lte d— noble , hono able , and a thorough disdain of every paltry contrivance devised to o r serve a temporary purpose , gain an unworthy Th e s h e end . principles which enunciates are o n based eternal truths , and evolved with a logical precision that admits rhetorical ornament r without becoming obscure o confused . There are few living authors who may be s o implicitly trusted with the task Of writing contemporary history as Miss Martineau . She has spared no e pains in investigating the truth , and allow d no it ale fears to prevent her from stating .

T hough all her other books should die , and

i n o f be bur ed utterly u der the dust time , this o n e r will never be enti ely lost . It is as accurate and as careful in its facts as the driest c om pen dium n , while yet its pages glow with eloque ce , i i and are instinct w th political w sdom . She reallydid here what s h e had designed to do in S oc ie ty in A m eric a but h e re she did it in the

* A tken ceu m M a c h l s t 8 . , r , 3 , 1 49 2 00 T M T HA RRIE AR INEA U.

o ne Th right method , there in a wrong . e grea t growth of her mind in twelve years Of maturity could not be better gauged than by a compari s on of two these works . Her political principles did not change in the time ; she was a true believer in popular government all her life her love o f j ustice caused her to be a hater of

o f of class rule , and every kind privilege ; her sympathies were boundless , and made her in earnest for the freedom and progress of the democracy ; her conscience was active s o that sh e loved truth for its o wn sake and her sense of duty never failed to keep alive in her large mind a feeling of personal concern in the pro

of f a of gress public a f irs . All this was true her when sh e wrote her American book ; it was equally true wh en s h e treated the history of her

‘ w o wn B ut o n land and her times . in the latter

sh e case , writes on political philosophy like a statesman in the former there is much of the doctrinaire . In the latter work , principles underlie the whole fabric ; but the actions of politicians are made the means of j udging their own o f professed creeds , the value those creeds being easily appraised by the results seen to

o n follow actions in conformity with them . In the earlier work , as we saw, the theories were postulated first , and the actions were measured against those self-derived standards of right and

208 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U. the work itself cannot be adequately surveyed

is and criticized ; and thus what , perhaps , the most useful , capable and important work which

o ur Harriet Martineau did , eludes detailed W e c a n survey . best j udge what was her power as a leader-writer and review and maga zine essayist by noting how progressively her mind improved , and to what a high moral and intellectual standpoint sh e had attained in her m latest volu es , j ust before she exchanged such sustained labors for the briefer though not less arduous efforts of leading and teaching through th e periodical press . Tbe His tory of tke P ea c e wa s completed in 1 8 0 s o su c c e s ul 5 , and was immediately that th e publisher asked Miss Martineau to write an introductory volume on the history of the W first fifteen years of this century . hile at “ ” work upon this Introduction s h e did also some short articles o n various subj ects fo r ’ s D H ous e/t old W ords Charle ickens periodical , , and was likewise proceeding with the prepara tion of another volume of a very different k T ind . his last was published in January, 1 8 5 1 (before the introductory volume of the His to of L etters on tlze L a ws ry) , under the title of ’ M a n s Na ture a n d D evelo m en t p , by Henry George

. S . . Atkinson , F . G , and Harriet Martineau Th e contents of the book were actual letters R Y R P 20 M A TU I T OF H E O W ERS. 9

which had passed between the friends . It will be remembered that Harriet did not meet Mr . Atkinson during the progress of her mesmeric treatment and recovery from illness under his h n . s e writte advice But soon after got better, they were visiting together at the house of a

n s ix o r s o cousin of hers , and duri g the years ha d which had since then passed , they Often met , and their correspondence had grown to be very frequent . Mr . Atkinson had gradually become the friend dearest to Harriet Martineau in all the world . He gained her affection (I us e the word advisedly) by entirely honorable — roads by the delight which sh e took in observing his scientific knowledge , his original t of of i y thought and his elevated tone mind . But I cannot doubt that long before this vol

of L etters ume was published , he had become dear to her by virtue of that personal attraction which is not altogether dependent upon merit , but which enhances such merits as may be o f possessed by the obj ect the attachment , and so m ewhat confuses the relationship o n the T of intellectual side . his condition things is in no way especially feminine ; John Stuart T M . ill bowed down to Mrs aylor, and Comte

of c ulte erected his admiration Clotilde into a . n Mr . Atki son was many years younger than sh e ; his friend , and very likely never fully real 2 1 0 HA RRIE T M A R TINEA U.

' of o wn iz ed the depth her feelings towards him . a h ad But still the attr ction its influence , though unac knowledged in words , and unreciprocated n in ki d .

Miss Martineau was really taught by Mr . Atkinson much of science that sh e h ad not pre viousl y studied ; but yet it was an error, from of every point view, for her to present to the world a book in which s h e avowed herself his f pupil . Her letters are mainly composed o s h e questions , upon which seeks enlightenment . Th e a of answers cannot , in the n ture the case , give forth a connected system of thought upon ’ ” NO o n Man s Nature and Development . e was m ore ready than s h e herself to recognize sh e n o n that , as says , in literature , mi d can work well upon the lines laid down by ” sh e another ; yet this was what required Mr .

' Atkinson to do in re plying to her quest ion s and Th e o n taking up her points . errors that e would expect are found in the results o f thi s mistaken form ; the facts and the inferences f are neither su ficiently separated , nor properly connected ; and th e real value which the book had as a contribution to science and philo s o phy is lost sight of in the disorder . In fact , no form could be less suitable than the epistolary fo r such work either for the writers to arrange o r and analyze what they were doing, for the

2 1 2 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

fi ‘ as much as in s tudyin g in anim ate nature ; A of n ot great First Cause all things is denied , but

n e c e s declared unknown and unknowable , as s arily beyond the comprehension of the senses f of o . man Supernatural revelation is , course , entirely rej ected indeed , the very word super v n at natural is held to in olve a fallacy, for only ’ ural things can be known . Mr. Atkinson pointed o ut that the whole of the facts . which are around us can be observed, analyzed , and

’ found to occur in an invariable s e quen c e of a n d causes effects , which form natural laws ;

' and that the mind of man is no exception to this general truth , that all events spring from

u o f ca ses , and are themselves in turn causes other effects . It follows from these conclusions “ ” h that the First Cause (whic , as Miss Mar tin eau of said , the constitution the human mind requires it to suppose) never intervenes in the a s world an errant influence , disturbing natural law ; and all speculations about its nature , char of th acter, and purposes are put aside as out e I

field Of inquiry. o n Passing from method to results , Mr . Atkin s on gave the first hints o f many doctri n es now fully accepted as that o f unconscious cerebra

o r of in tion , that more senses than five , for stance ; and many others (based mainly o n m n ot phrenology and mesmeris ) held , up to the I Y O E R P 2 1 M A TUR T F H O W ERS. 3

the of own present time , even by scientists his th e school . For the rest book has much that is interesting ; it has much that is true ; but it

has , also , much that might well have been put n forward as speculatio , but should not have been stated s o dogmatically as it was on the evidence ale available . It was received in 1 8 5 1 with a howl from the orthodox press which would seem strange indeed of in these days . But competent criticism it had ’ Martin eau s of very little . Miss name , course , s ecured a tte ntlon for it ; and sm all though her to share in the book was , it was quite enough make the fact perfectly clear that she was hence forth to be looked upon as a materialist ” and “ ” h of a philosop ical atheist , and the rest the names by which it was customary to stigmatize any person who rej ected supern aturalism and

revelation . Th e motives with which this book was written

and published could hardly be misunderstood . There could be no idea of m aking m on ey out of

I t is right that I s ho ul d s ay th at I alone am responsible fo r the a bo v e ( ne c ess a ril y im perfe c t) diges t of the c o nte nts of the

o . h o u ht in r t in o m e the b ok I a t fi r st t g o f a s k g M . A k s n to do f a v o r o f r e a din g my a c c ount o f his wo rk in pr o o f ; b ut I ulti m a te c o nc lude d th at it wo u d be ette th at in this instanc e l y l b r , ’ as in th e c as e of all H a iet Martineau s o th e o o s I m sel rr r b k , y f s h oul d be wh o lly r es po nsible to the public for my own sub stantial a c c urac y an d fairness . 2 1 1 T M T 4 HARRIE A R INEA U, — a work o n philosophy e ven if either of the authors had been in the habit of writing merely m m to ake oney ; while as to fame and applause ,

’ everyone is more o r less acquainted with the history of the reception given in all ages to those who have questioned the popular beliefs of their time ! The sole motive with which Harriet Martineau wrote and issu e d this book was the same that impelled her to do all h e r — work the desire to teach that which s h e believed to be true , and to be valuable in its W ‘ influence upon conduct . ith regard to the o n e t latter point , it seemed to her that grea cause fo r the slow advance of civilization is the degree to which good men and women have occupied themselves with supernatural concerns ,

fo r neglecting these the actual world , its condi tions , and its wants , and giving themselves over

to the , guidance of a spiritual hierarchy instead o f own i n exercising all their powers freedom . She struck at this error in publishing the

rs L ette . At the same time she felt doubtful if her future writings would ever be read after her bold utterances , and even , as the following letter

s h e n o t shows , whether might find herself the ’ occupant of a felon s dock for the crime Of whic hl in Socrates , and Jesus , and Galileo were each turn accused — blasphemy

2 16 T III A R A HARRIE TI NE U.

“ words in the preface to the L etters ) that great l social duty, to impart what we be ieve , and what

h e we think we have learned . Among t few thi ngs of which we can pron ounce ourselves certain is the Obli gation o f inquirers after truth ” Th e to communicate what they obtain . heroic soul fulfilled now, as before and afterwards ,

sh e h what eld to be her duty, as simply and unwaveringly as ever a soldier o n the battle ’ field charged the cannon s mouth . Five times In her life did Harriet Martineau write and publish that which she believed would

for ruin her prospects , silence her voice ever, and close her career . Far from her was that common paltering with the conscience by which — s o m any men co nfuse their minds the poor prete n ce that truth must not be spoken fo r fear ’ that the speaker s influence fo r future worthy T work may b e inj ured by his boldness . his is “ how the devil tempts , saying, Fall down , and worship me, and I will give thee all the king

o f of doms the earth and the glory them . Harriet Martineau never worshipped evil even wa s s in a by silence , when silence , pl ying fast and loose with her conscience by a promise to use the power s o obtained for higher Obj ects Th e hereaf ter . truth that appeared to her mind sh e spoke frankly ; the work that was placed for her to do sh e did simply ; and so the quag M A TURI T Y OF H E R P W 2 1 O ERS. 7 mire of the expedien t never engulfed her repu tation - h e r , her self respect and usefulness , as it has done that Of s o many who have been lured into it from the straight path of right action ’ - o - and truthful speech in public life , by will the wisp hopes of greater power and glory for — themselves in the future which they h Ope they may use for good when they shall be smothered in cowardice and lies . She had much to suffer, and did suffer . Martyrs are u not honored beca se they are insensate , but because they defy their natural human weak nesses in maintaining that which they believe to be true . Probably the keenest grief which sh e experienced o n the occasion now before us came from th e complete separation which took place between her and the dearest friend o f her D r youth , her brother James . . Martineau was ,

o n e o f s of P ros ec t at that time , the editor the p ive R eview . Philosophy was his department , and in the natural order the L etters came to i him for review . He reviewed the book accord ingly and in such terms that all intercourse between him and his sister was thenceforward T at an end . hey had long before drifted apart in thought but this final separation was none ’ D r Ma rtin eau s the less felt as a wrench . . attack was almost exclusively aimed against Mr. ’ of Atkinson . But with Harriet s loyalty nature 2 1 8 T M A R TI /VE A HA RRIE U. sh e was m o re impelled to: resent what was said about her friend and c olleague th an if it had Th e been directed against herself . brother and sister never met or communicated with each h ot er again . Th e introductory volume of th e H is tory of tke P ea c e was published soon after th e Atkin

L et rs Th e s h e son te . next work which under — took was a great labor the rendering into ’ E of P os itive P lzilos o k nglish Comte s p y . W hat s h e accomplished with this book was n ot u a mere translation , nor co ld it be precisely described as a condensation it was both these n and more . Comte had propounded his grou d work Oi philosophy and h is outline of all the

i of Sc ences in six bulky volumes , full repeti tions , and written in an imperfect French style . Harriet Martineau rendered the whole s ub stance Oi these s ix volumes into two Of clear E l ng ish , orderly, consecutive , and scientific in method as in substance . So well was her work accomplished that Comte himself adopted it ’ of for his students use, removing from his list books for Positivists his o wn editio n of his E course , and recommending instead the nglish

- version by Miss Martineau . It thus by and bye came to pass that Comte ’ s own work fell

out o f entirely use , and his complete teachings became inaccessible to the French people in

2 20 T I W A R TI N E A HARRIE (I .

. O the preceding two years . nly partly, how

e - ever ; for, besid s all the efforts for her neigh b orh o o d previously referred to (the building

i Soc ety was in progress during those years , and gave her much thought , as her business notes

sh e are in evidence) , and besides her farming,

was now writing . largely for periodicals and T newspapers . hese are the pulpit s from which our modern preachers are most widely and

o f effectively heard , and the right tone which

of is, therefore , the first consequence to society . F or every hundred persons who listen to the priest , the j ournalist (including in this term writers for all periodicals) speaks to a thou sand ; and while the words of the o n e are often o f heard merely as a formality, those the other, dealing with the matters at the moment most effe c near and interesting to his audience , may tively influence the thoughts and consciences of and actions thousands in the near future .

Shallow, indeed , would be the mind which

o f o r undervalued the power the j ournalist ,

of n underrated the seriousness his vocatio . Harriet Martineau s aw the Scope which j ournalism afforded for the kind o f work which she had all her life been doing the influencing of conduct by considering practical affairs in the light Of principle . Her periodical writing o ur E being, according to mistaken nglish cus M T I T P W 22 1 A UR Y OF HER O ERS.

n tor , anonymous , neither brought her any increase o f fame nor carried with it th e influenCe which her personality as a teacher would have of contributed to the weight what she wrote . N evertheless , she repeatedly in her letters , speaks of her j ournalism as the most delightful of sh e work her life , and that which believed had been perhaps the most useful of all her efforts . m So e stories with sanitary morals , which she n ow Hous ekold W ords contributed to , were Th e of Bleaburn admirably written . People

‘ is the true story of what was done by a grand W American woman , Mary are , when she hap pened to go into an isolated village at the very time that half its inhabitants were lying stricken “ w W oodruffe do n by an epidemic . , the Gar de n er of Of , was a presentation the evils living “ - Th e F o in low lying damp countries . Marsh g and the Sea Breeze ” is perhaps the most interesting of all her stories sin ce the Political E conomy tales , which it much resembles in lightness of touch and in practical utility . A series of slight stories under the general “ ” of L title Sketches from ife , was also contrib

" ute d at this time to the L ea der ; they were all o of them true tales and , like most real life st ries , Th e on e extremely pathetic . most touching is “ ” Th e Old called Governess , describing the 2 2 2 HARRIE T M A R TINEA U .

w feelings with which an educated elderly oman , past her work , and with an Inj ured hand , sought refuge in the workhouse ; and how sh e con T ducted herself there . hese stories were re 1 published in a volume in 8 56 . A series of descriptive accounts of manu of factures , some which contain most graphic T writing , were also done in this time . hese

” 1 8 — papers , with others written between 45 5 5 , were rep ublished in a volume in There are some passages which I am greatly tempted

of to quote , merely as specimens the perfection to which her literary style had at this time n ow of sim arrived . It is a style that clear lic it p y which seems so easy to the reader, but which is in reality the highest triumph Of the Th e literary artist . inexperienced reader is apt to suppose that anybody could write thus , until perhaps he gains some glimpse of the truth by finding the powerful effect which it is producing

Th e upon his thoughts and imagination . practiced writer knows meanwhile that , simple n ot though the vocabulary appears , he could chan ge a word for the better ; an d easily though t h e e of sentenc s swing, the rounding their to rhythm is an achievement admire . I may to not pause to quote , but I may especially refer “ on Th e L of the paper ife a Salmon , in illus of tration of this eloquence style .

* Hea ltk Husba ndr a nd Ha ndic ra t. , y f

2 R T M T N 4 HA RIE AR I EA U.

‘ att racted immediate atte ntion a s they appeared in the D a ily N ews ; and before the end of the ' i year they were re published n a volume . At “ ” the same time some of her leaders secured to much attention , and the editor pressed her D 1 8 write even more frequently . uring 5 3 she an d wrote on an average four articles a week , — shortly afterwards the number rose to six one ’ in each day s paper. Th e tale of the j ournalistic work of these n ot T busy two years is yet complete . here is a long article Of hers in the W es tm ins ter R eview “ fo r 1 8 s Th e Con January , 5 3 ; the ubj ect is , and dition Prospects of Ireland . All this j ournalism was done at the same tim e that the heavy sustained task of th e condensa ’ tion of Comte s abstruse and bulky work was

W we add our proceeding . hen to all this in

recollection her home duties , and when the fact i s borne in mind that it was her common prac to n ot tice take immense walks , infrequently

covering from twelve to fifteen miles in the day, v it will be seen that the mere industry and energy that she showed were most extraordi of nary . But , besides this , her work was a of high order of literary excellence , and full

intellectual power .

t a late da te b C o unt Pdrro of Mi an wh o e ed th a a r , y , l , b gg t he wo u d let th e wo ha was the c onditio n of I ta s l rl d kno w w t - ly

under A ustrian r ul e . A RI T Y F H E R P W 2 2 M TU O O E RS. 5

Such incessant labor is n ot to be held up as T altogether an example to be imitated . here are some few whose duty it is to consciously moderate the amount Of labor to which their mental activity impels them and no one ought to allow the impe rat1ve brain to overtax the of D rest the system . uring the Irish j ourney, Harriet began to ' be aware of experiencing u f nusual fatigue . She gave herself no su ficient a or n p use , however, either then afterwards , u til sh e s o could not help doing . After the publication of Comte sh e wrote a remarkable article for the W es tm ins ter R eview “ ’ (anonymous of course) o n E ngland s Foreign ” T - fo policy . his appeared in the number r

i 1 8 im January, 54. It dealt largely with the pending struggle between E ngland and Russia . T L sh e rue iberal as Harriet Martineau was , th e R hated with all her soul , not ussian people , but the hideous despotism , the Asiatic and of barbarian and brutal government that empire . She foresaw a probable great struggle in the future between tyranny and freedom , in which R of ussia, by virtue all her circumstances , will be the po wer against which the free peoples of the earth will have to fight . Not only, then , did s h e fully recognize the necessity for the e immediat resistance , which the Crimean war

o n E was , to the encroachments urope of the 8 2 26 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

o Czar, but her article als included a powerful plea for the abolition of that system of secrecy of E h i nglish diplomacy , by w ch it is rendered quite possible fo r o ur ministry to covertly inj ure o ur o ur liberties, and to take action behind backs in o u r names in Opposition to o ur warm e st Th e o n e o f wishes . article , as a whole , is

of her most powerful pieces writing, and had it been delivered as a speech in parliament , it would undoubtedly have produced a great f e fect , and have placed her high amongst the statesmen of that critical time . In the April ( 1 8 54) number of the same

R eview ea , there app red an article from her pen “ upon Th e Census of This paper was u not a mere comment pon the census return , but an historical review of th e progress of the E n glish people from barbarism to the civili z ation of our century , I n the spring o f this year s h e mad e a careful survey of th e beautiful district around h e r

Com lete Gu ide to tke home , in order to write a p

f r L a kes o a local publisher . She was already thoroughly acquainted with the neighborhood by means of her long and frequent pedestrian of excursions , and reminiscences these abound “ ” Th e v o f in this Guide . vi id description a on fo r storm Blake Fell , instance , is a faithful account Of an occurrence duri n g a visit which

2 28 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

- v and printing press many thousand times o er, s o uttered to all who had ears to h e arf She sho wed that this wa s so by the greater deliber aten e s s with which sh e expressed j udgments of Vperson s and pronou n ced Opinions o f any kind

in her writings than in conversation . Similarly sh e showed it by the abeyance Of her humor in writing ; it was no more possible fo r her to crack j okes when seated at her desk than it would have been for a priestess when standing

by her tripod . But this particular book this

Guide , written for neighborly reasons , did not admit of the seriousness of h e r intellect

being called into action , and the result is that it is full of good stories and lighted up with in fun . Her enj oyment such stories reveals of that sense humor which , however strongly

visible in daily intercourse , rarely appears in her books in any other form than in h er perfect

appreciation of th e line between , th e sublime

and the ludicrous . This summer brought her much annoyance of

a pecuniary kind . H er generosity about money

matters were repeatedly shown , from the time “ when sh e left her Illus tra tions in the hands f F ox s h e n ow o . . Mr C , onwards and had given what was for her means an extravagant c o n trib u tion to the maintenance of the W es tm ins ter

R eview a n o n , t ki g a mo rtgage the proprietorship P 2 2 M A TURIT Y OF HER O W ERS. 9

f 1 her . o 8 for only security In the summer 54, D ri Chapman , its publisher and editor, failed ; and an attempt was made to upset the mortgage . Harriet Martineau gave Chapman the most kindly assistance and sympathy in his affairs at this j uncture ; not only overlooking the probable loss to herself, but exerting herself to write two long articles for the next number of the R eview O ( ctober, “ O n e of these essays is o n R aj ah Brooke ; a name that has half faded o ut of the knowledge of the present generation , but which well de serves memory from the heroic devotedness ,

of and courage, and governing faculty the man . His qualities were those most congenial to

Harriet Martineau ; and , finding his enemies sh e active and potent , made a complete study of his case and represented it in f ull in an a rticle which (like her previous o ne on Foreign

- s o Policy was so statesman like and wise , m s o n so cal and yet eloque t , that it would have

‘ made her famous amongst the politicians of the day had it been delivered as a speech in the of House , instead being printed anonymously in a review with too small a circulation to pay its way .

No r D r did generous aid to . Chapman end of here . H e was disappointed some expected

" contributions , and Miss Martineau wrote him a T M T HARRIE AR INEA (I . — se cond long article for the same number the “ ” o n e o n Th e Crystal Palace , which concludes

s tm ins ter 1 8 W e O . two the for ctober, 54 Her contributions amounted to fifty- four pages of print — truly a generous gift to an impecunious m agazine editor . It was now precisely ten years since her Th recovery from her long illness . e work done in that time sho ws how complete the recovery T had been . hose ten happy years of vigor and h e s a s . Of labor were , was wont to y, Mr Atkin ’ W son s gift to her . ell had she u s ed these last years of her strength .

2 2 T M 3 HARRIE AR TINEA U. occupied herself with making every preparation for the departure from earth which sh e supposed

Th e s to be impending . first busines was to make a n ew will a n d this was a characteristic document . After ordering that her funeral should be conducted in the plainest manner, and sh e at the least possible cost , continued thus “ in ro It is my desire , from an interest the p of gress scientific investigation , that my skull should be given to Henry George Atkinson , of

Upper Gloucester Place , and also my brain , if my death take place within such distance of the said Henry George Atkinson ’ s then present abode as to enable him to have it for purposes of scientific investigation . Her property was then ordered to bear various small charges , 200 including one of £ to Mrs . Chapman for ’ writing a conclusion to the testator s auto

of biography , over and above a fourth share the profits o n the sale of the whole work after ” ” Th e h the first edition . Knoll was bequeat ed “ ” E Th e to her favorite little sister, llen . remainder o f her possessions were divided

h o r amongst all her brot ers and sisters , their heirs , with as much impartiality as though she ’ Tullive r s Gle held , with Maggie aunt gg, that “ of in the matter wills , personal qualities were s ubordinate to the great fundamental fact of ” blood . Although mesmerism had estranged I N RE TREA T; j O URNA L I S M 2 3 3

o her from a sister, and theology from a br ther, sh e made no display of bitter feelings towards in them and theirs her last will . All her personal affai rs being made as orderly a s s h e A utobi possible , proceeded to write her o ra k R of a n mis g p y . eaders th t interesti g but leading work must bear in mind that it was a Th e very hasty production . two large volumes were written in a few months ; the MS . was sent to the . printer as it was produced , the sheets

off for the first edition were printed , then the m atter was stereotyped , and the sheets and plates were packed up in the o fli c e of the fo r printer, duly insured , and held ready imme diate publication after her death . She wrote in this hot haste with “ the shadow cloaked

‘ So from head to foot at her right hand . much reason had sh e to believe that her very sh e days were numbered , that wrote the latter part of her A utobiograpky before the first por

H ous e tion . She had already given forth , in lzold E duc a tion Tli e Cro ton B o s and f y , the result s o f her childish experiences of life and s h e was n ow specially anxious not to die without leaving behind her a definite account Of the later course o f her intellectual history . No o n e who knew her considers that s h e did

/i a herself j ustice in the A utobiograp y . It is h rd and censorious it displays vanity, both in its 2 T M T 34 HARRIE A R INEA U.

o f o wn depreciation her work , and in its recital of the petty slights and insults which had been offered to her from time to time ; it is aggre s i u h s ve , as tho gh replying to enemies rat er than appealing to friends ; and no o n e o f either the finer o r the softer qualities o f her nature is at all adequately indicated . It is , in short , the least worthy of her true self of all the writings of her life . Th e reasons of this unfortunate fact was not far to seek . Her rationalism , and the abuse and moral ill - usage which s h e had inc urred by

of - her avowal her anti theological Opinions, were still new to her . Her very thoughts , replacing as they did the ideas which sh e h eld without examination fo r some twenty years (the time which intervened betwee n her devotional writ ings an d her E a s tern L ife) were still s o far new that they had not the unconsciousness and the quiet placidity which habit alone gives for n ew s it ideas , like new clothes , uneasily, and are noticeable to their wearer, however carefully n they may have bee fitted before adoption .

Again , the announcement in the press that h er illness was fatal revived the discussion o f U her infidelity, and brought down pon her a whole avalanche of signed and anonymous let

of a we - ters , little tracts , inspiring hymns , and o f Th e manuals divinity . letters were contro

2 36 HA RRIE T M AR TINEA U

s c th e pa st W in tru tion in _ hat wonder that the strength which was summed up to bear with of fortitude this species modern martyrdom , seemed to give a tone Of coldness and hardness to writing of so personal a kind ? Then the extreme haste with which the writing and print ing were done gave no time for th e subsidence of such painful impressio n s ; and great physi h cal suffering and weakness , toget er with the powerful depressing medicines which were being f of employed , added to the di ficulty writing with of s uf calmness , and with a full possession the ’ i r fe rer s . a utob o a whole nature In short , an g phy could not have been written under less favorable conditions . All things taken into account , it is no wonder that those who knew and loved her whole personality were shocked and amazed at the inadequate presentation given Th e of . e it in those volumes s nsitive , unselfish , an d loving, domestic woman , the j ust , careful , disinterested , conscientious and logical author, were alike obscured rather than revealed ; and the biographer whom she chose t o complete the work had neither the intimate personal knowl s u edge , the mental faculty which might have p to plied its place , nor the literary skill requisite present a truer picture .

A utobio ra /i H er g p y completed , the plates engraved , and all publishing arrangements T T UR A L 2 IN RE REA ; j O N I S M . 3 7

s h e made , might , had she been an ordinary

v e t s o In alid , have s ttled down in o quiet after

- i hard working a life . Harr et Martineau could not do this . Her labors continued uninterrupt e dl a n d y, were pursued to the utmost limit W which her illness ould allow . She did not cease (except during the few months that the “ A utobiograplzy was in hand) writing her lead ” ’ D a il A c’ ws E ers for the y . very week it con tain e d articles by her, instructing thousands of

Ye t s h e ver readers . was y ill . She never left L her home again , after that j ourney to ondon

1 sh e early in 8 5 5 . Sometimes was well enough to go o ut upon her terrace and she frequently sat in her porch , which was a bower, in the u of s mmer time , clematis , honeysuckle , and

-flowe rs she passion , intermingled with ivy ; but n could do no more . She was give , as soon as she became ill , the daughterly care of her t o f niece , Maria, the daugh er her elder brother, R B n o obert Martineau , of irmingham ; and mother ever received tenderer care or more valuable assistance from her o wn child than Harriet Martineau did from the sensible and affectionate girl whose life was thenceforth devoted to her service . Maria once tried if her aunt could be taken o ut of her own grounds in a bath - chair ; but before they reached the on gates a fainting fit came , with such appalling 2 8 T M N 3 HARRIE AR TI EA U.

' symptoms of stoppage of th e h e art that the experiment was never repeated . Sometimes Miss Martineau would be well enough to s ee

i i w V s tors more frequently, however, those hom sh e would most have liked to talk with had to ’ be sent away by the doctor s orders . But , through it all , her work continued .

A utobio ra lz Soon after th e g p y was finished , sh e wrote a long paper upon a most important

' o n e sh e subj ect , and which felt to be a source of the gravest anxiety for the future of E nglish politics - the true sphere of State interference Th e with daily life . common ignorance and

' carelessness upon this point sh e believed to be the most painful and peril ous feature of our n present situatio .

It has been brought to light by b e nefi c ent action which is , in another view , altogether O ur th encouraging . benevolence towards e o ur helpless , and interest in personal morality, have grown into a sort of public pursuit ; and they h ave taken such a hold o n us that we may fairly h Ope that the wretched and the wronged o ut o f will never more be thrust sight . But , n e w s e in the pursuit of our Obj ect , we hav — 168 8 — in fallen back far further than — the principle of our legislative proposals under V taking to provide by law against personal ices , and certain special social c ontracts .

2 0 T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U. appeared in the W estm ins ter for July of that year . Having thus signalized her forgiveness of

R eview that , she went on writing again for it f for a little while . In the O ctober number o the same year there was a paper by her on

F le D res s in 1 8 em a 57. Crinoline had then lately been introduced by the E mpress of the on e French . If good , rousing argument could of have stood in the path fashion , this amusing ’ and vigorous paper from Harriet M artin eau s

- v sick room might ha e answered the purpose . ! fl But , alas crinoline ourished ; and five whole years later on was still s o enormous that sh e h e r took up parable against it once more, in “ ” Onc e a W eek , as the cause Of willful murder . About this time s h e determined to assume “ ” “ the prefix of M rs There were s o many s he Misses Martineau , she said and , besides, felt th e absurdity of a woman of mature years bearing only the same complimentary title as is accorded to a little girl in short frocks at school . Her cards and the envelopes of her friends bore “ thenceforward the inscription , Mrs . Harriet ” Martineau . sh e Although continued to write , contributing

D a il Ne ws almost every day to the y , as well as s h e to these larger periodicals , was , it must be

’ i He r h ealth flu tuate cl d . c remembere , an nvalid I N R E T O L I S M 2 1 REA j URNA . 4 from day to day ; but it may as well be expli c itly stated that sh e was more o r less ill during

of of h r lif the whole the rest e e . She suffered a considerable amount daily of actual pain , which was partly the co n sequence of th e medicines pre of scribed for her, and partly the result the dis

of placement the internal organs arising, as her doctors led her to suppose , from the enlargement of b ut the heart ; in reality, as was afterwards of disc overed, from the growth a tumor . H er most constant afflictions were the difficulty of breathing, dizziness , and dimness of sight , resulting from disturbed circulation . At irreg but n ot n ular, i frequent , intervals she was seized

- fi ts with fainting , in which her heart appeared to entirely cease beating for a minute o r two and it was not certain from day to day but that h on s e might die in e of these attacks . Not only did sh e continue her work under these conditions , but her intere st in her poor T neighbors remained unabated . here is more than on e m an now living in Ambleside who traces a part of his prosperity to the interest which sh e from her sick - room displayed in his of progress . A photograph her, still sold in

o wn - Ambleside, was taken in her drawing room by a young beginner whom she allowed thus to benefit himself . He and several others were given free access to h e r library . A sickly 2 2 T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U. young woman in the village was made a regular — sharer in the good things the wine , the turtle fl owe rs — soup , the game and the which devo ted friends sent frequently to cheer Harriet ’ Ma rtin ea u s t E retiremen . very Christmas , there was a party of the oldest inhabitants of Ambleside invited to spend a long day in the ” Th e kitchen of the Knoll . residents in her own cottages looked upon her less as a land lady than as a friend to whom to send in every f di ficulty . Nor did sh e cease to do whatever was possi Th ble to her in the local public life . e ques tion of Church Rates was approaching a crisi s when sh e was taken ill and when the Amble side Quakers resolved to organize resistance to of payment these rates , they found Harriet to Th e Martineau ready help . householders who refused to pay were summoned before the local bench ; and it was Harriet Martineau whom the j ustices selected to be distrained u n po ; but events marched rapidly , and the dis i n tra nt was ot made . Th e next article that s h e contributed to the W es tm ins ter R eview appeared in th e July ( 1 8 5 8)

Tb e L a s t D a s number, and , under the title Of y o C/zurc k R a tes of f , gave an account the efforts by which Non - conformists in all parts o f the h m country were rendering t is impost i possible .

2 H A RRI E T M T 44 AR INEA U. N was immediately followed by S ugges tions towa rds t/i e Fu ture Govern m en t I ndia Th of . e of O 1 8 preface the first is dated ctober, 5 7 ; f o 1 8 8 . Th and that the second , January , 5 e key -note Of these books is a plea for the gov e rnm en t of India according to Indian Ideas u its n and , as a natural conseq ence , governm e t of with the assistance its natives . Courage as well as Insight were required at that particular moment o f popular passion to put forward

- Th e these calm , statesman like ideas . wisdom and the practical value o f the books cannot be shown by extracts but on e paragraph may be given as a faint indication of the tone : " If instead of attempting to hold India as a pre of E of serve nglish destinies , a nursery British

n of fortu es , we throw it open with the aim

for of developing India the Indians , by means

our British knowledge and equity, we shall find o wn highest advantage , political and material , and may po s siblv recognize brethren and c om rades at length , where we have hitherto per c e ived only savages , innocents , Such

D a i N ews was the spirit to which the ly , under ’ Ma rtin eau s led a Harriet hand , the people at of Th moment great political excitement . e amplest testimony to the practical wisdomOf the suggestions that s h e made was borne - by

ale F uture Government o I ndia . . f , p 94 IN RE TREA T; ]O URNA LI S M 245 those Anglo -Indians who were qualified to j udge . 1 8 8 sh e In June , 5 , wrote the first letter, which h er i R lies before me , to relat ve , Mr . Henry eeve,

f E i ur k R eview o d n b . the editor the g In this , after telling him that she never before has

f o r e R eview O fered wish d to write for that , because in politics sh e h ad generally disagreed with it (to her, it may be remarked in passing,

T f W hi ism oryism was less odious than o ficial g ) , sh e says that s h e has n ow a s ubj ect in View which s h e thinks would be suitable for the pages of old W the good hig organ . Before entering

s h e into details , begs him to tell her frankly if any article will be refused merely because it comes from her . She adds that her health is s o s o sunk and her life precarious , that all her engagements have to be made with an e xplan ation of the chances against their fulfillment ;

sh e does still write a good deal , and with higher success than in her younger days . R c on Mr . eeve replied cordially inviting her tribution s e , and the result was the establishm nt both Of an intimate correspondence with him , and of a relationship with the R eview under his un sh e charge , which lasted til could write no more . a Th e p rticular subj ect which she offered Mr . Reeve at first did not seem to him a suitable 6 A RRI E M 4 H T A R TINEA U. on e Th e of Frenc /z . title it was . to have been

I n va s ion P n ic s n ot a ; but as Mr . Reeve did like

n o t " the idea , the paper was written . But for

E din bur k of 1 8 s h e the g April , 59, wrote a long

on Fem a le I ndus tr article y, which attracted much attention . Its purpose was to show how ’ greatly the conditions of women s lives are altered in this century from what they were of “ old A very large proportion of the women of E ngland earn their own bread ; and there is no saying how much good may be done by a

of timely recognition this simple truth . A social organization framed for a community o f which half stayed at home while the other half out went to work , cannot answer the purposes of a society of which a quarter remains at home ’ while three - quarters go o ut to wo rkrj g After i considering in deta l , with equal benevolence

of i and wisdom , the condition the var ous classes — of women workers those employed in agric ul n ture , mines , fishing, domestic service , eedle

- n work , and shop keeping , and suggesti g , in

n of w passi g, the schools cookery hich have since ‘ become established facts , the article concludes Th S O our e tale is plain enough . far from countrywomen being all maintained as a matter ’ of - fact by us , the bread winners , three millions out of s ix of adult English women work for out of e in subsistence , and two the thre

T M T HA RRIE AR INEA U.

O n e of first hand . the most beautiful features of the book is the hearty and generous delight with which the one illustrious lady recounts the

of efforts , the sacrifices , and the triumphs the other .

1 8 . In 59, also , Mrs Martineau began to write frequent letters for publication to the American - l n da Th f A n ti S a very S ta rd. e a fairs of the R e public were plainly approaching a crisis ; and those in America who knew how well - informed on of she was the politics both countries , and on w political principles , ere anxious to have the guidance that only s h e could give in the difficult D time that was approaching . uring the three 1 8 1 86 1 sh e n years , 59 to , sent over inety long fo r u articles p blication in America .

Tra des Un ions An article on , denouncing the tyranny Of men in fustian coats sitting round a

- a s beer shop table , as to the full as mischievous that of crowned and titled despots , appeared in

a R e i w O 1 8 E din bur v e . the g for ctober, 59 In the July ( 1 860) issue of the same R eview sh e

o n R uss ia O of wrote , and in ctober that year

T A eric a n n ion on be m U .

sh e Besides these large undertakings , was writing during these years almost weekly arti

on e o r cles , on topic another, for the illustrated periodical Onc e a W eek ; whilst the D a ily/ News leaders continued without intermission dur I N RE T T O URN A I S M 2 REA ; j L . 49

ing the whole time . As regards these latter, I shall presently mention when she entirely ceased to write ; but in the meanwhile I do not attempt to follow them in detail . Nothing that I could say would give any adequate impression of their Tbut f quality . may be su ficiently j udged by the fact that the newspaper in which they were issued was o n e o f the best of the great London i da lies ; and that , during her time , it touched of u the highest point infl ence and circulation ,

of as the organ no clique, but the consistent

o f i i n advocate h gh pr ciples , and j ust , consistent , “ ” sound (not mere L iberal Party ) political of D a il News action . As to the subj ects the y of articles , they range over the whole field “ public interests , excepting only those hot and hot topics which had to be treated immediately L that fresh news about them reached ondon .

Th ose who were with Mrs . Martineau tell me that the only diffi culty with her was to choose

u t sh e of what s bj ec would treat each day, out the many that offered . She kept up an exten n i sive correspo dence, and read cont nually ; and her fertile mind , highly cultivated as it was

- i i by her life long studies , had some or g nal and valuable contribution to make upon the vast ‘ variety of the topics of which each day brought suggestions . The marvel that a sick lady, shut up in her 2 0 T M T 5 HARRIE AR INEA U.

villa e ~ c ould house in a remote g , thus keep touch with and take an active part in all the interests

of and movements the great world , increases Th e the more it is considered . very corres ponde n c e by which s h e was aided in knowing and feeling what the public mind was stirred about , was in itself a heavy labor, and a great h tax upo n such feeble strength as s e possessed . h R T e letters with which Mr . eeve has favored me give glimpses of how ideas and calls came to her sometimes . H ere is a graphic account , for of u instance , a man riding p with a telegram from Miss Nightingale “ Agitate ! agitate ! for

of Co rn ewa l L ord de Grey in place Sir G . l L ewis —which gives the first intimation in Ambleside that the post Of W ar Mi n ister is Th e vacant . newspaper arrives later, and ’ “ ” L s o i ewis death is learned , a leader s h written early next morning, to catc the coach , ’ and appears in the following morning s D a ily

News L . Presently ord de Grey is appointed , an d then the two women friends rej oice to e gether in the chance of getting army reform s made by a minister who , they hope , will not be sh e a slave to royal influences . Another time

R s h e R ever tells Mr . eeve how is treating the s ion o M sore D a i News o the s u e s f y in the ly , n gg tion Of a man learned in Indian affairs ; a nd

sh of E again , that e is reviewing a book ast ern

2 2 T 5 HARRIE T M A R INEA U.

Th e Action of the South ; Th e Census Am erica ' and Cotton ; Th e A m e ric a n E nvoy L ord Can ’ n ing s Address ; Th e American Crisis ; Spain and San Do m ingo ; E ast Indian Irrigation ; W ater - mills ; Hayti and San D omingo ; Th e Conflict in America ; American Movements ; Th e Secession Party ; Th e American Contest ; — ’ Th e Literary Fund ; W orking men s Visit to ’ L Th e C o n Paris ; Mr . Clay s etter ; American ’ “ ” D test ; Money s Java (four articles) ; Mr . oug las ; O ur American Relations L ord Campbell Results o f American Strife ; O ur Cotton Sup ’ ply ; American Union Soldiers Homes Indian Irrigation ; San Domingo ; American Move ments Slavery in America ; Th e Morrill Tariff ; Drainage in Agriculture Neutrality with Amer ’ ic a ; Th e Builders Strike ; L ord H erbert ; L ord ’ ’ E lgin s Government ; Th e Builders Dispute ; Th e Strike ; Th e American Contest ; Indian Famines ; Syrian Improvement ; Affairs o f Hayti ; Cotton Supply ; Th e American W a r and Slavery Mr Cameron and General Butler ; Post -offi c e Robberies ; Th e American Press ; Th e T Mrs . Stowe ; Morrill ariff ; American Affairs ; Domestic Servants ; Th e E ducation Min utes ; Th e Georgi an Circular ; French Free ’ Trade ; Th e Fremont Resolution ; L aborers Improvidence ; American Humiliation ; Th e E ducation Code A Real Social E vil Captain Jervis in America ; Th e American Contest ; Indian Cotton ; Slaves in America ; Th e Prince Of W ales ; American Movements ; Lancashire Cotton Trade ; India and Cotton ; Cotton Grow ’ ing ; The H erb ert Testimonial ; Captain W ilkes 2 [ IV RE TREA T; j O URIVA L I S M . 5 3 i

Antecedents ; Arterial Drainage ; Th e Ameri c an Controversy ; L and in India ; Slaves in _ America ; Death of Prince Albert ; Slavery ; in R of Y L oyalty Canada ; eview the ear, five columns long .

This gives a total of one hundred and nine o n e o n leading articles , in that year, political

i and Soc al affairs . In the same year she wrote to the Boston A n ti- S la very S ta n da rd as much m atter as would have made about forty- five “ leaders ; and during the same period s h e 9K regularly contributed to Onc e a W eek a fort nightly article on some current topic , and also a series Of biographical sketches entitled “ ” R T Onc e a W eek epresentative Men . hese “ articles were all much lo n ger than leaders ; ’ of 1 86 1 the year s aggregate space filled , in , is two hundred and eighty - one of the closely printed columns of Onc e a W eek ; and this would be equivalent to at least o n e hundred and forty leading articles in the usual “ leaded

i of type . I need not g ve a complete list titles ’ Of the year s Onc e a W eek articles ; but a few may be cited to show what class of subj ects she “ ” “ : O ur selected Peasantry in Progress , Ire ” “ ” “ Th e The land and her Queen , Harvest , D ” “ W W omestic Service Question , hat omen “ ” E i i are ducated for, American Sold er ng

* f i F Mo st o th ese p ape r s are s gn ed r om the Mountain . 2 54

” “ D Th e e f O eaths by Fire , Sh field utrages ,

a n dth e n E ducation Raci g Season . ’ Such was H arriet M artine au s work fo r the 1 86 1 year and thus could she , confined to her t house , comprehend and care for the condi ion of mankind . It will be noticed that she had written on Domestic Servants both in the D a ily N ews and Onc e a W eek but still she had n ot said all that sh e s a wished to y about the subj ect , and early

o n in the next year she wrote a long article it ,

in E din bur k which appeared the g for April , 1 8 2 6 . e It is a capital articl , distinguished alike

- - by common sense , and by wide reaching sym — pathy ; wom a n ly in the best sense in its domestic knowledge , and its feeling for women in their perplexities and troubles , whether as

v o r - ser ants mistresses , and yet philosophical in its calmness , its power of tracing from f causes to e fects , and its practical wisdom in n f forestalli g future di ficulties . ' In this year s h e began to write historical stories , Historiettes , as she called them , for

Onc e a W eek n ot . As fictions , they are equal to her best productions of that class but their special value was less in this direction , or even in the detailed historical knowledge that they ‘

i o displayed , than in the ins ght int the philosophy of h political history w ich the reader gained .

2 6 T M A R 5 HARRIE TINEA ( I. j ust th c s o rt o f thi ng to arouse a ll Harriet Mar ’ “ tin a u s m a He r c loving sy p thies . face would all light up a n d the te a rs would rush to h e r ” e h e n e s h e o f l d ey s w ver was told a nob e eed , “ s ays Mis s Arnold ; n o matt e r h o w humble the d e o r h ow s al th e a o r, m l m tter might seem , you co uld s e e th e de l ight it gave h e r to k n ow that ” fi n n s a c t d e a e o r e e . a , br v , u s lfi h had be n one A n im at e d by s uch re s p e ctful j oy in th e att itude of th e L a s h e e s h e w anc ir work rs , thre herself into th e ir s e rvice ; a nd he r corre spondence o n h 1 86 1 w e s h e us c d h e r t is topic during , h n all

a o n th c ir b c h alf a nd public and priv te influence , em ploy e d h e r b e st e n c rgic s in aiding and a d

th e e e e fi vising r li f committ es , would ll a large l vo ume .

In th e ds t o f h e r a s h e mi l bors for America, could n o t b u t b e grati fie d by th e tc s tim on ic s which const a n tly re a ch e d h e r from th a t country to th e a ppre ci a tion o f th c work which s h e had don e a nd wa s doing . Tbe IIis tory of Me P ea c e was r e printed in “ in th e e r ds o f wa r Boston v y mi t the civil , at th e instanc e o f m e n o f busi ness thro ughou t the

e e e i do rc a t country , who b li v it w ll g good from its politic al a n d ye t more c c o n o m ic a l le s ” h a r wa ntc d The e . sons , w ich so much pub lis h e rs o f th e A tla n tic [ Won t/i ly a ppeal e d to her “ to write them a s e rie s of a rticle s o n Military N RE T O URN L I 2 I REA j A S M . 57

a nd — sh e Hygiene ; , over pressed as was , she could not refuse a request which enabled her to do much good service for the soldiers of the d North , for whom she felt so eeply . Nor were more private tributes to the value of her efforts

A R ebelli n R e . o c ord lacking set of the , pub

lis h e d b y Putnam , was sent to her with the cover stamped under the title with these words : Presented by citizens of New York to Harriet Martineau and in n umerable books

came with testimonies inscribed by the writers , ’ such as that in Henry W ilson s S la ve P ower in “ A m eric a ° Mr s . , which was as follows Harriet Martineau with the gratitude of the author fo r h e r d friendship for his country , and her evotion ” 9“ to freedom .

The highes t hono r ye t done to her m em o ry is the wo rk o f t a h t an tic A u ic s o ur s is e r s a nd br o the r s c r o ss t e A l . p bl ub

t t e H a ie t M a t a s c ription h a s r a is e d funds fo r a s a u o f rr r ine u,

whic h h as e e n e xe c ute d b n ne W hitne in white m a e . b y A y, rbl

Ma tine a u s e a te d with he r h a nd The s ta tue e e s ents M rs . s r pr r ,

e a i a m a nus i t o n he r ne e s . The h a d is s e d fo l de d o v e r c r p k r , a nd h as a l ight v eil th r o wn o v e r the ba c k o f it a nd fa ll ing d wn u o n the s ho u de s whi e a s h aw is d a e d a tia o e o p l r , l l r p p r ll y v r

in o th a s th o u h in tha t he u e . The e e s a re o o t fig r y l k g f r , g ' th o ughtful q uestio n ing o f the futur e to whieh s he o fte n g a v e H a B he rse lf The s ta tue was un v e il e d in the O ld S o uth ll , o s to n D e c e m e 26th 188 in the es e nc e o f m a n no ta e e r , b r , 3 , pr y bl p

i e m e ide d a nd e e c h es we e M r . M a L o es s s o na es . s g ry v r r pr , p r

m ade b W i ia m o d Ga is o n u m a nd W e nde Phi i s . y ll Ll y rr , J , ll ll p

a th e a t-nam e t a s his fi na S e e c h fo r he in the e se o f l s d i w l p , , t i eeks a te was num e e d a m o n s t tho s e who a re a t o o , s x w f r , b r g 9 2 8 T M T 5 HARRIE AR INEA U.

of a 1 862 In the latter p art the ye r , Harriet “ Martineau wrote a paper o n O ur Convict

System , which appeared in the following ’ ’ of E a za éa r k January number the g . It will be noted that s h e never wrote on the politics of the day — the action of the Government and

O o f — in R eview pposition the moment this , her political principles were too democratic for the great W hig organ .

Onc e a W ee/e e In , however, her articles becam i f more dec sively political year by year . Some o her b est political pape rs are in that magazine Th e in for 1 863 . most noteworthy feature them are their basis of principles and n ot of W party, and their practical wisdom . hen I of olitic s speak her devotion to principles , in p , — I h alf fear that I may be misunderstood for so shockingly does Cant spawn its Ioathsomeness over every holy phrase , that such expression s “ ” come to us defamed by every charlatan , and s h e d o ubtful in their use . But was neither

- n or doctrinaire , nor blind , nor pig headed , phari

n or saic , nor j ealous , scheming but wise , brave ,

d L o f truthful , upright , and in ependent . ove j ustice a nd truthfulness of speech were as much to her in public affairs as they are to any high

a s i e for a om t a the whit rest. The a udienc e s t in l enc m en s e vis io n was un v e il e d the n went up s uc h appl a us e a s s tirre d the ” t i re ac e e c hoes of the his oric inte rior in wh c h the c e m onytoo k pl .

' 2 0 6 HARRIE T M AR TINEA U.

of ‘ j ournals . I wonder how many the men who have presumed to . s ay that the women are “ ” of o r of incapable understanding politics , “ sympathizing in great causes , received a large

of of part their political education , and rousing

- stimulus to public spirited action , from those j ournalistic writi n gs by Harriet Martineau ? “ An instructive article on Th e Progress of ” the Negro Race was prepared for the E din 1 86 O bur h of . g January, 4 nly a few weeks o f e after the appearance this , ther fell upon her

of h e r old the greatest blow age . H er beloved s o niece Maria, who had for long filled the of place a daughter to her, was taken ill with ’ typhoid fever, and died after a three weeks ill ’ Martin e au s ness . Maria active disposition , and

' h er intelle c tual power (which was far above the average) had made her an ideal companion for

li er o n e her aunt , and the blow to was a terrible .

sh e Ill and suffering as was before , this shock ’ completed the wreck of Harriet Ma rtin eau s of im health . She had a dreary time illness mediately after her niece ’ s death and although sh e on fo r went writing some time longer, it was always with the feeling that the end of her ’ long life s industry was near at hand . She was not left alone for Maria ’ s youngest sister, Jane , presently offered voluntarily to fill , “ The as far as she could , the vacant place at R E TRE A T ‘ O UR/VA I 26 1 L S M . IN , j

The Knoll . family from which these sisters came was o n e in which kindliness and gener o sit y were (and are to this day, with its younger members who remain) distinguishing features . It was no light matter for Mr . and R Mrs . obert Martineau to part with a second ’ daughter to their sister but , as it was Jane s o wn wish to try to be to that beloved and hon h ored relative w at Maria had been , the parents would not refuse their permission . Harriet f R wrote o this to Mr . eeve with her heart full ; ” telling him h o w humbly grateful sh e felt for s o f h what was generously o fered to her, and wit sh e what thankfulness accepted the blessing . E n s h e ven in such circumsta ces , could note ’ what a delight it was to find that Maria s own spirit of devotedness prevailed amongst them all — for nothing could be nobler and s weeter of than the conduct everyone .

B 1 86 Mrs . y June of that same year, 4, Mar tinean was ready to undertake another article “ o n Co a topic which pressed upon her mind , ” operative Societies , which was published in ’ irzba r li th e E a g for O ctober following .

o n D a i News She went writing for the iy , through that year and the next , though the effort came to be constantly more and more f laborious . Her interest in public a fairs did not flag ; nor i s there the least sign of failure of power in her letters ; b ut sh e became inc reas ingly conscious that it was a strain upon her to write under the responsibility of addressing the public . E arly in 1 865 sh e wrote some articles o n ” “ of N do Th e S carcity urses , poked up to I sh e . it, as said, by Florence Nightingale n the April of the same year was prepared a n _ “ on a article Fem le Convicts , which was pub lish ed in th e E din burg/i for O ctober . In send ing this sh e intimated to the editor that it sh e would be her last contribution , as felt the fo r strain o f such writing too great her strength . After all sh e did prepare on e more article for the E din burgh th ough it was as long after T o n wards as 1 868 . his was the paper Salem ” W num itchcraft , which will be found in the

rt- f ber of that R eview for July . I t formed Ha ’ riet Martin eau s last contribution of any le ngth to literature ; and sh e wrote it with some re luc tan c e a d to , fter having suggeste the subj ect R Mr . eeve, and he having replied that he could o n e find no suitable to undertake it but herself, She was very loath to cease her writing for

D a il N e ws the y , and continued it until the

o f 1 866 Spring . It was a great trial when at last the m oment came that s h e felt s h e ab s o lutely m us t be freed from the obligation an d th t e e temptation to fre quent work . But h

R I CHAPTE ! .

T T E R HE LAS Y A S .

H ARR I E T MA RT INE AU had never gone the right way to work to become rich by literature She had n o t chosen h e r subj ects with a view to the s s h e mere monetary succe s might attain , and , n ot sh e infrequently, had displayed a rare generosity in her pecuniary affairs . In April , 1 86 sh e 7, was plunged into perplexity about the of of means living, by the temporary failure i R the Br ghton ailway to pay its dividends . s h e After all her work , had but little to lose . Sh e had from investments in the preference

of 2 0 s h e stock that railway £ 3 per annum , and 1 0 had only £ 5 yearly from all other sources . v Such was the fortune sa ed , after labors such

of as hers , through a long life industry and T thrift . here was a beautiful contest between th e of inmates that home, when the trouble of came , as to which them should begin to make the necessary sacrifices involved inre c on o

iz in m g. Miss Jane Martineau and the maid Ca o w f r line were each ready ith their o fers , and TH E 26 LA ST YEARS. 5 the invalid mistress of the house was with diffi culty induced to continue her wine and

s h e d dinner ale , while eclared , with a brave o of s h e assumpti n carelessness , that should be rather glad than otherwise to be rid of seeing the Tim es daily and getting the periodic box of , books from It is touchi n g to note how she tried to lightly pass o ff this sacrifice of current literature , when one knows that reading was the chief solace of her lonely and suffering days . Her family intervened , however, to

b - -b prevent any such deprivations , and y and y th e o f company resumed payment its dividends . 1 868 In , she received a generous offer, which

R . R touched her very deeply . Mr. J . obinson , of D a il News the y , proposed to her that there should be a reprint of the several biographical sketches which she had contributed to the paper during her connection with it ; and he offered to take all the trouble and re spo n sibility o f putting the volume through the of press , while leaving to her the whole the profits . She had not even supposed that the Copyright in the biographies which sh e had

for written the paper from time to time , upon

of of i the occasions the deaths em nent persons , R remained her property . Mr . obinson had the satisfaction o f assuring h er that the proprietors to held her at liberty reproduce these writings, 266 HARRIE T M AR TINEA 02

’ ‘ o and , with that c mrade s generosity which is not altogether rare among j ournalists , her kind friend devoted himself to securing her a good

and B io ra nic a l publisher, editing the volume , g p

fo r T S leek /i es . , her benefit hese vignettes well

r - deserved e production . She had had more or less personal acquaintance with nearly’ every on e of the forty - six eminent persons of whom she treated ; and the portraits which s h e S The ketched were equally vivid and impartial . work was received by the public with an e nth u R sia sm which repaid Mr . obinson for his gener

s e o u fforts . It was reprinted in America ; and E it is now in its fourth nglish edition . Th e last occasion upon which s h e was to give her powers and her i nfluence to a difficult but

e e great public work must now be m ntion d . It

th e f of was final e fort her career . Marked as that life had been all through by devotedness to.

sh e public duty , never before was engaged in a

s o f o r task painful and di ficult , one which , upon

s h e n mere personal grounds , might more stro gly have desired to evade . But at near seventy

old s o sh e years , and enfeebled that had thought

s h e her work quite finished , no more hesitated to come to the front under fire when it became necessary, than she had done in those active younger days when combat may have had its wn o delights .

268 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U. signing documents whi ch were placarded as

Mrs election posters in some great towns , . Mar tinean helped that cause in the way told in the following letter to Mr . Atkinson

2 I st 18 1 May , 7 .

O ne pleasant thing has happened lately . I longed for money for a public obj ect [repeal of the acts in question], and , unable to do better, worked a chair, and had it beautifully made up . It was produced at a great evening party in L c om ondon , and seized upon and vehemently eted ' p for, and it has actually brought fifty guineas In the middle of the night it occurs to me what a thing it is to give fifty guineas so much as I had longed fo r money to give that of fund . I was asked for a letter explanation of and statement to go with the chair, and , course , did it by that post . W ork for this cause formed the most keen v o f and acti e interest her latest years . In this she thought and labored constantly . She gave her name and support to other obj ects , but only s h e a quietly . Amongst other things was mem ’ ber of the W omen s Suffrage Society and s h e was a subscriber to the movement for the medi f cal education o women .

In all public affairs , indeed , her interest remained keen and unabated to the very last , l as the etters for which I am indebted to Mr. w Atkinson , and hich I am to quote , will abun ' E T Y 2 6 TH LA S E A RS . 9 d u Th se l tt rs i . e e e a tly show w ll indicate , too , something o f the quiet course of her now

S s uneventful daily life . ick and weary as he o was , it will be seen that literature and p litics , o f the public welfare , and the concerns her s ’ hou ehold s inmates , still occupied her thoughts and her pen .

TTE R T O M R TK L E S . A INSON .

2 1 8 0 August 4, 7 . I am as careful as possible to prevent on anyone losing sleep my account , and being in disturbed at meals , or failing air, exercise and o f pleasure . If these regular healthy habits my f h v household become di ficult , we are to a e a

T . trained nurse at once . his is settled I am e disposed to think , myself , that the last stag n will be short , probably the end sudde .

Th e tone of this last sentence is no affecta “ tion . She used to talk about her death as if it meant no more than going into th e next ”

on e w . room , said who kne her in these years

I 8 0 1 0 . September , 7 r I am not sure whether you have read D . ’ nd L s da Bence Jones s L if e a etter of Fa ra y . I h have b een t ankful , this last week , for the strong interest of that book , which puts Conti n e n tal affairs out of my head for hours together . Th e first half volume is rather tiresome - giv 2 0 T M T N 7 HARRIE . AR I EA U. ing us four times as much as neces sary of the ’ uncultivated youth s early prosing o n crude mor liti s i i s om e a e . of , etc I t is qu te r ght to give us m h o w of this , to Show fro low a point thought and style he rose up to his perfection of expres sion as a lecturer and writer but a quarter of fo r the early stuff would have been enough that . Th e fo r n of a succeeding part , hu dreds p ges , i s fo r m the richest treat I have had any a day . I c a n only distantly and dimly follow the scientifi c lectures and writings but I understand enough of sympathy ; and the disclosures of the m oral o f nature the man is perfectly exquisite . I have n a n d ever known , have scarcely dreamed of , a spirit and temper s o thoroughly uniting the best of and attributes the sage the child .

O 1 8 1 8 0 ctober , 7 . I had my envelope dire cted ye s te rdayj b ut was prevented writing, and in the evening came I your welcome letter . am glad to know w/i en you mean to leave your quarters and every lin e from France is interesting . I wonder whether you remember a night in L R ondon when dear Mrs . eid and you and I were returning in her carriage from E xeter M ess ia /z n Hall and the . I was sayi g that that of ae sacred drama reminded me Holy Phil , and of O h ow o n the apotheosis siris , and the e was as u o n tr e as the other, with its Peace earth , and ” - m e n s o good will to , false a prophesy , etc . , etc . W R . i hereupon Mrs eid said , pla ntively (of the “ M ess ia k she ) , I believe it all at the time , but did n ot s et up any preten se of the promi ses

The only news we have is of the royal mar ria e L i i g (Princess ou se) wh ch pleases everybody . I S — i It a really great event as a S gn politically , f ’ t and as a fact socially and morally . A te r h e ’ o n Queen s marriage , I wrote repeatedly behalf Of R tlzen repealing the oyal Marriage Act , while there could be no invidious appearance in it . Th e present chaotic condition of Protestant princedoms in Germany may answer the pur of pose almost as well as a period abeyance .

Any way, the relaxation seems a wise and happy

o n e .

of are i n My items news small comparison , but not small to m e ; especially that a happy of n n idea struck me lately, tryi g a Spri g mat tress as a means of obtaining sleep o f some continuance . I have ventured upon getting

’ o n e iS n o ; and , after four nights , there doubt of to o my being able sleep l nger , and with more of fo r l loss consciousness than a very ong time . L ast n ight I once slept three hours with only

o n , on e . O break therwise , I go much the T o n e same . here is obj ection to th—ese beds which healthy people are unaware of that s o much more strength is required to m ove in w f a r /za s T is o c e . bed , from ant p his a trouble , but the advantages far outweigh it . D to v n ear Jenny comes home morrow e eni g, fo r all the better, I am assured , three weeks at s un m n of the sea, in breeze and , and all a ner of s e a beauty land and (at Barmouth , and with of a merry party young people) . And here is n a game basket , arrived from parts unk own , e of with a fine hare , two brac partridges , and a TH E T 2 LA S YEARS. 73

pheasant . A savory welcome for Jenny ! Cousin Mary has been more good a n d kind

* than I can say . She stays for Jenny , and on n t leaves us Friday . I must o begin upon T E Huxley , yndall , and vans , whom I have been reading . Much pleasure to you , dear friend , in your closing weeks . Y v ours e er,

RT E U. H . MA IN A

Th e sleepless nights repeatedly mentioned in these letters were a source o f great suffering to her in these latest years ; under medical advice She tried smoki n g as a means of pro curing better rest , with some success . She smoked usually th rough the c hib o que which s h e u m He r E had bro ght ho e with from the ast , s h e and which she had there learned to use , as relates with her customary simplicity and direct n ess in the appendix to E a s tern L if e I found it good for my health , she says there , and I saw no more reason why I should n ot take it than W hy E nglish ladies Should n ot take their — glass of sherryat home an indulgence which n of I do not eed . I continued the use my c hib o ue q for some weeks after my return , and then only left it off because of the in c onve n ” W ience . hen health and comfort were to be h s e . promoted by it , resumed it H er nights were , nevertheless , very broken , and frequent allusion s occur in her letters to the suffering of 2 T M T 74 HARRIE AR INEA U.

of drow i sleeplessness , with its c oncomitant s — n ess in the day time . Th e on next letter is trivial topics , truly ; b ut is none the less valuable for the un c o n s cious record which it affords of her domestic

Th e om character. anxiety for her household c ’ th e panion s enj oyment , the delight in kindness that the young folk had Shown to each other and to the poor Christmas guests , the pleasure of in the happiness other people , are all char ac teristic features which are of n o trivia l con sequence .

MB E S E 2 1 A L ID , Jan . , 7 . s orr for I am so y‘ the way you are passing from the old year to the new that I cannot help s s o . aying I ought to be anything bu—t sorry, co n sidering what good you are doing essen s o tial , indispensable goo d ; but you must be for own longing your quiet , warm home , and the friends around it , that I heartily wish you were there . As for me , my business is to o f promote , as far as possible , the cheerfulness my household There really has been much fun , and yet more sober enj oyment , through o ut this particular Christmas . In my secret mind I am nervously anxious about J enny to o f s h e whom cold is a sort poison ; but , when had once observed that there was much less a t - o r cold here than home , anywhere else that sa she could be , I determined to y no more , and of for to make the best it . She said it my

2 6 H A RR/ E T M A R THVE A 7 U.

f head is worth more . O course we shall hear o i t when you get h me . May be soon Y ours ever , dear friend ,

. R T N E U H M A I A .

M ’ B E S E 6 1 . A L ID , March , 7

W e are in a queer state j ust now . Gladstone

. u xa c tl turns o t e y as I expected . I once told some , who are his colleagues now, that he would do some very fine deeds — give us some sepa o f a n d rate measures very great value , would do it in an admirable manner ; but that he would Show himself incapable o f governing the coun F o r n try . two years he did the first thi g ; and now, this third year, he is showing the expected W incapacity . ere there ever such means thrown away as we s e e this session ? Probably you are o ut o f the way o f hearing the wh ole truth o f the f c situation , and I cannot go into it here . Su fi e o r it , that Gladstone totters (and three four more) , and that several departments are in such a mess a nd muddle that o n e hardly sees how they are to be bro ught straight again ; and all ! O n e this without the least occasion matter, o n in which I feel deep interest , and which I e Gov have acted , is prospering , and w have the e rn m e nt at o u r disposal ; so that we hope they will remain in office till we have secured what we want but the more we have to do with Min

iste rs w . , the eaker we find them And Gladstone is not only weak as a reasoner (with all his hair a of splitting) , but ignor nt in matters political principle . TH E L A S T YEARS. 7

Th e next letter is very characterist ic a nd per fe c tly true to her state of mind with regard to flatte re rs

’ 2 1 1 May , 7 . A nd now you will want to know how Miss W e and we fared this day week . (she and I) were together only three - quarters of an hour ; and for part of that time I was too much

exhausted to benefit much . My impression is that sh e i s not exactly the person for the invalid B u t . room . I may be utterly wrong in this I might be misled by the fatiguing sort of annoy ’ —of ance of overpraise worship in fact . I don t want to be ungracious about what my book s were to her in her childhood and youth ; I am quite ready to believe her sincere in what s h e

said . But not the less is it bad taste . It must be bad taste to expatiate o n that o n e topic which it is most certain that the b eare r cannot sympa hiz t e . of in Also , I have much doubt her being i T s a. accurate in her talk . here random air s h e or about her statements , and said two three or things that certainly were mistakes , more e T l ss . hese things , and a general smoothness s h e of in her talk , while was harsh about some A S fo r the were what I did not quite like . s h e the rest , was as kind as possible ; and not “ o nly kind to me , but evidently with a turn that of way, and a habit it in regard to children and

friends .

’ u 1 1 1 J ne , 7 . Of o dd D all things , ean Stanley and L to ady Augusta have been , by way of a trip, 2 8 T T 7 HARRIE M AR INEA U.

m How c a n Paris , fro last Monday to Saturday . they ! O n e would think nothing could take on e of Th e there but some strong call duty . least that on e must read and hear is enough to ’ ’ make one s heart ache , and to spoil one s sleep, and to disfigure life till o n e does not wish to an look at it y more . I do long to have done with it . I believe it is the first occasion in my of n of life my havi g felt hopeless any destiny, u o r How o u r individ al national . badly f ! C o public a fairs are going Gladstone , are of Th e turning out exactly as many us foresaw . thing nearest my heart (repeal of the acts above alluded to) , and more important than all is other public questions , will do well . I t , I of of believe , secure , in virtue an amount effort Yo u and devotedness never surpassed . know ' th at a c hievem ent what I mean . I rest upon for —a vital aim with me and others many years with satisfaction and entire hopefulness , but in all other directions the prospect is sim ply

. o n e dreary In that case , we , who shall have f rom achieved the obj ect , have saved Ministers W h e r themselves , and from evil councillors . o wn ever they have , this year, trusted their h o r s e e wisdom and resources , they ave failed, T ou t that they must fail . hey would have been fo r of o n since early in April , but want a leader the Conservative side ; and they still make their party dwindle till there will be no heart o r — energy left in the L iberal ranks lately s o strong and ardent ! They may be individually clever ; but they cannot govern the country . Thi s is eminently the case with Gladstone and

2 80 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

flin c hing representation of the mischief of the of a of Spirit fe r, Of its torment , and its damaging of effect s in creating a habit adulation , in per ‘ of o ur verting the direction desires , in corrupt our of ing estimate good and evil , in leaving us , n o of in short , chance living a healthy and natural life , but rather, making cowards , liars , ’ of o n and selfish rascals us all . I can t go , being tired ; and you will be thinking, as you read , — that this is only the Old story of the mischiefs of and miseries superstition . But there is some thing impressive in the cheerful Simplicity with which Bentham tells us his Opinion of the sort of person recommended to us for a master of under the name God , and with which he warns us all of the impossibility of. o ur being o r good happy under such a Supreme Being . of In looking at the table contents, and seeing the catalogue he gives of evil effects of belief i n of N a R o n e the barest scheme atur l eligion , fo r i of becomes aware , as if the first t me , the atmosphere of falsehood against which we ought to have recoiled all our lives since becoming of h capable thoug t .

’ De c 0 1 . 3 , 7 . I go off rapidly a s a correspondent ; o s o there is n use blinking the fact . I am slow so ! off too and write badly and leave tired . O on e o f D a i ddly enough , this very week the ly

" News authorities has been uttering a groaning for o f longing my pen in the service that paper, o f Th e of as Old . occasion is a short letter mine T ’ w in last hursday s paper, hich you may have 2 8 1 TH E LA S T YEARS.

*

. so ou seen If , y will see that I had no choice . W E H o w . . Forster was at Fox ; and I got C Of B vol Jenny to arry the volume rougham ( . 02 u iii . p . 3 ) to cons lt Forster and Arnolds W E about what I should do , . . Forster being in the same line of business with my father, and — of a public man man the world . He was clear : it was impossible to leave my father of under a false imputation having failed . And w hen my letter appeared , he was delighted with it ; so are those Of my family that I have heard D a il News from ; and , above all , y editors . They hope and believe it will excite due distrust ’ of Brougham s representations , and encourage others to expose his falsehoods . His suppress w his e ions are as onderful as disclosures ; . g. the very important crisis in his career, known by the name Of the “ Grey Banquet ” at E din o ut of burgh , he cuts completely the history — ’ of the time perverting L ord Durham s story o wn c a n s e e as well as his . I how the false story o f me and mine got made ; but enough Of — that especially if yo u have n ot seen the letter D a il News in the y . Forster is kindly and quiet , is n o w — ! but he altered . He is the Courtier — of o n e i and Odd sort , w th much Quaker innocence a nd prudence in it ; but of a sort which leaves me no hope o f Ais handling of his E T ‘ ! ducation measure . here will be such a fight w and the Nonconformists are right , and kno You t/i a t that they are . will probably see — achieved a real National Education estab l ishe d . , secular and compulsory

* ’ R e futing a state m ent m a de in L o rd B r o ugh am s A utobie i ograpliy that her fathe r h ad fail e d in b us ne ss . 2 8 2 T M T HARRIE AR INEA U.

Th e n Ambleside surgeon , who had undertake , ’ ac c c o rda n c e i Ma rtin e a u s in w th Harriet will, to prepare and transmit her skull and brain to

1 8 2 Th e Mr . Atkinson , died in the year 7 . fol lowing letter shows that the progress of tim e had in no way diminished her willingness to leave her head for scientific investigation

’ M B E S E 2 2 A L ID , April 3 , 7 . ’ ’ (Sh ak e spe re s birthday and W ordsworth s

- death day . ) D E R R E A F I ND , - n or I am not writing about poets to day, “ ” o r about any play topic , nor anything gay,

o r . o n pretty, amusing I write business only . ’ W of hen you heard Mr . Shepherd s death , you m n ust , I should think , have co sidered what was to be done in regard to fulfilling the provision to Of my will about skull and brain . It is inform f you o this that I write . ’ M r Mr . Shepherd s assistant and successor is . W illia m M oore K in g, a young man who is con s ide re d r very clever, and is certainly ve y kind , gentlemanly, simple in mind and manners , and married to a charming girl (grand -daughter of

Martin , the artist) . Jenny has known them for o n h ad two years , having called their arrival . I seen him twice before this last week . I wrote ‘ to him the other day, to ask him to give me half an hour for confidential conversation ; a n d he came when I was quite alone for the morning . I told him the whole matter o f the provision ’

w of . in my ill , and Mr Shepherd s engagement ,

2 8 T M T 4 HARRIE AR INEA U.

b ' which lies before us . No ody will ever find me craving the glory and bliss which the s et preachers before us , and pray that we may of obtain . Some them are very good and kind , I know but they will never create a nylon gin g

. of the sort in me . But why should I scribble ? on in thi s way to you Perhaps because o ur new E vangelical curate has written me almost the worst and silliest letter of th is sort th a t I E of ! ever saw . nough him then But I have left myself no room or strength for other mat ou ters this time . I wanted to tell y about the — — O f a effect according to , my experience ’ of A da m B ede E second reading , Miss vans first great novel . A singular mind is hers , I should think , and truly wonderful in power and Scope . H er intellectual power and grace attract and win of people very high intellectual quality .

Miss Jane Martineau was at this time in very delicate health , and , after long fluctuations Of hope and fear, was compelled to leave her aunt for the winter and go to a warmer climate ’ Ma rtin eau s h o w wa s Mrs . letters Show cruel ” her anxiety for my precious Jenny, and are filled with expressions of her feelings about the

’ state of her beloved young companion . All

of this is , course , too personal for quotation , but a perusal o f it amply confirms the accounts of her domestic affection , and the warmth and of sensitiveness her heart . The loss of her niece from her side ultimately T 2 8 TH E LA S YEARS. 5

of compelled the engagement a companion , Miss h Goodwin , a young lady who became as muc attached to Harriet Martineau as did all others who came in close relationship with her in those years . ’ l oth May , 73 . Th e great event to me and my house u hold is, that Caroline my dear maid and n rs e has seen Jenny It was such a pouring t o u on both sides . It would have almost broken ’ Jenny s h eart n ot to have seen this very dear of A ll friend ours , when only half an hour Off . her longing i s to be by my side again . I never discourage this but I don ’ t believe it can come to E pass . verybody is kind and helpful ; and our admiration of Miss Goodwin ever in

'

CI CElSCS .

’ MB th E S E . A L ID , Sept 7 , 73 . DE R R E A F I ND ,

‘ I am not ungrateful n or insensible about your treating me with letters , whether I reply or n ot Yo u would . may be sure I write if I A t could . But you know I cannot , and why . times I really indulge in the hope and belief that the end is drawing near, and then again, a ear if I compare the present day with y ago ,

s . it seems as if there wa no—very great change I still do not make mistakes or only in trifling

Slips of memory common e nough at seventy . n no Still I have no haunti g ideas , delusions , no e fears , exc pt that vague sort of misgiving u that occ rs when it becomes a fatigue to talk , to an d and move about , to plan the duties of 2 86 T M T HA RRIE AR INEA U.

Yet I of the day . aware as am the character

' of the change in me , and confident as I still am Of not maki n g a fool o f myself till I alter n ow further, I seldom or never (almost never) feel quite myself . I have told you this often lately ; but I feel as if it would not be quite honest to omit saying it while feeling it to be the most promin ent experience of my life at this time . It is not always easy to draw the on e line as to what should tell in such a case . O n on e to the hand , I desire avoid all appear ance of weak an d tiresome complaining of what o n cannot be helped ; and the other, I do wish of not to appear unaware my failures . I am ou an d sure y understand this , can sympathize in the anxiety about keeping the balance h o n T - n o w est . here have been heart attacks and then lately, which have caused digitalis and belladonna to be prescribed fo r me ; and this creates a hope that the general bodily condition is declining in good proportion to the brain weakening . Miss and her naval part ner remind me of the pair in the novel that I — ’ h ave read eleven times Miss Austen s P er s i n — s ua o unequalled in interest , charm and T of truth (to my mind) . here is a hint there — wh o the drawback Of separation ; but yet , would have desired anything fo r Anne E lliot and her Captain W entworth but that they Should marry ? I am now in the middle of Mis s ’ — Thackeray s Old K ens ington reading it with much keen pleasure , and some satisfaction and T surprise . here are exquisite touches in it ; of of and there i s a further disclosure power,

T 2 8 8 HARRIE M AR TINEA U.

b On to Show Harriet Martineau in her amia le , c siderate household character

E D 6 1 8 D E R R e . A F I ND , ec mber , 73 I will n ot trouble and pain you by a long story about the cares and anxieties which make the last stage of my long life hard to manage and to bear . If I could be quite sure of the end being as near as one would suppose , I could bear my own share quietly enough but it is a different thing watching a younger life going out prematurely . My beloved Jen n y s h e h as will die , after all , we think , bravely as Th e E borne up for two years . terrible ast winds again got hold of her before s h e went (so early as O ctob er to her winter quarters and there are sudden and grave symptoms o f Th e old of dropsy . dread the post has returned upon me and I am amazed to find h ow I can still suffer from fear. I am quite unfit to live — alon e even for a week ; yet I mean to ven s/za ll o ture it , if necessary . Miss Goodwin g to L D a o n ( eeds) for Christmas y, which the family have always hitherto assembled . I will n ow not prevent their doing so . My niece m fo r Harriet (Higginson) was to co e , as usual , a month ’ s holiday at Christmas but her mother has lamed herself by a fall , and it must be doubtful whether she can be left . Parents pro test the dear girl Shall come , but she and I ' T for wait to see . here is nobody else ; there o r is illness in all families , anxiety about illnes s “ W ! o n elsewhere . ell we shall be the other ’ sid of h sa w e it some ow, as people y, and it on t TH E LA ST YEARS. 9

o matter much then . My young c ok is wanted o n D a i Christmas y to be a bridesma d , at Not tin h am S O fo r i g . I have a real reason giv ng

up , the great Christmas party I have given (in

the kitchen) every year till now . It will be costly giving the people handsome dinners in o wn i their homes but the house w ll be quiet ,

and to me the day will be like any other day . It i s not now a time fo r much mirth ; the o ’ Arnolds meeting at their m ther s grave , my

Jenny absent , from perilous illness , my brain S O th at I c an fo r failing, do nothing anybody ”

but by money (and not very much in that way) . — W e are all disposed to keep quiet wishing ” the outside world a Merry Christmas .

i th 1 8 April 5 , 74 . I am re ading again that marvellous M iddle A n ot m a rc r . , finding I did half value it befo e It Ye t en is not a book to issue as a serial . , read s uite , I find it almost more (greater) than I can Th e Ca saub on s s et n bear . me dreami g all D o e a n - L night . you ver hear y thing of ewes and Miss Evans ?

During the whole of the time over which these letters extend Mrs . Martineau was subj ect to of fainting fits , in any one which her life might

fo r have ended . It was thus necessary her to

h r - h ave her maid sleeping in e bed room . Caro ” th e line , dear friend and servant for twenty

O n e 1 8 . years , died early in 75 Her place was

filled by the younger maid , Mary Anne , whom

I O 2 0 M R TI IVE A 9 HARRIE T A U.

Th e Caroline had trained . maid has told me of her mistress ’ s kindness and readiness to be

of of amused the gentleness her manner, and the gratitude which s h e seemed to feel for all Th e loving tendance . next letter gives a glimpse ’ of th e daily life from the mistress pen

’ D e c 8 . , 75 . E ast winds have been abundantly bitter ; but n this house is sheltered from the east and orth . W e do pity the babes and their mothers in the cottages below and there is no denying that I am painfully s tupe fi ed by such cold as we have ; but my a ides and my maids are all as well and of as happy as if we had the making the season . It i s a daily surprise to me to s e e how Jenny f out o . holds and on , without any sort relapse ; yet I c a n n ot rise above the anxiety which haunts me in the midst of every n ight and early morn — ing dread Of hearing that s h e and Miss Good m e s win are ill with the cold which makes o ill . ’ s ix l c an By o c ock I stay in bed no longer , My m aid and I (in the same room) turn out of our beds as the c lo c k strikes ; she puts a match to fo r c u o f the fire , and goes my special p tea

(needed after my bad nights) , while I brush my w hair . I take the tea to the windo , and look out for the lights (F ox How usually the first) as they kindle and twinkle throughout the valley O rion going down behind L oughrigg as day is breaking . Then I get on the bed for half an ’ u ho r s reading , till the hot water comes up . By that time I am in a panic about my a ides ; but

2 2 H A RRTE T M A R TH VE A 9 U.

’ s n ow C . writings And that was after his B famous urns article had appeared , and founded his fame i n America ! Did ou s e e Tim es - d y that the death list showe , two - a f in days last week , thirty three de ths o 0 of persons over 7 , eleven whom were over 8 0 ? Th e effect of the cold ! Th e sick and aged will die off fast this one ! winter. May I be

’

n 2 6. Ja uary 5 , 7 DE R O L D R E A F I ND, It is time that you were heari ng from us of the marked increase in my illness within the few days since I last reported of matters o f mutual interest . I will not trouble you with disagreeable descriptions of ailments which of n o admit advantageous treatment . L ast i week there was , as tw ce before (and now again e twice) , a copious hemorrhage from som interior

. Th e part , by which I am much weakened cause is n ot understood ; and what does it matter ? I neither know nor much care h ow it happens that I find myself sinki n g more rapidly A ll I 18 1 a m than hitherto . know that fully satisfied with my share of the interest and of of of amusement life , and the value the knowledge which has come to me by m eans of h is of th e . brain , w ich worth all the rest us n I have not much pai , none very severe , but s ee much discomfort . At times I very badly, and lic o r almost - nothing ; and then I recover f T more o r less o both powers . here i s s o a much cramp in the hands , and elsewhere , th t 2 TH E LA ST YEARS. 93 it seems very doubtful whether you and other friends will hea r muc h from me during the i (supposed) short t me that I shall be living . B ut ou I do hope y will let me hear, to the last , of your interests and pursuits , your friendships in c rea s and companionships , and prospects of i ing wisdom . I cannot wr te more to day .

Perhaps I may become able another day . My beloved niece Je n n v i s well ; better here than m she would be anywhere else , and ore happy in her restoration to her h ome with me than I u can describe . I co ld easily show you how and why my death within a short time may be for of wh o the happiness some whom I love , and love me ; and if it should be the severest trial to this most dear helper of my latter days , I am sure she will bear it wisely and well . It cannot but—be the happiest thought in her mi nd and heart what a blessing Sh e has been to ! W ou my old age hat have not y been , dear i m u n ot o n n ow fr end ! I st enter that . Jenny observed this morn ing that Old or delicate T ! people li ve wonderfully long . rue but I h Ope my term will be Short , if I am to continue as ill as at present .

Th e end was , indeed , approaching ; and now,

of s o when at the worst her illness , it came about that sh e was asked and consented to do of i on e last piece writing for publicat on . Her

i young compan on , Miss Goodwin , had translated ’ M ont ort Triibne r im on de . Pauli s S f , and Mr , Mrs of o . unaware c urse , how ill Martineau was, 2 T T 94 HA RRIE MAR INEA U.

Offered to publish the translation on the con d s h e ition that would write an introduction . She would not refuse this favor to Miss f Goodwin , and did the work with great di ficulty . It was characteristic that sh e should thi nk it necessary to take th e trouble to rea d the whole of introduc M S . before writing her few pages tion . She was n ow nearing her seventy -fourth birthday ; and the strong constitution which had worn through so much pain and labor had a lmost exhausted its vitality . E ven in these last we eks sh e could not be n idle . H er ha ds were cramped , her eyes weak , her sensations of fatigue very hard to bear ; still , she not only continued her correspondence o r two of with one her dearest friends , but also T went on with her fan cy work . h e latter was of n now that easiest ki d , requiring least effort — of eye and thought knitting . She occupied c ot herself with making blankets , in double for th e knitting, babies of her young friends ; of some them among her poorer neighbors , whom Sh e had known when they were little children themselves and she came first to n and Ambleside , others amo g more distant w on e ealthier couples . She finished blanket 1 8 6 for early in the year 7 , a baby born in

Ambleside in the January, and she left a second o n di e unfinished when she ed .

2 6 T M T E 9 HA RRIE AR IN A U.

' th e m atter to own sensations , leaving their S he Observation . could be absorbed to the last in all that concerned the world and mankind ; an d she was equally accessible to the smaller and more homely interests of the quiet daily f Th e n life o her inmates . i cidents which go to Show what she was in her domestic circle a re but trifling ; but what is it that makes the dif ference betwee n an intolerable and a venerable o ld or fo r of in age ( youth , the matter that , domestic life) except it s conduct about trifles ? O ne wh o was with her tells of her delight when a basket of newly-fledge d ducklings was brough t to d Sh e on her be side , before was up , St . ’ V Da of h alentine s y in the year her deat , o ffering her a doggerel tribute as foll ows

V alentine h o es ou will not s c orn S t . p y l i ’ i . a ent ne s m orn This little g ft o n S t V . ’ ’ W e d h a ve c o m e with th e c him e of las t e venin s be ls g l , l l t r k ur ll B ut, a as we c ou d no b ea o s h e s

Then another remembers her am usement when one of her nephews had j ust started to go for L to the coach ondon , and the doctor, coming in o n unannoun ced , left hi s hat the hall table , which the active servant seeing, and j umping to the conclusion that Mr . Martineau (travelling in a felt) had left hi s high hat behind him ,

off to o -offic e rushed with it the c ach , half a mile T 2 H E LA ST YE A RS . 97

t to his away so that when the doctor wan ed go , hat was off to the coach and “ the old lady did

s o o r tw laugh . O nly a week o before her ask death , she was merry enough to her doctor that dreadful punning conundrum about the

ic e - m resemblan ce between an crea vender, and — an hydrophobic patient the answer turning “ o n the legend W ater ices and ice creams and (water I sees , I screams) telling him that

-a ro ess iona l e it was p f conundrum . At the sam time she was kind enough to repeat to him the compliments which a visitor of hers had been T paying his baby . his was the lighter Side of ’ t e h aged woman s life, the more serious aspect of of which is Shown in some her letters to Mr. Th e t n w Atkinson . last of these le ters must o be given MB 1 1 E S E 8 6 . A L ID , May 9, 7 DE R R E A F I ND , ob serv Jenny, and also my Sister, have been ing that you ought to be hearing from us, You and have offered to write to you . will see at once what this means ; and it is quite tru e that I have become s o much worse lately that to we ought guard against your being surprised , some day soon , by news of my life being closed . I feel uncertain about how long I m ay live in c a n my present state . I only follow the j udg ment of unprej udiced observers and I see that i Off my household bel eve the end to be not far . ou I will not trouble y with disagreeable details . 2 8 T M A R THVE 9 HARRIE A U.

is s a i n It enough to y that I am no respect better, o n while all the ailments are the increase . Th e imperfect heart -action immediately affects th e is brain , causing the suffering which worse than — all other evils together , the horrid sensation

of . T not being quite myself his strange , dreamy non - rec o n ition o m s el o n g f y f comes every evening , m B ut and all else is a trifle in co parison . there is a good deal more . Cramps in the hands prevent writing , and most other employment , a of except at interv ls . Indications dropsy have n ot lately appeared and after this , I need again tell you that I see how fully my household i n t believe that the end s o far off . Meantime I have n o cares o r troubles beyond the bodily h ’ uneasiness (which , owever, I don t deny to be of an evil) . I cannot think any future as at all i ” probable , except the annihilat on from which s o h some people recoil with much orror . I find — I n ot myself here in the universe , know how,

h . s e e w ence , or why I everything in the uni o ut s e e verse go and disappear, and I no reason for supposing that it is not an actual and entire m . t death And for y part , I have n o obj ection o such an extinction . I well remember the pas W E “ sion with which . . Forster said to me , I had rather be damned than annihilated If he m ’ once felt five inutes damnation , he would be Th e thankful for extinction in preference . truth is N w , I care little about it any way . o that the s e e event draws near, and that I how fully my n household expects my death , pretty soo , the ' s o w universe opens widely before my Vie , and I see the old notions of death and scenes to follow

00 H A RRI E T M A R THV 3 EA U.

The internal tumor whi ch was the prime cause of her malady (an entirely different kind of s h e thing, however, from that which suffered T of from at ynemouth) , had long been the source great inconvenience, compelling her to descend m uc h tim e the stairs backwards , and to spend in Th e a recumbent position . post mortem exam i

nt th e nation made by her medical attenda , at e request of her executors , two days aft r she died , revealed the fact that this tumor was the true cause of her sufferings . She never knew it R o n herself . elying the statement Of the n 1 8 emine t men whom she consulted in 5 5 , that was it was the heart that affected , she accepted w h . w t at as her fate It was , ho ever, the Slo “ growth of a dermoid cyst which made her linger till such an age , through the constant

of -on e suffering twenty preceding years . of 1 8 6 nad In the early part June , 7 , she an of attack bronchitis , and though medical treat ment subdued this speedily, it exhausted her strength greatly . From about the 14th of that month —two days after her seventy-fourth birth da — o y she was confined to her ro m , but still O n 2 th sh e rose from bed . the 4 was too ill to T get up . hen drowsiness gradually increased and in a little while she sank quietly into a sh e dreamy state , in which seemed to retain o to consci usness when aroused , but was o weak ' TH L S T 0 1 E A YEA RS . 3 i o r on to either take food to speak . At last , the 2 th o f 1 8 6 7 June , 7 , j ust as the summer sunset was gilding th e hills that she knew and loved so well , she quietly and peacefully drew her last breath , and entered into eternal rest . T — ruly her death not only the last moments, but the long ordeal might stand for an illus tration Of the saying Of the wise men Of old i Keep nnocency, and take heed unto the thing tAa t that is right , for shall bring a man peac e at the last . d She was buried amidst her kindre , in the old cemetery of Birmingham ; and upon the tomb it stone , where stands amidst the smoke , there n o is inscription beyond her name and age , and l of the p ac es birth and death .

More was , perhaps , needless . Her works , and a yet more precious possession , her character f — n . o e c e s remain Faults she had , course the f L et sary defects O her virtues . it be said that she held her own Opinions too confidently L et the uncertain cannot be teachers . it be said that her personal dislikes were many and strong it is the necessary antithesis of power L et ful attachments . it be said that her powers Of antagonism at times were not sufficiently i restra ned how, without such Oppugnancy, could Sh e have stood forth fo r unpopular truths L e t c an all that detractors sav be said , and how much remains untouched HARRIE T M A R TINEA U.

In the paths where Harriet Martineau trod at

first almost alone , many women are now fol lowing . Serious studies , political activity , a share in social reforms , an independent , self e Of supporting car er, and freedom thought and

of o ur expression , are by the conditions age , becoming Open to th e thousands Of women who would never have dared to claim them in the

h s o I circumstan ces in which s e first did . n a yet earlier age such a life , even to such powers i as hers , would have been mpossible . As it sh e Of n e w was , was only a pioneer the order Of things inevitable under the advance of civiliza

Th e - tion and knowledge . printing press , which multiplies the words Of the thinker ; the steam engine , which both feeds the press and rushes Off with its product , and the electric telegraph , which carries thought around the globe , make this an age in which mental force assumes an im portance which it n ever had before in the his f tory o mankind . Mind will be more and more a v lued and cultivated , and will grow more and more influe n tial ; and the condition and status

Of women must alter accordingly . Some people

‘ do not like this fact ; and no o n e can safely attempt to foresee all its c onsequences but we c an no more prevent it than we c a n return to

o r hornbooks , to trial by ordeal , or to the feudal

o r of tenure Of land , to any other bygone state

O T M 4 HARRIE A R TINEA U.

o w speak , no selfish considerati n intruded bet een

h e r . and her duty She could risk fame , and

of live lih ood wh e n n e c e s position , and means f un s elfi shl sary, to y support and promulgate what she believed it to be important for mankind o th e to do and believe . She l nged for well being Of her kind ; an d s o unaffectedly and honestly that men who came under her influ ence were stimulated and encouraged by her to W a share and avow similar high aims ith l , those who lived with her loved her ; she was a an d kind mistress , a good friend , tender to little children ; sh e was truly helpful to the poor at e her gat s , and her life was spotlessly pure . I s n ot this what we should all strive to be ? fi n d Shall we not love knowledge , and use it to out truth ; and place outspoken fidelity to c on science foremost amo n gst Our duties ; and care for the progress Of our race rather than for o ur n Own fame shall we not be truthful , and ho est , — — in and upright and , to this end , brave pub lic as in private life ; and Shall we not seek s o to bear ourselves that men shall s hrink from owning their ignobler thoughts and baser shifts v to us , but shall ne er fear to avow high aims and

et our pure deeds , while y we retain womanly kindness and all our domesti c virtues n u changed ? All this we may know that we c an n exe m be and do, if we will for we have see it lifi p ed in the life Of Harriet Martineau . f amous W omen S eries.

' E T F L L E R RGA R U .

D W E BY J U L I A W AR H O .

I A m em oir of the wom an who first in N ew E ngl an d took a p osition of m oral

n d in e e tu ea e i th e o an wh o ote the B att e H n o f th e a t ll c al l d rsh p, by w m wr l ym

u i i n of n o c o o n o r t an sient inte e t . Th e a ou R ep bl c , is a l tera ry e v e t mm r r s F m s

o n i n o o t i u ec t a n d n o o e i us t ious io a e W m e Ser es will have w r h e r s bj m r ll r b gr ph r . d is a inte for th e na ati e is ee inte estin a Nor will th e rea er be d ppo d , rr v d ply r g nd ” ’ u o n s i a tion W o m a s o urn a l. f ll f i p r . n 7

’ W i a o f M a r a ret F uller in th e a M rs . Julia ard H owe s b ogr phy g , F m ous i h o en e ies of M ess s . R o e ts B ot e s is a o c as een o o e for W m S r r b r r h r , w rk wh h b l k d he h as a e a i i n u a n on . a t an with c riosity . It will n ot dis ppoi t expec tati S m d br ll d ’ c te is t a n interesting b o ok . H er stu dy o f M argaret F ull er s c h ara r ho ro ughly s ympa th etic h er r el atio n Of h er life is don e in a graphic an d at tim es a fasc in a ting

a nn I i h f n n o f st o n in i i ua it e ic tin th e oin s m e r. t s t e c ase o o e w o ma r g d v d l y d p g p t

ano t n h e a s of h da It is a whic h m ade h er o e of t e m os t m ark d c h a r c ter er y. a lw ys

e a e o fo M r Ho e in t is for i e we see a s o r in agre bl t ll o w s . w h ; wh l m rk f h e o wn m d

c o n stan t t e e is no ina tistic ot usio n of h er e sona it . Th e o i a a ly , h r r pr r p r l y b ok s lw ys ” e a a e an d the e ation of th e eat —sc ene is t i in i i w r d bl , r l d h hr ll gly mpress ve . S a tur

a ette day G z .

“ ’ M r . u i H s s J l a Wa rd o we ha retold th e story o f M argaret F ull er s life and nte n T i a c a re er in a v ery i resti g m ann e r. h s rem rkabl e wo m a n was h appy in

a in a es ee an a e R a a o E e s on a n d i ia He n h v g J m Fr m Cl rk , lph W ld m r , W ll m ry min all of o h ad e n nti ate it h e Ch ar g, wh m b e i m w h r an d h ad fe lt th e s pe ll o f h er e t ao ina e sona influenc e for h er io a e I t x r rd ry p r l , b gr ph rs . is n e edl es s to s a of y, ” c o u s e t at n o t in c ou b e ette t an t es e e inisc enc es in t ei w r , h h g ld b r h h r m h r ay.

N ew York W or ld.

The s el ec tion of M rs . Howe as th e writer of this biography was a h appy t o u t o n th e a t of th e e ito o f the s e ies for a s i o m h gh p r d r r ; , de fr the n atural appre c iatio n s he ou a e for M a w ld h v rgaret F ull er , c om es h er kn owl edg e o f all the ’ influenc es t at had t ei ef ec t on a et u e s if h h r f M arg r F ll r l e . Sh e tells the s tory of ’ M a rgaret F u lle r s intere sting life from a ll so urc es a nd fro m h er Own k n owledge , n o t h es itating to us e pl enty of uotation s wh e n sh e fe lt th at o th ers o r even q , ” — a a et u e e se f had one the o ette . M is s i d i P M rg r F ll r h r l , d w rk b r G l er , n li ila del

old b ll ell r M d - a oooé s e s . a ile ost a id on recei t o S y , p p , p f tile rice b li uelis lze s p , y t e p r , ROBERTS BROTHE RS ,

B T N M . OS O , ASS ’ ess rs R oéerts B rot/iers P u alic a M . tio s n .

F A M US W O M E N S E R IE S O . THE COUNTESS or ALBANY .

B Y V E R N O N L E E .

O n e v o l u m e . 1 6 m o . C l o th . P ric e

“ It is n o dis pa ragem e n t to the m an y e xc ell en t previous sk etc h es to say th at ’ Th e o un tess o f a n e no n L e e i s ec i e th e c e e es t of th e s e r es C Alb y , by V r , d d dly l v r i ’ o f o a ies o f a m o us o en u s e i n t is c o unt R o e ts B o t e s bi gr ph F W m , p bli h d h ry by b r r h r , I n h e n ins tan c e t e e i s a f e s u ec t a t a e o e B o ston . t e pres t h r re r bj , li tl e f rth er r m v d o t o a e e n ts a n d s uffiC i e n tl o ut o f t e wa o f e u to a it f fro m c n emp r ry v , y h y pr j di c e dm o in M o eo e t e e is a t ain e an at th e o an d a in a l uc id h an dl g . r v r, h r r d h d w rk , m d ia it n d in s a t it th e c a ac te unde i c us s io n u n o t o nly fa mil r w h a ymp hy w h h r r r d s , b t ’ t u in f s o f th e i e t n i e t f al so a t h o m e with h e r l g o rc e e gh t en h c e tury , wh c h we r he o rc e s

t at a e th e o untess O f a n at Sh e was . T he io a is ea ua t ac h m d C Alb y wh b gr phy r lly d l , r in th fe o f A lfie ri fo r t e n t - five e a s th e ea t a nd s o u c o a nio n o f th g e li , w y y r h r l mp e

o u n s s uit as f s i ac e s t at of th s u e t o h S . C te , q e c a re ully a t tr h e fixe d bj c f t e ketc h m P h i la delph i a Ti es . ’ To b e u n a bl e a l to ge th e r to a c q uies c e in Ve rn o n Le e s p o rtra it o f Lo uis e o f Stolb erg do es n o t militate a g ain s t o ur s e n s e o f th e e xc el le nc e o f h e r work . H er - pi c tu res o f e igh te en th c e n tu ry I t aly a—re d efi nite a n d brilli an t . T h ey are in stinct i in a L o n do n A c a d m with a q uality th a t s a k to m gi c e y. I n th e re c o rd s o f fam o us wo m en pre s erve d in th e i nteres ting s eries whic h h s e en e ote to su c n o le c a a c te s a s M a a e t u e E z a e t and a b d v d h b h r r rg r F ll r , li b h Fry , u n te s s f an o a un u a is e G eo e iot th e ife o f th e o o s e c e . o u o f rg E l , l C Alb y h ld i q pl L

an o r o uis e R . as S h e e to S n e se f o s s e s s e a c a a c te fa e Alb y , L , lik d ig h r l , p d h r r m d , i s n r e n fo r e c u ia W s a n d c e at n ot for d o m e s tic v rtue , o ve p l r i d o m r ive p o wer , b ut ra th er n oto rio us fo r an e asy go in g in diffe re n c e to c on ven tion ality an d a wo rldly n ni is H e r if ic is a S in u a e o n e n t o f h fa s e e wis d om a d cy c m . l e , wh h g l r xp t e l id a s pre val ent u po n th e s u bj ec t of l ov e an d m a rriage in th e e igh te e n th c en tury is to ld i n i i a n is i n atin a n e T h e io a i o n by Ve rn o n L ee a v v d d d c r mi g m n r . b gr phy s e o f f f ’ m in if th o s s o u o th . B th e m o s t fas c a t g, e m t rrow l , e s e ri e s os ton yo u r n a l. Sh e is the firs t re ally his to ric a l c h a rac te r wh o h as a ppea red o n th e li terary a u i h e e e e h o riz o n o f th is p rtic lar s er es , r pr d c s s o rs h avin g b e en lim ite d to p ure ly t T s i a n t tt e io a is st on itte n r li e ra ry w o m e n . hi br lli li l b gr phy r gly wr Unlik e e — b p c e in ite s Ge an F i en c h a n d E n lis o u t e s a e s u ec t u d g wr r rm , , g h h m bj t, h e a th o r d o es n o t h as tily pas s O v er th e d etails o f th e Pl a to nic re l a tio n s th at e xi s te d b e twe en h ta ian o t A r I n t i i a h th e Co un te s s a n d t e c el e bra te d I l p e lfi e i. h s b ogr phy t e t f s i n a re i e n W lit u d e a il s o th a t pa s o ate frien d s h ip g v i th a fid e y to tr th , a n d a k no wl e e o n a e a i s e u o n th e st c t st a n o st c n i n o v dg f its tur , th t s b a d p ri e d m o sc e ti us i n es ti a tio n a nd a e s s an e i etofo re un a tta in a e to o t e io a g , c c to m e s h bl h r b gr ph e rs Th e isto o f t is f ie n s i i s n o t o n e c e ed n in te e stin b ut it e s ents a h ry h r d h p ly x i gly r g, pr fa sc in atin g ps y c h o l o gic al stu dy to th o s e wh o a re in te re s ted i n th e m eta ph y s ic a l ’ o o i s a o s t s u c o f a i e a spe c t o f h um an n atu re . T h e b k lm a m h b ogra phy of A lfi ri who e x e a s it is o f th e wife o f th e P reten d er, p c te d to bec om e th e Q ueen o f E ng ” an H a t or d Tim es . l d . r f

old é a ll éooRsellers . M a iled os t a id on rec ei t o S y , p fi , p f tile ice é t/i e uélisfi ers pr , y y ,

’

ROBERTS BROTHERS B T N . , OS O

f amous M artini S eries. A E L IZ B E T H F RY.

E . Y R . R PITMA B M S . N .

One vol. 1 6m o . Cl oth . P ric e

In th e rec ords o f fam ous women th ere are few m ore nobl e exampl es of Christian wo manh o o d an d philan th rOpic en th usiasm th an the life of E liz ab eth en ts H er c a ac te was e auti u o un e n d o Fry pres . h r r b f lly r d d a c mpl ete an d if she , h ad not won fa e t ou h er u ic en e ac tio ns s h e ou a e ee n n e m hr gh p bl b f , w ld h v b o l s s estee e an d e e e e all who n e h er ec ause o f h er o estic i tues m d r m mb r d by k w b d m v r , er s eet o an c a s an d th e is o u it an o i h w w m ly h rm , w d m , p r y , d l v e wh c h m arked h er

c on uc t as i e o t e an d ien . She c a e o f t at s oun o ld ua s toc d w f , m h r, fr d m h d Q ker k i n h i whic h h as bre d s o m any em n ent m en a d w o m en . T e t m e c am e wh en h e r ho m e func tio n s c o uld n o l o nge r s atisfy th e yearnings o f a h eart fill e d with th e i ten derest p ty fo r all wh o suffe re d a nd h er wo rk was n o t far to s ee k . The pris ons

o f E n an n a of all E u o e e e in a e o a e c o n ition . In Ne ate gl d, y, r p , w r d pl r bl d wg ,

i is as e s ta tio n e a it u n en n e ss c . e i e ll d rt, d e , rva , d pr v y, dr k , & , pr va l d A wh o sur i i e s s all b u M r e d the tua tion e a e t as o e t s . h s v ye s r g rd d h p l Fry . S e aw h ere the

n in sh e ha n a aitin . n to t is ee t in as Sh e a o pe g d b ee w g I h s h g m s br vely entere d ,

i i an a n o an it in h er e es a n d u o n h er B ble n h d, d l ve d p y y p lips . If any o ne sh ould ask whic h of all the fam ous wo m en rec o rde d in this s e rie s did th e m ost ” in r a n en ion th an s s t E iz t prac tic al go o d h e d y a d g erat , e we r mu be, l ab e h Fry .

N ew York Tr ibu ne .

it n h a itt n a e nt estin an d a e i ti f M rs . P m a s wr e v ry i er g ppr c a ve sk etc h o the t an in n se i e in th e aus es o f u ani f n life c h arac er, d e m e t rv c s c h m ty o o e o f E n , g ’ an os t fa ous hilanth rO istS . Sh e was no n a s th e is o n i a n o i l d s m m p p k w pr ph l thr p st, an d prob ably n o l abo rer in th e c a use o f pris on re fo rm e v er won a la rg e r s h are of an e tain n one e e e i e a a e ee o f e n tia s uc c e ss, d c r ly v r r c e v d l rg r m d r vere l l ove . N o one c an read th is vo l um e with o ut feelin gs of a dmira tio n for th e n obl e wom an who ” f f ien S infu an uff e in u anit —C/i ic a 'o E n n de vo ted her li e to be r d l d s r g h m y . g ve i g yourn a l. “ Th e story of her splen did an d suc c es sful phil anthropy is admirably told by

h er io a e an d e ea e s o u fi n d in th e ta e a eat of ins i ation . b gr ph r, e v ry r d r h ld l br h p r Not e e o an c an ec o e a n E iz a e t b ut n o on e c an fa i to be im v ry w m b m l b h Fry, l e sse it th e t ou h t t at no o an o e e eat h er ta ent and a ition pr d w h h g h w m , h w v r gr l mb , ’ c an fail to fi nd o ppo rtun ity to do a n obl e work in life witho ut neglec tin g h er o wn u o her s fe minine duties , witho ut c easin g to dignify all the distinc tive virt es f ex, ’ with out fretting and c rying al oud o ve r th e restric tio ns pl ac e d on woman s field of

Our ublic a tions a re or s a le b a ll bookselle s will be p f y r , or ’ - sent post pa id on receifit of a dvertisea price . ‘ w- EORRRTS B R THE R B T N O S O . R , OS