| | 185 | Author: | Wharton review: Anonymous | Add | | | Title: | Note on Edith Wharton, in "Chronicle and Comment"  | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | If we were to single out one book from those that have been
published this season as exhibiting in the highest degree that rare
creative power called literary genius, we should name The
Greater Inclination, by Edith Wharton. The book has met with
a fair reception in the press, but it does not seem to us that
enough emphasis has been laid upon the originality of the work.
And not only has Mrs. Wharton brought to these stories a remarkable
power of insight and imagination, but the phase of life in America
which she has chosen for treatment may be said to be altogether new
in her hands. Her work is the more remarkable when we know that
the processes by which her results are reached have been gained
largely through intuition and sympathy. One would almost imagine
in reading these stories that the author must have suffered and
gone deep into life in order to bring up from its depths such
knowledge of the world as is disclosed in her pages. And yet this
is far from being the case. Mrs. Wharton was born little more than
thirty years ago in New York. On both sides she comes of old New
York stock, her mother being a Rhinelander. Most of her time has
been spent between New
Greyscale image of Edith Wharton with two dogs, one perched
on her right shoulder, the other in her left arm.
York and
Newport, and she has also lived abroad, especially in Italy, of
which country she is very fond. Her husband, Mr. Edward Wharton,
is a member of the Philadelphia family of that name, and was
married to Miss Edith Jones fully ten years ago. Both are
passionately fond of animals, and have been for years the moving
spirits in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in
Rhode Island. The photograph which we present of Mrs. Wharton with
her two pet dogs is the only one that was available for
reproduction here, but it is very characteristic when we bear in
mind her love of animals. Her first stories began to appear in
Scribner's and the Century some years ago; one of
them especially, called "Mrs. Manstey's View," published in
Scribner's, attracted a great deal of attention at the time
of its appearance. She is also the author of a book on domestic
architecture and home decoration, published by the Messrs.
Scribner, which was reviewed in these pages a year ago last April.
A review of The Greater Inclination appears on another page. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 188 | Author: | Wilkins, Mary E. | Add | | | Title: | Squirrel. | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | THE Squirrel lived with his life-long mate near the farm-house. He
considered himself very rich, because he owned an English walnut
tree. Neither he nor his mate had the least doubt that it belonged
to them and not to the Farmer. There were not many like it in the
State or the whole country. It was a beautiful tree, with a mighty
spread of branches full of gnarled strength. Nearly every year
there was a goodly promise of nuts, which never came to anything,
so far as the people in the farm-house were concerned. Every
summer they looked hopefully at the laden branches, and said to
each other, "This year we shall have nuts," but there were never
any. They could not understand it. But they were old people; had
there been boys in the family it might have been different.
Probably they would have solved the mystery. It was simple enough.
The Squirrel and his mate considered the nuts as theirs, and
appropriated them. They loved nuts; they were their natural
sustenance; and through having an unquestioning, though unwitting,
belief in Providence, they considered that nuts which grew within
their reach were placed there for them as a matter of course.
There were the Squirrels, and there were the nuts. No nuts, no
Squirrels! The conclusion was obvious to such simple
intelligences. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 191 | Author: | Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 | Add | | | Title: | Letter to Angelica Schuyler Church (February 17, 1788) [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | You speak, Madam, in your Note of Adieu, of civilities which
I never
rendered you. what you kindly call such were but the gra-
-tifications of my own heart: for indeed that was much gratified in
seeing and serving you. The morning, you left us, all was wrong. even
the sun shine was provoking, with which I never quarelled before. I
took it into my head he shone only to throw light on our loss : to pre-
-sent a chearfulness not at all in unison with my mind. I mounted
my horse earlier than common, & took by instinct the road you had
taken. some spirit whispered this to me : but he whispered by
halves only : for, when I turned about at St. Denis, had he told me
you were then broke down at Luzarches, I should certainly have
spurred on to that place, & perhaps not have quitted you till I
had seen the carriage perform it's office fully by deporting you at
Boulogne. I went in the evening to Madame de Corny's, where we
talked over our woes, & this morning I found some solace in going
for Kitty & the girls. she is now here, just triste enough to shew her
affection, & at the same time her discretion. I think I have discovered
a method of preventing this dejection of mind on any future parting. it
is this. when you come again, I will employ myself solely in finding
or fancying that you have some faults, & I will draw a veil over all
your good qualities, if I can find one large enough. I think I shall succeed in
this, for, trying myself to-day, by way of exercise, I recollected immediately one
fault in your composition. it is that you give all your attention to your
Image of manuscript page 2
Image of manuscript page 2
friends, caring nothing about yourself. now you must agree that I chris-
-tian this very mildly when I call it a folly only. and I dare say I shall
find many like it when I examine you with more sang froid.
I remember you told me, when we parted, you would come to see me at
Monticello. now tho' I believe this to be impossible, I have been planning
what I would shew you : a flower here, a tree there; yonder a grove,
near it a fountain; on this side a hill, on that a river. indeed, madam,
I know nothing so charming as our own country. the learned say it is
a new creation; and I believe them; not for their reasons, but because
it is made on an improved plan. Europe is a first idea, a
crude pro-
-duction, before the maker knew his trade, or had made up his mind
as to what he wanted. let us go back to it together then . you intend
it a visit, so do I. while you are indulging with your friends on the
Hudson, I will go to see if Monticello remains in the same place
or I will attend you to the falls of Niagara, if you will go on with me
to the passage of the Patowmac, the Natural bridge etc. this done,
we will come back together, you for a long, & I for a lesser time. Think
of this plan, and when you come to pay your summer's visit to Kitty
we will talk it over. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 192 | Author: | Alexander, Charles | Add | | | Title: | Letter to George H. Robinson, 27 November 1867 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | You will receive
per Stmr. Wanasit 43 Bags containing
64 Bus: Corn Shipped by John Mason
/coloured/ also 13 Bags Containing Bus.
Corn Shipped by James Beverly /coloured.
There are seven bags remaining of the lot
sent down by you yesterday which will
be filled with corn and sent to you by
Wanasit on Sunday next, sent shipped to you by
William Robertson /coloured/ who requests
me to ask you to send him Twenty /20/ bags
by the Boat on friday next to hold the balance
of the corn he has on hand, John Mason
wishes you to sell his corn and retain
the money in your hands until he calls
for it —
William Robertson wishes you to sell
to sell his corn and pay the money to
John Mason. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 193 | Author: | Anonymous | Add | | | Title: | Contract for indenture of Susan, a girl of five years; August 19, 1865 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | This Indenture, made this 19th day of August, in the year
Eighteen hundred & Sixty five between 1st Lieut. Ab S Dial A.A.A. Gen'l
J. B. 7th Dist. Va. of the one part, and John F. Hawkins of the
County of Bedford of the other part, Witnesseth, That the said
Lieut Ab S Dial &c. &c. by virtue of the authority in him
vested as Military (Commandant
agent aforesaid, hath put and bound, and doth by These
Presents, put and bind Susan— a free Girl of color, of the said
County, and being of the age of Five years, to be Apprenticed to the
said John F Hawkins to learn the Business of a
house servant, and with him to dwell and remain and serve until She, the
aid Susan —, shall obtain the age of Eighteen
ears; during all which time, she, the said Susan—,
— —
faithfully shall serve and obey, all secrets keep, and all lawful
commands willingly do and perform; and shall not absent herself from the service of
her master day or night, without his leave; but shall, in all things, as a faith-
ful Apprentice, behave herself towards her master, and all his family, during the said
term: and the said John F Hawkins doth hereby covenant, promise and
agree to, and with the said Lieut A. S. Dial &c and his succeſsors in office,
that he the said John F Hawkins will instruct said Apprentice in the
business of a houseservant (which now
Ann useth), shall and will
teach and instruct, or cause to be taught and instructed in the best manner that he can,
and shall and will provide and allow unto the said Apprentice, during all the said term,
competent and sufficient meat, drink, washing lodging, apparel, and all other things ne-
ſsary for the said Apprentice to have, and that he will well and truly pay
to the said Susan — at the end of —her—
term of apprenticeship aforesaid, the sum of Twenty — dollars, lawful money of
Virginia; and that during the term aforesaid —he— will instruct,
or cause to be instructed, the said Susan, in reading, writing and
arithmetic, as far as the Rule of Three. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 196 | Author: | Brown, Charles Brockden, related material: Anonymous | Add | | | Title: | Quaker testimony against Charles Brockden Brown, 1805 February 20 | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | At a monthly meeting of friends of Philadelphia
for the Southern District held the 20th of 2mo. 1805.—
The following Testimony against the conduct of Charles
Brockden Brown was united with and a committee
appointed to deliver him a copy out— | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 197 | Author: | Armitt, Elizabeth | Add | | | Title: | Will of Elizabeth Armitt [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I Elizabeth Armitt of the City of
Philadelphia Widow being through Divine
Favour in good health and of Sound
Disposing mind and memory Do make
this my Last Will and testament in
maner following Item I give &
bequath to
my great grand Daughter Elizabeth Waln Wiſter
my Silver tankerd marked EL Item
I give and bequeath my part of the meſsuage
and Lot where I now Dwell with the
appurtenances and also all my household
furniture and Plate except what is before
given. unto my grandson Charles Brockden
Brown his heirs and
aſsines in trust, as to
the furniture and Plate to and for the separate
Use of my Daughter Mary Brown Item
and as to the meſsuage and Lot in truſt to
and for the Separate Use of the said Mary
Brown Item I give and bequeath to my Said
Daughter Mary Brown all my waring
Apparel. Item I hearby Authorise and
Impower my Exceutors on the Surviver
of them to Sell and convey my Ground rent
of fourteen Pounds per year payable by
Thomas Wright and my Meſsuage and Lot
situate on the weſt Side of Second Street
bounded Northward by ground Late of Conrad
Pidgen and Southward by ground Late of Joshua
Fiſher and require them to pay the Intereſt on
the Sum for which it is Sold to
my Grand Son Charles Brockden Brown in trust
to and for the separate use of my
Daughter Mary Brown, and after her
decease to Divide the Said Sum the one
half betwen the Children of my Said
Daughter Share and Share alike and the other
half betwen the Children of my Late
Daughter Elizabeth Waln Share and Share
alike. Item in case my Excutors Shall
not Sell my Said Ground rent and meſsuage
and Lot of Grownd I give and Devise the
Same to my Grand Son x Charles Brockden Brown
to and for the Separate use of My Said Daughter
Mary Brown During her Life. I will that
after her Death the one half of my Said Eſtate
be Divided between the Children of My Said
Daughter Mary Brown or the Surviors Share and Share alike
and the other half of my Said Estate be Divied
betwen the Children of My Late Daughter
Elizabeth Waln or the Surviors Share and Share alike.
Laſtly I nominate and appoint my Son
in Law Richard Waln and my Said Grand
Son Charles Brockden Brown Exceutors of
this my Last Will and tastatment hearby
revoking all Wills by me heartofore Maide
and it is My Earneſt Decire and requeſt that
My Children and Grand Children Live in Love
as becomes the followers of Chriſt | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 198 | Author: | Brooke, B. S. | Add | | | Title: | Letter to John T. Blake, November 1859 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I am happy to inform you of my
safe arrival in this place, found all well
and glad to see me.
I have nothing of importance to communicate
the times seem hard, money scarce, but not
quite so bad as in Greenbrier for here you can
get plenty to eat for the money—and at rather
reasonable prices. I see by the paper this
morning that Cook has been convicted —
Stevens has been handed over to the
U.S authority
and will doubtless be tried in Staunton.
There is considable excitement ment here in
reference to this insurrection. Many persons
are selling, and sending their negros to
the South.
My kindest raguards to your Mother & Sister
I have no news to give you. I read none
I thought I would write you a line to let
you know of my safe arrival — Love to —
all | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 199 | Author: | Brown, Charles Brockden | Add | | | Title: | Letter to John Hall, Philadelphia, November 21,
1806 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I should deserve to be entirely discarded from your good opinion
if I did not take an early opportunity of replying to your last
kind letter just received. I sincerely hope you will not allow a
negligence which is constitutional & impartial which
has lately found some excuse in the pressure of a good deal of
business, to exclude me from your friendship. I will not
promise to do better for the future, because the strongest
resolutions are sometimes unavail=ing, & promises unexecuted
are only covert insults. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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