Page:A cyclopaedia of female biography.djvu/367

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GRA. GRE.
345

reputation for literature, had she lent herself to its pursuits. Her familiar letters are models of the best style; and the fragments of her poetry, found among her papers, entitled "Provision for my last Journey through the Wilderness," etc., shew the poetic feeling which slumbered in her heart, or rather was absorbed by her love of God and her ceaseless service in His cause. She had, in this life: the reward of seeing her exertions crowned with wonderful success; and the blessing of a peaceful and happy death seemed the fitting close of an earthly career which was to open for her an eternity of glory and blessedness. She died July 27th., 1814. Bat her spirit has not passed away; it animates her descendants; her daughter, Mrs. Bethune, and the only son of this daughter, the Rev. George W. Bethune, who carry on and out the holy principles of benevolence of Isabella Graham. Her "Life and Writings" is widely known, many editions having been published in Scotland and England; and probably more than fifty thousand copies have been printed in America.

GRANT, ANNE,

Whose maiden name was Mac Vicar, was born at Glasgow, in February, 1755. When a child, she went with her father, who was an officer in the British army, to America, and spent some time in the interior of New York. While residing near Albany, Miss Mac Vicar was introduced to the notice of Madame Schuyler, wife, or widow rather, of Colonel Philip Schuyler; and to this "American lady," the English maiden, afterwards Mrs Grant, acknowledges she owed "whatever of culture her mind received." She returned to Scotland in 1768, and in 1779 married the Rev. Mr. Grant, of Laggan, by whom she had several children. On the death of her husband, in 1801, being obliged to resort to her pen for subsistence, she wrote "The Highlanders, and other Poems," "Memoirs of an American Lady," "Letters from the Mountains," "Essays on the Superstitions of the Highlands of Scotland," etc. She died on the 7th. of November, 1838, at Edinburgh, where she resided during the latter part of her life, and where she was the centre of a large circle of accomplished and literary people. From 1825 tin her death she enjoyed a royal pension of one hundred pounds yearly, which, with the emoluments derived from her writings. and some liberal bequests, rendered her quite independent.

GREEN, FRANCES HARRIET,

Whose maiden name was Whipple, was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island, America. Her family is one of the most honourable in the state, and some of the members have displayed uncommon talents. While very young she shewed a decided genius, and poetry was her first production. A number of her fugitive pieces appeared from 1832 to 1836. Her first prose work was "Memoirs of Eleanor Elbridge"—a coloured woman—which was very successful. The next book was a singular one to emanate from a woman's mind—"The Mechanic," addressed to operatives. This appeared in 1841; and in 1844, she published "Might and Right," an historical sketch of the doings of the two political parties during the attempts to form a new constitution for the State of Rhode Island. In the following years she wrote for the "Reform Periodicals," so called,