grand-daugbter, in a private letter, she says : " Our liide
Effie baa never been left witb a servant, and, altbongh to carry
out sucb a plan has mvolved a eacrifice of mueb literaiy work ,
or its unsatis&ctoiy incompleteneaa, I am not and never ehall
be sorry. She ie my poem."
By tbese thinga we may eee that whatever masks of manly independence, pride, or mocking miscbief Fanny Fcm may put on, sbe is, at the core of her nature, "pure womanly."
I have written this article with little more personal knowl- edge of Mrs. Parton than I have been able to obtain from brief biographical sketches, and the recollections and impres- sions of friends. Not from choice have I so done, ^ter the manner of the critic, who made it a rule not to read a book before reviewing it, for fear of being " prejudiced ; " but be- cause I have never been so fortunate as to cross orbits with my brilliant, but somewhat erratio subject. Her life has been attempted many times ; indeed, literaiy biographers seem to be under the impression that " the oftener this wonderful woman is repeated the better," to quote from the immortal Toots. May that life have years enough and fame and pros- perity enough to justify manj other sketches, worthier than this, before the coming of that
Lut scene of all, Tbat ends this etrange eventftU Ustorj."
And may that scene come with tender gradations of purple twilight shades, deepening into a night, star-lit with hope, and sweet with love — all balm, and rest, and peace; "the peace of God which paseetli aU understanding."
