LYDIA M. CHILD.
The maiden name of this accomplished writer was Lydia Maria Francis. She is a native of Massachusetts, and a sister of the Rev. Conyers Francis, D. D., of Harvard University.
Mrs. Child commenced authorship as early as 1824. Her first production was “Hobomok.” It was a novel based upon New England colonial traditions, and was suggested to her mind by an article in the North American Review, in which that class of subjects was urgently recommended as furnishing excellent materials for American works of fiction. Probably, the example of Cooper, who was then in the height of his popularity, and still more, that of Miss Sedgwick, whose “Redwood” was then fresh from the press, had also some influence upon the new author. Her work was well received, and was followed in 1825 by “The Rebels,” a tale of the Revolution, very similar in character to the former. Both of these works are now out of print. A new edition of them would be very acceptable.
Her next publication, I believe, was “The Frugal Housewife,” containing directions for household economy, and numerous receipts. For this she had some difficulty in finding a publisher, in consequence of the great variety of cookery books already in the market. But it proved a very profitable speculation, more than six thousand copies having been sold in a single year.
Mrs. Child’s versatility of talent, and the entire success with which she could pass from the regions of fancy and sentiment to those of fact and duty, still further appeared in her next work, which was on the subject of education. It was addressed to mothers, and was called “The Mother’s Book.” It contains plain, practical directions for that most important part of education which falls more immediately under the mother’s jurisdiction. It has gone through very numerous editions, both in this country and in England, and continues to hold its ground, notwith-
