Literary Women

Miss Jane Austen died in 1816, aged 42 Mrs. Badcliffe, 1823, aged 59; Miss Mitford. 1855, aged 69; Mis. Trimmer, 1810, aged 69; Miss Jane Porter, 1850, aged 74; Mrs. Ellzabeth Montagu, 1800, aged 80; Mrs. Piozzi, 1821, aged 81; Mrs. Barbauld, 1822, 82; Miss Edgeworth, 1849, aged 82; Lady Morgan, 1859, aged 82; Madama d'Arblay, 1840, aged 88; Miss Hannah More, 1833, aged 88; Mts. Marcet 1853, aged 89; Miss Joanua Baillie, 1851, aged 89; Miss Berry, 1852, aged 90; ATrs. Soinerville, 1872. aged 92; Hisa Harriet Lee, 1851, 95; Miss Caroli:ui HevsehÉjJ, 1848, 98; LadySmith, 1877, aged 103- givmg for the 19 literary ladies an average age of 81. Xow ir, is quite true, of course, thafc the flrst and shortest-lived of all these was in gen : .u worth all the others put together. We have no soit oü doubt that Miss Austen's novéis will coutiuuo to be read as long as the English language endures, and wehave a good deal of donU al)out all the others, evenMiss EüevvoiU), .vho probably comeB next upon the list, though far below Miss Austen. Yet no one would really suppose 11 at there was anything in the genius of Miss Austen at all of that kind to shorten her lite. There was no vestige of excitability or restlessness either in her works or in her lif o that bas been narrated for us: On the contrary, that missuided section of ihe literary world - and it is not quite a minute one- which rejects Miss Austai, and will ,'jot recognize her genius, cernplains of her excesslve realism. of the minuteE.9SS of her studies and the dullness of the resnlting flctions. That is bad mticism, no doubt, but at least it bearg wtt&asi to the perfect tranquility and eomposure of Miss Austen's genius, and is pretty adequate proof that her relatively early death was In no vvay due to the wear and tear which genius is eometimes supposed to make in the constitution. Of those who remain, niuch the most eminent In the world of literature proper- Miss Edgevvorth and Mrs. Barbauld- reached the great age of 82; while Miss Joanna Baille, who had once a very high reputation as a poet, attained the age of 89; and the two whose tastes and talents led Jthem mto scientific research, Mra. Somerville and Miss Caroline Herschei, reaehed tbe ages of 92 and 98 respectively. It is hardly possible to conceive olearer evidence tbat the culture of the intellect if it has any effect on the age attajneci ac au - wnicn, oí course, ; m a large average of cases it inust have, since it altere the tastos and oceupations, and must more or less affect the activity of the brain- has the effect of lengtkening life rather than shorteniDg it. It is curious and perhaps significaüt that of those in this list who displayed the keenest knowledge of character, Míbb AusteB, Miss Jane Porter, Miss Edgeworth, and Miss Johanna Baillie, not one was married; and that Miss Burney, who be came Madame d'Arbly, is the only excejtion, for of course, Mrs. Radeliffe cannot be said to have shown any knowledge of character at all. And doubtlessthe kind of insight which makes novelists is not unlikely to make women somewhat fastidious, and perhaps a little formidable. We know how formidable Miss Bronte seemed to the young curates whoia she sketched I so cleverly and satirically, and that though she was eventually married, it was to one who set little store by that kind of talent, and perhaps hardly feit its power- The Spectator.