Chapter I: Preface

No figure in the gallery of Early Victorian writers presents a character so charming or so tenderly pathetic as that of Mary Russell Mitford. Added to these characteristics is the fact that her life was, in reality, a tragedy brought about by her blind devotion and self-sacrifice to an object which we are forced to regard as altogether unworthy.

Miss Mitford’s name is not a familiar one to this generation and it is with the desire to alter this that the following pages have been written. It would be impossible, within the compass of a book of this size, to show forth Miss Mitford’s life in its entirety: what we have done has been to select from the records of her life and work such incidents and such friendships as seemed to us to portray her most faithfully. Whether we have succeeded must be left to the reader to judge.

In the compilation of the book many sources of information have been drawn upon and the author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to all who have so kindly helped him in his labours. Chief among these has been Lady Russell of Swallowfield, who, in addition to supplying much material, has made the author still further indebted by her acceptance of the dedication of the book. Miss Rose G. Kingsley has also to be thanked for copies of letters written by Miss Mitford to her father, Charles Kingsley, who lies buried at Eversley, in the neighbourhood with which the book deals largely.

To Miss Josephine M. H. Fairless, Messrs. G. A. Poynder, W. Smith, T. Rowland Kent, H. T. Pugh, J. J. Cooper, J.P., and Alderman J. W. Martin (all of Reading) the author’s best thanks are tendered, as also to the Rev. J. Henry Taylor, of Canterbury (Miss Mitford’s “Little Henry”), the Rev. Alexander A. Headley, Rector of New Alresford, Mr. Bertram Dobell, the well-known bibliophile of London, Mr. W. H. Greenhough, Chief Librarian to the Borough of Reading, and W. H. Hudson, Esq.—the last named for his very kind loan of the pencil sketch of Miss Mitford which figures in this book.

W. J. ROBERTS.

_London, 1913._

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I EARLY DAYS IN ALRESFORD 11

II LYME REGIS AND TRAGEDY’S SHADOW 23

III READING AND SCHOOL DAYS AT CHELSEA 35

IV SCHOOLDAYS AND MISS ROWDEN’S INFLUENCE 48

V READING 66

VI BERTRAM HOUSE 80

VII THE TRIP TO NORTHUMBERLAND 92

VIII LITERATURE AS A SERIOUS AND PURPOSEFUL OCCUPATION 112

IX THE FIRST BOOK 124

X A YEAR OF ANXIETY 140

XI LITERARY CRITICISM AND AN UNPRECEDENTED COMPLIMENT 157

XII DWINDLING FORTUNES AND A GLEAM OF SUCCESS 172

XIII LITERARY FRIENDS AND LAST DAYS AT BERTRAM HOUSE 184

XIV THE COTTAGE AT THREE MILE CROSS 198

XV A BUSY WOMAN 209

XVI “GOD GRANT ME TO DESERVE SUCCESS” 221

XVII _Our Village_ IS PUBLISHED 234

XVIII MACREADY AND _Rienzi_ 246

XIX A SLAVE OF THE LAMP 259

XX MACREADY’S RESERVATION AND LORD LYTTON’S PRAISE 274

XXI A GREAT SORROW 287

XXII “THE WORKHOUSE—A FAR PREFERABLE DESTINY” 299

XXIII MY OLDEST AND KINDEST FRIEND 313

XXIV VARIOUS FRIENDSHIPS 327

XXV THE STATE PENSION 339

XXVI DEATH OF DR. MITFORD 353

XXVII LOVE FOR CHILDREN AND LAST DAYS AT THREE MILE CROSS 367

XXVIII SWALLOWFIELD AND THE END 379

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

TO FACE
PAGE

My Cottage in “Our Village” _Frontispiece_

Mary Russell Mitford at the age of three 20

“Kendrick View,” Reading 40

Doctor Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 62

Mary Russell Mitford (from a drawing by Slater) 102

“Our Village” in 1913 198

Woodcock Lane, Three Mile Cross 210

Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Miss Drummond) 226

The old Wheelwright’s Shop at “Our Village” 236

Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Three Mile Cross in 1913 242

Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Haydon) 260

Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 290

Miss Mitford (from a sketch in _Fraser’s Magazine_) 300

Mary Russell Mitford (from a drawing by F. R. Say) 322

Miss Mitford in 1837 (from Chorley’s _Authors of England_) 328

Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 334

A View in Swallowfield Park 340

Mr. George Lovejoy, Bookseller, of Reading 364

The “House of Seven Gables,” on the road to Swallowfield 370

Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Swallowfield (from a contemporary
engraving) 374

Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Swallowfield in 1913 380

Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 384

Mary Russell Mitford (from a pencil sketch) 386

Swallowfield Churchyard 388