Sarah Orne Jewett Letters of 1870
Fields, Osgood & Co. to Sarah Orne Jewett
[
Letterhead ]
JAMES T. FIELDS.
JAMES R. OSGOOD.
JOHN S. CLARK.*
FIELDS, OSGOOD & CO.
(SUCCESSORS TO TICKNOR & FIELDS,) PUBLISHERS
No. 124 Tremont Street, Boston
[ New York Office, No. 723, Broadway ]
Boston, 8th Jany 1869.
[ 1870 ]*
[
End letterhead ]
Miss Alice Eliot
South Berwick [ Me
? ]
Enclosed please find our
cheque for $5.-- in payment for your poem 'The Doll that Lied'*
accepted for publication in 'Our Young Folks{.}'
Yours respectfully
Fields, Osgood & Co.
Notes
Clark: These three names appear to the left of the
Company name, with a large end brace to the right.
1870: The underlined portion of the date line was written
in by hand. The 6 and the 9 are separately crossed out.
This deletion creates a puzzle about how
Jewett's poem was handled and about dating this letter.
The poem mentioned in this letter, "The Doll
that Lied," was not published in
Our Young Folks. It
seems likely that something happened to cancel this publication,
for a poem entitled "The Little Doll that Lied," appeared first
in
St. Nicholas in August 1874 with "Sarah O. Jewett" as
the byline. A letter of 18 February 1874 to Jewett from Mary
Mapes Dodge, accepted and included payment for the
St.
Nicholas publication. It seems likely, though not
certain, that Jewett revised and re-titled the poem for this
publication.
I have decided to date this letter in 1870
for two main reasons. First, the poem was submitted under
a pen name Jewett seems to have abandoned by early 1870. The
last piece Jewett published under the name "Alice Eliot" was a
short story, "The Shipwrecked Buttons," in
Riverside
Magazine in January of 1870. Second, continuing to use
1869 stationary into January of 1870 seems a likely choice.
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University: Sarah Orne Jewett Correspondence I, Letters
to Sarah Orne Jewett.
Fields, Osgood & Co. 1 letter;
1870. (65).
This transcription is from a photocopy
held by the Maine Women Writer's Collection, University of New
England, Letters from Sarah Orne Jewett, 1875-1890, Box 2,
Folder 99, Burton Trafton Jewett Research Collection.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.
Horace Elisha Scudder to Sarah Orne Jewett
[ Begin letterhead ]
Editorial Office of "The Riverside Magazine
for Young People."
Riverside, Cambridge, Mass.
[ End letterhead ]
24 March 1870
Dear Madam,
What shall be done with a contributor who
will not take an editor at his word? Why could you not send me a
defective little poem to confirm me in my judgment instead of a
fancy so natural and winning as that of "In a Hurry"? I
see I must yield as peacefully as I can and say that your verse
this time is quite as good as your prose, and I "accept" it with
pleasure. I won't even criticize it as I at first intended!
[ Page 2 ]
I shouldn't wonder if I understood a
tenth
of the other poem.
Do you see the Riverside? If not I will
gladly put your name on the list, as the Publishers are in the
habit of sending the magazine to those who write for it.
In that case to what address shall I send it?
Truly yours
Horace Scudder
Mifs Alice Eliot.
Notes
Hurry: Jewett's poem, "In a Hurry" appeared in
Riverside
Magazine in June 1870.
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Sarah Orne Jewett
Correspondence, bMS Am 1743 Box 4, Item 195. I. Letters to
Sarah Orne Jewett.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.
Grace Gordon Treadwell Walden to Sarah Orne Jewett
[ 27 March 1870 ]
My dear Sarah
I can only stop to write a few lines to tell you how much I have
thought of you on this day which marks the beginning of your
Christian
[ Page 2 ]
life -- of your
[ outward
? ] Christian
life, I mean -- for, I know dear, how already, before this, you
have thought of these things & have tried to lead this new
life -- But today you have, before the world -- given yourself
to God, have accepted Jesus as your Savior & "con-
[ Page 3 ]
fessed him before men" -- May God grant that from this day you
may go on growing stronger in your belief, & faith, &
trust in Him -- stronger to bear & arise up from the many
falls & missteps which must & will come -- And don't be
discouraged
[ Page 4 ]
dear Sarah -- but first look up to Jesus, & feel &
know
that if you
r will only be led by him, even
though it may be [
unrecognized word ] rough [
unrecognized
word ], he will bring you out safe at last -- first
trust
in his loving care for you ----
"God guide you & God guard you on your way"* ----
Lovingly
Grace --
[ Unrecognized word ]
[ March 27 ? ], 1870
[ Upside down in the top margin
and then down the left margin of page 1 ]
Here are some roses that I am very fond of. I do not know why I
have not shown these to you before -- but they were particularly
appropriate just now ---
Notes
your way: Walden's use of quotation marks for this
popular blessing suggests she is quoting a particular person,
but the identify of such a person is not yet known.
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University: Sarah Orne Jewett Correspondence I, Letters
to Sarah Orne Jewett.
Grace 1 letter; 1870. (84).
This transcription is from a photocopy
held by the Maine Women Writer's Collection, University of New
England, Letters from Sarah Orne Jewett, 1875-1890, Box 2,
Folder 99, Burton Trafton Jewett Research Collection.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.
Horace Elisha Scudder to Sarah Orne Jewett
[ Begin letterhead ]
Editorial Office of "The Riverside Magazine
for Young People."
Riverside, Cambridge, Mass.
[ End letterhead ]
21 May 1870
Dear Madam,
I enclose $5.00 -- it was such a small calla
bud! in payment for "In a Hurry"* in June Riverside.
You will see that I changed the line as you
wished, but I think the old reading was better. I did not answer
your note, but I presume you expected none.
I do not know whether you wish to drop all
use of your pseudonym, and I send this as before to your old
address. Instruct me if I am wrong.
Sincerely yours
Horace E. Scudder
Miss Alice Eliot*
: Jewett's poem, "In a Hurry" appeared in
Riverside
Magazine in June 1870. The opening line is "O. silly
little Calla!"
Scudder does not formally divide this letter
into paragraphs, but places long spaces between the sentence
groups that I have separated as paragraphs.
Eliot: Above this name, someone has penciled a
circled numeral 2.
Beginning with this poem, Jewett dropped the
use of her pseudonym, Alice Eliot.
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Sarah Orne Jewett
Correspondence, bMS Am 1743 Box 4, Item 195. I. Letters to
Sarah Orne Jewett.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.
Horace Elisha Scudder to Sarah Orne Jewett
[ Begin letterhead ]
Editorial Office of "The Riverside Magazine
for Young People."
Riverside, Cambridge,
Mass.
[ End letterhead ]
24 July 1870
Dear Madam,
I have changed my mode of payment for
articles in the Riverside and instead of [ inclosing
so
spelled ] an order on Hurd & Houghton I have written
them to send you a cheque for $36.00 in payment of "The Girl
with the Cannon Dresses."* The cheque will be drawn to
Mifs Jewett's order and enclosed in a note to Mifs Eliot, which
I believe is your wish.
I am sorry that I was away on my vacation
when the proofs of
[ Page 2 ]
of this number were read. I always read them myself and I was
sorry on reading your story in the magazine after publication to
find several slips which annoyed my eyes. It is almost too warm
however to be worried about trifles and I advise you solace
yourself with -- I should have said ice cream, but sponge cake
is the only production of Berwick with which I am acquainted.
There must be some [ original
? ] sin
of fault finding in me, or else why should I say that your story
[ Page 3 ]
disappoints me now that I read it in print. These seem to be
good characters for a story and good scenery but no incident, no
story. In other words that here is a sketch and not a picture.
All no doubt quite well known to yourself!
and very ungracious in me to speak of it when I have accepted,
printed & paid for it! Nevertheless
I am very truly your friend
H. E. Scudder --
Notes
Dresses: Jewett's story appeared in
Riverside
Magazine in August 1870.
In the Houghton folder of Scudder's letters
is an envelope belonging with this letter. It is addressed
to "Mifs Alice Eliot" in South Berwick, ME, and cancelled in
Cambridge, MA, on 26 July. Penciled up the left side, probably
by Jewett: "A mild criticism from Mr. Scudder".
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Sarah Orne Jewett
Correspondence, bMS Am 1743 Box 4, Item 195. I. Letters to
Sarah Orne Jewett.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.
Horace Elisha Scudder to Sarah Orne Jewett
[ Begin letterhead ]
Riverside Press,
H. O. Houghton & C., Poprietors.
|
Hurd & Houghton,
Publishers,
Brooms St., New York.
|
The Riverside Press is a regular station of
the Western Union Telegraph Company,
and it in direct communication with every telegraph office in
the country
Editorial Office of "The Riverside Magazine
for Young People."
Riverside, Cambridge,
Mass.
[ End letterhead ]
26 November 1870
My dear Madam --
I think [ {I} should
? ] find it
rather difficult myself to explain in just what my introduction
to Scribner's Monthly consisted. I had in mind however to write
to D
r Holland,* calling his attention to some
of my contributors, especially those who were not recognized as
professional writers, and saying a good word for them in case he
should wish to solicit contributions, and that he might
recognize them
[ Page 2 ]
as Riverside contributors and literary friends of mine should
their contributions come under his notice in the usual way of
mss
offered. I was prepared to say what I thought of "Alice
Eliot's"* work but I did not like to do this unless I could also
explain that "Alice Eliot" was Mifs Jewett. However I do not
know but I have made too much of this. Explanations are always
longer than statements and generally to be explained themselves.
Should you ever be inclined to try the magazine it might do no
harm to refer to what you had done for us, although
[ Page 3 ]
judging from my own experience an Editor is usually influenced
more by what comes than by any show of introduction.
[
A short diagonal line up the the right between paragraphs
]
Although I have climbed down from my
editorial stool, my occupation & my connexions will continue
to be literary and it would give me great pleasure if I thought
that our slight connexion made you willing to call upon me for
any possible service I might render you in the matter of
literary labor. Pray let me know
n when you are
in Boston again. It would give me great pleasure to call upon
[ Page 4 ]
you.
Sincerely yours
Horace Scudder
Oddly enough we are doing a novel here for a
Mrs. Jewett* & she called upon me with her daughter Mifs
Sarah Jewett. I thought for a few moments you might be [
mistifying
so spelled ] me!
Mifs Sarah O. Jewett
Notes
Holland: Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1881) was an
American author, who helped establish and then served as editor
of
Scribner's Monthly Magazine, beginning in 1870.
Wikipedia.
In the Houghton folder of Scudder's letters
is an envelope belonging with this letter. It is addressed
to "Mifs Alice Eliot" in South Berwick, ME, and cancelled in
Cambridge, MA, on 26 November.
Eliot: In the first three years of her career, Jewett
published four items under the name of Alice or A. C.
Eliot. Her story, "The Shipwrecked Buttons" (1870),
appeared in
Riverside Magazine, and "Mr. Bruce" (1868)
appeared in
Atlantic Monthly.
Mrs. Jewett: Susan W. Jewett,
From Fourteen to
Fourscore (Hurd and Houghton, 1871). Information
about her appears fragmentary. A query about her in
The
Jewett Family in America Quarterly (Summer 1955, p. 12),
suggests that she was married to Charles A. Jewett of
Cincinnati, OH, and that they were the parents of the actress
Sara Jewett, sometimes confused with Sarah Orne Jewett.
For Sara Jewett, see Wikipedia.
The manuscript of this letter is held by the Houghton Library of
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Sarah Orne Jewett
Correspondence, bMS Am 1743 Box 4, Item 195. I. Letters to
Sarah Orne Jewett.
Transcription and notes by Terry Heller, Coe
College.