thor of _La Gaviola_. The writer had
already published in German an anonymous romance, _Sola_ (1840), and
curiously enough the original draft of _La Gaviota_ was written in French.
This novel, translated into Spanish by Jose Joaquin de Mora, appeared as
the _feuilleton_ of _El Heraldo_ (1849), and was received with marked
favour. Ochoa, a prominent critic of the day, ratified the popular
judgment, and hopefully proclaimed the writer to be a rival of Scott. No
other Spanish book of the 19th century has obtained such instant and
universal recognition. It was translated into most European languages, and,
though it scarcely seems to deserve the intense enthusiasm which it
excited, it is the best of its author's works, with the possible exception
of _La Familia de Alvareda_ (which was written, first of all, in German).
Less successful attempts are _Lady Virginia_ and _Clemencia_; but the short
stories entitled _Cuadros de Costumbres_ are interesting in matter and
form, and _Una en otra_ and _Elia o la Espana treinta anos ha_ are
excellent specimens of picturesque narration. It would be difficult to
maintain that Fernan Caballero was a great literary artist, but it is
certain that she was a born teller of stories and that she has a graceful
style very suitable to her purpose. She came into Spain at a most happy
moment, before the new order had perceptibly disturbed the old, and she
brought to bear not alone a fine natural gift of observation, but a
freshness of vision, undulled by long familiarity. She combined the
advantages of being both a foreigner and a native. In later publications
she insisted too emphatically upon the moral lesson, and lost much of her
primitive simplicity and charm; but we may believe her statement that,
though she occasionally idealized circumstances, she was conscientious in
choosing for her themes subjects which had occurred in her own experience.
Hence she may be regarded as a pioneer in the realistic field, and this
historical fact adds to her positive importance. For many years she was the
most popular of Spanish writers, and the sensation caused by her death at
Seville on the 7th of April 1877 proved that her naive truthfulness still
attracted readers who were interested in records of national customs and
manners.

Her _Obras completas_ are included in the _Coleccion de escritores
castellanos_: a useful biography by Fernando de Gabriel Ruiz de Apodaca
precedes the _Ultimas producciones de Fernan