talents which we have
seen in her Irish novels. Her children's stories, "Frank," "Harry and
Lucy," and "Rosamund" were among the first contributions to juvenile
fiction. "Helen," in which she exposed the evils of untruthfulness, is
a good example of the success with which this admirable woman could
combine entertainment and moral elevation. Jane Austen's name has long
been linked with that of Miss Edgeworth, as the two most powerful
female novelists of the earlier part of the century. In "Pride and
Prejudice," "Emma," "Mansfield Park," "Sense and Sensibility," she
described the country gentry and middle classes of society. She
depended neither on exciting scenes, nor on highly wrought effects of
human passion for the interest of her stories, but studied every-day
life and ordinary people with a sympathy and power of observation which
imparted a deep interest to all her works. Miss Ferrier's novels,
"Inheritance" and "Marriage," were greatly admired by Scott, and now,
some sixty years later, are still widely read, and receive the honor of
both cheap and expensive editions. Miss Ferrier's skill in the
construction of a plot, her natural studies of character and the
liveliness of her descriptions have kept her works popular,
notwithstanding great changes in the public taste. Mrs. Trollope, the
mother of a more celebrated son, contributed largely to the English
domestic novel. The pathetic story of the lives of the Bronte sisters,
supplied by Mrs. Gaskell, has deepened the interest excited by the
early popularity of "Jane Eyre." Charlotte was the most talented of the
family, and won a widespread admiration by her knowledge of life, her
freshness, her vigor, and her innocent disregard of conventionality.
Mrs. Gaskell described the life and trials of the manufacturing classes
with great ability in "Mary Barton" and other novels. Miss Yonge,
author of the "Heir of Redclyffe," Mrs. Henry Wood, author of "East
Lynne," and Mrs. Lynn Linton have added largely to this department of
fiction. The Baroness Tautphoeus described English and German life in
the particularly fascinating novels, "Quits," "At Odds," and "The
Initials." Miss Thackeray has made good use of talents inherited from
her father. Mary R. Mitford and Mrs. Alexander have written many
entertaining and popular novels. Miss Mulock began a long list of
successful works with "The Ogilvies" and "John Halifax."

But by far the greatest female novelist who has devoted her ta