Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present TimeFern, Fanny
General
Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present Time
Fern, Fanny
Domestic fiction; Married women -- Fiction
"The humbuggery of this establishment is only equalled by the
gullibility of the dear public. Once a month, now, I am ordered to
puff every 'influential paper in the Union,' to ward off attacks on
the Irving Magazine, and the bait takes, too, by Jove. That little
'Tea-Table Tri-Mountain Mercury,' has not muttered or peeped about
Hyacinth's 'toadyism when abroad,' since Mr. Ellet gave me orders
to praise 'the typographical and literary excellence of that
widely-circulated paper.' Then, there is the editor of 'The Bugbear,' a
cut-and-thrust-bludgeon-pen-and-ink-desperado, who makes the mincing,
aristocratic Hyacinth quake in his patent-leather boots. I have orders
to toss him a sugar-plum occasionally, to keep his plebeian mouth shut;
something after the French maxim, 'always to praise a person for what
they _are not_;'--for instance, 'our very _gentlemanly_ neighbor and
contemporary, the discriminating and refined editor of The Bugbear,
whose very readable and spicy paper,' &c., &c. Then, there is the
_religious_ press. Hyacinth, having rather a damaged reputation, is
anxious to enlist them on his side, particularly the editor of 'The
Religious Platform.' I am to copy at least one of his editorials once
a fortnight, or in some way call attention to his paper. Then, if
Hyacinth chooses to puff actresses, and call Mme. ---- a 'splendid
personation of womanhood,' and praise her equivocal writings in his
paper, which lies on many a family table to be read by innocent young
girls, he knows the caustic pen of that religious editor will never
be dipped in ink to reprove him. That is the way it is done. Mutual
admiration-society--bah! I wish _I_ had a paper. Wouldn't I call things
by their right names? Would I know any sex in books? Would I praise a
book because a woman wrote it? Would I abuse it for the same reason?
Would I say, as one of our most able editors said not long since to his
reviewer, 'cut it up root and branch; what right have these women to set
themselves up for authors, and reap literary laurels?' Would I unfairly
insert all the adverse notices of a book, and never copy one in its
praise? Would I pass over the wholesale swindling of some aristocratic
scoundrel, and trumpet in my police report, with heartless comments,
the name of some poor, tempted, starving wretch, far less deserving of
censure, in God's eye, than myself? Would I have my tongue or my pen
tied in any way by policy, or interest, or clique-ism? No--sir! The
world never will see a paper till mine is started. Would I write long
descriptions of the wardrobe of foreign _prima donnas_, who bring their
cracked voices, and reputations to our American market, and 'occupy
suites of rooms lined with satin, and damask, and velvet,' and goodness
knows what, and give their reception-soirees, at which they '_affably
notice_' our toadying first citizens? By Jupiter! why _shouldn't_ they
be 'affable'? Don't they come over here for our money and patronage? Who
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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