Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (December 26, 1819June 30, 1899) was an American writer of more than 60

novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

in the latter part of the 19th century. She was the most popular American novelist of her day."Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth"
in ''Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture'', Retrieved 7 March 2016 Baym, Nina

introduction to Oxford Popular Fiction Series edition of ''The Hidden Hand'' (1997) In her novels, her heroines often challenge modern perceptions of Victorian feminine

domesticity The Culture of Domesticity (often shortened to Cult of Domesticity) or Cult of True Womanhood is a term used by historians to describe what they consider to have been a prevailing value system among the upper and middle classes during the 19th cen ...

by showing virtue as naturally allied to wit, adventure, and rebellion to remedy any unfortunate situation. Though '' The Hidden Hand'' (1859) was her most popular novel, Southworth's favorite of her works was her novel ''

Ishmael Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

'' (1876).

Early life and education

E. D. E. N. Southworth was born Emma Nevitte on December 26, 1819, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to Susannah Wailes and Charles LeCompte Nevitte, a Virginia merchant. Her father died in 1824, and per his deathbed request she was christened Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte. She studied in a school kept by her stepfather, Joshua L. Henshaw. She later recalled her childhood as a lonely one, with her happiest moments spent exploring Maryland's Tidewater region on horseback. During those rides, she acquired an abiding interest in the area's history and folklore. After attending her stepfather's school, she completed her secondary education in 1835 at the age of 15.

Career

She then accepted a position as a schoolteacher. In 1840, she married inventor Frederick H. Southworth, of

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

. Southworth moved with her husband to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

to become a teacher. After 1843, she returned to Washington, D.C. without her husband and with two young children. After the birth of their second child, Frederick abandoned his family in search of Brazilian gold. Southworth never divorced her husband on conscientious grounds. She began to write stories to support herself and her children when her husband deserted her in 1844. Her first story, "The Irish Refugee", was published in the ''

Baltimore Saturday Visiter The ''Baltimore Saturday Visiter'' was a weekly periodical in Baltimore, Maryland, in the 19th century. It published some of the early work of Baltimore writer Edgar Allan Poe. History It was established in 1832 by Charles Cloud and Lambert Wilm ...

''. Some of her earliest works appeared in ''

The National Era ''The National Era'' was an abolitionist newspaper published weekly in Washington, D.C., from 1847 to 1860. Gamaliel Bailey was its editor in its first year. ''The National Era Prospectus'' stated in 1847: Each number contained four pages of s ...

'', the newspaper that printed ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

''. The bulk of her work appeared as a serial in

Robert E. Bonner Robert Edwin Bonner (April 28, 1824 – July 6, 1899) was an American publisher, now best known for ''The New York Ledger'', a weekly story newspaper. He owned famous trotting horses and he was a prominent supporter of the Presbyterian Church an ...

's ''

New York Ledger ''The New York Ledger'' was a weekly story paper published in Manhattan, New York. It was established in 1855 by Robert E. Bonner, by transforming the weekly financial journal called ''The Merchant's Ledger'' that he had purchased in 1851. Bo ...

'', and in 1857 Southworth signed a contract to write exclusively for this publication. The exclusive contract Southworth signed with Bonner in 1856 and royalties from her published novels earned her about $10,000 a year, making her one of the country's best-paid writers. Southworth and her children were in ill health through much of the 1850s, but Bonner's contract guaranteed her income regardless of any periods of inactivity brought on by poor health. This arrangement remained intact for 30 years. Like her friend

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

, she was a supporter of social change and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, but she was not nearly as active on these issues. Her first novel, ''Retribution'', a serial for the ''National Era'', published in book form in 1849, was so well received that she gave up teaching and became a regular contributor to various periodicals, especially the ''New York Ledger''. She lived in

Georgetown, D.C. Georgetown is a historic neighborhood, and commercial and entertainment district located in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 in the Province of Maryland, the port of Georgetown predated the establi ...

, until 1876, then in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

, and again in Georgetown, where she died on June 8, 1899. Her best known work was '' The Hidden Hand''. It first appeared in serial form in the ''New York Ledger'' in 1859, and was serialized twice more (1868–69, 1883) before first appearing in book form in 1888. Bonner used the appeal of the novel to "give an occasional boost to his weekly's already massive circulation." It features Capitola Black, a tomboyish protagonist that finds herself in a myriad of adventures. Southworth stated that nearly every adventure of her heroine came from real life. Most of Southworth's novels deal with the Southern United States during the post-

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

era. She wrote over sixty; some of them were translated into

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, French,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

, Icelandic and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

; in 1872 an edition of thirty-five volumes was published in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Bonner was asked by a reporter in 1889 "Who were your most successful story writers?" His reply was: "Mrs. Southworth and Sylvanus Cobb Jr. I think that the most popular and successful stories ever printed as serials were Cobb’s 'The Gunmaker of Moscow' and Mrs. Southworth’s 'Hidden Hand.' " Her novel ''Tried for Her Life'' was referenced in chapter 8 of

Jack Finney Walter Braden "Jack" Finney (born John Finney; October 2, 1911 – November 14, 1995) was an American writer. His best-known works are science fiction and thrillers, including ''The Body Snatchers'' and '' Time and Again''. The former was the ba ...

's novel '' Time and Again.'' She was a member of the

Woman's National Press Association Woman's National Press Association (W.N.P.A.) was an American professional association for women journalists. The constitution declared that the object of the association was to advance and encourage women in literary work, and to secure the benefi ...

Death

Southworth is buried in Washington's Oak Hill Cemetery.

Bibliography

''note – most of Southworth's novels were serialized before their publications, sometimes under different titles''. * ''Retribution; or The Vale of Shadows: A Tale of Passion'' (1849) *''The Deserted Wife'' (1850) *''The Mother-in-Law; or The Isle of Rays / Married In Haste'' (1851) *''Shannondale / The Three Beauties'' (1851) *''Virginia and Magdalene; or The Foster Sisters / Two Sisters'' (1852) *''The Discarded Daughter; or the Children of the Ilse: A Tale of the Chesapeake'' (1852) *''The Curse of Clifton'' (1852) *''Old Neighborhoods and New Settlements; or Christmas Evening Legends'' (1853) *''The Lost Heiress'' (1854) *''The Wife's Victory and Other Nouvellettes'' (1854) *''The Missing Bride; or, ''Miriam the Avenger'' (1855) *''The Widow's Son / Left Alone'' (1856) *''India: The Pearl of Pearl River'' (1856) *''Vivia; or The Secret of Power'' (1857) *''The Two Sisters'' (1858) *''The Lady of the Isle; or, The Island Princess'' (1859) *''The Haunted Homestead and Other Nouvellettes'' (1860) *''The Gipsy's Prophecy: A Tale of Real Life / The Bride Of An Evening'' (1861) *''Hickory Hall; or The Outcast: A Romance of the Blue Ridge / The Prince Of Darkness'' (1861) *''The Broken Engagement; or, Speaking theTruth for a Day'' (1862) *''Love's Labor Won'' (1862) *''The Fatal Marriage / Orville Deville'' (1863) * ''The Bridal Eve / Rose Elmer'' (1864) *''Allworth Abbey / Eudora'' (1865) *''The Bride of Llewellyn'' (1866) *''The Fortune Seeker; or, The Bridal Day'' (1866) *''The Coral Lady; or The Bronzed Beauty of Paris'' (1867) *''Fair Play; or The Test of the Lone Isle'' (1868) *''How He Won Her: A Sequel to Fair Play'' (1869) *'' The Changed Brides / Winning Her Way'' (1869) *''The Brides Fate: A Sequel to "The Changed Brides"'' (1869) *''The Family Doom; or The Sin of a Countess'' (1869) *''The Maiden Widow: A Sequel to the "Family Doom"'' (1870) *''The Christmas Guest; or The Crime and the Curse'' (1870) *''Cruel as the Grave / Hallow Eve Mystery'' (1871) *''Tried for Her Life'' (1871) *''The Lost Heir of Linlithgow / The Brothers'' (1872) *''The Noble Lord: The Sequel to "The Lost Heir of Linlithgow'' (1872) *''A Beautiful Fiend; or, Through the Fire'' (1873) *''Victor's Triumphs: The Sequel to "A Beautiful Fiend"'' (1874) *''Mystery of Dark Hollow'' (1875) *''Ishmael; or, In the Depths'' (1876) *''Self-Raised; or, From the Depths: A Sequel to "Ishmael."'' (1876) *''The Red Hill Tragedy: A Novel'' (1877) *''The Bride's Ordeal: A Novel'' (1877) *''Her Love or Her Life: A Sequel to "The Bride's Ordeal: A Novel'' (1877) *''Sybil Brotherton: A Novel'' (1879) *''The Trail of the Serpent; or, The Homicide at Hawke Hall'' (1880) *''Why Did He Wed Her?'' (1881) *''For Whose Sake? A Sequel to "Why Did He Wed Her?"'' (1884) *''A Deed Without a Name'' (1886) *''Dorothy Harcourt's Secret: Sequel to a "A Deed Without a Name."'' (1886) *''To His Fate: A Sequel to "Dorothy Harcourt's Secret"'' (no date) *''When Love Gets Justice: A Sequel "To His Fate."'' (no date) *'' The Hidden Hand'' (1888) *''A Leap in the Dark: A Novel'' (1889) *''Unknown; or the Mystery of Raven Rocks'' (1889) *''Nearest and Dearest: A Novel'' (1889) *''Little Nea's Engagement: A Sequel to "Nearest and Dearest."'' (1889) *''For Woman's Love: A Novel'' (1890) *''An Unrequited Love: a Sequel to For Woman's Love'' (1890) *''The Lost Lady of Lone'' (1890) *''The Unloved Wife: A Novel'' (1890) *''When the Shadow's Darken: A Sequel to the Unloved Wife'' (no date) *''Lilith: A Sequel to "The Unloved Wife"'' (1891) *''Gloria: A Novel'' (1891) *''David Lindsay: A Sequel to Gloria'' (1891) *''"Em": A Novel'' (1892) *''Em's Husband'' (1892) *''The Mysterious Marriage: A Sequel to "A Leap in the Dark"'' (1893) *''A Skeleton in the Closet: A Novel'' (1893) *''Brandon Coyle's Wife: A Sequel to "A Skeleton in the Closet"'' (1893) *''Only a Girl's Heart: A Novel'' (1893) *''The Rejected Bride'' (1894) *''Gertrude Haddon'' (1894) *''Sweet Love's Atonement: A Novel'' (1904) *''Zenobia's Suitors: Sequel to Sweet Love's Atonement'' (1904) *''The Struggle of a Soul: A Sequel to "The Lost Lady of Lone"'' (1904) *''Her Mother's Secret'' (1910) *''Love's Bitterest Cup: A Sequel to Her Mother's Secret"'' (1910) *''When Shadow's Die: A Sequel to "Love's Bitterest Cup"'' (1910) *''The Bride's Dowry'' (1915) *''When Love Commands'' (no date) *''Fulfilling Her Destiny: A Sequel to When Love Commands'' (no date) *''The Initials: A Story of Modern Life'' (no date) *''Capitola's Peril: A Sequel to The Hidden Hand'' (no date) *''Beatrice; or, The Forsaken Daughter'' (no date) *''The Maiden's Vow'' (no date) *''The Refugee'' (no date) *''The Artist's Love'' (no date) *''Fallen Pride / The Mountain Girl's Love'' (no date) *''Spectre Lover'' (no date)

References

External links

Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth Papers at the Library of Congress
*
Works by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth
at

HathiTrust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...