The narratives and labors of eminent colored men such as Banneker,
Douglass, Brown, Garnet, and others, have been written and sketched very
fully for the public, and doubtless with advantage to the cause of
freedom. But there is not to be found in any written work portraying the
Anti-Slavery struggle, (except in the form of narratives,) as we are
aware of, a sketch of the labors of any eminent colored woman. We feel,
therefore, not only glad of the opportunity to present a sketch not
merely of the leading colored poet in the United States, but also of one
of the most liberal contributors, as well as one of the ablest advocates
of the Underground Rail Road and of the slave.
No extravagant praise of any kind,--only simple facts are needed to
portray the noble deeds of this faithful worker.
The want of space forbids more than a brief reference to her early life.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (Watkins being her maiden name) was born in
the City of Baltimore in 1825, not of slave parentage, but subjected of
course to the oppressive influence which bond and free alike endured
under slave laws. Since reaching her majority, in looking back, the
following sentences from her own pen express the loneliness of her
childhood days. "Have I yearned for a mother's love? The grave was my
robber. Before three years had scattered their blight around my path,
death had won my mother from me. Would the strong arm of a brother have
been welcome? I was my mother's only child." Thus she fell into the
hands of an aunt, who watched over her during these early helpless
years. Rev. William Watkins, an uncle, taught a school in Baltimore for
free colored children, to which she was sent until she was about
thirteen years of age. After this period, she was put out to work to
earn her own living. She had many trials to endure which she would fain
forget; but in the midst of them all she had an ardent thirst for
knowledge and a remarkable talent for composition, as she evinced at the
age of fourteen in an article which attracted the attention of the lady
in whose family she was employed, and others. In this situation she was
taught sewing, took care of the children, &c.; and at the same time,
through the kindness of her employer, her greed for books was satisfied
so far as was possible from occasional half-hours of leisure. She was
noted for her industry, rarely trifling away time as most girls are wont
to do in similar circumstances. Scarcely had she reached her majority
ere she had written a number of prose and poetic pieces which were
deemed of sufficient merit to publish in a small volume called "Forest
Leaves." Some of her productions found their way into newspapers and
attracted attention. The ability exhibited in some of her productions
was so remarkable that some doubted and others denied their originality.
Of this character we here copy an extract from one of her early prose
productions: