SEWELL, ANNA, was the daughter of Mary Sewell, an English authoress
of Quaker family. She was born in 1820, and died in 1878.
Considering the great fame of her book, _Black Beauty_, very little
has been published in connection with Anna Sewell's life. She is
said to have been of a retiring disposition, and to have shunned
the literary fame which her charming story brought her. _Black
Beauty_ made its first appearance in 1877, and since then has been
published in countless editions, some very costly, and others in
extremely cheap form. Several editions have been gotten out for the
purpose of gratuitous distribution by humane societies. The sale of
the book has been enormous, and it has been appropriately called
the Uncle Tom's Cabin of animal stories. That a story which
purports to be the autobiography of a horse should win and retain
such popularity as _Black Beauty_ enjoys, leads one to seek (if any
seeking be necessary), for the surviving quality in the book. For
animal stories have been many, and among them _Black Beauty_ stands
alone. Probably the secret is this,--that its author, by reason of
her love for and understanding of horses, was able, with the aid of
a powerful imagination, to assume, as well as a human being might,
the mental attitude of an intelligent horse.
The following selection embodies one of the most interesting
incidents of the tale.