Hattie Tyng was born in Boston in 1840, and came with her
parents to Columbus, Wisconsin, in 1850, where, in course of
time, she was married to Mr. Griswold, and it was in this
delightful village that much of her work as an author was
done. Here she died in 1909.
The books by which she is best-known are: "Apple Blossoms,"
"Waiting on Destiny," "Lucile and Her Friends," and "The Home
Life of Great Authors." It is from the last named book that
our selection is taken. As its title would indicate, the book
aimed to give a more personal and intimate view of men and
women well-known to fame than is to be found in most
reference works. The young readers of this volume will know
that mere dates and statistics do not enable them to know
people; they like to have some personal details as to the
habits and daily lives of the people about whom they read.
Mrs. Griswold was so filled with the true teaching instinct
that she realized this. She says in one of her works that
since she had such a hard time when she was a little girl
getting any picture in her mind of the great people about
whom she read, that she determined to make it easier for
other boys and girls to get these mental pictures; that is
why she wrote "The Home Life of Great Authors."