Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/208

 CHILD.

CHILD.

abolitionist, and an early member of the anti slavery society. He wrote voluminously upon the subjects of slavery and the slave trade, his iiiost' notable articles being a series of letters addressed to the EngUsn philanthropist, Edward S. Abdy, and a memoir presented on his visit to Paris ia 1837 to the Socifet^ pour Tabolition d'esclavage. He was a trustee of the Noyes academy, Canaan, N. H., which opened its doors to colored youth in 1834, giving them equal privileges with the white students. In 1843, in conjunction with his wife, Lydia Maria Child, he edited the Anti- Slavery Standard in New York citj'. He died in Wayland, Mass., Sept. 18, 1874.

CHILD, Francis James, educator, was born in Boston, Mass., Feb. 1, 1825. He was prepared for college at the Boston English high and Latin schools, and was graduated at Harvard in 1846. He remained there as tutor until 1848, and in 1849-".50 travelled in Europe and studied at Gottingen. In August, 1851, he retvirntd to Harvard to succeed Professor Channing as Eoyls- ton professor of rhetoric and oratory, holding the position twenty-five years. During this time he collected the English and Scottish ballads and published them in eight volumes, ■with critical, historical and introductory notes, in 1857. This work gained for him reco.gnition throughout England and America as authority on Anglo- Saxon and Old English. In 1876 he resigned his chair and became professor of English literature, which position he filled until his death. He received the degree of A.M. from Harvard in 1849; that of Ph.D. from Gottingen in 1854; that of LL.D. from Harvard in 1884, and that of L.H.D. from Columbia in 1887. He was a fellow of the American academy. His published works include : Four Old Plays (1848) ; Songs for Free- men (1862) : Poems of Religions Sovrow. Com fort. Counsel and Asjiiration (1865), and Observations on the language of Chaucer and Gower in Ellis's Early Eitglisli Pronunciation (1869). He super- intended the American edition of the Britisli poets, edited tlie works of Spenser, and prepared annotations for manj^ other literary works. In 1897 the Child memorial librar}' was e.stablished in his honor at Harvard uni%ersity. He died in Boston, Sept. 11. 1896.

CHILD, Lydia Maria, author, was born at Medford. Mass., Feb. 16, 1802 : daugliter of David Francis. She attended the village schools and later a private seminary, and was taught by her brother, Convers Francis, afterwards professor of theology in Harvard college. In her nineteenth j^ear she went to live with her brotlier at Water- town, Mass., and in his study wrote her first story, Hobomok (1821). It met with imme- diate success and was soon foll(iwe<l b\' The Rebels : A Tale of the Revolution (1822), which

ran througli several editions. This was followed by The Mother's Book, which passed through eigiit American editions, twelve English and one German. In 1826 she became editor of the Juve- nile Miscellany, which was the first children's perioiical published in the EngUsh language. In 1828 she was married to David Lee Child, and some three years later she and her hustand be- came deeph' interested in the subject of slavery, through the influence of Wilhani Lloyd Garrison. Mr. Cliild was a member of the Massachusetts legislature and the editor of the Massachusetts Journal, and he used all his powers of tongue and pen in upholding the anti-slavery cause, which at that time was extremely unpopular in the north. In 1833 Mrs. Child pul)lished An A}i- peal in Behalf of that class of Americans called Africans, which called forth a volley of indigna- tion and abuse from press and rostrum. She at once found herself almost friendless. Social and literary doors were closed against her, the Boston Athenaeum withdrew its ticket of admis- sion, the sale of her books ceased, and the sub- scriptions to her magazine became painfully less. Whenever opportunity presented itself, however, she wrote and spoke with telling effect, net only on the slavery question, but upon peace, tem- perance, education, and Avoman's equality re- forms. In 1859. upon the capture of John Brown, she %vrote a letter of symioathy to him under cover of a letter to Governor Wise, who rebuked her for her mi.sguided enthusiasm. She also received a letter of vituperation from Mrs. Mason, wife of Senator Mason, author of the fugitive slave law. ' These letters were all published in pamphlet form, and had a circulation of three . hundred thousand copies. The last years of her life were spent in quiet retirement at Way- land, Mass. Among lier published writings are : The First Settlers of Xeu- England (1829) ; 77(6 Anierican Frugal Houseirife ; (1829 : 33d ed., 1855) ; 21 le Mother's Book : The GirVs Ou-n Book, and The Coronal (1831) ; The Ladies' Family Library (5 vols., (1832-'35) ; Philofhea, a YomRnce of ancient Greece (1835); Letters from New Yoj'k (2 vols., 1843-'45) : Floirers for Children (3 vols., lS44-'46) : Fart and Fiction (1846) ; The Poicer of Kind- liness (1851) ; Isaac T. Hopper, a True Life (1853) ; Tite Progress of Religious Ideas Through Successive Ages (3 vols.. 1855) : Autumnal Leaves (18.56) ; Looking Toward Sunset (1864) ; Tlie Freedman's Book (1865) : Miria, A Romance of the Republic (1867), and Aspirations of the World (1878). See Letters of Lydia Maria Child, iirith a Biographical In- troduction by John G. Whittier and an Appendix by Wendell Phillips {\S82). She died in Wayland, Mass., Oct. 20, 1880.