first parish. Here a new career opened
before her. Whittier says that in her Norridgewock period, when she
first read Waverly at the house of her physician, she laid down the
book in great excitement, exclaiming, "Why cannot I write a novel?"
Apparently, she did not undertake the enterprise for two years or
more. In 1824, one Sunday after morning service, in her brother's
study, she read an article in the _North American Review_, in which it
was pointed out that there were great possibilities of romance in
early American history. Before the afternoon service, she had written
the first chapter of a novel which was published anonymously the same
year, under the title of "Hobomok: a Tale of Early Times."

A search through half a dozen Antique Book stores in Boston for a copy
of this timid literary venture I have found to be fruitless, except
for the information that there is sometimes a stray copy in stock, and
that its present value is about three dollars. It is sufficient
distinction that it was the first attempt to extract a romantic
element from early New England history. Its reception by the public
was flattering to a young author. The Boston Athenaeum sent her a
ticket granting the privileges of its library. So great and perhaps
unexpected had been its success that for several years, Mrs. Child's
books bore the signature, "By the author of Hobomok." Even "The Frugal
Housewife" was "By the author of Hobomok."

In 1825, the author of Hobomok published her second novel, entitled,
"The Rebels: a Tale of the Revolution." It is a volume of about 300
pages, and is still very readable. It ran rapidly through several
editions, and very much increased the reputation of the author of
Hobomok. The work contains an imaginary speech of James Otis, in
which it is said, "England might as well dam up the Nile with
bulrushes as to fetter the step of Freedom, more proud and firm in
this youthful land than where she treads the sequestered glens of
Scotland or couches herself among the magnificent mountains of
Switzerland." This supposed speech of Otis soon found its way into the
School Readers of the day, as a genuine utterance of the Revolutionary
patriot, and as such Col. Higginson says he memorized and declaimed
it, in his youth.

This literary success was achieved at the age of twenty-three, and the
same year Miss Francis opened a private school in Watertown, which she
continued three years, until her marriage gave her other occ