A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Ellis, Sarah Stickney
ELLIS, SARAH STICKNEY,
Was first known as a writer by her maiden name, Miss Sarah Stickney; one of her early works—"The Poetry of Life"—giving her not only celebrity in this country, but also introducing her favourably to the reading public of America. In 1837, Miss Stickney was married to the Rev. William Ellis, widely known and highly respected for his indefatigable labours as a Christian missionary, to promote education, and a knowledge of the true God among the people of the South Sea Islands, then just emerging from the most awful idolatry and barbarism. Mr. Ellis was sent out in 1817, by the London Missionary Society, and he it was who established at Tahiti the first printing-press ever erected in the "Green Islands of the Pacific." He devoted ten years to this arduous and effective service, and then returned to London; and some years after the decease of his first wife, who had been his faithful helper and tender comforter in his missionary trials and toils, he found in Miss Sarah Stickney a second partner worthy to share his home, and aid in the plans, and sympathize in the high hopes of benefitting society which he had cherished. "A good wife is from the Lord;" surely the man who has been thus "twice blest," may well consider the female sex as deserving peculiar honour. That Mr. Ellis does consider woman's education and influence of paramount Importance in the progress of true Christian civilization, we infer from Mrs. Ellis's constant devotion to this cause. The wife, doubtless, expresses in her books the moral sentiments, and inculcates the principles which her husband approves, and sees verified in his own family. Such a union of souls as well as hearts and hands, gives the most perfect idea of the Eden happiness true marriage was designed to confer on the human race, which our fallen world exhibits.
Mrs. Ellis, since her marriage, has written many books, almost every year sending forth a new one; among which the series addressed particularly to the women of this country, is most important. "The Women of England," appeared in 1838, and was followed by "The Daughters of England;" "The Wives of England;" "Hints to Make Home Happy;" "The Iron Rule;" "Summer and Winter in the Pyrenees;" "The Sons of the Soil;" "A Voice from the Vineyard;" "Family Secrets;" etc., etc. In considering the writings of Mrs. Ellis, an estimate of praise must be awarded far beyond that which falls to the more brilliant productions of the day. Candid and conscientious, her principles grounded on sincere religion, it seems the aim of this excellent woman, to be humbly useful in her generation, and make the utmost use of her talents in doing good.
"The Women of England," and the other manuals of this series, are written professedly to direct the young, the unwise, and the ignorant. Neither metaphysical subtlety nor novelty was required to strike the sage and the philosopher. Well-known truths, and the sensible reiteration of useful advice are plainly set forth, and the guide of the whole is Christian doctrine. Such works must do good.
The novels of Mrs. Ellis, as novels, are not, certainly, of a high character. According to Rochefoucault, there are two classes of persons unfitted to delineate human nature;—those who never look into themselves, and those who never look out of themselves. In a good sense, not an egotistic one, Mrs. Ellis is of this latter class. She has a certain set of characters, framed out of her own fancy, not found in the wide world, and these she fits into her moralities as is convenient for the occasion.
Artistically speaking, "The Poetry of Life," is the best work of Mrs. Ellis; without much originality of thought, or any peculiar beauty of style, it shews refined taste, and a well-cultured mind; and, like all the books of this authoress, an attempt at something more than merely pleasing, the wish to inculcate the purest morality based upon the religion of the Bible.