A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Leslie, Eliza
LESLIE, ELIZA,
Is a native of Philadelphia, where she has resided the greater portion of her life. Her paternal ancestors were from Scotland; her great-grandfather, Robert Leslie, emigrated to the then colony of Maryland about the year 1746. The father of Miss Leslie removed to Philadelphia before she was born; but he had previously married, in Maryland, the granddaughter of a worthy Swede; and thus Miss Leslie, who has been criticised as an English authoress, "has not," to quote "her own words, "a drop of English blood in her veins." The mistake probably arose from the circumstance that, when she was a child, her father brought his family with him to London for a few years, and afterwards went to Portugal; and her brother, Charles Leslie, the distinguished artist, settled in London. This American family of Leslies are very talented, and, moreover, have won success, which genius does not always achieve. Miss Anne Leslie, a younger sister of Eliza, has succeeded, as an artist, beyond what females usually do; she has copied her brother's pictures with such truth and soirit, that her work is often mistaken for the original.
After the return of Mr. Leslie, Senior, to Philadelphia, he engaged in business, yet, being fond of books, he devoted much of his time, while abroad and in his own land, to mathematics and natural philosophy. These pursuits brought him, before he left America, Into intimacy with Franklin, Jefferson, Rittenhouse, and other philosophers of the day; and his reminiscences of these distinguished men had, doubtless, an abiding influence on the mind of his young and gifted daughter, the bent of whose genius has always been towards the useful and practical.
Miss Leslie's first book, "Seventy-five Receipts," a little manual to assist ladies in their housekeeping, owed its appearance to this desire of being useful. Its success was so signal, that the publisher proposed to Miss Leslie the writing of a work for children. With much persuasion, she was prevailed on to undertake this, and produced several books for juvenile readers, which were very popular and useful. "The Mirror" was the first of the series, then followed "The Young American," "Atlantic Tales," "Stories for Emma," and "The American Girl's Book," published in 1832. Prior to this. Miss Leslie commenced writing for "Godey's Lady's Book," and her contributions were continued, with but slight intermissions, till 1850. She also contributed to other periodicals, and has been editor of monthlies and annuals. Her various papers have been, in part, collected and published, with the title of "Pencil Sketches, or Outlines of Character and Manners." The first volume was published in 1833, and contained "Mrs. Washington Potts," a prize tale, which has been very much praised. The second volume was published in 1835, and the third in 1837. During these years, she prepared a large work on Cookery, which has met with great favour; also, "The House Book," a useful manual for young housekeepers, and the "Ladies' New Receipt Book."
In 1841, "Althea Vernon" appeared; and in 1848 was published her longest and most finished fictitious narrative, "Amelia, or a Young Lady's Vicissitudes," in one volume. Miss Leslie has quick observation, a retentive memory, a sprightly fancy, and a persevering mind; she has also the great merit of being free from affectation; her purpose is always to be useful, to correct faults, expose follies, and wage war with what is perverse and contemptible. Her latest works are "The Behaviour Book" and the "Life of John Fitch," the first experimenter in steam navigation. For this she had abundant materials, as that unfortunate man of science was an intimate friend of her father's, who took a deep interest in his projects, afterwards realised by Fulton.