A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Smith, Margaret Harrison
SMITH, MARGARET HARRISON.
Long known as one of the earliest and most honoured of those educated women who went to Washington when it was made the seat of the American government, and gave, by their goodness, intelligence, and true refinement of feeling, that tone of Christian courtesy to the manners which is befitting the Metropolitan society of a Free Republic.
Mrs. Harrison Smith was a native of Pennsylvania, and born in 1778. Her father was Colonel Bayard, who was in the public service during the revolutionary war, commanding a regiment of cavalry from Philadelphia. He was likewise Speaker of the Pennsylvania Legislature under the first Constitution of that State, when her Legislature consisted of but one body.
In the fall of 1800, she was married to Samuel Harrison Smith. This event, at all times a most important one to woman, was peculiarly so to her, for it was to separate her from her family and friends, and introduce her upon an entirely new stage of existence in the new Metropolis of the nation. Mr. Smith, upon the invitation of his friend Mr. Jefferson, then the Vice-President of the United States, and just about to become the President, had determined to establish the National Intelligencer at Washington, and immediately after his marriage he accordingly removed to that city. At this period Washington was literally a forest and swamp, with few or rather no conveniences or comforts; its houses mostly new and unfinished; Pennsylvania Avenue, now its crowded thoroughfare, a road dangerous for carriages to traverse. Mrs. Harrison Smith's letters tell of many a romantic wandering among its woods, and gathering of wild-wood flowers. From that day until her death in 1844, she resided in Washington or its immediate vicinity, mingling in all its varied society, and becoming personally acquainted with all the distinguished politicians of the country and foreign scientific visitors assembled there. Her taste for literature continued unabated, and indeed grew in strength, and she was at times led to compose and publish several tales and sketches.
Her first work she was induced to publish from motives of benevolence, devoting its proceeds (having no other means) to the assistance of a charitable institution in which she was deeply interested, and in the founding of which she had taken an active part. Indeed none of her writings was with a view to personal emolument, but to amuse and occupy the period which she spent in the retirement of the country, and in the hope that the moral inculcated by them might be of service to others, leading them to reflection and the purest virtue. Her first work, "Winter in Washington, or the Seymour Family," in two volumes, was published in 1827. Her next, "What is Gentility?" appeared in 1830; and then she began contributing to the Journals. She wrote many classical tales (for she was versed in ancient as well as modern literature) and biographical sketches, in a spirited, agreeable vein, that was her natural style. Among these are "Presidental Inaugurations;" "The Cornelias;" "Roman Sketches;" "Aria;" "Deserted Child;" "William H. Crawford;" "Constantine;" and many others, published in the Lady's Book and Southern Literary Messenger. But her literary merit was of little consequence compared with her moral goodness, that beneficence of soul which always seemed ready to flow out on every side where her influence by word or deed could reach. In every portion of her life, Religion and its history was to her a subject of active interest and study; and this study had brought to her mind the perfect conviction of the truth nf the Bible; and the ever and immediate presence of the great God, Creator, Protector, and Saviour, was to her a reality. In the days of her peace and calmness she could repose her head on His bosom; in the hours of distress and anguish humbly and meekly she threw herself at His feet, in the full confidence that whatever He ordered was right. Her whole life was a beautiful illustration of the power of the Christian religion to exalt the female character and give hope and happiness to the lot of woman.