Her elder brother died of consumption, her father lost
large sums of money in business, and the grief and anxiety so preyed
upon his mind that he died, leaving his family very badly off.
This, and the loss later on of the little money they had left, only
served to strengthen Miss Martineau's purpose. She studied and wrote
until late in the night, and after her first success in literature,
when she won all three prizes offered by the Unitarian body for an
essay, she set to work on a series of stories which were to illustrate
such subjects as the effect of machinery upon wages, free trade, etc.
After the manuscript had been refused by numerous publishers, she
succeeded in getting it accepted, and the book proved an
extraordinary success.
She moved to London, and her house soon became the centre where the
best of literature and politics could always be discussed. She was
consulted even by Cabinet Ministers, but in spite of all the praise
and adulation she remained quite unspoiled.
The idea of women taking part in public movements was still not
altogether pleasing to the majority of people, who were apt to look
upon 'learned' women as 'Blue-stockings,' a name first used in
England in the previous century in rather a contemptuous way.
Come, let us touch the string,
And try a song to sing,
Though this is somewhat difficult at starting, O!
And in our case more than ever,
When a desperate endeavour,
Is made to sing the praise of Harry Martineau!
Of bacon, eggs, and butter,
Rare philosophy she'll utter;
Not a thing about your house but she'll take part in, O!
As to mine, with all my soul,
She might take (and pay) the whole--
But that is all my eye and Harry Martineau!
Her political economy
Is as true as Deuteronomy;
And the monster of Distress she sticks a dart in, O!
Yet still he stalks about,
And makes a mighty rout,
But that we hope's my eye and Harry Martineau!
In 1835 she visited the United States, and here she was able to study
the question of slavery.
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