Eliza Lanesford Cushing facts for kids

Eliza Lanesford Cushing (born October 19, 1794 – died May 4, 1886) was a talented writer and editor from America who later lived in Canada. She wrote plays, short stories, and even edited a major magazine. Her mother, Hannah Webster Foster, and her sister, Harriet Vaughan Cheney, were also well-known novelists. Eliza Cushing wrote famous plays like Esther and The Fatal Ring. She also edited the Literary Garland, which was Canada's most important literary magazine at the time.

Early Life and Moving to Canada

Eliza Cushing was born in Brighton, Massachusetts, in the United States. She published her first two novels in Boston. In 1828, she married a Canadian doctor named Frederick Cushing. In 1833, she moved with him to Montreal, Canada.

Her sister, Harriet, had also married a Canadian and moved to Montreal. The two sisters often wrote stories and poems for the Literary Garland magazine. Eliza Cushing used her initials "E.L.C." when she published her work there. She also continued to publish in the United States. Her short stories and plays appeared in Godey's Lady's Book, a popular magazine based in Philadelphia.

Family and Publishing Adventures

Life took a sad turn for Eliza in 1846 when her husband passed away from typhus. He caught the illness while caring for immigrants. Her sister Harriet's husband had also died the year before, in 1845.

After these difficult times, in 1847, the two sisters decided to create something new together. They started The Snow-Drop, a monthly magazine especially for young girls. This magazine focused on teaching young women about their social roles and responsibilities at home.

Eliza Cushing also took over as editor of the Literary Garland after its editor, John Gibson, died in 1850. However, the magazine stopped publishing in 1851. This happened because a new, very successful American magazine, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, became too popular and took away its readers. Eliza Lanesford Cushing lived a long life and passed away in 1886.

Notable Works by Eliza Cushing

Eliza Cushing wrote many different types of stories and plays. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Prose (stories and novels):
  • The Sunday-School, or Village Sketches (1820, written with her sister Harriet Cheney)
  • Saratoga: A Tale of the Revolution (1824)
  • Yorktown: An Historical Romance (1826)
  • Arabella Stuart (1839)
  • "Grace Morley: A Sketch from Life" (1839)
  • "A Canadian Legend" (1839)
• Drama and Verse (plays and poems):
  • Esther: A Sacred Drama (1838)
  • The Fatal Ring (1840)
  • Judith: A Poem (1840)
  • "The Emigrant" (1844)
• Periodicals (magazines):
  • The Snow-Drop (1847–52, co-founded and edited with Harriet Cheney)

• You can find digital copies of The Snow-Drop magazine online:
  • Volume I, 1848
  • Volume II, 1849
  • Volume III, 1850
  • Volume IV, 1850