Isabella Macdonald Alden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isabella Macdonald Alden
Isabella Macdonald Alden
Born	Isabella Macdonald November 3, 1841 Rochester, New York, U.S.
Died	August 5, 1930 (aged 88) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Resting place	Cypress Lawn Memorial Park
Pen name	Pansy
Occupation	author
Language	English
Spouse	Gustavus Rossenberg Alden ​ (m. 1866)​
Children	Raymond Macdonald Alden (son)

Isabella Macdonald Alden (who wrote as Pansy; born November 3, 1841 – died August 5, 1930) was a famous American author. She wrote many popular books, including Four Girls at Chautauqua, Tip Lewis and his Lamp, and The King's Daughter.

Besides writing books, Isabella also worked as an editor. She helped create the children's magazine Pansy. She also wrote stories for newspapers like the Herald and Presbyter. Isabella was very interested in Sunday school teaching. For many years, she taught over a hundred children every Sunday. She also supported the Temperance movement, which encouraged people to avoid alcohol. Four of her books, like Three People, were specifically about temperance.

Isabella's Early Life and School

Isabella Macdonald was born in Rochester, New York. Her parents, Isaac and Myra Macdonald, were well-educated. Her father believed strongly in social changes, like the temperance movement and ending slavery. Her mother cared deeply about good values.

Isabella was the sixth of seven children. Her father taught her at home and gave her the nickname "Pansy." This nickname came from a funny story. One day, young Isabella saw her mother's beautiful pansy flowers. Thinking her mother deserved them, she picked every single one and gave them to her! Her mother was a bit sad to see her flowers gone. But her father picked Isabella up and said, "Never mind, baby, you shall always be my little pansy-blossom."

Isabella started writing at a young age. She kept a daily diary, and her father would read and give her tips. When she was ten, she wrote a story called Our Old Clock. Her father liked it so much he had it printed. He told her she could sign it with her pet name, "Pansy." Isabella was thrilled to see her own writing in print! She later went to school at Seneca Collegiate Institute and Young Ladies' Institute.

Her Marriage and Family Life

Isabella met Reverend Gustavus Rossenberg Alden while she was teaching. They got married in 1866. Because of her husband's work, they lived in different places like Indiana, Ohio, and Washington, D.C..

After getting married, Isabella balanced her time between writing, helping with church activities, and teaching at special summer programs called Chautauqua sessions. She also raised her son, Raymond Macdonald Alden, who was born in 1873. By 1900, her family had three homes: one in Philadelphia, a summer home in Chautauqua, New York, and a winter home in Winter Park, Florida.

Isabella's Books and Writings

The Pansy magazine (June 1894)

Isabella's first book, Helen Lester, was written when she was twenty years old for a contest. She wrote about 75 books for Sunday school and many stories for older readers. She also wrote The Prince of Peace, which was about the life of Jesus.

Isabella wrote about loving God and loving other people. She wanted her books to help people live good Christian lives at home and at work. Her books were translated into many languages, including Swedish, French, Japanese, and Armenian.

She also edited a children's magazine called Pansy from 1873 to 1896. For many years, she wrote for other Christian newspapers and magazines. She lived in Palo Alto, California later in her life.

From 1865 to 1929, Isabella wrote around 100 books! Most of her books were stories with religious lessons. They showed how to use Bible teachings in everyday life. Some of her books, like Ester Ried, were based on her own experiences. Others, like the Chautauqua Girls series, were inspired by her interest in the Chautauqua movement, which was about adult education and social gatherings.

Isabella Alden's books were incredibly popular in the late 1800s. In 1900, it was estimated that about 100,000 copies of her books were sold each year! Some of her titles, like Ester Ried, were translated into several languages.

Later Life

Isabella often suffered from headaches, but she never let them stop her. Her doctor told her she could only work on her writing for three hours a day.

After her husband and son passed away in 1924, Isabella moved to Palo Alto, California. She lived with her daughter-in-law. She kept writing until shortly before she died on August 5, 1930. She left an unfinished story about her life called Memories of Yesterday. Her niece, Grace Livingston Hill, finished and edited it for her.

In the 1990s, some of Isabella's books were re-released in new, shorter versions by Christian publishers.

Some of Isabella's Books