Susan Wallace
Encyclopedia
Susan Arnold Elston Wallace (December 25, 1830 – October 1, 1907) was an American author and poet.
to wealthy and influential parents, Isaac Compton and Maria Eveline (Aken) Elston on December 25, 1830. She was educated in Crawfordsville and Poughkeepsie, New York
. Susan was the fourth child of Isaac and Maria; she had eight siblings, three brothers and five sisters.
She married Lew Wallace
on May 6, 1852. They had one son, Henry Lane Wallace, born February 17, 1853. At the time of their engagement, Wallace was a struggling attorney, and Susan's father was not particularly certain that he would ever be successful. Ironically, Wallace became one of the most celebrated American authors of the 19th century following the publication of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ in 1880. Susan Wallace, however, was published long before her husband with her very popular poem "The Patter of Little Feet". She was published in over thirty magazines, newspapers, journals, and books of poetry in her life.
Additionally, Susan was a talented writer and musician, although she preferred to remain largely in the shadows as her husband's companion. In truth, and Wallace frequently acknowledged this, Susan was his editor, reader, and critic. He attributed much of his success in writing to her criticism.
Wallace was writing his Autobiography (1906) when he died in 1905. Susan, with assistance from Mary Hannah Krout, completed the Autobiography. She wrote, "And here the Autobiography ends. What follows must be a plain record of facts without attempt at polish or effect."
and the Middle East
.
Biography
Susan Wallace was born in Crawfordsville, IndianaCrawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
to wealthy and influential parents, Isaac Compton and Maria Eveline (Aken) Elston on December 25, 1830. She was educated in Crawfordsville and Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
. Susan was the fourth child of Isaac and Maria; she had eight siblings, three brothers and five sisters.
She married Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
on May 6, 1852. They had one son, Henry Lane Wallace, born February 17, 1853. At the time of their engagement, Wallace was a struggling attorney, and Susan's father was not particularly certain that he would ever be successful. Ironically, Wallace became one of the most celebrated American authors of the 19th century following the publication of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ in 1880. Susan Wallace, however, was published long before her husband with her very popular poem "The Patter of Little Feet". She was published in over thirty magazines, newspapers, journals, and books of poetry in her life.
Additionally, Susan was a talented writer and musician, although she preferred to remain largely in the shadows as her husband's companion. In truth, and Wallace frequently acknowledged this, Susan was his editor, reader, and critic. He attributed much of his success in writing to her criticism.
Wallace was writing his Autobiography (1906) when he died in 1905. Susan, with assistance from Mary Hannah Krout, completed the Autobiography. She wrote, "And here the Autobiography ends. What follows must be a plain record of facts without attempt at polish or effect."
Themes
Largely forgotten by modern readers, Susan Wallace's works focused on home, friends, travel, and Christianity. She was also very interested in women's roles, especially after traveling with her husband to TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Books
- The Storied Sea (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company), 1883.
- Ginèvra; or, The Old Oak Chest, A Christmas Story (New York: Worthington Co.), 1887. [illustrated by Lew Wallace]
- The Land of the Pueblos (New York: John B. Alden), 1888. [with illustrations by Lew Wallace]
- The Repose in Egypt: A Medley (New York: John B. Alden), 1888.
- Along the Bosphorus and Other Sketches (Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co.), 1898.
- The City of the King: What the Child Jesus Saw and Heard (Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co.), 1903.