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Excerpt from Modern Frenchmen: Five Biographies
There are some curious passages in the Life of Harriet Martineau, which may throw light on a subject very closely connected with the present volume.
When Miss Martineau's reputation was established, and she had given up novel-writing, Charlotte Bronte persuaded her to try her hand once more upon a story which was to be published anonymously by Smith & Elder. The novel was begun, and the manuscript of the first volume sent to Mr. George Smith, who received it warmly, and predicted a great success; but, as the work advanced a little further, he declined the publication altogether, on the ground that it was favorable to Roman Catholics. The story must be true, as the biography which contains it was issued by the publishing firm in question. There is also a story about Charles Dickens of a very similar character. Miss Martineau had written a tale for "Household Words," but Dickens declined it on the ground that one of the characters was a priest and yet a good man, a combination which he considered inadmissible, because it might help the influence of Romanism.
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