Mary A. Cornelius

Not to be confused with the writer, Mary Ann Hooker Cornelius (1796-1880)

Mary Ann Mann Cornelius née, Mann; pen name, Mrs. Mary A. Cornelius; September 25 1829 – April 18, 1918) was an American writer and temperance reformer. She was president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) of Arkansas.

Portrait from A Woman of the Century

Biography

Mary Ann Mann was born in Pontiac, Michigan, September 25, 1829. In the veins of both her parents, who were of New England origin, flowed the blood of the Pilgrim Fathers. The child early developed the hereditary trait, a genius for leadership. Her first school composition, written when she was nine years of age, was a hit in the rural community where she lived, and was printed in the local newspaper. In 1850 she became the wife of Rev. S. Cornelius, D.D., of Alexandria, Virginia. Her husband encouraged her in writing short articles for the press on religious and philanthropic subjects, but when, with the cares of motherhood and the responsibilities of her position as a pastor's wife upon her, she brought to his notice a story of thirty-nine long chapters which she had written, he protested against this draft upon her vitality. Although a semi-invalid for many years, she struggled heroically against her weakness and was, as she still is a moving spirit in Christian and philanthropic enterprises. She was president of the W.C.T.U. of Arkansas, in 1885. While leading an effort for prohibition in that State, her course aroused the hostility of the liquor interest. Her life was threatened by the desperate element in the capital of Arkansas, and personal violence was attempted. In spite of all, she persevered in her work She edited a journal in the interest of the society aboutthe time of her husband's death, in 1886 Her pen has never been quite idle, except since her bereavement. She assisted her husband when he was engaged in editorial work Her poems, numerous prose articles and voluminous newspaper correspondence testify to her industry. Perhaps the best known of her writings are "Little Wolf," which has had a wide sale, and the poem, "Sweet Marie " With lately renewed health she has resumed literary work. She is now living in Topeka, Kansas.

Selected works

As Mary A. Cornelius

• The White Flame, 1900 (text)
• Why? Or, A Kansas Girl's Query, 1903 (text)

As Mrs. M. A. Cornelius

• Little Wolf: A Tale of the Western Frontier, 1872 (text)
• Uncle Nathan's Farm: A Novel, 1898

External links

• Works related to Woman of the Century/Isadore Gilbert Jeffery at Wikisource
• Works by or about Mary A. Cornelius at Internet Archive