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The Mute Singer a Novel by Anna Cora Ritchie
Publisher: Originally published in serial form in Robert
Bonner’s New York Ledger (Jan. 26 1861-
March 30, 1861.) Publication Date: 1866
Brief
Synopsis: (From Marius Blesi’s 1938 Dissertation “The Life
and Letters of Anna Cora Mowatt”) Sylvie de la Roche was the daughter of extremely
poor parents. Her father resembled, in his philosophy of life, Mr. Micawber;
her mother, Mrs. Cummidge. Their home,
in a Parisian garret, was poorly furnished but neat. Sylvie, a young girl in her teens, took voice lessons
from a gruff old music teacher, Maitre Beaujeu, who believed in her abilities,
even if her stupid parents did not. By careful laying of his plans, Beaujeu
secured an opportunity for his pupil to sing at the home of a rich count. In order to buy a suitable dress for Sylvie
to wear, the musician had to pawn his rare violin. The debut of Sylvie created a stir in Paris. Two of her admirers were the Marquis and Mademoiselle
de St. Amar – brother and sister of a rich French family. The Marquis and Sylvie soon fell in love with
each other, but she realized that she dare not hop to marry a man in such a
high social position. Monsieur Le Grand,
the concert master, extremely pleased with Sylvie’s beautiful voice, engaged the
services of both Sylvie and Beaujeu permanently. But the strains of rehearsals and the excitement of
performances quickly tore down the girl’s frail physique, and she suffered a
nervous breakdown. Although she slowly
recovered her health, she lost her voice completely. The tragedy of a mute singer! Only by writing on a slate could Sylvie
communicate her ideas and messages to others. One day her father, who had been thrown from a
horse, was carried into the house by some men.
The sight of his bloody face caused his daughter to shriek and sing out.
The shock restored her singing, but not
her speaking voice. In time Sylvie was again before her admiring public,
but although she sang her way from one triumph to another, she never could
carry on a conversation. Her physician,
Dr. Souvestre, fell in love with her, yet when he learned that she loved the
Marquis, he surrendered to Honorine de St. Amar’s brother.1
Major Themes: The strength of friendship between women Courage and faith in the face of adversity Redemptive power of work
Characters: Sylvie de la Roche: talented contralto who falls under a
condition of aphonia Everard de la Roche: Sylvie’s father, a gentleman by
birth, who has squandered all the family’s money Madame de la Roche: Sylvie’s mother, a Cassandra, always
complaining and expecting the worst Maitre Beaujeu: an elderly music teacher who
discovers Sylvie’s magnificent voice M’am’selle Ursule Valette: a mantua-maker who becomes Sylvie’s
confidante and advisor Mathieu: disabled young man who lives near
the De la Roches and is a friend to Sylvie Honorine de St. Amor: a young aristocratic lady who
becomes Sylvie’s biggest fan and best friend Stanislaus de St. Amor: Honorine’s brother, who falls in
love with Sylvie Madame de la Tour: Honorine and Stanislaus’ cold and proud
aunt Monsieur
Le Grand: concert master, former colleague of Maitre Beaujeu Doctor
Souvestre: Sylvie’s physician, falls in love with her Publication
History:
This novel
was originally published in serialized form in the pages of Robert Bonner’s
literary newspaper, the New York Although the
book was written several years before Fairy
Fingers, it was not edited into novel format published until after that
text had been printed.
Reception: Robert
Bonner’s New York Ledger was home for
the most successful writers of popular serial fiction in the antebellum era.
Sylvanus Cobb Jr., Mrs. E.D.E.N
Southworth, and essayist Fanny Fern were among those signing lucrative
contracts to publish Anna
Cora Mowatt Ritchie’s Mute Singer
was heavily advertised by Bonner in his usual, flamboyant style. The first chapter of the book took up almost
the entire front page of the January 26th issue. The editor’s hype
and the writer’s careful tailoring of her text to the Ledger’s audience seemed to pay off. In the February 2 issue, this note appeared, “The Mute Singer,” by Anna Cora Ritchie, now publishing in the
LEDGER, is exciting a degree of enthusiasm among our readers such as seldom
greets the advent of any story.2 This
might seem like a typical piece of editorial hype, but it was genuinely unusual
for Bonner to make this sort of comment at that point in the run of the
newspaper. Even more unique was this report of devoted interest of one
particular reader described as follows; We learn, through a private letter from Paris, that on a recent
occasion, while the maids of Eugenie were preparing her toilette prior to her
going to a grand ball, she amused herself with reading MRS. RITCHIE’S story of
“THE MUTE SINGER,” in the LEDGER. So absorbed did the Empress become in this
fascinating story, that she continued to read on after the maids had finished
their work, without noticing that the hour had passed when she was to notify
the Emperor of her readiness to depart. Napoleon, meanwhile, grew impatient at
the delay, and finally sent his chamberlain to notify the Empress that he was
“awaiting her pleasure,” whereby she was recalled to herself, and bade “THE
MUTE SINGER” good-bye until she should return.3
I have always admired the style of Mrs. Anna Cora Ritchie’s
writings. Her last story, just completed in the LEDGER of this week, is a very
excellent one. Indeed, I have never read a story with more delight and
admiration than I read the “MUTE SINGER.” So attractive to me is her style of
writing that I have named my little daughter, of a few months old, Cora, after
the name of Mrs. Ritchie, of which I desire to inform her. Yours, &c., Mrs.
M. Eliza Newcomer4 Although
in 1861 Mowatt had lost her beloved father, her marriage would apparently begin
to develop serious fractures, her country would break into civil war, and she
would leave soon leave its shores never to return, at least her prose found a
warm and welcoming home in the pages of the New York Ledger.
External
Links Read the novel online here: https://archive.org/details/mutesinger00ritcrich/page/n9/mode/2up Audiobook available here: https://librivox.org/the-mute-singer-by-anna-mowatt-ritchie/ Image Files of "The Mute
Singer" in serial form printed in The New York Ledger in 1861: Chapters 1- 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4a, Chapter 4b, Chapter 5-6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9-10, Chapter 11a, Chapter 11b, Chapter 12-13, Chapter 14-16, Chapter 17-19 Discussion of The Mute Singer: Anna Cora Mowatt and The
Mute Singer https://kellystaylor.wixsite.com/the-lady-actress/post/anna-cora-mowatt-and-the-mute-singer Notes 1. Blesi, Marius. The Life and
Letters of Anna Cora Mowatt. Dissertation, University of Virginia, 1938. 2. New York Ledger, February 2, 1861. Page 2. 3. “The Empress Magnetized.” New York Ledger, April 13, 1861.
Page 4. 4. “Letters About Our Stories.” New York Ledger, April 20, 1861.
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their work exclusively in the paper.
Short
of getting a tip of the crown from Victoria and Albert, it was hard to get a
more glamorous acknowledgement than one coming from Napoleon III and 
