Jane T. Worthington


Jane T. Worthington was a 19th-century American essayist, poet, musician, and linguist from Norfolk, Virginia, associated with Southern U.S. literature. She descended from a distinguished Virginian family and began writing at least by age 14 under a pen name. Her writings, which included numerous essays and poems, appeared almost exclusively in the Southern Literary Messenger. Noted for her graceful style, Worthington won a prize of for her story, "Life and Love," before her death at the age of 26 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Early life and education

Jane Tayloe Lomax was born in Norfolk, Virginia, February 2, 1821. She descended from a distinguished family of the State of Virginia. Her parents were Colonel Mann Page Lomax, of the U.S. Army, and Elizabeth Virginia Lomax. Jane had several younger siblings: Elizabeth, Lunsford, William, Mann, Ann, Mattie, Eleanor, Julia, Mary, and Lunsford.
She was educated in different parts of the country, as the exigencies of the military service led to changes of residence by her father. Her extensive traveling instilled in her an appreciation for nature and while this gave her exposure to various parts of society, her love of Virginia remained.

Career

She began writing at least age 14 under a pen name. Nearly all her writings, in prose and verse, appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger, which was edited by a personal friend, at Richmond, Virginia. She excelled most in the essay, with numerous compositions of this kind written in the four or five years of her literary life. Her poems, simple, graceful, and earnest. Her story, "Life and Love", took the prize of from one of the Philadelphia papers, where there were more than 50 competitors. While no collection of her works were published, more than 50 years after her death, her fugitive verse continued to be published.
A poised writer, her style was characterized as being full of feminine emotion and brilliance, highlighting the beauties of nature and domestic life. Her words were said to encourage readers like songbirds with her bright words.

Personal life

Jane Tayloe Lomax moved to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1840. In 1842, she moved to Washington DC. Then, on February 7th 1843, she married physician, Dr. Francis Asbury Worthington, son of Thomas Worthington, Governor of Ohio. Together, they had two children, Elizabeth Lindsey Worthing, and Alice S. Worthington. The family resided in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Jane Worthington died of tuberculosis in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 26, 1847 at the age of 26.

Selected works

Hymns

  • "It visiteth the desolate"

Poems

  • "Lines to One Who Will Understand Them"
  • "Moonlight on the Grave"
  • "Sleep"
  • "The Common Bramble"
  • "The Child's Grave"
  • "The Withered Leaves"
  • "The Poor"
  • "To the peaks of Otter"
  • "To Twilight"
  • "The Child's Portrait"
  • "A Memory"
  • "Madame De Stael"
  • "The Stranger's Grave"
  • "Korner"
  • "Schiller"
  • "Corinna's Last Song"

Short stories

  • "Life and Love"
  • "Ravenel Hall. A Tale in Two Parts."
  • "Love Sketches"
  • "The Widowers Bride"
  • "The Classmates"