Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 6, June 1842

In Short

This volume gathers the June 1842 issue of a prominent Philadelphia monthly, blending sensational and sentimental fiction with national reporting, dramatic poetry, and current book reviews. Its selections range from historical drama set in Tudor England to light comedy, tragic verse, and regional reporting on public works. The issue reflects the eclectic tastes of antebellum readers while showcasing popular literary styles of the period. It has survived as a historical capsule of mid-nineteenth-century publishing culture, capturing how mid-century writers framed themes of romance, civic pride, high morality, and contemporary art for a growing middle-class public.

The Story

The issue unfolds not as a single narrative, but as a mosaic of short prose, poetry, and criticism. It opens with an illustrated report on the newly built Wire Suspension Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The piece recounts the tragedy of the previous wooden structure's destruction by fire in 1838, describing how spectators watched the fiery spectacle, before praising the technical ambition of the modern replacement spanning three hundred and fifty feet.

From civic architecture, the issue shifts to light narrative with an essay-like piece on "The Science of Kissing," where an experienced narrator uses lighthearted logic and anecdotes, such as the romance of a young couple named Blanche and her hesitant lover, to champion straightforward affection over finical bashfulness. This playful tone yields to tragic sentimentality in short fiction and poetry. In one narrative, a gentleman visits a dying woman named Ellen. She forgives him for past heartbreak, murmurs of heavenly music, and dies in his arms while expressing her final affection. A poem by Rufus W. Griswold mirrors this melodrama by depicting Alice, a poor cottage girl who dies of a broken heart after seeing her high-born betrayer ride past in a grand parade.

A longer piece of serialized historical fiction, "The Two Dukes," resolves its narrative arc in the royal court of young King Edward. The sickly king asserts his authority over the scheming Duke of Northumberland. Desiring justice, Edward commands the release of his uncle, the Duke of Somerset, from the Tower of London, threatening to restore Somerset as Lord Protector of England if his demands are ignored. A page delivers a casket of historic jewels once belonging to Queen Jane Seymour to the Lady Jane, signaling a shift in courtly fortunes before the sick monarch retreats to his inner chamber.

In addition to original fiction, the issue features narrative accounts of international crime. A Russian judicial report describes an attack on Cornet Ivan Semenov by two soldiers who stole his boat of linen. Following an investigation across Rybinsk and Astracan, the criminals face military trial and exile, while Semenov survives to marry Nadiejda, the woman who aided him. Finally, the issue closes with critical reviews of contemporary books. The editors evaluate new releases, dismissing Mrs. Katharine Augusta Ware’s poetry as vanity while praising James Fenimore Cooper’s naval battles in The Two Admirals and the verse of John Sterling.

How It Unfolds

A grand wooden bridge burns The issue opens with a vivid historical account of a famous wooden arch bridge over the Schuylkill River consuming itself in flames before a gathered crowd in 1838. The author celebrates the new wire suspension bridge built in its place, marveling at the engineering feat of spanning the wide water.

A lover overcomes his hesitation In a humorous romantic sketch, a speaker details how bashfulness almost ruins the happiness of Blanche and her suitor. Once the young man finally declares his long-held devotion, Blanche readily accepts him, demonstrating the folly of overly cautious courtship.

A dying saint bids farewell A sorrowful tale depicts a tender bedside scene where a dying woman named Ellen speaks her last words to her former lover. She forgives him completely for his choices, imagines hearing angelic music, and dies while held in his arms.

The young monarch asserts his will King Edward defies the overbearing Lord of Northumberland from his sickbed, ordering the immediate release of the Duke of Somerset from the Tower. The frail king demonstrates regal dignity, sending his page with a casket of royal diamonds to Lady Jane.

Russian justice brings a crime to light Official courtroom reports detail the assault on Cornet Semenov by two plotting lancers who stole a valuable cargo of linen. Police track down the stolen goods and convict the culprits, leaving the recovered officer free to marry his devoted helper.

Critics evaluate the latest literature The concluding pages present direct editorial judgments on recent book releases. The reviewers scathingly dismantle Mrs. Ware's vain poetical preface while offering warm praise for the maritime combat scenes in Fenimore Cooper's latest novel.

The People

• King Edward: The frail, youthful monarch of England who, despite severe physical illness, summons the courage to overrule his domineering ministers and free his imprisoned uncle from the Tower.
• The Duke of Northumberland: A stern and ambitious nobleman who seeks to control the royal court, but finds himself temporarily thwarted by King Edward's quiet firmness.
• Ellen: A fragile, dying young woman who harbors no bitterness toward the man she loves, passing away with forgiveness on her lips and visions of heaven in her eyes.
• Mr. Bromwell Sutton: A vain, superficial gentleman at a resort who annoys women with his extreme self-conceit, oblivious to the sarcasms and contempt directed at him by those he pursues.
• Miss Thompson: A sharp-witted heroine who finds herself forced to endure the unwanted and tedious attentions of Mr. Sutton while residing at an inn.
• Mr. Fitzroy Beauchamp: An aging fifty-year-old dandy who uses wigs, rouge, and elaborate clothing to project the image of a youthful, irresistible watering-place bachelor.
• Cornet Ivan Semenov: A Russian officer who survives fifteen dangerous knife wounds inflicted by treacherous lancers attempting to steal his family's valuable cargo of linen.

In Its Own Voice

"The wind was down the stream, and catching the flames as they broke from the flooring of the bridge, it swept them far away under, until a fiery cataract, reaching from shore to shore, seemed pouring horizontally down the river."

This descriptive scene captures the destruction of the original wooden Schuylkill bridge before thousands of gathered spectators.

"‘My Lord of Northumberland,’ he said, ‘either our uncle, the Duke of Somerset, returns to his palace to-morrow as we have directed, or on the next day he goes there Lord Protector of England.’"

King Edward speaks these steady words from his sickbed to defy his minister and command the release of his imprisoned relative.

"Booksellers are not particularly partial to publishing collections of poetry at the best; but that any one of them should be so insane as to re-publish a farrago like this... is an hypothesis which never could have been engendered, except in the brain of a rhymster, dizzy with self-conceit."

The magazine's book reviewer delivers this caustic critique regarding the vanity and poor quality of a contemporary poetry collection.

What It's Really About

The issue centers on the tension between outward appearances and inner reality. Across its varied selections, writers explore how public display often masks private truth. The report on the suspension bridge contrasts the terrifying spectacle of destruction with the orderly engineering that replaces it, while the fiction repeatedly exposes the vanity of social posturing. Characters like Mr. Sutton and Mr. Beauchamp rely on physical ornament and unearned confidence, yet their shallowness is exposed by sharper, more authentic observers.

On a deeper level, the periodical wrestles with moral duty in the face of mortality and power. Sentimental pieces like the story of Ellen emphasize forgiveness over grievance at the end of life. Meanwhile, the historical drama of King Edward examines how moral authority can triumph over physical weakness and political intrigue.

Why Read It Today

This publication appeals to readers of historical literature, nineteenth-century culture, and early American journalism. Reading an original monthly issue offers an authentic, unfiltered glimpse into the varied literary appetites of antebellum America, unmediated by modern anthologies. It provides a fascinating look at how mid-nineteenth-century editors balanced popular entertainment, localized civic pride, high-strung melodrama, and serious literary commentary under one cover.

The primary difficulty for modern readers lies in the heavy sentimentalism and formal, melodramatic prose characteristic of the period. Poems about dying maidens and romantic betrayals rely on tropes that may feel dated or overly dramatic today. Similarly, the historical fiction uses deliberate, archaic phrasing to evoke Tudor court life, which requires a slower reading pace. However, these period mannerisms are balanced by the magazine's sharp, surprisingly modern critical voice in the book review section. The editors' refreshing candor and total lack of patience for literary vanity give the collection a lively, enduring spark that remains engaging across generations.