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Self-Devotion or The History of Katherine Randolph. 

In Three Volumes by Harriet Campbell.  London: Henry Coburn Publisher, 1842

This was one of the books on Emily Hall's reading list in 1842 

The book is the life-story of Katherine Randolph, a fictional creation of the writer, Harriet Campbell. It is also a classic example of how the early nineteenth century ideal of separate spheres, and important spiritual role of women, constructed in literature.  Katherine Randolph is the epitome of self-sacrificing femininity, always deferring to her reckless brother, even though she holds the moral higher ground every time.

From the opening chapter, the reader is well aware of this distinction, and consequently must have a good idea how the story may progress: While the brother Julian announces “…I have been playing at Alexander the Great for an hour, and have conquered Persia and India and entreats his sister to accompany him on adventures, Katherine replies “”…wait until I have carried my salad into the house, or it will be all withered before Mamma requires it for her supper.”  While the boy is bold and better educated, the role of the girl as a superior moral guide is emphasised repeatedly:

  “… you are so much cleverer than I, that I always appear to be mistaken, whether I am, or not.  But you do remember what papa was saying to us about feeling and principle, and about even good impulses being dangerous guides? I am sure if you go over to Wilenskine to-night alone, to get mamma the Pinguicula, that you good impulse will be a dangerous kind…”  Of course, Katherine is ignored, but we learn that “Katherine strove with prayers and entreaties to dissuede him, but he laughed at what he was pleased to term her “womanishness” and began to unmoor the boat with great skill and activity.”

Later in the story, when Julian has met with predictable woe, Katherine is left the fortune by her uncle that was intended for her brother.  However, she refuses it, even when when her father tells her that she should take it:

“Father, dear father, do not insult you Katherine thus,” answered the gentle girl, with a fresh burst of weeping, and looking as it the best feeling of her nature were outraged by this opposition. “Do you believe that I could exist under the consciousness of supplanting Julian? Would you doom me to the never-ending torture of living in splendour, while he, our brave and free, our generous, our high spirited Julian, was doomed to a life of labour and obscurity…Oh do not treat me as if I were under the influence of a girlish excitement, when I  reality it is the truest, gravest worldly sense that governs me.”

The themes of female self-sacrifice and moral duty are reflected in the preface to the book by the editor, who feels he has to emphasise them to justify the publication of the book and that of the writers other works on account of her gender.

  “Harriet Campbell never, indeed, wrote a line, of which the tendency was not to improve the moral feeling, as well as to amuse the fancy of the reader….the inculcation of pure and righteous principles constitutes the staple or main ingredient of the work; to which the story serves no other purpose that that of ornament – the setting which surrounds the jewel – full of taste and beauty – yet, as compare with the jewel itself, utterly valueless.”

Self Devotion can be found in The British Library

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