JACKSON

jackson, helen maria (1831-1885), american poet and novelist, who wrote under the initials of "h. h." (helen hunt), was born in amherst, massachusetts, on the 18th of october 1831, the daughter of nathan welby fiske (1798-1847), who was a professor in amherst college. in october 1852 she married lieutenant edward bissell hunt (1822-1863), of the u.s. corps of engineers. in 1870 she published a little volume of meditative _verses_, which was praised by emerson in the preface to his _parnassus_ (1874). in 1875 she married william s. jackson, a banker, of colorado springs. she became a prolific writer of prose and verse, including juvenile tales, books of travel, household hints and novels, of which the best is _ramona_ (1884), a defence of the indian character. in 1883, as a special commissioner with abbot kinney (b. 1850), she investigated the condition and needs of the mission indians in california. _a century of dishonor_ (1881) was an arraignment of the treatment of the indians by the united states. she died on the 12th of august 1885 in san francisco. in addition to her publications referred to above, _mercy philbrick's choice_ (1876), _hetty's strange history_ (1877), _zeph_ (1886), and _sonnets and lyrics_ (1886) may be mentioned.