Nora Perry

American journalist and poet

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History

Nora Perry (born 1831, Dudley, Mass., U.S.—died May 13, 1896, Dudley) was an American journalist, poet, and children’s author whose sentimental works were favourites in her day.

Perry grew up in Dudley and in Providence, Rhode Island. From childhood she composed stories and poems, and at age 18 she had her first story published in Harper’s Magazine. She served as Boston correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the Providence Journal for a time while continuing to contribute stories, serials, and poems to various other periodicals. Among her best-known poems were “Tying Her Bonnet Under Her Chin,” published in the National Era, and “After the Ball” (sometimes called “Maud and Madge”), in the Atlantic Monthly.

Perry’s later writings are principally stories for girls. Her books include After the Ball, and Other Poems (1875), The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (1880), New Songs and Ballads (1887), Lyrics and Legends (1891), Hope Benham, a Story for Girls (1894), and the posthumously published Cottage Neighbors (1899), That Little Smith Girl (1899), May Bartlett’s Stepmother (1900), Ju Ju’s Christmas Party (1901), and A New Year’s Call (1903). Sentimental and simple, her stories nonetheless possess humour and gaiety and were widely popular.