Next was "The Pearl of Orr's Island," a touching story of our New England coast; with characteristic touches of description that show how keen and appreciative is the writer's observation of nature; and how vivid her enjoyment of all its manifestations.

After this came "Oldtown Folks," a story of country life in New England; part of which is laid amid the scenes familiar to her in Litchfield, her early home, and which displays a panorama of village life and society, true in every racy detail, sparkling with humor, and solemn with theologic contemplations and controversies.

After this came "Sam Lawson's Fireside Stories," dear to every heart that keeps a youthful throb, and longs to be a boy again at the old story-teller's knee. This was followed by a few papers on family life, called "The Chimney-Corner,' and in natural sequence by "House and Home Papers," a volume which vindicates the practical, household, feminine side of Mrs. Stowe's nature; and prove her not only to be a great and unique genius in a literary point of view, but one who deserves the praise of Lemuel's mother in that chronicle of the "virtuous woman" whose "price is far above rubies," whose "children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her"; for truly "strength and honor are her clothing," and her house is the home of peace, cheer, health, and kindly Christian living.

After these came a small volume of "Religious Poems," full of pure aspiration and unfaltering faith. Mrs. Stowe is no bigot; a member of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, whose pastor is her well-known and distinguished brother, Henry Ward Beecher, she fraternizes with the Episcopal church in Mandarin, her winter home, and enters into all their good works; and in her "Religious Poems" sectarianism finds no place; they are simply and earnestly religious.

The poems were followed by a small book called "Little Foxes" articles on domestic ethics. Then came "My Wife and I," "We and Our Neighbors," "Pink and White Tyranny"

all household stories; and after them the second great sensa

an article

tion created by Mrs. Stowe in her literary career published in the "Atlantic Monthly" called "A Vindication of Lady Byron."

While Mrs. Stowe was abroad she became very intimate with that unfortunate lady, who confided to her under the seal of absolute secrecy as long as Lady Byron herself lived the reasons for her separation from her husband. Mrs. Stowe, however, was requested by Lady Byron, if ever a necessity arose after her death, to make her secret known to the public.

When a "Life of Byron," edited by the notorious Countess Guiccioli, was published in England, and aroused new interest in the poems and character of Byron, being written by a woman who had shared his licentious and indecent life, Mrs. Stowe felt that the time had come when Lady Byron's character as a wife needed to be vindicated from the implied or open assertions of Byron's mistress; and, accordingly, she gave to the public the painful and not by any means delicate story of Lady Byron's wrong and suffering.

In doing this, Mrs. Stowe was impelled, as all who knew her thoroughly understood, by a generous and brave affection for the dead woman who had been her lovely, living friend. It was an act of heroic justice, such as such a woman alone could have done.

Whether Lady Byron was deranged at the time her sorrows and her solitude began, or whether by long brooding over her loss in her worse than widowed loneliness, she created out of her suspicions what seemed to her grief an actual fact, or whether her story was indeed true to the letter, is still a matter of conjecture with most people; but it is certain that Mrs. Stowe believed her story implicitly, and was filled with the deepest pity and indignation when she heard it; and made its revelation in a conscientious desire to do good and not evil.

But a tale like this, which in vindicating the character of one woman blasted in a peculiarly dreadful manner the reputation of another, and involved, collaterally, persons yet liv

ing, in the black shame and crime of near and dear relatives, could not fail to arouse a storm of indignation and disgust in England, and give rise to much low scoff and vulgar comment wherever it was read.

It is a melancholy reflection on human nature that it is never safe to trust its nobler instincts in a matter like this, the story which Mrs. Stowe's best friends must regret that she ever published became a weapon in the hands of her enemies; and instead of vindicating her deceased friend from the attacks of post-mortem slander, she not only aroused them to fresh vigor, but drew upon herself a cloud of misrepresentation and scandalous sarcasm that pained all her myriad admirers, and must, no doubt, have wounded and discomfited her woman's delicate nature.

Still, with the rare, unflinching courage of her birthright, which has ever been one of her prominent characteristics, she says to-day, under her own hand, "I am never sorry for having written it,- spite of the devil and all his angels!"

१९

Poganuc People," a sketch of old Litchfield and its inhabitants, is the latest volume from her pen, though she still writes brief articles for the public. But her working days are merged at last in the rest which she has so well earned and deserved.

On the occasion of her seventy-first birthday her Boston publishers, Messrs. Houghton and Mifflin, gave a garden party in her honor, at the house of Governor Claflin, of Newton, Mass., near Boston. Here were assembled all those brethren of the literary guild who delighted to honor their queen, and here too were the veterans of the abolition "Old Guard; quaint, simple, "fanatical" as ever, but calm and satisfied as never before, for their prophetess had ceased to prophesy, fulfilment having come. On a stage, under the kindly shade of a great tent, sat the sweet, kindly-faced woman whose clustering curls had whitened to snow-wreaths in the service of humanity; praise was showered upon her like incense; poems read in her honor; and before her gathered a crowd of friends with love and laud in every eye, on every lip; but it

was not for the praise of man to ruffle her serene countenance or disturb the dreamy peace of her eyes, that seemed bent on some far distance, where the babble of earth is heard no more, but the silent welcome of heaven is ready and waiting.

She received her ovation with the calm simplicity of a child, and in a few words of gracious thanks and counsel dismissed her guests when all their speech had been uttered, and went out with her husband, her son, and her grandchildren into the fresh June air, the young summer verdure, and the crowding flowers, and away to her home and its duties, as a saint to her cell, untouched by the hot breath of flattery, unmoved by the loud plaudits of men, calm in that mild consciousness of devotion and duty that is deeper and dearer than this life's most earnest homage, or its richest gifts.

She says of herself, "I am seventy-two years old, and am more interested in the other side of Jordan than this, though this still has its pleasures."

Mrs. Stowe has two homes: one in Hartford, Connecticut, where she spends her summers; and one in Mandarin, Florida, where her winters are passed. Long may it be, prays every soul that knows her, before she leaves them for the city which is in heaven.

Earth will be bereft indeed when her gracious presence forsakes it to go home forever; and leaves us only a memory, holy and mighty though that memory be, of America's greatest woman, Harriet Beecher Stowe.

CHAPTER XXVI.

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.

BY LAURA CURTIS BULLARD.

George Sand's Inquiry- Mrs. Stanton as the Originator of the Woman Suffrage Movement - Birth and Parentage-Early Sympathies with ill-treated Women Tries to be a Boy-Studies Law in Her Father's Office- Her Marriage and Wedding-Tour- Meets Lucretia Mott, and Decides upon a Future Career-Calls the First Woman Suffrage Convention - Frederick Douglass Her only Helper - Effect of the Convention - Progress of the Movement-Lectures and Addresses - Edits "The Revolution" - Travels in France and England - Her Wit-Anecdotes-Her Personal Appearance and Characteristics - The Future of the Cause.

O you know Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton? was the first question put to me by Madame George Sand, when I met her a few years ago in Paris. "Yes, I know her well," I replied. The famous Frenchwoman inquired minutely concerning my distinguished friend - her personal appearance, her views and purposes, her style as a writer and speaker, and her method of reformatory agitation. As I then found it no easy

matter, even during a long and free conversation, to answer all these queries, so now I find it still more difficult to make a fit record, in a few pages, of the busy career and varied labors of a lady who, in addition to the cares of a large family, has been the originator of one of the chief public movements of our times, and who has also been an active participant in many kindred reforms. For although Mrs. Stanton is best known as the leader of the agitation for woman suffrage, she is not "a person of one idea," but has been among the foremost of the many zealous laborers, both American and English, who have striven for the abolition of