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23 chapters
A GROUP OF FAMOUS WOMEN
A GROUP OF FAMOUS WOMEN
STORIES OF THEIR LIVES BY EDITH HORTON ILLUSTRATED D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY, PUBLISHERS BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO Copyright, 1914, by D. C. HEATH & COMPANY 1 C 4 TO THE WOMEN TEACHERS OF AMERICA WHOSE NOBLE LIVES HAVE EVER BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO THE YOUTH OF OUR LAND The best kind of American woman is proud. She has confidence in herself. She is not vain or conceited or self-assertive, but she has faith in her own powers. Even if she could, she would not spend her life in play or in idlenes
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The advantages of biography as a means of education are obvious. History and biography go hand in hand, the latter giving vitality and reality to the former. Educators have for a long time appreciated this, and in many Courses of Study throughout our land provision has been made for the teaching of history through biography. In most cases, emphasis has been laid upon the notable careers of Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, and other illustrious men, with the purpose of interesting the young and ins
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A GROUP OF FAMOUS WOMEN
A GROUP OF FAMOUS WOMEN
" The woman's cause is man's; they rise or sink Together, dwarf'd or godlike, bond or free. " — Alfred Tennyson Henri Chapu, (1833-1891) Louvre JOAN OF ARC: THE PEASANT GIRL AT DOMRÉMY (1410, 1412-1431) "Oh child of France! Shepherdess, peasant girl! Trodden under foot by all around thee, how I honor thy flashing intellect, quick as God's lightning, and true as God's lightning to its mark, that ran before France and laggard Europe by many a century, confounding the malice of the ensnarer, and
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JOAN OF ARC
JOAN OF ARC
When work for the day was over, Joan ran about with her playmates, full of fun and frolic, dancing and singing for the pure joy of living. Often the children would run to the beautiful forest near the village, where there was an oak which they called the fairy tree. Here they would bring cakes for little feasts, at which they would dance, hanging garlands of flowers on the branches in honor of the good fairies. This was a custom of peasant children of France in those days. Joan would sometimes s
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DOROTHY PAYNE MADISON
DOROTHY PAYNE MADISON
Dollie Madison was born May 27, 1772, in North Carolina. Her father, John Payne, was a native of Virginia, but he lived on a large plantation in North Carolina which had been given him by his father. He married Mary Coles, a noted belle and beauty, and their daughter Dorothy inherited her mother's good looks. In their home on the Southern plantation, the Paynes avoided all display, although they enjoyed every comfort and were generous in hospitality. The little Dorothy was brought up to dress qu
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ELIZABETH FRY
ELIZABETH FRY
In Warwick, England, lived a family of Quakers named Gurney. They were not "plain Quakers" at that time, which means that they did not wear plain clothes and refrain from the use of ornaments, nor did they refuse to take part in the pleasures of the world, as strict Quakers are supposed to do. The children, nevertheless, were brought up in accordance with the doctrines of the Bible, very rigidly interpreted. Mrs. Gurney, a woman of fine education and sound judgment, instructed her little daughte
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LUCRETIA MOTT
LUCRETIA MOTT
Born on the quaint little island of Nantucket, January 3, 1793, Lucretia Coffin grew to girlhood among peaceful and beautiful surroundings. Her father was Captain of a whaler and was, consequently, often away from home for long periods of time, so that the mother was responsible for the early training of the children. Lucretia and her sisters were taught to be thrifty in household matters, and trustworthy in all the relations of life. Industry, too, was greatly encouraged in the Coffin family. W
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MARY LYON
MARY LYON
To-day if a girl wishes to obtain an education equal to that of a man, the doors of many colleges and other institutions of learning are open to her. It is not so many years ago that this was not the case. Most people, then, thought that girls had no need for a knowledge of the higher branches, and it is largely owing to Mary Lyon that the young women of to-day have such splendid advantages for education. Born in Buckland, in Western Massachusetts, February 28, 1797, Mary began life, poor and ob
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DOROTHEA DIX
DOROTHEA DIX
Dorothea Dix has been called "the most useful and distinguished woman America has yet produced." Let us follow the events of her life and decide for ourselves whether this statement is true. Dorothea Lynde Dix was born April 4, 1802, at Hampden, Maine. Her father, Joseph Dix, was a man of unstable character and of a most singular mental make-up. In fact, he was regarded as almost insane on religious questions. He wandered about from place to place writing and publishing tracts, spending in this
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MARGARET FULLER D'OSSOLI
MARGARET FULLER D'OSSOLI
Margaret Fuller was born in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, May 23, 1810. Her parents were people of great culture and refinement, and devotedly attached to each other. Margaret wrote years after her father's death: "His love for my mother was the green spot on which he stood apart from the commonplaces of a mere bread-winning existence. She was one of those fair, flowerlike natures, which sometimes spring up even beside the most dusty highways of life. Of all persons whom I have known, she had in
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HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
Few women's names have made so vivid a mark upon the history of our country as that of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. On June 14, 1811, in the little town of Litchfield, Connecticut, Harriet first saw the light of day. She was the seventh child, the eldest being but eleven years of age. Just two years after Harriet was born came a little brother, Henry Ward, who became the renowned pastor of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. Harriet's father, the Reverend Lyman Beecher, was a m
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MARIA MITCHELL
MARIA MITCHELL
Maria Mitchell was born on the Island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, August 1, 1818, and to-day if you go there, you may see a monument erected to her memory. Her ancestors were Quakers who had fled hither from Massachusetts because of religious persecution. Nantucket Island then belonged to New York State, and here these good people were free to worship God as they pleased. Almost all of the inhabitants of the Island belonged to the Society of Friends, from which sect have sprung many of our nota
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LUCY STONE
LUCY STONE
In the town of West Brookfield, Massachusetts, in 1818, lived a farmer, named Francis Stone, and his wife, a gentle and beautiful woman, whose life was spent in devotion to her husband and in aiding him in his work on the farm. Mrs. Stone worked continuously from early morning until late at night, often milking eight cows after the necessary housework was done. The family consisted of seven children. When, on August 18th, the eighth was born, and Mrs. Stone was told that the new baby was a girl,
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JULIA WARD HOWE
JULIA WARD HOWE
Julia Ward Howe was born May 27, 1819, in New York City. Her father, Samuel Ward, was a wealthy banker, and her mother a descendant of the Marions of South Carolina, being a grand-niece of General Marion. Both parents came from families of refined and scholarly tastes, and little Julia directly inherited her love of good books. Her mother died at an early age, leaving six little children, Julia, the fourth, being then only five years old. Julia, who from babyhood had given promise of superior in
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QUEEN VICTORIA
QUEEN VICTORIA
On May 24, 1819, a little girl was born in Kensington Palace, London, who received the name of Victoria. Her father, Edward, the Duke of Kent, was the fourth son of King George III . At the time of Victoria's birth it seemed unlikely that she would ever become queen. Between her and the crown stood three uncles and her father. But when, in January, 1820, within a few days of each other her father and the King died, it began to be seen that Victoria would in all probability become the future rule
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FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
Florence Nightingale, one of the most illustrious personages of Queen Victoria's reign, was born in Florence, Italy, of English parents. Since they were visiting that city at the time, they named their little daughter after the city of her birth. A sister, also born in Italy, was named Parthenope after her birthplace. The Nightingales were well-to-do people. They owned a beautiful country seat in Derbyshire, which was for many years the residence of Florence and her parents. Florence's love for
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SUSAN B. ANTHONY
SUSAN B. ANTHONY
Among those who believed that in certain lines woman can do as valuable work as man, was Susan B. Anthony. During her long, busy life of eighty-six years, she protested against the injustice done to woman on the part of Society. It has been truly said that woman's place is in the home, and true it is that most women prefer home life; yet does not every one know that, in numerous instances, women are compelled to earn their own living, and often in addition to support their brothers and sisters,
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MARY A. LIVERMORE
MARY A. LIVERMORE
The life of Mary A. Livermore shows how a poor, unknown girl became famous, the world over, as an orator and reformer. Mary Rice was born in Boston, Massachusetts, December 19, 1821. Her parents were stern Calvinists, her grandfathers for six generations having been Welsh preachers. Hence, Mary was brought up "after the strictest sect a Pharisee." She was a restless, active child, fond of play, yet interested in work. At an early age she was sent to a Public School in Boston, where she made rapi
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CLARA BARTON
CLARA BARTON
The Red Cross Society, whose object is to relieve the sufferings caused by war, is well known the world over, and the name of Clara Barton must ever be associated with it. This Society was founded in Europe in 1864, but did not make its way to America until 1881, when Clara Barton succeeded in establishing it. Born in the town of North Oxford, Massachusetts, on Christmas Day, 1821, Clara Barton began life under most favorable circumstances. The family was well-to-do and Clara, being the youngest
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HARRIET HOSMER
HARRIET HOSMER
Harriet Goodhue Hosmer was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, October 9, 1830. She was the youngest child of Hiram and Sarah Grant Hosmer. From her father came her marked independence of character; from her mother, her imagination and artistic tastes. The latter died when Harriet was four years of age. Dr. Hosmer determined to save his daughters from the insidious disease which had carried away his two sons as well as his wife, and so instituted for them a system of physical training, insisting u
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LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
The following is said to be a description of Louisa May Alcott at the age of fifteen, written by herself and published in her book called Little Women . She is supposed to be Jo , and her three sisters were the other little women . Jo was very tall, thin and brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in the way. She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp grey eyes which appeared to see everything, and were by turns
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FRANCES E. WILLARD
FRANCES E. WILLARD
It was not until 1873 that the vast amount of drunkenness in our country attracted the attention of the women of America. A crusade was formed against it in the West, and this led in 1874 to the foundation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Frances Elizabeth Willard was offered the position of president, an honor she then declined, preferring to work in the ranks; but four years later she yielded to the universal demand, and accepted the chairmanship of this great movement. This able wom
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WOMEN IN PIONEER LIFE AND ON THE BATTLE-FIELD
WOMEN IN PIONEER LIFE AND ON THE BATTLE-FIELD
The first foot that pressed Plymouth Rock was that of Mary Chilton, a fair and delicate maiden, and there followed her eighteen women who had accompanied their husbands on the Mayflower to the bleak, unknown shore of Massachusetts. Truly the "spindle side" of the Puritan stock deserves great admiration and respect. These women came from a civilized land to a savage one; from homes of plenty, where they had been carefully guarded and tended, to a place where their lives could be only danger, toil
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