# Representative women of New England/Ellen Maria Stone

​ELLEN MARIA STONE, missionary teacher, was born in Roxbury, Mass., July 24, 1846, daughter of Benjamin F. and Lucy (Waterman) Stone. Miss Stone comes of sturdy New England stock, being descended from ancestors, on both sides, who were willing to serve their country and their God with all their being, not hesitating to risk their lives, if need be, in the defence of the principles of their government or of their religion.
On her father's side she claims descent from Gregory Stone, who, with his wife Lydia, came from Suffolk County, England, about 1636, and settled in Cambridge, Mass. His brother Simon had preceded him to this country, settling in Watertown. Gregory Stone was a member of the Colonial Legion, and his name appears in volume one of the Provincial Records.
Miss Stone's great-grandfather on the paternal side, Eliphalet Stone, of Marlborough, N.H., was one of the leading citizens of that town, taking a prominent part in public affairs. He served in the Revolutionary War. His son Shubael, Miss Stone's grandfather, enlisted in the same regiment toward the close of the war. The latter also served in the War of 1812, as captain of a company which he recruited. Miss Stone's mother, who is now in her ninety-second year, distinctly remembers re-unions of this company, with dinner served on the lawn at the homestead in Mailborough, in which town she lived as a bride. ​ The wife of Shubael Stone was Polly Rogers, of an old New England family. Miss Stone also claims descent, through her maternal grandmother, Lucy Waterman Barker, from the doughty Pilgrim warrior, Captain Myles Standish.
Benjamin Franklin Stone, father of the subject of this sketch, inherited the military tastes of his family. During his early man- hood he was connected with the militia of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, being a member of the Norfolk Guard, afterward known as the Roxbury City Guard, during his residence in that town. The sole surviving niemlKT of the Marlixirougii family of tiiirteen children is Mrs. Julia R. Towne, of Evanston, Ill.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War Miss Stone's two eldest brothers, true to the tra- ditions of their family, enlisted, ami served three years each, the eldest, George Franklin, in the Army of the Potomac, and the second, Edwin Cornelius, in the navy, where he was assigned to the frigate "Minnesota," and was on her when she had her narrow escape from destruction by the enemy's i-am, the " Merri- mac," before the "Monitor" appeared upon the scene. After completing his term of service in the navy, this second brother enlisted in the army, responding to the call for three months' men.
The brave father hardly held his patriotic soul in leash in deference to the importunities of his wife that he remain with her and their three youngest children, until the government issued a call for nine months' men, when he could be held back no longer. He enlisted in Company K, Forty-third Massachusetts Infantry, and saw service at Newbern and Little Washington, N.C. His daughter cherishes as one of her choicest treasures the little volume of the New Testament and Psalms which she saw presented to her father, together with all his comrades of the regiment, by their Chaplain, the Rev. J. M. Manning, D.D., pastor of the Old South Church, Boston, at a farewell service held in the First Congregational Church, Chelsea, before their departure for the seat of war. It was Corporal Stone's custom to carry this book in his breast-pocket, and after he had been honorably discharged from the service, and was once more in the midst of his family, he told the story of his deliverance from deadly peril in battle, and showed his Testament with its cover torn and twisted by the spent minie-ball, which had been arrested by it. A brave, fearless man was he, prompt to respond to every call of duty, and fully persuaded that man is immune from harm as long as God has need of him. The father and his two sons returned home upon the expiration of their term of service, uninjured.
Ellen Maria Stone was educated in the elementary branches in Roxbury schools, and after 1860 in the grammar and high schools of Chelsea. After graduating from the latter, she taught .school for a while in Chelsea (1866-67). From 1867 to 1878 she was on the editorial staff of the Congregationalist. Deeply imbued with religious feeling, she sought earnestly to pro- mote the kingdom of God, taking especial interest in foreign missions, to which work she ultimately felt herself called. This con- viction with her meant action. Making known her desires, and being found well fitted for the work by reason of her earnestness and energy, educational qualifications, and religious de- votion, she was appointed in 1878, by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, as missionary to Bulgaria, for which country she sailed after an affecting leave- taking of her many friends and well-wishers. The circumstances in connection with her capture b' brigands, September 3, 1901, on a mountain road in Macedonia, and her subse- quent detention by them for nearly six months, pending the payment of her ransom, it will be remembered, were given wide newspaper pub- licity, and, as narrated by herself, may be found in MrClure's Magazine, May-October, 1902. The following estimate of her work and character is quoted from an article written by her personal friend, Mrs. Otis Atwood, of Chelsea, while Miss Stone was still a prisoner among the brigands: —
"We met in the early sixties, as schoolmates in the Shurtleff Grammar School, then, and for many years after, under the leadership of Miss Elizabeth G. Hoyt. How large a part this teacher had in the formation of the noble ​ character of her pupil cannot be estimated, but Miss Stone herself has often referred to the principles of truth, so firmly instilled by this faithful teacher, as the groundwork of all her her future usefulness. . . .
"As a school-girl, Ellen Stone was a leader. She had but one rival in the honor for the 'first seat' as the head of the class, when the monthly adding of the 'credits' by the pupils them.selves assigned positions. A favorite because of her many lovable qualities, all rejoiced in her honors. These were the days of the Civil War, when patriotism ran high; and well might she, whose father and two brothers were at the front, lead her schoolmates in devotion and loyalty to her country's flag. The day for her graduation was at hand. Examinations had been passed with high per cent., and her part in the literary exercises was to declaim a patriotic poem by Elizabeth Browning:—
'Dead! both my boys!
One of them shot by the sea in the East,
One of them shot in the West by the sea.
Dead! both my boys!
If in keeping the feast
You want a great song for your Italy free,
Let none look at me ! Let none look at me!'
And then welled up the great heart of that Italian mother in such expressions of patriotism, beyond her grief, that none could read and not be stirred to the heart's depths. Ellen felt that the lofty thoughts were beyond her power to portray, but she accepted the trust; and those who heard her voice ring out over the multitude which filled the old City Hall to the doors, can never forget the inspiration to loyalty in their own country's cause, received from the young declaimer.
"Her course through the high school was marked by the same devotion to duty, the same high ideals; yet so unassuming, so beloved by all, she never seemed to realize that she was a marked scholar, the pride of her teachers and of the visiting school-board.
"Immediately upon her graduation she was installed as one of the teachers, doing faithful work, until called to another position of honor and trust, as one of the assistant editors of the Congregntionalist, with especial charge of the church news, children's department, poetry, and the missionary department. This education doubtless had much to do with her future leading, for it was not till long afterward, when she had really had her call to missionary work, and offered her services to the Board, that she knew her praying mother had consecrated her to this work at her birth, and again at her baptism.
"We have been told by her brother that she inherited the missionary spirit from both father and mother, but that her special 'call' came through a sermon preached by the late Dr. Alden, her friend. Miss Susan B. Higgins, being led to the same work by the same sermon.
"During these days of girlhood and young womanhood her spiritual life had kept pace with the intellectual. Sitting under the teaching of her beloved pastor. Dr. Albert Plumb, she gave her heart wholly and unreservedly to the Saviour. 'I shall never forget the moment,' she told the writer, one evening in the vestry of the dear old church, 'when His voice called, and I answered. We were singing' Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me,' and with my whole heart I cried, '0 Lamb of God, I come.'
"Up to that time she had lived like many another young life, doing 'the duty nearest,' yet with no definite aim for a life-work. 'As if he knew my need,' she told a friend, 'Dr. Plumb preached a sermon right to my soul, from the text, "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." 'Henceforward to serve Christ and to lead souls into His kingdom was her one undeviating purpose."
Some years of earnest Christian work in the church and Sunday-school followed, years of happy memory to those who were privileged to be her pupils. "Not only little children, but young men and maidens felt the irresistible power of Christ that shone from her face, voice, and personality; and her pastor, Dr. Addison P. Foster (successor of Dr. Plumb), found in her a valuable helpmeet in guiding and instructing young Christians who asked admission to the church during a powerful revival under his ministry. ... It was a marvel that out of her busy life she found so much time to visit ​ the sick, the disheartened, the suffering and bereaved—an angel of mercy, indeed, in many a home. No wonder that her 'call' brought dismay and grief to many hearts."
In September, 1878, two farewell meetings were held, which were notable events: the first, in the Walnut Street Methodist Episcopal Church, was for Miss Higgins, who had been appointed by the Methodist Board, to Yoko- hama, Japan; the second was for Miss Stone, in her home church, the First Congregational.
"A young pastor (the Rev. Judson Titsworth) had just been installed as pastor of the First Church. The impressive services seemed to him God's special benediction upon his ministry; and" when, during Mi,ss Stone's farewell words to her own people, she reached forth her hand and called her young sister to herself to give her the right hand of fellowship, as together they promised to give their lives to the saving of souls, there was scarcely a dry eye in the church. The pastor arose, standing with bowed head. As he afterward said: 'I felt that I stood on holy ground. I knew .something how Moses felt when in the presence of the burning bush. I knew that God was there.'
"Within a few days both had started for their appointed fields, one toward the East and one to the West. As we count time, Miss Higgins's earthly service was short, for in eight months she had entered into her heavenly home; but in the sight of the Father her work still goes on in her influence, which lives in hundreds of hearts to-day. And, if we can judge by results, her mantle must have fallen on Miss Stone, for an added spirituality and fervor entered into her life, resulting in many ingatherings to the kingdom of Christ. . . .
"On reaching Samokov, Bulgaria, to which place Miss Stone was assigned, she entered upon her duties in the Boarding-school for Girls, as assistant to Miss E. T. Maltbie, teaching English branches, while learning the new and difficult language.
"It seemed to the writer an incredibly short time when word came, ' Miss Stone has conducted her first prayer-meeting in Bulgaria.' We soon learned that Bulgarian hearts were as susceptible to the power of Christ in one's life, as Americans, and that her influence was most truly telling for His name. The same lovable traits of character so potent in America won the hearts of her young pupils, enabling her to lead them to their Saviour, as, with the other devoted missionaries of the station, she had her part in a most gratifying revival, that followed not many months after her coming to Bulgaria.
"After becoming familiar with the language, her field of usefulness widened, as the Board then appointed her superintendent of the 'Bible women,' who taught in the towns and villages of the country, that younger children (than the pupils at the boarding-school) and their mothers should be reached. These were native Bible women, converts to the Christian faith, and were in many cases graduates from the school, who desired to prove the reality of their conversion in service. Their duty was to gather the children of the village into a school (held perhaps in one of the rooms of some humble home), to teach the common studies and the Bible, also to hold a Sunday-school for the children, prayer-meetings with the mothers, as well as to perform many pastoral duties."
As these workers were appointed by and were under the instruction and guidance of Miss Stone, she visited them at regular intervals. Said Mrs. Atwood: "It is from other than Miss Stone's pen that we learn of the delight at her coming, the joy of the children who own her as 'Auntie Stone,' and the great honor they count as theirs when she can be the guest at their homes. As Bulgaria is a country of 'magnificent distances,' these visits necessitate many tours over the mountains and plains, at the cost of great fatigue and dangers. But our friend ’counts it all gain,' as she has noted from year to year the glorious results, in the change from gross superstition, persecution, and ignorance, to the character of faithful, earnest followers of the 'meek and lowly Jesus.'"
When Miss Stone entered into this larger work, her home was at Philippopolis, but in 1898, the increase in her work, and the call from Macedonia, "Come over and help us," caused the Board to assign her to Salonica, the ancient ​Thessalonica of the time of Saint Paul. Here, associated with Dr. House and Messrs. Baird and Haskell and their families, she carried on a noble work in that city, which included many conversions among the sailors from the British fleet, anchored for a time in Salonica Harbor. Miss Stone had heroically endured the heat of a Salonican summer, with the exception of one trip to Samokov, and had been to Bansko for a three weeks' training- school with her Bible women, when on returning thence, with an unusually large company of workers, she was seized by brigands. Her captivity and final release on payment of a large ransom, to which we have already referred, are matters familiar to the reading public. Since her return home, some part of her time has been given to lecturing on missionary subjects, including her own personal experience in the missionary field. She is at present living quietly in Chelsea, Mass., devoting all her time to her aged mother.