Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-09
SOME NOTABLE WOMEN,
nd the Curious Stories Told of Them-

SOME NOTABLE WOMEN,
And the Curious Stories Told of Them
soJoURNER TRUTH.
Solourner Truth, the famous and wonder
ful colored woman, who is said TO be over
100 years old, lectured upon Temperance the
other evening in Rochester. First she re-
lated something Of her experience. Her
right name, it appears, is Isabella Van Wag-
goner, though for that matter sho has had
half a dozen names, which We're changed as
often as she changed masters while slave.
She WAS first called Hardenburgh, then Nee
ley, then Schriver, then Dieman, and finally
| Van Waggoner. 1t was not until she was ~
years OF age that she knew Jesus Christ was
different ssfiom Washington or Napoleon
Bonaparte. She related how she escaped
from slavery. and her religious experience,
| in her own quaint manner. with all the char
| acterisic expressions of the slaves OF the
South. After thus relating her experience,
she said she had laborej and spoken for
the freedom of the slaves until they were
freed, and now she intended to labor for the
cause Of temperance until that also should be
accomplished But, as she said, in her own
peculiar way, the people should not expect
the children to be temperate so long as the
| slobberin aroun' !" In speaking of the
question of womans rights, she said she had
come to the con cluHion that if women would
| live as they ought TO, they would get their
| rights as they went along. They should be
something better than mere toys. Vanity
and pride among her sister women were the
great stumbling blocks.
THE SMITH SISTERS.
The World gives the following interesting
sketch of the Smith sisters of Glastonbury,
Conn, one OF whom, Miss Abigail, died
day or two since The most notable acts in
the life of the Smith sisters were those by
which they manifested an indisposition to
pay taxes levied by a government in which
they were not represented. 1t was only
short while ago, in 1873, that the public at
tention was attracted to these women though
at that time Miss Abby, who has just died.
was Just 76 years old. Tho sisters made
known their determination not to pay taxes
by appearing in the Glastonbury town meet
ing, where Miss Abby made very impress
siye speech upon the injustice she suffered in
being taxed without being represented. This
occasioned remark all over the country, and
the sisters wrote letters to the papers telling
the story, now quite familiar, OF how year
after year the sheriff seized their COWS and
sold them at auction to satisfy the taxes on
the Smith property They were originally
i've of the sisters, and their peculiar names
Abigail Hadassah, Nancy Zephina, Cyrin-
thia Lucretia, Laurilla Aleroya. and Julia
Eyalina-are indicative of the eccentricity OF
their parents. The father, Yale graduate.
was a Congregational preacher, bat he expe-
rieneed change Of religious opinion and
studied law, which he practised the remain
der of his life. The mother was a woman of
Ot a 81,
knew astronomy well and spoke several Eu-
ropean languages None OF the five sisters
ever married, and the three who died before
Miss Abby passed away at intervals of seven
years. the first dying u years ago. The
only remaining sister, Miss Julia Eyalina, is
in her eighty sixth year. and her health is
very delicate. 1t was she who translated the
Bible into English from the Hebrew and
Greek Miss Smith is edition Of the Bible
sometimes called the ''Alderney edition, in
allusion to the COWS which were yearly hy-
potbecated into tax receipts-is of little
value save as a literary curiosity but the
pluck OF undertaking such a work is charac-
teristic of her people. Miss Abby was the
business manager of the Glastonbury home
and her older and more literary sister was in
many ways dependent upon her. 1t is not
thought that Miss Julia will long survive the
death of her remarkably active sister.
THE PRINCESS sAIM-sALM.
A foreign paper announces the death OF
the Princess Salm-Salm. She was born De-
cember %, 1910 A; in the AbHdndct de Gotta
she is described as Agnes, daughter of the
late Col lie Clerq" Under the name of
Agnes lie Clerq Leclair. she was well known
in the equestrian profession in this country.
August 30, 1862, she married Prince Felix
Constantine Alexander Nepoumcene Salm-
Salm. born in 1928. The prince commanded
a regiment during our late war, and the
princess. who accompanied him to the field
was known throughout the army of the Poto-
mac as beautiful woman and dashing eques-
trienne. She went with her husband to
Mexico, where he served as general, aid-de-
camp and chief of the household of Maxi
milan. They returned to Europe after the
downfall OF the Mexican empire, where the
princess received the order Of San Carlos.
Prince Felix then became major in the
russian grenadiers of the guard, and WAS
killed August IS, 1870, at the breaking out OF
the war with France. His widow remarked
two years ago wealthy English gentleman
named Heneage, who was before the courts a
few months ago yainly endeavoring to secure
release from his engagements to settle upon
her certain dover and to make her annual
allowance, his complaint being that she had
Il
fact that she was largely i'll debt In 1876 |
she published parts OF her own and her hus-
bands diarie, kept in Mexico, and also an
interesting volume entitled Ten Years of
Ny Life.
AN IDYL OF TIE WEST.
queer story comes from the West, whence |
SO many queer stories come. The wife of a |
merchant in San Francisco, finding. some six
months ago, that the climate of the Pacific |
coast did not agree with her, as her lungs |
was rather delicate, decided to visit her rela- |
tives In Chicago, to see if the change would |
not benefit her She went overland, her |
husband remaining in California because he |
was unable to leave his business For two |
months after her arrival she wrote regularly |
and affectionately. declaring that her health |
was steadily improving, and that she hoped |
to rejoin him very soon. For the next three
mouths her letters steadily decreased, both
in frequency and iervor, becoming very rare
and very cold toward the close of the period
He complained Of the alteration in her feel
ings, which she denied in words and proved
in behavior. In two or three weeks more he
set out for Chicago to ascertain the cause of
her revolution, and reaching his destination
went to the hotel where she was staying,
went directly to her room, entered and found
her talking pleasantly to n man who appear
cd to be quite at home, but whom he had
never seen before. The husband began up-
braidlng his wife. when the stranger demand
ed by what right do you thus address this
lady = "By the right of II husband" was
the response. THAT right is reserved for
me. sir ! am her husband" You for
how long, pray ''For three months
And ! TOR SIX years. Both spoke the truth
The second marriage. as may be inferred, had
do oft a.,
woman having discovered that she liked the
man present in Chicago much better than
she liked the man absent in San Francisco.
The two lieges talked revolvers, death and
for a while but after growing
cool resolved not to make fools of themselves
The woman frankly owned that she preferred |
No. ., whereupon No. expressed satisfac-
tioh sensibly left her TO her new found fell
city bought ticket for home and departed
on the morning train, leaving u note for her |
saying that he would trouble her no farther
and do his utmost never to meet her again
HOW SHE DID IT.
The young man was evidently honest III |
his Intentions, but three years OF constant |
had failed to overcome his bashful- |
ness. They were sitting in chairs at a re-
spectiul distance apart. Said the young |
man, having spent five minutes in tsearch OF |
a subject
How do you get along with your cook
ingy"
Nicely, replied the young miss "rm |
improving wonderfully. can make splendid |
cake, now
Canyon 2 said the Young man in IA pleased |
manner what kind do you like best? ?"
II like one made with flour and sugar and |
citron and raisins and currants. and lots of |
those things. anc beautiful frcsting on top" |
the young miss.
why, that's a wedding cake, exclaimed |
the young man, nervously,
81 meant wedding, said the young miss,
shyly.
They are published Rocklu,d Cprlp
Did the prophet Isaiah ever eat at IA rail |
road station 1t certainly looks 70. for how |
could he have described it so literally if he |
had not And he shall snatch on the right |
lao I, ul.n al, I,gt