St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-11-19
"He Being Dead Yet speaketh. {"
To the Editor of the

10 the Ed1tor OF the Cdted0nidn:
Some thirty years ago the late Gov
ernor Slade of Vermont was agent for
an association of benevolent people in
New England whose mission it was to
transfer educated Yankee young women
from ttheir, r,EeasternEhomes to positions
as teachers in the needy West and
Southwest. j. The. good Governor was
wont to assembleJthe teachers at some
central point, as Hartford, Ct, and then
conduct them in person to the west,
distributing g:SthemstoIpositions already
secured, or. finding situations forsthem.
A large number of New England's
choicest young women. thus found stu
Some became principals and founders of
important schools for young ladies; af-
ter teaching. .fors. some me..many of
them married and settled in the west
all were highly useful'and have left be-
hind them good influences which are
visible to this day.
In Illinois is a small village where
these "Yankee school masters" taught
school; and so.'great was their infiu-
ence in shaping the intellectual and
moral "tone" of the place, that young
people coming from that community at
the present time, are expected to possess
superior intelligence and characters,
The people of the village are distin-
guished among their neighbors for their
intelligence. There..sis.sa ia similar COM
munitytin Southwest Missouri, moulded
by similar influences from like noble
women, of the same origin. The work
done by Gov. ..Slade in this way, in pro-
noting education and civilization in
the west has been of great and perma-
nent value. Each of these noble ladies
has been, in many instances known per-
sonally to the writer, Fan intellectual
light for broad region otherwise left in
darkness. But. Ii.toOk up my pen to
speak more particularly of one of the
most excellent of these New England
girls. On Sunday morning, Oct. II, 80,
Mrs. Lucy Dow Sheppard died at
Springfield, Mo. She was born in Wal
den, Caledonia. county, VT, Oct. 9Th,
1884. In 1854 committee of the lead
ing citizens of Springfield wrote to Gov.
SIade to send lady..,to.take charge of
a proposed ladies' school in their viii
Iage. Gov. S. recommended Miss Dow,
who had already taught school two
years in her native county, and had
been under the instruction of Miss
Swift in her Normal training school in
Hartford, CT.
She came here in she autumn of that
year, organized the school, taught it
with distinguished success for two
years, having as.her pupils the daugh-
tiers of the principal citizens of Spring
field, where:Eshe married Mr.. Charles
Sheppard, young merchant of the
place. From that time to the day of
her death, she iwas one of the most
prominent, influential and useful wo-
men of the place, so that her untimely
death occasioned universal mourning
among all classes. Mrs. Sheppard's
early experience as teacher qualified
her to sympatbize with teachers, with
young persons seeking an education,
and to take warm interest in schools.
She was one of the earliest friends of
Drury College, and watched the pro-
gress of the struggling school with the
deepest personal solicitude. Often here
her willing hands ministered to its ne
cessities. She has been one of its wis
est and most trusted counsellors. Her
, elegant home was open to welcome the
. teachers and friends of the college. She
used her gentle but potent influence in
the church of which she was a member,
and in the wider social circle which she
adorned, in behalf of the college, re-
q q moving misapprehensiOn, encouraging
a patronage and stimulating useful pecu-
e mary aid. The college had not a warm
er, more steadfast, wiser, or more help
;. full friend than this unusually noble New
II England woman, and when she was
;, suddenly stricken down men and wo-
5 men said, weeping, "The college has
, lost it's best friend !" Mrs. Sheppard did
s not confne her sympathies and her good
5, works to the college. Her influence
: was felt everywhere in the community
5 in all good works. The poor reverence
her memory. The Calvary Presbyteri-
il an church, of which she had been T.;
:, member during all her residence here
IS mourn for her with sorrow that will
"a not be comforted. NJ.
a. Springfield, Mo-, Oct, 1880.
20
John Baker. the Nihilist.