The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-25
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
BY CHARLES O. srIcKNEY.

U.
 An aged and highly cultivated lady, Miss Elizabeth Cushing, of Bridgton, Me-, who was 6 neighbor and &C., quaintance of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's at the time that embryo, "Uncle Toms Cabin," was quietly de- veloping into being in Brunswick, is an aunt of Fannie Dunlap, whom James Russell Lowell married for his second wife, has a fund of reminis- cences in connection with the world famous author and her immortal book.
 "To begin with" said Miss Cushing, |'it is nonsense what one writer-Mr. James T. Fields, if mistake not-has said in regard to Mrs. Stowe's taking all the care of the children, and doing such vast amount of domestic drudgery, at the self-same time she was writing Uncle Tom.' He must have been grossly misinformed. The fact is, she let her housework, her children, everything except her meals, her sleep and her writing, take care of themselves, at least so far as she was personally concerned. A little while after breakfast she might be seen each weekday morning hurrying, with un- kempt hair and slouchy attire, from her house over to the college and into Prof. Stowe's rooms, and there she would write till the bell rang for din- ner. Back to her house, and an hour or more spent there, then over to the college again and write till tea time. So it went, day after day, until the story was finished.
 "No, the author of Uncle Tom did not manage her own domestic institu- tion at the same time she was portray ing a certain domestic institution in the south. That was done by lady named Smith, 8 sensible, somewhat cultured and worthy parsonage, who had kindly acceded to the request of her good friend, Mrs. Stowe, to take charge of the young child and the homework, while she was engaged upon her literary labor. Mrs. Stowe, upon Mrs. Smiths advent, gave her friends of the upper plane in which Prof. Stowe and herself moved, at Brunswick, to understand that it was her wish that Mrs. Smith should be received by them upon precisely the same footing as herself, which request was cheerfully compiled with, and henceforth the acting mistress of the Stowe mansion had an unchallenged passport to the homes and graces of such families as Prof. Newman, Prof. Gooding, Prof. Smyth, Prof. Cleve- land, Prof. Upham, and others of the college and literary magnates. And as good Mrs. Smith was faithful house. keeper, enjoyed the highest social privileges and was suitably compen- sated in cash, things worked to charm all round"
 "Was not Prof. Stowe much older than his wife?"
 "Only few years-say eight or ten. MT. Stowe was born in LitchHeld, Conn.,, in 1912. They were married in 1882. She was his second wife. They had several children, the most of them girls. And those girls l-well, can't help laughing when l think of them. Such another boisterous, romping set of young wildcats it was hard to find. They were just full of life and animal spirits. When out of school they were bound to hold high carnival in the street. By which don't wish it' understood that they were otherwise than good girls, but they were simply rornps. During the time the Stowes were in Brunswick they lived in what was known a the Parson Titcomb house, on street parallel with Main street, not far from Prof. Cleveland's house, on the brow of the hill, from which point through the long down. east winters, there was afforded long and rather steep way for coasting. Down this hill tne Stowe girls, the Newman girls, Prof Smith's children and others would slide, at break meek speed, not infrequcntly all of them to- gether, man old sleigh or something of that sort But at length, on ac- count of the dangerous nature of this sport, Prof Smith rose in his might and very properly put . stop to it"
 aMrs. Stowe was rather plsin-l look ing?" queried the writer.
 "Yes. And yet I have seen her, when aglow in conversation, look de- cidedly haDdsome. A soul-beanty, which for the moment held smprem- acy. Even now can see the pleasant