Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-19
susAN FUNt ELL.
Former Delaware Teacher and
Fser Lille work.

A Former Delaware Teacher and
fier Lille work.
The Philadelphia Leager Household"
of Saturday has the following sketch Of
one known to some of the elder genera
ton Of Wilmingtonians, among whom
she has occasionally visited since the
time when she began life as teacher, at
the age OF IL years, at the old Richardson
(No. 20) schoolhouse near this city:
"Last month the Household told of the
two decorated army nurses, and this
week is asked to make mention of Susan
Fnssell, who died in Spiceland, Henry
county, Ind, this summer. A Quakeress
OF Kenneth Square, ahs became an army
nurse in 1862, working with the Indiana
Sanitary Commission. She served in the
hospitals at Memphis during the Vicks-
burg campaign OF General Grant, OF
Louisville, Kentucky, and in Tennessee.
In Louisville the hospital covers square
of ground, was tive stories high, and
sheltered 400 men. She has been known
to go over the building on her rounds "a
times in one day. 10 be enlisted for the
war, as hospital nurse, meant with her
as with many another woman, enlistment
for life in benevolent work, She was
asked in 1865 by MIR. George Merritt Of
indianapolis, to take charge of an
orpbanage school on the family plan,
which he instituted at his own expense.
This government later assumed tie
support OF the children, and Miss
russell, after time, removed to Spice
land, where, in another school, the pen.
sions of the orphan children were made
available in contributing to the Family
| Plan OF this cottage and school. A legacy
left to Miss russell about this time en-
| abled her to increase the acres about the
cottage home and to apply to the county
commissioners of Henry county to give
| the pauper children from the almshouses
into her charge. The authorities finally
| consented that she should take the chill
| dren, provided that she would furnish q
house, board, clothe. nurse and educate
| these children for the sum of % cents
each per day. She would not let the
effort fail because OF this parsimony, but
accepted OF once. Later the allowance
per diem vas raised to % and finally
to 80 cents. That was ~ years ago. She
died this year, at the age of 81, and
was buried at Frierda' burial ground,
Fall Greek. Indiana. From 1865. while
carrying out the private benefaction,
above mentioned, and for ii years, Miss
Russell was teacher, sesms,ress, florist
aud hortioulturist for the family, and,
above all, true mother to eaeh, from
the eldest to the babe OF two and half
years. At night, long after they were
safe at rest, she sat up, often till alter
midnight, making the many garments re-
quired for their bodily comfort, or read.
ing the current literature of the day thai
she might be better prepared to olothe
their minds with intellectual ani
spiritual beauty. Her table was good
and abundant; her children were neatly
and tastefully clad; her pansy beds wers
tee finest; her tube.roses the mos
luxuriant; her roses the rsrest to be seen
Nothing was neglected, and in the mids
Of such surroundings the children
thrived and developed rs she meant the.
should.
"When her own means increased ani
she purchased more land, her taste TO-
fine flowers, fruits, vegetables, pouitr,
and stock could now to greater degree
be gratifed, since they oil formed con
siderations in her benefcent plans. 1t i
gratifying to know that some Of tn
many children reared by her became tru
daughters to her-were with her to tn
end, caring for her.
"'Towards the last, when 1t was sug
, gested that she should not tax her mini
with things of earth, she said 4 vii
plan for others as long as live,' and thi
, she did, losing sight of her own sutferin
in 20 doing. She provided remembrance
Of flowers or fruit when parting strengt
!, would have excused her from speaking d
, oil. Her friends ceased to eIpostulatt
/ finding that active beneicence was essie
| to her than less generous self restraint