The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-02-07
/ bid one thousand dollars.!n
Mrs. Orm,ston Chant.

Mrs. OrmistOn Chant.
The Women's Paper, of London, which,
by the way, claims to be ''the only paper
in the world conducted, written, printed
and published by women contains the
following interesting account of Mrs.
Chant:
The most popular OF our lady speakers.
and one of the most remarkable women of
to-day is. undoubtedly, Mrs. Laura Ormis-
ton Chant. Through the length and
breadth of Great Britain, in the Sister Isle,
and latterly in America, she has touched
the hearts of hundreds of hearers, drawing
tears from the strong, carrying comfort to
the weak, and inspiring the dulled and
faded with the ~at1atus of her owa bright
spirit. Hers is not the %eloquence of fine
phrases, but of deep feeling, its character
istic is spontaneity, its inspiration, keen
sympathy and a glowing imagination.
| Whether her theme be temperance, wom-
ans suffrage, physical training Of girls,
the poetry of Shelley. or Sponsors ''Fairy
Queen it is suffused with the feryor of a
pOCtiG iolltiCy oha thS ofHSoi
from platform or pulpit-for Mrs. Chant
is a preacher con apsors-is always to the
diviner impulse, and to the ideal that is
hidden but never lost. 1t is the same with
| the individual as with the multitude. Mrs.
Chant rarely, perhaps never, takes a journ-
ey, without drawing some human being
within the magnetic circle of her sympathy.
One day she was walking down Bond
Street, and seeing a girl-mother, wretched
and wearied, she took the miserable-look-
ing baby into her own arms, and carried it
to her home. The mother was set on her
feet again for a fresh start. in life. We
mention this incident-onl one among
many-to show that words are not the SUBJ
stitute for, but the outcome of, works.
Within a period of three weeks, or rather
of eighteen days, Mrs. Chant has addressed
thirty. one meetings and travelled 1900
miles. How does she do ii? people ask,
as well they may when they see the slight
frame and fragile physique. She herself
says it is because she is such a happy wo-
man, and so sensitive To the bright Inc
humorous aspect of all things, and because
she is a total abstainer. Another reason may
be found in the extraordinary versatility
OF her powers. While emotion is 50 DOM
inant a characteristic it finds vent in every
variety of channel. Though not a profess
%sional, she paints well, her singing, like
her speaking voice, is clear and musical,
and her compositions for piano and vocal
solo are very interesting. She has publish
ed a volume, entitled verona, and Other
Poems" which show a strong poetic vein,
and she can enter with the greatest 1usto
into a game of play with her four charm
ing children.
feels about her life as a speaker is the tim
that it obliges her to spend away from hus-
band and home. Yet, with the exception
of the three months in America last srring,
she has never been absent for a whole
week; Sunday and generally Saturday are
home days, and a glance at the bright faces
and pretty dresses of the children shows
that they are perfectly happy and well-car-
ed for. Mrs. Chant is an ardent advocate
of physical training, and sends her two
elder girls to the Hampstead Gymnasium.
For their amusement at home, especially
when outdoor exercise is impossible, Mrs.
Chant has written and composed some ae-
ton songs, which they thoroughly enjoy.
Laura Ormiston Chant was born October
9th, 1648, at a lovely but very lonely spot
near Chepstow. Her father, who was a
civil engineer, was then experimenting the
building of the railway bridge over the
Wye. Very early the little girl displayed
a remarkably sweet voice and wonderful
musical ability. Indeed, she was one of
a very musical family, and the children
formed quite q small choir, and sang in
three or -four parts as naturally as ordinary
children catch an easy melody. Laura's
first recorded hymn was Written on her
seventh birthday, aud set, before the
| eighth, 10 a pathetic tune of her own. She
was a nervous, exoitable child, alternating
bctx cen gayety and depression with un-
| pleasant rapidity. Such children are gen
orally difficult to understand, and suffer
acute misery from the want OF sympathy
they experience; aud in the generation to
which this child belonged, too often very
harsh treatment was melted out to them.
Daring the years Of Laura's life from
eleven to nearly seventeen, the whole fami-