St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-03-13
Che Californian.
LEFT HER WORK UNDONE.
A Remarkable WOman's Death Alone
and Unattended.

In a small room III the second SIOrN
of brick cottage, No. % Newberry
avenue. there died few days ago
unattended and alone-a remarkable
woman. AIady of unusual qualities,
characteristics. and idiosyncrasies,
her career was as strange and event
full as her end was lonely. unexpected,
and sad scholar, historian. and
poet. she struggled unhinchingly,
amid difficulties and reverses, up to
the moment of her death, at monu-
mental task which she had set for
herself
The name of this remarkable wom-
an-at the same time noted and OBJ
scurc-was Abby Maria Hemenway.
She was born in Burlington, Vt
Her family is an old one in that and
other New England states, and she
possessed III pronounced degree the
aggressive, intellectual, and self-re-
liant traits of the Yankee. Some
members of the family moved to Rut-
land. Burlington and other cities of
the state and became wealthy, but
she kept on studying and struggling.
She had three brothers and two sis
tiers. all of whom with one or two
exceptions are said to be wealthy.
The afternoon she died letter was
received from one of her sisters who
is the wife of a millionaire. In her
last and lonely moments she was I'M
able to open it, and it was returned
to the writer by a neighbour who
found it near her dead body.
Miss Hemenway, it appears, first
came to this city about four years
ago, and took up her residence i'll the
second story of No. % Newberry
avenue, where she had since resided
The lower story of the brick cottage
is occupied by Jewish family, with
whom, however, she had little &C
quaIntancc.
One of the first things she did after
taking possession of the apartments
was to move into them miniature
yet practical printing establishments
And here was displayed her singular
" strong and self-reiant character.
1t WAS but the fulfilling of her dream.
From her girlhOod she had had as
pirations for literary renowri, which
were not curbcd by the necessity she
felt that she must teach school to
gain u suStcnancc. There is at least
one man, head of a family, in this
city now who, as 4 scholar, renern-
bcrS heras kind but cxacting teach
er in the Green Mountain state.
While teaching her love for her ma
tive state inspired her with the idea
that its history and its glories, its
great men and its achievements,
should be fully written. With that
idea she resolved to gather from the
best-inlormed people i'll every section
of the state a full account of the
deeds and traditions of each county.
She announced her work as 1.-THE Yer
mont Historical Gazetteer; a maya
zine embracing history of each
town, civil. ecclesiastical and mill
tarv." The first volume of this his
tory, which has proved to be through
her industry and perseverance vol
luminous one, was issued III 1867.
In the preface to it she says: I'VE
entered upon it about three years be
fore our late Southern Rebellion"
but after publishing a few numbers
the work not receiving financial
support sufficient to sustain 1t dur
ing war DAYS" the publication was
suspended OF this history of Yer
mont our public library has four vol
umcS. each of which is big octave
of about 300 pages. The fourth
volume hasa dcdica ton to the Legis-
laturcs of Vermont for the year 1878
and 1850, thanking the members for
aiding her III the publication of the
work The scope of the work she
had laid out to embrace six of these
hi" volumes, and the assistance of
the Legislatures of the state were
necessary to enable her to complete
her task
But this history of Vermont WAS
not her only literary occupation or
venture She had compiled and edit
ed The Poets and Poetry of Yer
mont. " and had written a life of Con
gresham Mech of that state and
his family. with whom she had lived
until the death of Mrs. Mech.
Just about twenty years ago Miss
Hemcnwav's ardent vet austere and
acute nature led her to the dissection
and consideration of religious creeds
- TO the establishment of her rela-
tiveS and friends, she announced her
self q convert to the Catholic faith
This, naturally, produced temper
arv arrangement with her family,
but she remained stern and defiant
About this time, it is supposed, she
went to live with the family of Con
gresham Mech, and in the tervor of
her new religious feelings and enthu-
siasm composed an eCstat1c poem, re-
markable for its length and verbosity.
if not for its merits. which she en-
titled: The House of Gold, and the
Saint of Nazareth" which Kelly,
Piet x Co of Baltimore published in