Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-12-12
HELEN HUNT IN BRArr1EBoRo



Il was about twenty wears ago that re-
member seeing Mrs Hunt ct the old ives
selhoeft Hotel 10 Brattleboro, Vt. though ]
had probably seen her earlier. a. she. g.
well a. my family. we're 10 the habit Of
spending the autumn at this place
10 those days Brattleboro was lively
place when the leaves were falling, Tor it
was resort for many gay people and the
old hotel. that was built for water cure
establishment. was the scene Of private
theatricals, tableauN. Jarley's wax-works,
hops and q starting point for picnic par
ties have faint recollection Of some
Of those gay affairs, probably because II
was the first time IN my life that ! was
permitted to be present at any such enter
tainments. but, although ] remember many
names and faces that we're foremost in
these gayeties, do not remember that
Mrs Hunt took an active part in any Of
them Partly from my own recolectlons.
and partly from what ! have since learned
from my relatives IN talking over the oc-
currences Of that autumn, it seems that
the New Workers must have taken the
lead Miss Kitty Parker. who had a su-
peril voice and who has since married an
Engishman Was there with her sister.
Mrs Balestier. Mrs Wells and the Misses
Finn Of New York The Marquis de
Pcdesta, attached to the Spanish Legation
at Washington, vas there with his wife
beautiful American. and their children;
some Of the Vikings Of Philadelphia, Miss
Mead sister Of Mrs W ID How els. Capt
John Goldman, MISS Fuller. niece Of Mar
garet Fuller, and many others.
All these people seemed fond Of the gay
life Of the hotel. but Mrs Hunt rises be
I 49, -.
dining room In a black gown. her arms
filled with boughs of autumn leaves ~ HIGH
she Vas particularly fond Of gathering and
pressing, having a special way Of doing 1t
Making small articles Of birch bark was
also favorte amusement Of hers She
sat at one end Of the dining table and my
family at the other. and in my ewes she
was very beautiful
She had not then made the fame in liter
allure that sfterwArd became hers In
fact think she had only just then begun
60 write believe she was forty wears old
before she wrote q hne-and ] know from
very good authority that just at this time
Of which ! speak some Of her work had
been rejected 10y a leading paper, though
afterwNrd it was very glad 70 take it.
For myself do not remember hearing
her speak but ! know women, who were
not fond Of her 10 the least who testify u
her brilliancy and originality 10 converse
ton. They say that she could not speak
without saying something entirely different
from what every other woman would have
said
] never saw Mrs Hunt after that
autumn, but she remains one Of my earliest
recollertions. and will always be associated
IN my memory with the rambling old
Wessehoeft Hotel, the gay people there,
the autumn weather. aud the brilliant foil
age that is nov here more beautiful than IL
is ia Brattleb0ro
There we're two other women at the
hotel for few days who. if they have
not become a. famous a. Mrs. Hunt. have
carmel enyiAble regulations. one was
Salhe JOY. ho recited one evening. aud
Who is nov the Mr. White who Is the pre-
ideut Of the New England WOmau's Press
Association The other was Miss Helen
Folsom, whose plain black gown well re
member, Wlth a cross al her side who de
voted her large fortune aud her energies
~ founding 90 this city the SisterhOpi II
IT John the Baptist. and " no died some
feW years agu Just previous o. the time
Of which ] write. her brother tieo "
Folsom. had married one II the ',-autiful
Fuller sister. uiece> Of Margaret Fuller
! have been IN Brattleb1ro only once
since that autumn. aud found the place
much changed The Old Wesse lhoeft is a
tenement house. and fashion moved away
from that part pf the town - a part that
seemed far less attractive ID nv eyes The
old rambling walk los the stream Of " alter.
here seats were placed beneath the frees,
0ere all destroyed 10 give place 70 factories
Of various kinds Brattleboro was popu-
lar resort With southerners before the war.
but after the var they STAYED away, and
the place changed very much What it is
nov socially ! do not know. only it must
still be beautiful. for no changes can
destroy it. natural beauries