The morning call., 1893-01-18
A NOTABLE WOMAN.

1t is curious TO observe that the news
pauer biographies of Fanny Kemble dwell
with elaboration upon her professional
career, aud pass lightly over the episode in
her life which made her famous. Many
actresses have played Juliet and Julia and
Lady Macbeth and Lady TeazIe perhaps as
well as she ever did. If she had not come
of so distinguished family of actors she
might never have been as eminent on the
stage as she was. But what she did TO
make herself remembered throughout all
time was 10 bracket herself with Mrs. Stone
as a pioneer In the historic york OF abolish
Ing slavery.
She was % years of age, in the fun bloom
Of her beauty and at the head of her pro-
fession, when she married Pierce Butler of
South. Carolina. She was so brilliant and
so fascinating that all who met her were
filed with rapture. When she played, the
orchestra chairs were filed by the gi!ded
youth Of the period, who were all eager to
throw their hearts at her feet. Among
them she chose MI. Butler. highly cul-
tured and polished gentleman. the son of a
United States Senator and the owner of
large sea island plantations in Georgia and
South Carolina. To one of these lie led his
bride. and installed her in palace with a
swarm OF servants and a stable full of
blooded horses. The climate was divine.
II was perennial summer. Before she rose
in the morning her chamber was filed with
the scent of roses and jasmInes. If she
chose 10 Tide-which was her favOrite pas
time-she had the choice OF four or five
priceless horses, broken to the sidesaddle.
Streams connecting with the ocean inter-
sected the. plantation, and on them pleasure
boats manned by athletic rOwers awaited
her call. To complete the picture. de-
voted husband, who shared her tastes, and
a cultured society, made the young English
woman welcome to the South. 1t seemed
to be an ideal honeymoon. and so she de-
scribed it.
But she had not been long on the sea
island before she saw around her the work
ing of slavery in all its hide0us deformity.
The Butler plantation was well conducted !;
that is to say, the slaves were treated like
cattle. and elaborate care was taken to keep
them on a level with the brute. Go to a
stud farm and observe tie practices by
which one strain of blood is crossed by an
other strain, and the maximum of profit is
got out of the mares while the speed and
endurance of the foals are stimulated by
4
bic saw on her husbands plantation, with
the simple difference that the cattle were
negroes. Her honest blood boiled at the re-
voting iniQuities which took place before
her face without arousing objection in any
quarter. She appealed TO Mr.. Butler, who.
off his plantation, was a gentleman OF re-
fined instincts and high moral sense. He
laughed away her sentimentalitieS, bidding
bar IL
sted it must be accepted with all its draw
backs. Her wifely love struggled with her
sense Of right and wrong, but at last the
latter prevailed. She was too strong a
woman to endure in silence. She left But
Ter. and, with her assent, he got a divorce.
Twelve years after that the North trem-
bIed on the verge of war over slavery.
People were nearly equally divided. Many
of the most conscientious citizens held that
the free States we're wrong TO interfere on
humanitarian grounds. Others denied that
slavery was as bad as Mrs. Stowe had de-
scrbed it. 1t was then that Fanny Kembe.
who was living quietly at her home at
LenoX, Mass, wrote her Residence on a
Georgian Plantation" Il was not work
Of politics or high science. 1t was a simple
truthful account of what this clear-headed
ana warm-hearted woman had seen with her
own eyes on one Of the richest plantations
of the South. which was owned by her hus-
band, enc of the chief benefciaries Of the
institution. The book took like wilofire.
1t was in every hand. 1t awoke as many
Northern conscienees as Uncle Tom" 1t
thrilled every honest heart and it made the
union Of the people for the prosecution of
the war possibility To that young and
still beautiful woman 1t was given to fire the
Northern heart against cruelty and brutality
and barbarism as neither Sumner nor Phil
lips nor Garrison could awaken ii.