The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-25
MARY A. LIVEkMORE.
Interesting Career of a Woman Identi-
fed with Many Reforms.

Boston Letter in New York Times.
Mrs Mary A. Livermore, who recently
announced that she about to retire
from the lecture platform, has been in the
public eye for the last two generations as
the advocate and champion Of all the great
reforms for the amelioration of the condi-
ton of her sex. But perhaps her greatest
work. and that for which she will be long
est remembered, was her earnest labors
during the civil war for the betterment of
the condition of the soldiers. 1t would be
impossible to give an adequate idea of the
work that she did-a work that has en-
deared her name to every soldier. While
Mrs. Livermore says that she does not pro-
pose to devote so much of her time as
hitherto to lecturing, she does not intend to
retire absolutely from the field, and will
unquestionably be heard occasionally in
and about Boston. She is anxious to de-
vote the majcr portion of her time to GER
tain literary work which she has in hand.
Mrs. Livermore's maiden name was Rice,
and she born in this city of Welsh
parents, Dec 10, 1921. She was noted in
childhood for resolution and restless ac-
tivity, being foremost in all healthful out
door sports, and also remarkable for prof.
cheney in her studies. She was a pupil
and for some time teacher in the Charles
town Female Seminary At the age of
eighteen she went governess to Virginia,
much against the will of her father, who
had the old-fashioned idea that woman's
place was at home, and that she should
never take the guidance of her life into
her own hands; but she was self willed
and went, and was successful. She re-
manned South for couple of years, and
then taught at DuXbury. Mass There she
met Daniel p Livermore. a Universalist
clergyman, whom she married and accom-
panied successfully to Stafford, Conn.,;
Maiden and Weymouth, Mass. Auburn. N:
W n,,sra ,irsI, ,.lc n ha1
pastorates. In 1857 he became the editor
and publisher of the New Covenant, in Chi
cago.
During this time Mrs. Livermore wrote
frequently for the periodicals of her de-
nomination, and edited the Lily, besides as
sisting her husband for twelve years as
associate in his editorial work While
resident of Chicago she became identified
with various movements in the cause of
reform. She early became interested in
the condition of the soldiers, and in 1862
appointed one of the agents of the
Sanitary Commission, which had then been
recently established in Chicago. During
that year she travelled extensively through
out the Northwest, everywhere organizing
sanitary aid societies. In the following
December she attended a council of the
National Sanitary Commission at Washing
ton. and the next spring was ordered to
make a tour of the hospitals and military
posts on the Mississippi. At this time san
serious results at the Vicksburg camps
feared, but by personal appeals by
enthusiasm she secured immediate relief.
Mrs. Livermore also took an active part in
the organization of the great Northwest
Sanitary fair in Chicago, in 1863, from
which nearly 100000 was secured for the
purpose of the association. She obtained
the original draft of his Emancipation Proc
amation from President Lincoln which
sold for S., 900.
Since the war Mrs Livermore has labored
earnestly in the woman suffrage and tenn
perlnce movements, appearing almost con-
stantly on the platform In 1870 and 1871
he ali rad in 10 n
Her success lecturer before lyceums has
been unusual. At a time when those in
popularity she of the four lectur-
who were most in demand. and who
commanded the largest fees, the other three
nights a week for five months in the year.
travelling $4,000 miles annually. Among her
p Io'v with fhp Our Daughters?'' Women Of the
War" and The Moral H. Heroism of the
ss Ref0rm Book The or first of these
In spite of her constant work upon the
platform, Mrs. Livermore has written a
lures and Thirty Years Too Late"
temperance tale. 4 few years ago. she
published an elaborate volume telling of her
experiences during the
Mrs. Livermore's quiet, unpretending New
England home is in the town of Melrose,
where she lives with her husband and her
sister. There are few women of the day
who have known and been intimately as
ISOLATED with so many of the great men
reformers and thinkers of the last fifty
years. Mrs. Livermore, although she is
we'll past the meridian of life, is still in ex-
cellent health, and is as enthusiastic for the
philanthrop;c movements with which she
has been SO closely identified as she ever
was.
.sOf Mrs. Lvermores face, which is very
fine said Mrs. Ward NOT many years ago,
sit is not easy to say the right word. Reg
ular features, grave, gray eyes and the
warmest smile in the world. stay by the
memory, but chiefly this-that one has seen
the most motherly face which the Lord
ever made. AS she pleads for her own SEX
crying patience for its weakness justice for
it's wrongs and compassion on its woes, her
expression rises to one of inspired solemnity
then melts into a strong tenderness which
reminds one of what was said of the face
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