The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-08-16
ANNA DICKINSON.
A Sad Commentary on tie Variability OF
Earthly Things.
TIL 0IlHJ IT lIls4E1Hs
Especial Corresponncncc.l


SCRANTON, Pa, May cit Is sad 20
witness the decline of a great intellect, IL
noble life or lofty purpose If ''the set
ting of a great hope is like the setting of
the sum- surely the change OF destiny
from the highest pinnacle of fame to the
pitiful makeshift that might ill UP the
measure of the most commonplace exist
ence is like the eternal darkness that
shuts in once bright day on which no
morrow's sun will shine. To picture the
woman who at II was termed the "glOri
Gus girl, y the woman of ne century, " and
1.-THE new Joan of Are a. she was seen
during the progress of the recent trial in
which she has appeared as plaintiff, would
be to show a strong earnest face, where in
dOmitable will and imperious temperament
could be read as over ii fitted swift express
SionS of annoyance, sarcastic amusement
and furious rejection of certain points in
the testimony. There was the samE clear
cut profile of 30 years ago; the same proud
upper lip and firm chin were there, but the
black curls that used to cluster about the
girlish neck and white brow were closely
clipped, and only a thick crop of iron gray
hair was TO be seen beneath the little
brown hat. But the brilliant flashing eyes
were there, and the glow leaped into them
as of old when the handsome lawyer of the
opposition brought out some point relating
to her alleged insanity She made that
young man exceedingly unhappy one day
when she was supposed to be on the rack
of cross examination. 1t was really tho
lawyer who was racked, for the darts of
her matchless sarcasm played about him
in a most unpleasant fashion, and the eli
max of his discomfort was reached when
at one time she regarded him with an ex-
preston of supercilious commiseration
and coolly remarked, But of course you
are too young to judge of such mattersr'
Her bitter attack upon him in the closing
scenes of the case, when she accused him of
having also been in a madhouse, made q
dramatic situation not soon To be forgot
ten by those present.
At all periods of the trial she was still
Anna Dickinson, cratic, TO be sure, but
whenever she took the stand a hush fell
over the crowded courtroom and over the
baffled throngs at the outer doors that had
been vainly demanding admittance such
as stilled to silence the mighty audiences
that listened to her impassioned utterances
in wartime. Whatever may have been her
condition in 1891, she was surely not in
sane in April, 1895, when in rich, musical
tones she told story of the plot which she
declared had been laid to deprive her Of
liberty and destroy her reputation so that
never again could she occupy the proud
place of the past.
1t was easy To- see the plaintiffs power
over the jury. They were not interested
in the pathetic story of the gifted sister,
Susan K. Dickinson, whose work as poet
and writer is so well known. She is q tiny
creature, and in the witness stand the
small, worn face bore traces of her toll
some life, believed by many to have been
largely spent in n species of servitude TO
her sister. But Susan DickinsOn's tale OF
sacrifice and of danger and her sad little
figure in its somber garb did not touch |
the gentlemen of the jury, who only reused
up when the bell-like notes of Annals |
voice rang out. When sobs choked her |
utterance in recounting her wrongs the |
jury blinked its "a eyes and began to has
tily tumble for handkerchiefs. When her
fierce and bitter sarcasm scored her sister |
and the friends who carried her to the in |
sane asylum, the jury smiled significantly. |
II the plaintiff seemed to fail in her dra- |
matte ventures, there can be no denying 1
that in the drama which has just closed /
she has been the star of the cast, and the /
force of her acting, if acting it was, might |
be envied in its effect upon the house by |
the greatest tragedian Of the age.
Many people can recall the days when as
a girl she was feted and Landed and blessed |
rs almost the savior of her land. 1t is only /
necessary to look over the press notices of
the early sixties to be astonished at the in
fiuence she wrought upon those troublous
times In New York, in Boston and Phil
ldelphia il was difficult to find words rich
enough To tell of her successes. Speaking
in the house of representatives at Washing
ton. with such men as Schuyler ColfaX and |
Hannibal Hamlin TO introduce her, with /
such men as John sherman, Thaddeus |
Stevens. Charles Sumner, James A. Gar
field and many others of illustrious mem
1ry TO welcome her, and with Abraham
Lincoln to admire and applaud in her au-
iience she created the maddest enthusi-
ls1n. while in the most critical period OF
he war it was openly admitted that her
marvellous eloquence saved many states
,or the Union cause.
HARRIET CLAY PENAlAN.