Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-05-10
ANNA DICKINSON.
a Sad Commentary on the Mutability o!
Earthly Things.
Especial Correspondence. ]

SCRANTON, Pa, May Cit is sad to
witness tho decline Of q great intellect, a
noble life or a lofty purpose. If "thc set
ting Of great hopo is like tho setting of
the sum-" surely the change of a destiny
from tho highest pinnacle of fame to tho
pitifrl makcshift that might fill up the
measure Of tho most commonplace exist
ence is like tho eternal darkness that
shuts in q onco bright day on which no
morrow's sun will shine. TO picture the
woman who at II was termed tho "glOri
Gus girl, tho "wolnan of the century, and
"tho new Joan of Arc,' as sho was seen
during tlr, progress Of the recent trial III
which sho has appeared as plaintiff, would
be to show Il strong earnest fncc, whore in
domitnblo will and impcrious temperament
could be read rs over it fitted swift express
SiOnS Of annoyance, sarcastic amusement
anu furious rejection Of certain points in
tho testimony. There was the Same clear
cut profile of 80 years ago; tho samc proud
upper lip and firm chin were there, but the
black c,lrls that used to cluster about the
girlish neck and white brow were closely
clipped, and only IL thick crop of iron gray
hair was to DO seen beneath tho little
brown hat. But the brilliant flashing eyes
were there, and tho glow leaped into them
rs of old when tho handsome lawyer of the
opposition brought out somc point relating
to her alleged insa~ity. She mado that
young man exceedingly unhappy ono day
when sho was supposed to DO on the rack
of cross examination. 1t was really the
lawyer who was rackcd, for tho darts of
her matchless sarcasm played about him
in q most unpleasant fashion, and the eli
max of his discomfort was reached when
at ono time she regarded him with an ex-
preston of supercilious commiscration
and coolly remarked, "But of course you
arc too young to judge Of such matters!'
Her bitter attack upon him in tho closing
scenes Of the case, when she accused him of
having also been in II mndhousc, made a
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 sho took tho stand Il hush fell
baf1lcd throngs at the outer doors that had
been vainly demanding admittance such
as stillcd to silence the mighty audiences
in wartime. Whatever may have been her
COu>llCAOu III 1911, allC was surely IOU
sane in April, 1896, when in rich, musical
tones she told n story Of tho plot which she
declared had been laid to deprive her of
liberty and destroy her reputation SO that
never again could she occupy tho proud
place Of the past.
1t was easy to sec the plaintiffs power
over the jury. They were not interested
in the pathetic story Of the gifted sister,
Susan e. 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 u species Of scrvitude to
her sister. But Susan 4ickinson's tale OF
sacrifice and of danger and her sad little
figure in it's somber garb did not touch
the gentlemen of tho jury, who only reused
up when the bell-like notes of Annals
voice rang out. When sobs choked her
uttcrance 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.
If the plaintiff seemed to fail in her dra-
matic ventures, there can be no denying
that in the drama which has just closed
she has been the star of the cast, and the
force of hcr 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
. girl she was feted and Landed and blessed
~ almost the savior Of her land. It is only
necessary to look over the press notices Of
the early sixties to be astonished at the in
huence she wrought upon those troublous
times. In New York, in Boston and Phil
adelphia it 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 men,
DRY to welcome her, and with Abraham
Lincoln to admire and applaud in her att
dience, she created the maddest enthusi-
asm, while in the most critical period Of
the war it was openly admitted that her
marvellous eloquence saved many states
for the Union cause.
HARRIET CLAY PENMAN.