The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-09-03
SUBSCRIPTION $l.5O PER YEAR.
Gail Hamilton.

The papers have announced the death
ton, Mass. She was one of the best
know female writers of America, and
as manv of her works were upon politi-
cal subjects, perhaps her writings were
the widest known especially among the
men of any American lady with the ex-
ception of Mrs Stowe. 1t is not the oh
ject of this article to give description
or discussion of her work. but the rather
to give brief account of her early life.
as remembered by one who attended the
same country school with her.
May Abigail Dodge was born at Ham
ilton, Mass, about sixty-three wears
ago. She was the Youngest OF a family
of six children, the four oldest were sons
and the two youngest daughters, and
popularity of the family was, that tie
children were all called by their middle
names. The subject of this sketch was
known to her neighbors and school
mates as "Abby Dodge" Her father
was a farmer, maui of small stature.
who always wore stovepipe hat about
his work, to increase his apparent
height. He was man of some peculi-
arities, very close and careful in his
money accounts. and as innocent of any
knowledge and appreciation OF litera.
ture, as any of his neighbors. Her
mother was Miss Stanwood, who came
from the state of Maine to Massachu-
sets as school teacher, and thus made
the acquaintance of her future husband.
She was connected by blood with the
family OF James G. Blaiue and thus Alb
bv became by her writings one OF his
strong political supporters. When she
was child of two or three years old,
there was upon the floor of the house
braided mat in which was an eye of an
old fashioned brass button, which had
not been removed from the rags OF
which the mat was made. Wishing to
seize the prize which she supposed she
had discovered, the older sister took a
dinner fork and attempted to PRIV out
what she supposed was the link Of a
chain. ABBY like any child wished to
get her head very near to witness the
operation, and the consequence was
that the tine OF the fork flew up and
struck her in the eye, DESTROYING that
organ, and she was obliged to view the
world with single eve. But the read
ers of her works will be obliged to adj
init that she saw many things with that
one eye. In scholarship in the country
school she was prodigy. When she
was ten years old she was in a school OF
some fifty pupils of all ages from four to
years, and to show that the
school was not without some literary
ability and aspirations, we may state
that four OF the hovs in that school af-
forwards became college graduates. Yet
Abby Dodge was in the highest classes
in the school, the equal Of any of the
pupils in all of the studies, and would
Invariably spell down the school. She
engaged in school teaching at an early
age. and commenced sending articles to
papers and magazines under an assumed
name, which immediately attracted the
attention of the publishers, and the
reading public, and thus commenced the
foundation of her fame Her writings
have been in the line of reform, adyocat-
ing more privileges and larger sphere
and influence for women than has been
accorded IN the past. She was from
childhood great talker, and her con-
versatiop like her writings had that tor
chile opungent character which COM,
mands attention. ,.8g,sst, lsst it..y alI
In personal appearance she was, short
and small, with ligh. cslored hair land
not particle OF claim to female beauty
She united with the Congregational
church in carly life, and in her .writings
was always orthodox but not .puritani-
cal. In personal appearance she was
genial and attractive. aa -
In the last years of her life she taught
a bible class in Washington, which was
attended by MANY OF the foremost men
OF the nation. Doubtless her life and
writings will for long time have last
ing influence for good upon the nation.
A. ]. PIKE.