Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-07-04
Harriet Beecher Stowe Dead.

Mrs. Harriet Beecher stowe, America s
leading woman of letters, died at II o'clock
Wednesday at her home in Forest street,
Hartford, Conn. 1t is long time since
she has been able to do literary work, and
for the past two years her condition has
been such that the worst might be expected
at any time. She died of congestion of
the brain with partial paralysis. On June
IA she was So years of age.
Harriet Beecher Stowe belongs to a
famously talented family. Her father was
the famous Calvinistic divine, the Rev. DIR.
LYMAN Beecher. She was born in Litchield,
Conn.,, on June IA, 1912, and was brought up
in all the Puritanic simplicity that character
lied a minister's family in that age. From
her 10Th year to her marriage with Prof. Cal
vim K. Stowe, she was associated with her
| sister, Esther Catherine Beecher,'in the sue
cessful female seminary which the latter had
| established at Hartford in 1922. She was
married in her Dist year. Mr.. Stowe was
professor of languages and biblical literature
at Lane seminary near Cincinnati. 1t was
this Ohio residence that gave Mrs. Stowe the
| material for &C Uncle Toms Cabin" Cmcin-
natl was on the border line between the free
and the slave states, and Mrs. Stowe came
therefore into frequent contact with the
peculiar institution; many of the incidents
and characters of her work are portrayals..of
events and persons which came under her
/
the "Key to Uncle Toms Cabin" written in
refutation of charges of and slanderous mis-
representation against the work. Cincinnati
was the scene of much agitation on the sub
.ject of slavery in tlo'e days. The faculty
and students of Lane seminary were known
to be strongly abolition in sentiment, and
only its distance from town, on steep and
muddy road, saved it from the fury of the
pro-slavery riots which were stirred up from
time to time in the Ohioan metropolis. The
il, F,nnr dor, aft cd Tn
protect the fugitives from slavery who We're
continually passing through Ohio over the
underground railway" to Canada. Prof.
Stoves family often heard the thrilling tale
of some escaped bondman to whom shelter
was given, and arms were kept in the house
for defense in case of attack from mob,
together with large bell to summon the
young men from the seminary.
After living many years in Ohio, the Stoves
returned to New England and settled in
Brunswick, Me-, where they continued their
active sympathy with the anti-slavery move
ment, but were distressed by the general
apathy that then seemed to prevail on the
subject throughout the north. Mrs. Stowe
thus conceived the idea of writing some
sketches which should give the world pic
ture of slavery she herself had seen it.
One day, while looking over the bound vol
ume OF an anti-slavery magazine, edited IN
Washington by Mrs. DR.. Bailey, she read the
account of the escape of slave woman and
her child from Kentucky over the ice of the
Ohio as related by an eyewitness who helped
the woman up the bank of the free state
shore. This the first point of the story
formed in her mind, and the model for Uncle
Tom was afforded by the husband of former
slave woman who had been employed in her
own family. This man was free to come and
, go on business between kentucky and ONO
refusing to break his pledge to his master,
although the latter deferred from year to yeal
! fulfilling his promise. The first part of the
work witten was the death of Uncle Tom
The scene formed itself in her mind while
, she was at the communion table in Bruins
wick, and it overcome her SO completely that
she was convuised with tears and sobs. She
fastened home and quickly wrote it down
In the absence of her husband she read it tt
a her two boys of 10 and II years, who weep
4 bitterly and cursed slavery as the most wicked
thing in the world. The book then took form
!. rapidly. After the first two or three chapters
had been written they were sent to DIR. Bailey
in Washington for the National Era. The
story was such an everpresent reality to he
that she had no difficulty in giving it shape
and the weekly instalments never failed.
s Mrs. Stowe had no idea of the effect which
her book would produce. Noticing the atten
5 ton with which it was read during its publ
cation as serial, Prof. Stowe remarked on
day that it looked as if it might really brin!
e his wife in some money when brought out Il
e a book. Mrs. Stowe replied that she hopet
# it would bring in enough to buy her sill
- gown, for she had never owned one yet
i ttWhen it was finished she felt discouraged a
! to the result, the slave power having $
l. wholly enthralled the land with its oppressiv
IS laws.
. The book was published March 20, 1857
= Ten thousand copies were sold within a fe,
u days, and over 100000, it is said, wer
Is in circulation within a year, keeping eign
IL power presses running night and day. II
:. effect everywhere was tremendous, not onl
. at home, but abroad. None but work
'o genius could so flash its light through tn
world and touch all hearts and souls with il
4 power. 1t portrayed slave holders so just
n, and gave them credit for such traits that
p first it was predicted by some that it woul
l. act as a pacltication and unite north an
"a south, while its real effect in engaging tn
ar south is well known. "Uncle Toms Cabin
ID may claim a large share of the credit for til
In triumph of the north in the civil war and til
l., abolition of slavery from this nation of state
y while abroad it had an effect hardly lie:
le important. The sentiment which it arouse
in England undoubtedly restrained tn;
power from siding with the south during OIL
war, and it is likely that its influence WI
important in inducing the Russian emper'
to proclaim freedom to the serfs.
u In England, within year of its fir
OF appearance, the book published by
OF London houses and 40 editions had appeare
y 1t is estimated that the aggregate number
o copies circulated in Great Britain and HI
GIc colonies exceeded 100000.
u II "Uncle Toms Cabin" is also one OF Il
y, most widely circulated of works, and edition
=, are known in the following language
ed American, Bohemian, Danish, Dutch, Fin
,e ish, Flemish, French, German, Hungarla
up Tllyrian or Wendish, Polish, Portuguese
ne Modern Greek, Russian, Servian, Siames
mt Spanish, Swedish, Wallachian, Welsh.
IA, French, German aad some other languag
II there are several distinct versions.
"Uncle Toms Cabin" has been dramatic
in 90 different forms. Mrs. Stowe was We
prolific writer of both prose and verse.
1864, she built beautiful residence in Hal
ford, where she had since resided, surround
. by loving and admring friends.
ssWhat do you suppose Eve thought VIII
she couldn't find any man but Adam :"
wa ssThat the garden of Eden was a SUNNI
BILE resort