The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-18
MARY ABIGAIL DODGE PASSED
AWAY QUIETLY IN HER NATIVE
VILLAGE.
WON FAME BY HER PEN.
MOST OF HER LIFE WAS DE-
VOTED TO VARIED LITERARY
ACTIVITY.
MIR. BLArNE's LITERARY EXECUTOR
Broke Down Under the Strain Put
Upon Her by the Task Which
She Assumed.

HAMILTON, Mass, Aug. 17.-Miss
Abigail Dodge Gail Hamilton), the
famous authoress, died tonight at her
beautiful home from the effects of
paralytic shock. Miss Dodge was
stricken while at breakfast yesterday,
and Immediately became unconscious.
Medical aid was at once summoned and
Miss Dodge was removed to her bed,
but while every possible means was
adopted to restore her, she never re-
gained consciousness. Miss Dodge had
similar shock while in Washington
about year ago. Miss Augusta Dodge
and other relatives, were at the bedside
when the end came. Too much work
in mailing her last book, 1.-THE Valley
of Death" during the hot weather broke
her strength. No arrangements have
as yet been made for the funeral.
Miss Mary Abigail Dodge, writer, BIZ
ographer and controversialist, widely
known under the pen name of Gail
Hamilton, was a native of the town in
which she died, having been born in
1880. AT the age of ten years she went
to DR.. Clark's private school In Cam
bridge. She was graduated from Ip-
sW1ch academy at the age of twenty.
In 1850 she went to Hartford as assist
ant in the Hartford high school. She
refused to take the customary exami-
nation, but was given the position
without doing so. She was also in
structor in physical science in this
school for several years and was sub
sequently gOverness in the family of
DR.. Gamaliel Bailey, Of Washington,
D. c., the editor of the National Era,
to which paper she became a contrib
utor. In 1S6567 she was one of the
editors of Our Young Folks, a maga-
zine for children, published in Boston
From 1870 until a little over a year
ago she lived most OF the time with
her cousin. Mrs. James G.. Blaine, in
Washington. In course of this daily
contact with the Blaine family, Miss
Dodge was led into a very close friend
ship with Mr.. Blaine, and at the death
of the latter she became his literary
executor, being In possession of all
his papers and documents of value to
her as his authorized biographer. She
was engaged, as frequently as her
health would permit, on Mr. Blaine's
biography from the time of his death
until her Illness of last year and ii is
work was instrumental in bringing
about that .prostration.
Since the Illness, which came on so
suddenly in the Blaine mansion in
Washington, Miss Dodge has lived very
quietly at her old home In Hamilton,
Mass. Her strength had never rallied
after that illness, SO that she felt able
to resume active work,@and she was
for weeks unable to see even intimate
friends, but during that time she has
been able to be driven about the town
and to entertain in her old, delightful
manner, the friends who have called
upon her. Her literary work during
this time has been fraginentary done
by the help of an amanuensis as
diversion, or when some current event
has specially attracted her interest
Gail Hamilton was a frequent contri-
butor to prominent magazines and her
published works, written In a witty
and aggressive style, consist largely of
selections from her contributions. Her
books include: Country Living and
Country Thinking" Gala Days" New
Atmosphere and Stumbling Blocks"
"Skirmishes and Sketches ''Red Let
ter Days in Applelthorp and Summer
Rest" ''Wool Gathering "Woman's
Wrongs" "a Counter Irritant," Battle
Of the Rocks" "Woman's Worth and
Wcrthliness, +" Little Folk LIFE "Child
World" Twelve Miles from a Lemon
Nursery Mornings" Sermons for the
Clergy" First Love is Best" what
Think Ye of Christi" Our Common
School System" "Divine Guidance"
Memorial to Allen w. Dodge and
"Insuppressible Book"
In 1888 she wrote a serious of letters
on civil service reform for a New York
paper. Letters on wide range of pub
lie questions written for the Boston
Journal were widely copied throughout
the United States. Miss Dodge's one
novel First Love is Best" had not the
success which attended some of her
other works. During recent years she
engaged in political writing, and many
famous review articles and political
interviews" have been accredited to
her which have caused much warm
discussion and have exerted more or
less influence upon national politics.