The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-17

rsaa'ng the letter aloud 10 Der family
re rose from her chair and tisen and
.1ere consecratesi herself ta the work
VIII write something she said. II
VIII. some time later while attending
communion service in the college chapel
sIe saw as In , picture the death scene
/ OF lncie Tom. and upon returning home
wrote eat her first draft Of that i'm
mortal chapter. and. calling her children
around her. read IL 10 them. The two
eldest wept az the cruel story, and thus
was TUncle Tom born and baptized with
the tears or innocence and compassion.
In writing this story Mrs. Stowe sought
everywhere for material that would en-
able her 10 present in u truthful manner
the everyday life OF the Southern pianta-
ticn. as well as the evils of slavery. Hav-
Ing lived for years on the borders of D
slave state she had more than once as
sisted fugitive slaves in escaping TO the
North. and the scene OF ELIAS escape
IN Uncle Toms Cabin is founded upon
an Incident that came within the au-
thors experience The description of
Col. Selby's plantation was partly tran
scribed from the scenes OF negro life she
had Witnessed on her first visit 10 the
. house OF a Kentucky planter. and ali tbs
incidents. pathetic or humorous, woven
In the story OF the humble hero were
likewise founded upon some statement
OF fact The beautiful tribute that ST.
Clare pays 10 his mothers influence in
one of the striking passages OF the book
is but a memory OF Mrs. stoves own
mother, who died when her daughter was
years old. All the distressing accounts
OF slave life, the buying and selling. the
whipping and branding. and other pitiful
scenes were founded upon facts gathered
from the published documents contain
ing the trials OF the slaves for insubordi-
nation and attempts to escape. The story
ran for some months through the Ma
tional Era, and finally appeared in book
form on March %. lS52. Mrs. Stowe her
self bought the first copy Of the book
ever sold. Three editions came out in
as many weeks. and I'D editions were sold
in America alone.
In London eighteen different publishing
houses were kept busy in supplying the
demand the sales in England and the
colonies amounting to ls5oGoev copies On
the continent il was translated into
twenty different languages, and the name
OF the author became household word
throughout Europe and in many parts or
Asia.
The moral influence OF the book was 30
great that societies were formed wher-
ever IL was read expressing sympathy
with the American abolitionists. while in
the United States the fugitive slave law
became so unpopular that it was almost
Impossible for q master to reclaim slave
who had once escaped to the free states.
And so the author who had first writ
ten stories in order TO help out her nus
bands slender income, and who felt
amply rewarded by being able 10 par-
chase with the money so earned some
household necessities, now found herself
the most famous woman writer or her day.
A few months after its appearance in
book form Uncle Toms Cabin was
dramatized. and performed TO crowded
houses in Boston. New York, London ana
other large cities. People who never be-
fore had thought of the evils OF slavery
now became in few months ardent
abolitionists and when, during the next
year. Mrs. Stowe accepted an invitation
from the Anti-Slayery Society OF Gas
Cow to visit Scotland her reception was
in reality an ovation from the nation
At every railroad station where she
alighted she had TO make her way
through the crowds that had gathered
to welcome her. Every city she visited
honored her with a public greeting, ana
even her sightseeing excursions 10
cathedrals and places of interest were
made the occasions of demonstrations OF
joy from the crowds which quickly gath
cred from the nobility of Scotland TO the
peasants who stood at their doors TO see
her pass by. She was everywhere received
as one who has done noble work for the
cause OF freedom. In England she was
met with the same enthusiasm, and both
from England and Scotland she received
large sums of money for the advancement
OF the anti-slayery cause In America.
Her next novel was published four years
after the appearance of Uncle Toms
Cabin and also dealt with the slave ques-
ton. being founded upon one of those
terrible negro instructions which from
time 10 time startled the South This
work. Published at first under the name
"Dred" after the negro Dred Scott, who
took mart in the tnsurrectlon, was received
with as much favor as had been given to
"uncie Toms Cabin" II was published
later under the title of Nina Gordon,
and was Mrs. Stoves last literary contri-
button TO the cause of slavery with the
exception of letters and appeals which
from time 70 time her heart prompted
her TO write.