The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
GAIL HAMILTON,S PERSONALITY.
She Had No Liking for Publicity, and
Kept Herself in Retirement.

Philadelphia Press.
1t is a -consammate exemplifcation of the
masculine character of her mind that no
distinct record whatever of Gail Hamii-
tons private and personal life has been
left. Nearly every public woman is fond
of small notoriety. They take great pains
that the public shall be duly informed of
their small goings and coming. But it was
a weil-developed habit with Miss Dodge
that as little of her personality as possible
should reach the pubic, and that she should
be known entirely by her works.
Being absolutely free from personal van
ity, it was alone due to this lack of ego
tism, but also to the persistent denial of
disqualification, which resulted in her con-
tinued refusal to have a photograph of her
self taken. If there is a picture of her in
existence. it is as carefully and as jeal-
ously guarded as possible.
During her illness in Washington, a year
ago, when it seemed that she was sure to
die, every effort was made to secure a pho
tograph of her without success. She fire.
personalities of the day, ana, being unable
to protect those for whom she cared most,
particularly Mr.. Blaine, from personality
mongers, she was able at least to keep
herself completely hidden from public
view.
1t was stated at the time of her last
illness that she had left some autobio-
graphical data, and had intrusted the pub
l1cation to Mrs. Blaine. Judging from her
general characteristics, however, this is
very doubtful. There are therefore abb
solutely no statistics which may be given
to recount her life or literary achievements.
1t cannot even be stated when she was
born, the only information vouchsafed be-
ing that she was born about 1880, at Ham
ilton, Mass. Beyond this and a list of
her books which are furnished in any en-
cyclopedia, there is absolutely nothing of
statistical formation to be had about her.
Sne had; however many friends about
recoIlections of her character, of her work
and OF her distinct persona ity.
She lived long there. Aside from her
having taught school in the Hartford High
Schooi in 1851, there is absolutely little
public record of her until she came into
notice i'm NaShfnptnn bet NnRn 1AbI q nd 1S1I
as one of the most vigorous writers OF DR..
Garnaiie Bailey's National Era. She was
FANNY. Some one asked her some years
ago when she was born, and she said she
was born in the National Era, and had
been brought up in the Atlantic Monthly.
She added to this statement, however, that
she had probably been born about the
same time in the Independent, but as she
the National Era work was the
one which would have to stand
recital of the birth Of Gail Hamilton, Miss
Dodge said that this notorious person
front cover of the Young Folks, where as
an associate editor her name was persist
emily emblazoned.
She wrote a great many books of which
It is useless to give a catalogue here.
Some of them presented old convictions
upon the woman question; some of them
were mere ~recitals of travels and local
impressions, and some grew out of emer-
gency situations, such as her famous bat
Tic " IIlc OOOhS, Which WdS II tOIlIONG1-
sial quarrel with her Boston publisher.
Probably the tenderest feeling known to
her conferred around her old New England
home and it's traditions. In several pub.
lished volumes she made as much of this
known to the public as might have been
done with proper feeling; she sketched the
people of the country and the atmosphere
as tenderly and as lovingly as that rock
bound section of the country was ever
limned. She had the same veneration for
all affairs of New England, associated with
its origin, that seems to cling to it's sons
and daughters wherever they may be.
Washington remembers Miss Dodge as
one of the most interesting of the many
major portion of their public life there.
She was not a handsome woman. but there
was a brilliant air about her which made
her very attractive and noticeable in any
gathering. She had peculiar IDEAS upon
the subject of woman's clothes, and, while
she never affected outlandish dress, she
never followed the fashions closely, but at
tired herself very modestly and in line with
her frequently expressed IDEA that wom-
ans mind and her personality should al
ways be first thought of and should be
more prominent than her face or clothes
she was born on a small farm, Of which
her father was the farmer. Her mother, it
IS said, was the ADLER member of the Dodge
it for the making OF the famous daughter.
1t was on this farm that she learned to
love the rough old rocks and brier-hedge
rows of New England, and it was here that
tues which so individualized her.
She was brilliant; she was forcible; she
was not ~unWomanly, and yet she was not
effeminate. She was independent in all
things. She had thrift, eXecutiveness, thor
oughness: in fact, she had ali Of those Pur-
by nothing 50 well and comprehensively as
by the word faculty.