The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-15

Mrs. Stoves chief claim to fame rests on
the authorship Of "Uncle Toms Cabin"
work read in every language, and prooaoly
familiarto to more people than any other one
book except the Bible1
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in q
plain little cottage In Litchfeld, Conn, on
June IA, 1912. She was daughter OF the
nev. DR.. Lyman Beecher and Rozana
Beecher, and was the seventh OF eight chill
idren, nearly all OF whom have become Ia
mous All Of her brothers, William Henry,
Edward, George, Henry Ward, Charles,
Thomas Kinnicut and James Chaplin became
lCongregationalis clergymen, Of whom, OF
course, Henry Ward Beecher was the most
DISTINGUISHED. She had three sisters, Cath
Ierine Esther, Mary Beecher Perkins and lsa-
bella Beecher Hooker, Of whom the trst
mentioned was noted educator.
The great event Of her early life was the
removal of the family in 1882 to Cincinnati,
where DR.. Lyman Beecher was made Presi-
dent Of Lane Seminary, position he held
for twenty years. Here the contested ques.
ltions Of right and wrong which had excited
ther attention at Hartford was even more
lrife than at her previous place OF abode, as
lit was not long before the young woman be-
lgan to write in defense Of her views with
lvigor indicative Of deep feeling and OF great
literary ability.
In 1886 Miss Beecher and Professor Calvin
ELLIS Stowe, afterward eminent as writer
lon church history and similar topics, were
married. Soon afterward the great question
lof slavery began to agitate the Nation, and
MRS. Stowe was at once deeply interested,
land she soon became an ardent advocate OF
abolition.
On June 8, 1851, the National Era, an
amt. slavery journal published in Washington
tCity BY DR.. Gamaliel Bailey, contained
1.-THE first number OF serial story Wmcn was
ANNOUNCED as "by the author Of May Flower,
Ietc." So far as can be learned, few were
Especially interested in it till the third and
fourth numbers had appeared; then readers
multiplied and critics found 1t "full OF racy
|character sketches" little later politicians
began to notice it. April l, 1852, the last
humber appeared in the Era. On the ZOth
,of the preceding month the book had been
issued, and on the November day that Pierce
lgained such wonderful victory and the
Wing party was annihllated1t 1t was announced
that 200, 900 copies had been sold, that l,OO0.-
LOCO Americans had read it, and 100000
1more were reading "Uncle Toms Cabin
Ten thousand copies were sold in ten days
lin 1852, and eight presses could not supply
1.-THE demand. For the first year 1000 copies
Ia day were sold. In England l, 100000 copies
altogether were sold and as many In this
country. The book has been translatea Apto
,eigstesn le4gusgss sYse Hss tAs ssI p9pR9- BY.
fessor and Mrs. Stowe visited England a
year after 1t was published penny Offering
Ito Mrs. Stowe amounted to $4,000.
Their carriage was frequently stopped
lin the streets and filled with flowers.
At public reception the Duchess OF Suther-
land clasped on Mrs. Stoves arm gold
bracelet fashioned like slaves letters. On
the links Mrs. Stowe had engraved the date
of the proclamation of emancipation by
President Lincoln.
On account of this work Mrs. Stowe re-
ceived the plaudits Of all the literary world
and the personal friendship Of many emil
nent men and women. After long travel
abroad, in 1854, she published Sunny
Memories Of Foreign Lands" In
1856 she published "Dred, Tale of the
Great Dismal Swamp" treating on
q different aspect Of slavery. Suisse
lquent works are "The Minister'S Woo
ing." in 1859; 1.-THE Pearl Of Orr's Island. VI
1852; Agnes of Sorrento" 1868; "Old Town
Folks" 1869; "My Wife aud l." 1872, and
'Pink and White Tyranny" with several
others. "The True Story Of Lady Byron, u
which appeared in a magazine In 1869, in an.
swer to eulogy by Byron, by the Countess
of Guiccioli, excited much comment. Since
then she had written but little and nothing
of importance. For many years Mrs. Stowe
lhad lived quite secluded life, passing hel
winters in Florida and ter summers at Hart
ford