The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-14

During the past week a life of I'M
usual interest and moment has passed
out of our midst The life of a woman
so quiet and self contained only her
most intimate friends knew the check
cred events and interesting circum-
tances through which she had passed.
On March Sth, Mrs G. NJ. Hopson de-
parted this life at the ripe age of lS-
She was well known in the Congrega-
tional Church where she was devoted
and esteemed member, and to which
she had endeared herself through her
sunshiny disposition and numberless
kindly ways which adverse circum-
stances were never strong enough to
subdue The story of her life runs like
fiction in many places. She was a Sis
ter to Lyman Preston. a veteran of the
Mexican war and the late Mrs. E. S.
Howe. Her only surviving sister is
Mrs. J. G. Vantine of this city. One
of the most interesting facts connected
with this remarkable woman is her re-
lationship to John BroWn-"Ossowa-
fannie" Brown of Harpers Ferry fame.
She was a teacher of the colored peo-
pie in the South during the Civil War,
and was one of the strongest and
StauncheSt adherents to the disputed
cause Of freedom for the slaves. She
was one of the very first to enlist in
the crusade against intemperance, and
has always been a most active member
of the w. C. T. u. Her uncle. Judge
Picken, was the first Trustee of ODER
lin College and she remembered well the
day when he made the announcement
that the first log had been sawed, with
which to start the construction of a
college building in Oberlin. The ODER
lin College buildings of to-day cover a
large area of ground and embrace all
branches of education, among which
music is not the least. Mrs. Hopson
was at one time a teacher of music
and it was she who taught the first
note of music to the Fiske Jubilee Sing
ers at the Fiske University. She was
also a singer of no mean repute in her
earlier days, and even though she had
passed the limit of three score and ten,
one of her chiefest pleasures lay in
joining her voice with the rest in the
sweet old hymns of the church. A
woman of much intellectually, she en-
joyed and appreciated lectures and con-
certs more than the ordinary and with
al was so earnest a Christian that
though she had arrived at an age when
many give up the more active pursuits
of life, she would always brave the
severest weather to keep up her relig-
5ous duties. She had a pleasant neigh
borly habit of visiting for two or three
days at a time among her friends, and
1t is said that she was so we'll beloved
among them all, she was welcome
wherever she went Her familiar face
which had become as ii were, a land
mark to people of our city, will be
greatly missed from its accustomed
place, and her fame though not wide
spread is at least sufficient in our city
TO keep her in remembrance for a long
time to come as a connecting link, now
broken, between the present and an
eventful past.
The evening of the 9th inst was the
occasion of pleasant surprise given
Mrs. Frances Moeller by her pupils
While the lady was absent in San
Francisco on business pertaining to her
engagement to sing in the Messiah"
to be given shortly, her house was TAX
en- possession of and decorated beauti-
fully with acacia blossoms. sviolets and
smilax. a tax had been levied on each
pupil, resulting in a handsome birth
day gift, and when the lady. arriving
on the evening train, reached home, it
was to find it brilliantly lighted and in
complete possession of the onslaught
1ers who Immediately surrounded her,
wishing her many happy returns"
The time from that on was pleasantly
engaged in games and music until the
signal was given to so out to supper.
1t was at a late hour that the merry
company disbanded, and that not until
Mrs. Moeller had sang to them. finally
dismissing all with Good Night, Sweet
Dreams"
Among the many other professions
taken up by women in this new era Of
progression for the weaker sex is one
hitherto unthought Of, but of late be-
ing adopted with a great deal of IA
vor. II is that of the assistant lady
undertaken. Even as far West as San
Francisco this new woman seems to
have found a favorable footing. and
why not? If the woman can be found
who can enter upon this one-time I'M
trodden field of work for women, who
shall say that it is not only suitable
but in many instances much more so
than it would be to engage men in the
same place? I had a most interesting
conversation lately with a decidedly
progressive woman of this profession.
and the idea struck me as being 50 en-
1irely cut OF the line of womens call
ing / asked:
How did you happen to adopt I'M
dar-f9 king q < a business 80
Wei" she answered. lit was This
way: When a member of a family dies.
everyone concerned is OF course
plunged into a new trouble from which
they cannot divert their minds some
times even for the most trivial things;
no one is ina condition to be responsible
for anything. In instances of this kind
have been called in. just in a neigh
borly way, you know, and before / got
through found myself responsible for
the entire management of affairs. 1t is
not with me as with a good many a
distasteful occupation. On the con-
trary. though you may think il strange
like it, and when a friend offered to
have me come to his place of business
and learn all the ms and outs of the
profession, ] readily assented and have
met with the most unexpected sue