The Florence tribune., 1898-03-26
FRANCES E. WILLARD.
BY MRS. c. D. REprY.

day, March 20, lS98.l
 The world has witnessed to-day ar event unparalleled in the history oi
 nations. In all parts of this great country, there have been gatherings great and small of men and women to pay respect to the memory of woman from our own little village here on the Pacific slope to She small hamlet on Maine's stormy coast; from the city by the Golden Gate to the great me tropohs where she died, the thousand of the white ribbon order have met to day to commemorate in prayer and song and euiogy the life of Frances E. Willard. Until She died tLe flags at our national capitol had never been hung at half-mast because one woman was dead Until the day Frances Will lard was buried never had mayor of Chicago ordered the flags at half-mast for the burial of a woman.
 The announcement of her death on the morning of February 18th came with shock of a personal loss to her hosts of friends and multitudes of ad- mirers. All the greater that it was unexpected, for she died fin the har- ness'-werling until the last few days for the cause to which her life had been devoted.
 Born in 1889 in the little town of Churchrille, N. r., Frances Willard came of strong, intelligen. and hon. orable line of ancestry. In addition to this she had, as one has said of her, the advantage of being wanted when she came to her parents arms, These ancestors had cultivated for many years the religious sentiment, the conscience and the intellect, and in that way tsblood will tell" Above all these ad- vantages was the possession of noble mother-one who has been well called Saint Courageous" Training her daughter in all the gentle ways of a woInanly woman, yet teaching her to power of her soul, and let it be known always where she stood upon the great questions of right and wrong. The daughter in her turn became teacher, and also writer of much popularity In this line she might have had more brilliant career, but surely not more useful one, than that which has just closed. No enc here but must believe that all the accounts of her busy life verify her conversion in early girlhood To labor as she did, and with such sue cess, for what sue believed to be ths
 best for the greatest good for all men
 all women, all children, needed a sou
 reposing upon God for strength, ant
 resting daily in the peace of Hi
 presence.
 l It is told that she was first attracted
 to the cause of temperance by the loss
 through drink, of loved and brilliant
 brother. But if it was not her brother l she felt the need of help for others losing their loved ones and went out t uplift, seeing the beauty and possibili
 ties in every soul. After some years 0
 successful teaching, that pursuit wa
 given up, that she might devote all tt the cause in which she was so vitall.
 interested, that of temperance and so
 cial purity, without which she say
 there was no awakening of the nobles in others, and no pure living or tru
 pleasures. "She had faith in humanity
 and humanity believed in Frances Will lard" Her place in the world wa } found when she became. identified wit the Woman's Christian Temperance
 Union. The world became her field c labor-she wrote, she spoke, she or
 ganized. She travelled far and neal
 and spent her money as she did he
 strength, to build up the grand organ : zation that has done so much for hV
 msnity. She gave IL all 10 others, an
 the world thanks God for Frances Wi lard. An Englishnaan has called he
 'sAmerica's uncrowned queen. Wns queen of all the kingdoms of the cart , has ever had so grand and beautiful : life? So many loving subjects or sue 3 memorial as is this days service hel 2 North and South and East and West e all this wide land? She was the for most woman of her time, identifs . with all that goes for the elevation home life; the highest and purest i terests of mankind and reform and s ,t cial progress. As a parliamentary lead e Miss Willard was unsurpassed; e an organizer she had few equal 7. Personally she was gentle al d womanly, yet aggressive in g 'f tion, and never afraid to denoun wrong in high places or low. Hers we :. the qualities of the woman born
 lead, and there are many who are gil e to follow. One can but wonder if sl .,i too had to struggle with temptation o. to overcome any tendency to evil, al Il against such influences as we find ? every day life. Undoubtedly n j. for such broad sympathy must ha ff sfr