The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1898-05-07


cept the humble position of pres
| ident of the Chicago Woman
Temperance Christian Union
This place was at first unsalaried
She often had to walk weary mile,
through wintry winds because shC
had no money to pay for car
fare, and for the first time in hel
life knew what it was to be hun
CRY. As soon as this became
known to them, her comrades
provided a salary liberal for then
slender means.
From this time promotion was
rapid. In few months she was
made corresponding secretary of
the National Woman's Christion
Temperance Union, which she
had helped to organize; then
president of the Illinois w. G.
! T. u, and in 1879 president of the
National Union, to which position
she was ever after reelected by
an overwhelming majority. Her
great brain conceived the Worlds
w. G. T. w. and projected it up
on the Detroit National Conven-
ton in 1888. 1t soon became a
living force, and now the white
symbol of our order beats above
the hearts of noble women the wide
world over. During most of the
fifteen years of this last and great
est outcome of the crusade, the
suffrages of universal sisterhood
have placed her on the throne of
its power; so that when the saint
ly soul of our leader was promot-
ed to the higher activities of the
heavenly world, two great organi-
cations were left without u head.
Time would fail me to tell of all
the journeyings by sea and land;
fhe great conventions held; the
great bodies, educational, legisla-
tive, political and religious before
whom she has appeared in behalf
of the greatest moral movement
of the ages outside of the church
of God itself; (if indeed ii could
be said be outside, for it's vesy es-
sence and the secret of its power
is love to Christ and humanity.)
And to many of you hope this
recital would prove a "twice-told
tale" for no one here can be ig-
norant of the place she held in
the heart and hope of the world.
That voice attuned to heavenly
harmonies has charmed the ear Of
listening thousands. Under the
influence of that divineIy iIluminc
ed mind prejudice and opposition
have melted away like mists be-
fore the rising sun.
Many have achieved greatness,
but few, if any, have been so real
ly great in so many directions.
She was an cminently successful
teacher, a writer of unsurpassed
purity of diction and originality
of thought; an orator of marvel
lous magnetic power; a great
statesman and organizer. No one
who has seen her preside over
even the smaller conventions of
the w. G. 7. w. could fail to
feel the ease with which she could
control the wills and secure the
homage of men and women alike.
"The elements were so mixed in
her that all the world might rise
and say This was a woman!' "
An invincible will was doubtless
one secret of her power as it is of
all who exercise controlling inhu-
ence over men. To this was join
ed dauntless courage born of
heartfelt conviction of the right
eousness of the cause she advocat-
ed; and these moving forces were
buttressed with magnificent intel
lectual endowment splenbidly inn
proved by culture and opportuni-
ty, Her magnanimity was great
and on more than on one occasion
grandly exhibited. If it be true
than women are "severe and un-
forgiving and critical" towards
one another, those who have come
under her influence have learned
lessons of love and forbearance
from her lips, and praise where
once they blamed. No one was
so quick to see merit and latent
power in otner women as this
greatest of women, nor so skiIlful
in calling it forth. Many of our
noblest speakers and workers first
realized their own capacities
through her wonderful power of
divination.
The spirit of Christ which is
the spirit of unselfiishness found
full and beautiful expression in
her her life. She gave herself
without reserve to rhe work and
the workers, and under her CON
suming zeal the fraiI tabernacle OF
the spirit perished while yet ir
its prime. AS the joyous SOU
winged its flight to the heavenly
home it sent us back this cry OF
rapture: elbow beautiful to bt
with Godl"
We are left to work and weep
but not as they that have no hope
Our eager souls follow on thar
way to the same glorious immor
tality,
While we do not claim for he
infallibilty nor say that she madr
i no mistakes, we challenge the age