New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-02

iHcVl'biCii oeNilflafS IN ClnclDnltD Shc was
not fitted to bear he additional burdens to
which. We have referred. But borne they were
with a dauntess courage which must move to
admiration the most Indifferent reader of this
book. Ilarrlets first public appearance as an
author WAS made during her youth in the Ohio
city when she won prize Of 500 offered by
Western magazine fer an original story. Her
first personal observation Of the slave system
was also made at this time during a visit in
Kentucky on an estate which afterward
known as Colonel Shelby's in Uncle Toms
Cabin" Miss Dutton. the friend who accom-
panied her, said Of this visit long after: liar
riet did not seem to notice anything in par
ticular that happened but sat much Of the time
as though distracted in thought. When the ne
groes did funny things and cut up capers she
did not seem to pay the slightest attention to
them. Aficrward. however. in reading Uncle
Tom, / recognized scene after scene Of that visit
portrayed with the most minute fidelity. and
knew At once where the material for that por-
ton Of the story had been gathered
Through Ler succeeding years in Cincinnati
the New Englander was brought into close con-
tact with the seething turmoil of slavery and
ant-slavcry feeling. and with the woes Of fugi-
tives and she grew more and more earnest in
her 1etestation Of the evil But it was rot until
she went to live in Maine professor stowe being
called to Bowdoin) that the spirit Of the Puritan
Beechers fully awoke in her and fired her, mind
and soul, to the white heat that found eX-
preston in her famous novel. 1t in 1850
and the Fugitive Slave act and the incidents to
which II gave rise had stirred all generous
Northerners to bitter indignation.
After Mrs Stowe reached Brunswick Mrs. Ed
ward Beecher wrote to her sister Hattie. if l
could use pen as you can would write
something to make this whole Nation feel what
an accused thing slavery is -
One Of Mrs Stoves children remembers well
the scene in the little paror in Brunswick when
the letter ,ded to received. Mrs. Stowe
herself read It aloud 10 the assembled family,
and when she came TO the passage, Il would
write something that would make this whole
Nation feel what accursed thing slavery is
Mrs. Stowe rose up from her chair, crushing the
letter In her hand. and with an expression on
her face that stamped Itself on the mind of her
child. said: Il Will write something. | will II
live"
In December Mrs. Stowe sent message to her
sister Tell Katy thank her for her letter and
will answer il. As long as the baby sleeps with
me nights I can't do much at anything. but
will do it at last l will write that thin6 if
live"
what are folks in general saying about the
slave law, and the stand taken by Boston min
listers universally except Edward? ID me 1t is
incredible, amazing mournful feel as II
should be willing to sink with it were all this
sin and misery to sink in the sea | wish
father would come on to Boston and preach on
the Fugitive Slave law. as lie once preached on
the slave trade when was little girl in Itch
field | sobbed aloud In pew and Mrs Judge
Reeves in another | wish some Martin Luther
would arise to set this community right"
She was herself to be in some sort this new
Luther 1t was in the following April that the
first chapter Of Uncle Toms Cabin" was sent
to the editor OF The National Era" in Wash
ngton and in April Of the succeeding year the
story was finished therein.
The whole years work in The National Era"
brought her only $500 but Mr. Jewett. a Boston
publisher having offered TO bring 1t out n:lne-
dately in one volume. three thousand copies
were sold the first day Of publication
The mOdesty of Mrs. Stoves demeanOr
throughout the altogether extraordinary expert
ence which came to her after the publication
OF Uncle Toms Cabin Is to be understood only
by looking upon her life from her own stand
point She was pursued by the thoueht lnat
the freedom OF the slaves was not yet accom-
plished and although the hearts OF good men
were hot with desire to achieve this END no one
could see how the great result was 10 be won:
She had done something she said to herself; God
had stirred the hearts of men through her. but
what more could be donei This was her con-
slant cry, her ever present thought
Often in after years Mrs. Stowe declared that
she did not write the book, that "she only put
down what she saw" that lit all came before
her in visions. one after another and she put
them down in words" However this may be-
the book was one Of the most powerful levers
in the terrible upheaval Of things in the twelve
years following. and it's author had the JOY or
seeing the end for which she strove triumphant
ly achieved Everybody knows how pr"digious
was its success in two hemispheres how en-
thusastic was Mrs. stoves reception IN Europe.
II was well that her ardent nature found a re-
ward in tn, tremendous moral effect wrought
by her story for its material results were Tor her
comparatively insignificant She received no