The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-28

lures, known as the far-famed Full
Ter conversations. AT these gatherings,
which continued during five years,
Margaret Fuller was at her best, and
exerted an extraordinary influence over
this circle. which gratefully acknow-
lodged her its ruling spirit Her great
est talent lay in oratOry and many Of
those admitted TO these unique CONVEX
satiOns felt that asr eloquenoe was
equaled only by that Of Wendell Phil
lips. She needed to be fired by touch with
other minds; then her mind struck
forth sparks, cOpiOus, epigTammatic,
paFadOXical. thoughtful, pUngent,
always and ever sympathetic and
charming. She herself recognized the
inspiration of contact and frequently
deprecated the chilling use of the
pen Under forms Of mythology she
opened up the great questions Of life,
arousing high, practical hopes, vivify-
ing dormant resolution, and leading her
devoted band through Untrodden path
ways into the recreative lands of music
and art Very early, she said. she had
realized that the great aim of her life
was to grow, and growth consequently
became the watchwOrd of her constit-
uency. NobOdy's explanations ever
perpleXed her brain. and she ably held
her own with Emerson. and the most
thoughtful men of the time who later
joined her evening conversational
classes.
About this time Emerson. Claiming
and others had started a literary Shil-
osOphical magazine called the Dial. For
four years Margaret Fuller was able
managing editor and frequent writer
/. for this journal. her most noteworthy
contribution being her Women in the
Nineteenth Century" a most vigorous
and prophetic essay. She said after
writing on it steadily for nearly twelve
hours that should she go away then
the measure of her footprint would be
left on the earth. And so little has
since been added to her forecast that
her pioneer footprint is still distinct
/ i've.
When her sister married and her
! brothers finished their college course,
/ Margaret Fuller, then 81, accepted an
invitation from Horace Greeley to come
10 New York as literary critic for the
Tribune. Her spirited sketches in
stantly became marked features of the
paper, giving a pronounced impulse to
the uplifting of art literature and life.
In this, her last literary work in Amer
lea, she combined the insight of the
novelist, the analytic spirit of the critic
and the joyous, prophetic fearlessness
of the poet
In twenty months she had earned
enough to indulge her long cherished
plans of studying abroad. In England
and France she was warmly welcomed
by the most distinguished writers and
thinkers, but Rome was her Mecca, and
thither She fastened, quickly making
warm friendships there with Mrs
Jameson, Powers, GreenOugh. the
( BrowningS and the StOrys.
Within the uay+ fOr1r wears WAS com
pressed the greatest development of her
life, with its tragic denoUement- Stray
ing through st. Peters one day she be-
came separated from her friends and
was obliged to accept the escort OF a
young Italian, Angelo, marquis Of Os
sell, WHO courteously conducted her
home The acquaintance thus roman
tic3lly initiated developed into warm
friendship. which speedily terminated
IN marriage. Owing TO RCme's critical
( political condition it was necessary 70
keep secret the fact that the young
Italian noblenan had married an inlpe-
1 cunious Protestant.
Margaret meanwhile, through her
friendship with Mazzini, had thrown
herself heart and soul into the Italian
! struggle. and while OsSOH as captain
7 OF the civic guard was stationed with
MS command on the wall of the vau-
can she nursed the wounded in the mil
l1ary hospital. Her sympathy and care
/ Tor each ones particular taste won for
her the devotion Of the soldiers, who.
as she passed through the wards, raised
themselves on their elbows to get a last
glimpse OF her departing figure Mean
while she was narrowed 60 death oY
threats of desertioa from her haov's
nurse. and she lay awake night after
night trying % devise ways OF passing
! cut from the invested city to quiet the
I Waillng cry that was always IN her
1 ears Her husband, too. during the
: siege OF Rome. was exposed 70 the
+ greatest danger. and, refusing TO leave
+ his post either for food or rest, was de-
i pen1ent upon the provisions winch
/ Margaret could send him.
/ After ten days resistance Rome was
obliged to surrender to the French, ana
! the short-lived republic came 10 an
end. Greatly as Margaret depiOred It's
downfall, she was thankful % luSA
f----- - - '-----.' s-@S4s 70 Ri6L1. where