The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-20

| boldly taking her stand before the world
to plead for principles to the defense OF
which she had resolved TO devote the re-
mainder OF her years.
Ii has been stated that she made no pre-
vious preparations; she made one. This
was in prayer and meditation, for she con-
sidered herself divinely called to the work.
her vocation divinely chosen for her, and
its sacred responsibility placed in her pass
i've hands. Technically unframed in ora
tory and in rhetoric, she at once developed
the most marvellous powers in both. Her
language was as fervent. as finished and
mastery as though she had devoted years
10 the study OF composition, ana her de-
livery was impressive, powerful ana en-
thralling. She had an imposing presence.
While not a handsome woman. her rugged
features possessed peculiar strength and
were lighted by keen intelligence and ten
der sympathy. Her voice had both power
and sweetness, and when she rose voice
and presence commanded and held the
attention of her audience at will. She was
a prophet with honor in her own country,
for she is there revered as a mother In
Israel. Her influence, however. has been
confined to no locality. She was enthusi-
astically received and welcomed in con-
sentative Boston, where the severest tests
were applied to her speeches. both as 10
matter and delivery. In the South every
where. though from the North. she was
hailed with ovations; and in the West there
were no words too extravagant 10 DE Ut
tered in her praise.
She had an eminently logical mind, and
while possessed Of an idea. while inspired
in the cause of a deeply cherished reform,
she argued and convinced, as well as moved
by appeals and touched by entreaties.
The secret of her power lay in her person
al character. There was the wellspring or
all her courage and enthusiasm, and Its
controlling motive was an intense desire
TO rescue the perishing Ito comfort and
help the weak-hearted, and to raise up
those who fall"
This she did, stretching out her strong
hand, guiding with her clear mind, and
inspiring with a soul that possessed the
zeal Of the saints and the courage of the
martyrs.
THE FIRST PRESIDENT.
In 1874, when the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union of this State was or
gained, she became its first president. She
continued in this capacity for three years,
when, on account of i'll health. she re-
signed. Her health improved in 1879. and she
again became president of the organiza-
ton, and remained in that office till 1883.
she was like a mother to her associates
said one then connected with the society.
She became the great lecturer after her
first work as an officer of the w. G. L. u.
she was well posted and was a great
reader, says a woman associated with her
then. She never thought of such a thing
as sitting down to prepare a lecture. She
became one of the lecturers in the national
lecture bureau on suffrage AS a delegate
TO conventions called in the name of tenn
perance and that more potent name, polti,
II Cdl IttuDIH WIS. w dlidCt IDS
large audiences in Boston. Saratoga, st.
Louis, Detroit, Washington, Chicago and
many other places. Her speeches were
characterized by a profound knowledge OF
the history, by great force, clear, logical
statement and by a serious earnestness
that commanded the respect of the most
skeptical.
Mrs. Wallace continued in this work of
public speaking until about ten years ago.
While in Illinois she was taken Ill. Her
children and grandchildren begged her not
TO go out travelling and speaking again,
but after she became better she went out
for a number of lectures Considering that
she was then nearly SeVenty-hVe II seemed
a remarkable thing for her to keep up her
work. She had no sign of age in her voice,
however, and with her youthful heart,
strength of mind and will and love for her
of her as old. Her voice never wavered,
and her step was as firm and as light as
that of many women half her age. The
secret of her power lay in her personal
character. This character developed in the
training by her mother, her life with her
father, her life as the wife of a public man
and her true Christian spirit. She filled "a
well-rounded life in her nome, her church
and for the double cause of suffrage and
temperance. for which she worked.
For years Mrs. Wallace supplied the
place of mother TO four grandchildren
James Nj. and Wallace Leathers. Zerelda
feathers, Grover and Marie feathers
Clevenger. General Lew Wallace, who gar
nished the famous romance "Ben-Hur'
with one of the most wonderful xamples
| VI IlOlutl lONC III L u NOAAlNScN0
tina. he drew it from her. whom he never
called ''stepmother." but mother.
Since her illness ten years ago Mrs. Wal
lace has spent most OF her time with her
daughter Agnes, Mrs. John Steiner. at
Cataract, a fine country place and stock
farm in owen county,. north of Spencer.
been physically very feeble for the last
two or three years. but her mental powers
retained all their strength to the last. She
kept in touch with all public affairs and
with the newest thought, and on her oc-
casional visits 10 indianapolis her friends
found her society as entertaining and
Mrs. Wallace was a sister of Mrs. Rich
ard Calling, wife of the famous gun in
%ventor; a sister of the late Mrs Robert B..
Duncan, and a sister or the late Mrs.
David S. Beatty. Her only living children
are Mrs. Steiner, of Cataract, and Mr..
David Wallace, of indianapolis. BY her
own family and by marriage Mrs. Wallace
was connected with many of the older
families of the city.
GEN. WALLACE'S TRIBUTE.
OF Mrs. Wallace her stepson, General
Lew Wallace, said:
'She was q woman of religious ideas.
attendance at church. She would take
no excuse. Once, at least. on Sundays,
we had to go. Her intellectual growth
was continuous. She was herself a
reader. There was a custom at my faith
er's house which probably furnished her
more pleasure than the intellectual wom-
oil VI O-hll 4 LlOAi A11ldl1o aDAA
receptions. Every evening. especially in
the winter, when the lamps were lighted
and the big wood fire was renewed. my
father would get out a book, and, with the
family around him, would read to us.
He had a clear, musical voice, a keen
appreciation of the fine points in what he
read, whether prose or poetry. He read
everything-sermons, speeches. history, now
els, poetry. OF those who sat as auditors,
L can see my mother Il have long ceased
to think of her as Stepmother) as she sat
on the opposite side of the table from the
reader. She usually had in her hands some
bit of work-she would be knitting, darn
ing or repairing some garment. l can see
hat this was not only education for the
children, but for her.
1.-The popularity of her platform life
was an entire absence of personal ambi-
ton. She seemed TO be governed entirely
by the sentiments of humanity. She loved
her kind. She loved the poor and unfor-
tunate, especially those who were addicted
to the intemperance of strong drink. There
never was a time when she would not have
gone to the rescue of a man drunk and in
the ditch"
Frances T.. Willard, i'm her book, 'Wom-
en- and Temperance" paid high tribute to
Mrs. Wallace and her work, saying in part
"Well would il be if all the generous
hearted and liberal-minded women who
in this astonishing age lead the van in
working out the deliverance of their sex
from traditional hindrances 10 the best de-
velopment, could sum up their views in
words like those of Mrs. Wallace: