The age-herald., 1901-05-01
WoMlAANNc ANcrzrv
Two Distinguishes Women.

Mrs l.. M Stevens. president of the National womans christrian Temperance Union. arrived in Birmingham yesterday and is at the Florence. In the afternoon Mrs Stevens was the guest of honor at a reception at Mrs. James Bowron, which was arranged by the local W. c. T. U.. the occasion being a most delightful one Miss Gordon the vice president of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. was expected to visit Birmingham with Mrs. Stevens, they are travelling through the South together. Miss Cor don was unfortunately prevented from coming, having been summoned from St. Augustine on Sunday to Boston, where her mother lies periously i'll. Miss Cor don was to have addressed the women invited to meet her and Mrs. Stevens yes terday and the latter who was gracefully introduced by Mrs. c. B. Spencer read the paper prepared by Miss Gordon in which she recalls her "reminiscences of Lady Henry somerset's famous home near London.
 | Mrs. Stevens will deliver an address at the First Methodist church Thursday evening on temperance, and Birmingham will have an opportunity of hearing this | renowned woman.
 | Mrs. Stevens and Miss Gordon are wo- men of remarkable force. Mrs. Stevens was born in Dover. Me. and after per fecting her education became a school teacher like many of our great leaders. 1 At H she married MT. M. Stevens of Stroudwater, a beautiful suburb of Port land. Her husband is in full accord with 1 her principles and life work. and her I daughter. Mrs. Gertrude Stevens Leavitt. is en ardent white ribboner and one of the state superintendents in the Maine woman's Christian Temperance Union. of which her mother is president. Mrs. Olive Hanson, her sister-in-law. who is also with her husband, a member of Mrs. Stevens home. Is likewise devoted to the interest of the W. c. T. II. and together they care for many homeless children. Within the last seventeen years nineteen children have at different times had home in Mrs. Stevens house.
 The first meeting of Frances E. Willard and Mrs. L. M. Sevens took place at Old Orchard, Me, in the summer of 1875. when the State W. c. T. U. was organized and Mrs. Stevens elected treasurer.
 Three years later she was made presi- dent, and has held the position twenty three years, and the membership of that union In proportion to the population .s very large-one white ribboner to every 163 and a fraction of the population of Maine.
 General Neal Dow was a warm friend of Mrs. Stevens, and when the well-fought k1a oP for tota ton Mrs. Stevens won for herself fame as an organizer and agitator hardly sec ond to Neal Dow himself Some of the triumphs of the Maine W. c. T. U. un- der her leadership have been the school suffrage law, raising the age of protec- ton to 16 years, strong scientific tenn perance instruction law, which Is well enforced, and the constitutional amend ment which placed prohibition in the | State constitution. Mrs. Stevens was one l of the chief promoters of the Industrial
 School for Girls, and 1t was through her
 efforts that a woman superintendent was
 appointed for the school. She was Maine's choice for the board of lady managers in l the Worlds Columbian Exposition, and | she was for six years treasurer of 'the | National Council of Women. Her great personal popularity has enabled the Maine W. c. T. U. to have fine head quarters, and men gave money for 1t be- cause they declared they were glad to show their appreciation of Mrs. Stevens as philanthropist and a woman
 The courage of Mrs. Stevens was never more clearly apparent than in this latter work, for she did not hesitate to strike blow at one long held in official esteem, assured that 1t was in the interest of purity and morality. "As sweet and wholesome as her own piney woods was Miss Willard's descriptive phrase of the woman who succeeds herself as president of the National w. c. T. U. While in attendance on the convention of the Geor- gia W. c. T. U. Mrs. Stevens and Miss | Anna Gordon, vice president at large, will be the guests of Mrs. J. w. High tower. of Barnesville, Ga On the 17th, 18th and 18th the convention will be fh session, and on the Fist Mrs. Stevens will | speak in Jacksonville, Fla, and will then | go to De Land to the State Convention of the Florida w. c. T. U.