The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24
MRS. c. y. SPENCER.

of the s.neluS sana in corpOre SanO,"
would name Mrs. Cornelia Phillips
Spencer.
My acquaintance with Mrs. Spencer
began in August, 1876 when L moved
TO Chapel Hill as a young bride.
Mrs. Spencer was my nearest neigh
Dor, and my own house had been her
fathers residence for over u third Of
a century. She had spent most of her
life up to that time in the house where
1 began my married life; and she was
greatly attached to the house, the yard,
the noble oak trees, the old garden,
with its quaint fig trees and old fash
ioned flowers and shrubs. So, chance
threw me near Mrs. Spencer; and 1t
was my greatest pleasure to be with
her, to hear her delightful conversation
her brilliant wit, her quick humor, her
rare and varied "reminiscences OF peo-
pie and events, her wise views of life
her pointed and sane criticisms OF
everybody and everything worth crit
icising and her minute knowledge even
of the humblesJ people and things in
our little community. Mrs. Spencer's S
life was an open book, She always
said what she thought, and she had
some thoughts about everything with
in her horizon. l was not long in
concluding, and / have not since
changed the conclusion that Mrs.
able persons l have ever met.
Physically Miss Spencer is large,
strong and handsome, much above the
usual size. with an imposing figure and
presence. Her features, too, like her
body, are strong and striking; large
lustrous eyes, full broad massive brow,
firm, well-cut chin and nose to Ma
poleon's taste Her head and features
are masculine, but they do not appear
SO, for a woman's feeling gives a warm
glow and a sunny sweetness to her
face.
Mentally Miss Spencer combines the
intellect of a man with the intuition
OF woman. She can reason out the
most intricate and difficult problems
and she can also jump, and jump COR
rectly. at conclusions.
When Governor Vance was asked if
Mrs. Spencer was not the smartest
woman in North Carolina. Yes"
said he land the smartest man, too"
Mrs. Spencer'S great intellectual pow
er was case of inheritance. She and
her two brothers, Charles Phillips and
Samuel F. Phillips, possessed unusual
ly strong, active and fertile brains, very
similar in character, and inherited
from parents vigorous, sane, active
and intellectual. Their father was an
Englishman, who might have repre-
sented the English race, and who for
this reason was called John Bull'' by
the students of the University. Their
mother was an American of Dutch
descent; very strong in character, in
dustrious domestic, we'll educated and
literary. The three children were
reared in the strictest school of do
mestic discipline, religious discipline
educational discipline. Each grew up
in Chapel Hill, country village, and
each became here a great force of
manhood or womaanhoood, capable OF
doing good service to humanity any
where on the globe. Charles Phil
lips WAS for forty years professor in
the University, probably the most in
tellectual professor ever there; Sam
uel Phillips was the leading legal ad-
V.ser as Solicitor General of the
United States. of the National govern
ment for twelve years, under three diff
ferent administrations. Cornelia Phil
lips has surpassed both her brothers
in length of years, length of service,
and variety and verSatlllty ana Drill
liancy of service.
Lack of space forbids my dwelling
fully upon Mrs. Spencer's services TO
North Carolina. These were political
educational, religious and literary. She
was Democrat, believing very thor
oughly in the people of North Caro-
lima and their right and their capacity
10 govern themselves. Sfle QoSplSeu
the carpet bagger. Her Last Ninety
Days of the War is vivid and strong
picture of those awful times.
Educationally Mrs. Spencer perhaps
contributed more than any other per-
son to the revival of the University in
1873, after it's overthrow by the car
pet baggers. She wrote and spoke and
prayed increasingly for the overthrow
OF the foul gang that were polluting
the University halls and the restora-
tion of the University to its own. Her
labors, her prayers were answered.
She lived to see the day of triumph,
to decorate the college chape! with glad
garlands and to write the hymn of re-
joicing that was sung at the re-open-
ing exercises. Mrs. Spencer was al
ways an ardent and active friend and
supporter of education; in public
schools, in academies, in Sunday
schools, in colleges, and especially in
the University.
In religion Mrs. Spencer is a true
blue, staunch Presbyterian. but she