The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-15
PERSONAL SKETCH OF
MISS SUSAN B. ANTHONY
Brooklyn Eagle.


Miss Susan B. Anthony is an unusual ex-
ample of the power of heredity. Many OF
the seeming contradictions in her tempera-
ment and character are traits that can be
traced back through generations of Quaker
and Puritan ancestors. When such strong
and dissimilar characteristics finally unite
in one descendant the world is likely to see
and hear something quite out of the COM
mon style.
Strangers meeting Miss Anthony for the
first time, particularly if at her modest
little home in Rochester, are a source of
amusement to the observer who knows her
well. Her home friends are often impor-
tuned by guest: do take me to call on
the famous Susan Il. Anthony. / am SO curl
Gus TO see such remarkable woman" If
quite sure that curiosity does not mean
ill-mannered desire to ridicule, that respect,
IL not sympathy, is the true feeling OF the
visitor, the request is made to Miss An
thony and generally granted.
The gracious gentle woman who meets her
guests with a warm grasp of the hand and
cordial smile is so unlike preconceived no.
tions of a woman s-rights- political equality
agitator" that IL takes all the training of a
woman of the world to recover from her
surprise, and many are extremely embar-
raised, so different is she from the picture
their imagination had painted.
Her lovely house dress of soft silk or fin
est wool with its dainty white trimming;
the more elegant evening gown of heavy
satin or glossy velvet and rare old point
lace is far from being the traditional cos
and the visitor rallies her conversational
powers with distinct effort.
The Rochester woman was right; Miss
Anthony acknowledges with earnest feeling
the qualities of mind and heart for which
her ancestors were justly distinguished, and
THE tree is we'll worth a short inspection
Across its wide trunk is written the name
OF one Sir Brianus de Rede, who fought and
fourished according to the best ideas of the
period. Half way up one finds big branch
called Daniel Northumberland from
''de Rede" When the shot fired at Lexing-
ton was heard. round the world" this
Daniel left his farm fields and his young
bride and rushed to the defense of his coan-
try, true descendant of warrior ancestors
that he was. Fortunately for present his
| tory, he was as lucky as brave, and sur
vived the long, weary war. The bride man.
| aged the farm successfully, and he returned
| home to enter the Legislature Of his State
| and live in comfort, If not affiuence. They
very pretty, a belle among the lads and
| lassies, fond of all merry making and
| dances. She attended the private school,
kept in a little house on one corner of
wealthy neighbours estate. That neighbor
| was Humphrey Anthony, whose big farms
| were just opposite old Greylock, on the
bank of the Hoosic river, about two miles
| from the village of Adams. One of his
| sons had been for several years away at
school in Duchess county, n. Y, where the
| famous Quaker academy, the Nine Part
| ners" was situated. The Anthonys for gen.
! erations, had been strong, devoted Quakers
| and had always married maldenS of the
| same faith. This son Daniel was not the
| money maker that his father had been,
| he loved books better, and came home to
| teach in the little schoolhouse. until he
| should develop more of business taste and
| ability. The pupils were all children of
neighbors and friends, and he had known
Lucy as a child, but the maiden was a
/ new proposition. The inevitable result fol-
lowed. Vehement protests from Quaker
/ and Baptist relatives; sad quarrels and
| long discussion about religion, delightful
| ''makeups," general concessions on all
sides and the marriage in 1917. Their
| daughter, Susan b. Anthony, is the nat
/ ural magnificent result of a rare union
| of strong, contrasting peculiarities, brought
| down through ten generations of increas-
| ing opportunities for development With
| such exceptional endowment she grew TO
womanhood at a time when great events,
| crowding fast upon each other in the
history of her land fostered each strong
| instinct. and forced the talent for general
| ship. as necessity so often creates the
great leader. And that she certainly has
! been.
student at ten years of age; a school
| teacher at fifteen; enthusiastic and per-
suasive as a Daughter of Temperance
at twenty; the powerful friend of the fugi-
| tive slave thirty, and for over hall a
| century the organizer and head of the
| woman's suffrage movement.