The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-07

she paused a moment to gather
strength and inspiration for her SER
mon, for sermon it was always from
Frances Willard, though no ceremony
of ordination ever crowned her min
lister.
If she had been a man Miss Willard
would probably have been one of the
greatest and most eloquent ordained
ministers the Methodist church ever
had. Having been born a woman,
however, this could not be. though de-
vout Methodist Frances Willard always
was.
Not being able to work for her church
as preacher. Miss Willard turned to
preach and practice for humanity, and
humanity, especially the woman part of
it. was the gamer. Because of this
broader field in which her powers
found play all the world came to know
of her and her work for temperance,
for moral purity and for woman. And
because of this worldwide renown of
good works the legislature of Illinois
chose Frances Willard for the honor of
reproduction in marble in the national
capitol. Each state is permitted to
place there the statues of two of its
greatest and noblest citizens.
So that it really marks an era in wo-
mans progress when the state Of Illi-
zen for one of the two.
Born into the priestly castel" was
my Involuntary exclamation when
saw the model of the Willard statue in
the studio of the sculptor. Miss Helen
Mears. in New York. Priest and
preacher all over was Frances VIII
lard, and the statue speaks it. 1t is
true to the life, even to the hair wav-
ing naturally around the noble head,
n WI oh fo
model it the sculptor found almost clas-
sicaliy correct according to arts can
ons. The very tenderness, the yearning
love for the race. mingled at the same
time with the full Consciousness of her
own lofty mission. are all marvelously
reproduced in the head, the face the
attitude of the statue of Frances Will
lard.
Nobody but a woman could have
done it" exclaimed Anna Gordon, the
secretary and years long friend of
Frances Willard.
And perhaps nobody but a woman
could At any rate, Miss NIears seems
to have read intuitiveIy the soul of
Frances Willard and reproduced it's
delicate. real expression as it peeped
through the mask of flesh. The face
of Frances Willard was delicate as
well as strong. The gifted sculptor
who has achieved this success is Miss
Helen Farnsworth Mears, born and
bred in Oshkosh. Wis.
So far as she has yet climbed the road
of achievement Miss sMears has been
able to succeed in her aims without so
much of the struggle and heart sad
cening disappointment as most artists
endure. and it is pleasant to write it.
AS far back as she can remember she
knew she was going to be sculptor,
also that she was some day going to
Europe These were her two aspira-
lions. AS far back as she can remem-
Der, too. she modelled. at first from the
common clay that lay all around, mud
pies, mud pie plates and finally mud
heads. Her father, seeing true talent
for sculpture in these specimens of
child work, sent for some modelling wax,
and thus Nellie's artistic career began.
She had no instruction beyond such
drawing lessons as the Oshkosh Nor
NAL college could give, and that did not
help her much She simply worked on
alone in her own way. following her
own ideas and ideals. The progress she
made was remarkable. considering
there was not one fine group Of statu-
airy to look at in the town and no scuIp-
tured marble Of a higher order than