The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-01

Injuries and amusements beyond
what the woods and forest afforded
them. but they were a strong and
healthy generation, contented to live
at home, to read the same books
over and over to sew for the fathers
and mothers and servants and use
their simple store Of accomplish
ments for the amusement ana
pleasure Of the home folks.
Mrs. Spencer has always led
such a lift limited, you may
say, but keenly alive to the prospect
Of wider horizons afforded by the
chances and changes of the rolling
years. To quote her again: The
girls of that day We're q vigorous,
healthy, conscientious race. They
did not become ailing women" Such
a life and such training in girlhood
fitted Mrs. Spencer for her career
rs a woman; 10 be married: to be
mother: to make a home for the hus-
band and child; To rear her children
and grandchildren in the nurture and
admonitiOn of the Lord. Early left
widow, with one child, although liv-
ing in the same village with her faith
err and mother and two married
brothers, she still maintained sep
arate home for herself and child.
How carefully she educated her
daughter how she taught her daily
every domestic virtue! how she re-
peated with her all the lessons she had
learned in her own childhood from
her motheri lessons, in cooking, in
needle work, in house keeping, in
decoration as we'll as French, Latin,
and English literaturei What de-
lightful and instructive readings, by
the family freside, through long Win
ter evenings, mother and daughter
alternating, as thy read from Scott
Shakespeare, or other great treas.
uries of instruction and inspiration!
Mrs. Spencer's public work was
mere incident in her life, occasioned
by temporary necessity The tragic
death of great University and the
quired TO bring her forward as a
public actor. Her real life work. to
which she daily gave heart, soul
mind and body, was the work OF a
wife and mother a houSekeeper, a
friend and neighbor, a helper of the
poor, a nurse Of the sick a comfort
er and adviser of the distressed and
unfortunate. ] have seen her fire.
ouently making with her own hands
dresses and underclothes for mother
less negro children, little wretched
waits on the sea of life; l have seen
her frequently cooking for sick or in
firm negroes, and carrying ii herself
to their cabins; / have known her
to visit the depraved and vicious of
her sex and seek to mend their lives
by sympathy, admonition, and prayer.
Nobody was stranger in her charity;
nobody was too humble or too de-
PRAYED for her sympathy and help.
Although herself of very limited
means, she was constant giver of
charity to the poor, of original poems
or dainty needle work or pretty paint
ed souveniers to friends and neigh
borS; of good works and good cheer
to everybody; of hospitality to all
who entered her doors. She is the
woman whose name this building
bears. In answer to the question,
What shall / tell the young ladies
OF the Normal and Industrial College
as a message from you?'' she replied
TELL your young women TO open their
Bibles when they get to Their rooms
and read, mark, and learn by heart
the 14th verse of the 5th chapter of
the Apostles first letter TO Timothy.
And then she added, Don't give ii to
them, make EN- look for it."
So when you return to your rooms.
read it; and you will see in what you
read the keynote TO her life and char!
acter, you will see how and why She
is a typical North Carolina woman
Her life nobly illustrates the virtues
of the past generations Of North Caro-
lima women. May her name upon
this building help to perpetuate those
virtues; may it add strength and en-
ldurance, power and usefulness to b
college dedicated TO the education OF
women.