The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
SUSAN RARNER.
A West Poipter's Recoilections Of the
Author Of 'sThe Wide, Wide world"

A West Pointers Rec0llectfo1s OF the
Author or .'The Wide. Wide World"
Constitution Island. which Mrs. Russell
Sage and Miss Anna Warner have pre-
sented to the United States for the use
Of the Military Academy, has a peculiar
interest to the cadets who were at West
Point In the '7os and $685. said an ofioeI
whose four years stay there was within
that period. "We were then but q genera
ton away from the readers OF The Wide
Wide World
AThe book was published as thef worn
Of Elizabeth Wetherell.' Many q cadet
after he was settled at the Point received
q letter from his mother telling him this
and adding that Elizabeth Wethereli
was really Miss Susan Warner, who lived
on Constitution Island. and urging him
TO meet her and write back home how
she looked and all about her.
This acquaintance, sought usually
to crafty the maternal curiosity. resulted
for most of us in a unique friendship, q
friendship that was n Of the best IN.
~luences that the cadets Of that time had
in their lives. She was intensely in
terested in the boys. and both she n her
sister. Miss Anna Warner. enjoyed having
them as visitors. Both ladies were very
religious, though they did not overlook
the boy side Of their proteges.
THE visits to Constitution Island were
regarded as q great privilege, for m only
did they make a break in the severe rou-
tine Of the daily life but they enabled the
boys to roam further afield than was
possible at the Academy, where the re-
striotions Of the cadet limits were pretty
irksome to boys accustomed to free
run Of the town or country. so the
privilege of going to Constitution Island
as one OF Miss Warmers boys was eagerly
sought and highly priced.
Every Sunday afternoon during the
summer encampment the sisters would
send their elderly man Of all work after
the favored ones. He pulled the old hat
bottomed boat across the river to the
West Point dock, where the boys with the
coveted permits YER waiting for him.
Usually the trip back was accompanied
with moro or less excitement, for the boat
was always loaded to the last inch OF Its
carrying capacity.
Miss Warner awaited her guests In the
orchard. She always sat In the same
big chair supported by many cushions
She was a frail little with a long
face deeply lined with thought and care.
lighted with large dark. very brilliant
eyes.
-As she sat in her chair with the boys In
o semi-oircle around her on the grass
she looked like a print from Godey's
Lady's Book Of half century before.
She always wore silk dresses OF q small
lowered pattern. made with voluminous
skirts OF wonderful stiffness and rustic.
and small close fitting bodioes. A rich
Paisley shawl was always around her
shoulders, and a broad black velvet rib
bon was bound around her hair. which
was only slightly gray.
after each OF the boys had read a
Bible verse Miss Warner. choosing her sub
iect from some New Testament text. talked
to them for perhaps half an hour, until
her enthusiasm and interest had obviously
almost exhausted her small strength.
Her English was the best and purest !
have ever heard, and as she went on and
her interest grew her eyes shone like
stars and her voice became, rich and
warm. There was never any a n or SEQ
tarianism. and she always gave to the
boys the brightest and most optimistic
side OF the faith she loved 80 well.
when she had finished and lay back
pale and weary against her cushions
her sister, Miss Anna, came down from
the house with the rare treat OF the whole
week, tea and home made gingerbread.
After that the two sisters and the boys
talked over the things Of the world that
seemed so far from that peaceful quiet
orchard. The boys oonfded their aims
and ambitions. and the sisters In the
simplest. most transformations way sought
TO implant right ideals and principles.
miss Warner never forgot any Of her
boys, and up TO the time Of her death
kept up a correspondence with many OF
them. This correspondence must have
been voluminous, for it embraced men
in every branch Of the service. and in
cluded alike distinguished officers and
cadets who had failed.
an view Of the interest she had taken
in the cadets and the number OF years
she had kept In touch with them. there is
pathos In the last letter i ever received
from her, which was written shortly be-
fore her death.
al no longer have the strength to cross
the river to meet the boys she wrote.
and the superintendent we now have
will not allow them to come to me, 90
my usefulness with them seems to be at