The Washington herald., 1908-05-03

revered institutions" OF New England;
John Bigelow and D. 0. Mills. of New
York; Goldwin Smith, Sir Charles Tupper,
and Lord Strathcona, of Canada; Flor
ence Nightingale. Sir John Tenniel sir
Joseph Hooker Lord Lister, and George
Meredith. of England. ex-Empress Eu-
genie, Count Leo Tolstoi. James B. An
gell. Victorien Sardou, and Emperor Fran
els Joseph of Tia-Hungary-these are
some of the more famous links with the
middle decades of the past century. With
the exception of the two last named. all
are either near the eightieth mile stone OF
have left it behind, one OF two having
done so by as much as ten years. The
emperor is seventy-seven, while the
French playwright is a year younger.
Let us see just how these men and
women by their works bind US to me
days Of our gTandsires' power
It was in 1856 that Edward Everett Hale
became pastor OF the South COngrega-
tional Unitarian Church Of Boston. whose
pulpit he has filed ever since. By 1863
when he published anonymously his most
q
try, he had gained fame as one OF New
England's leading divines and public men,
spends Last Days on Farm Home.
Donald G. Mitchell, who is quietly pass
ing his remaining days at his farm home,
Edgewood, within sight of Yale's tow
ers. wrote THE Reverfes of Bachelor
IN 1850. Two years later he produced his
second greatest work. Dream Life" and
he became assistant editor of Harper
when that magazine was founded.
John Bigalow, "the first citizen of New
York in 1S49 assumed joint proprietor
ship Of the New York Evening Post with
William Cullen Bryant From then on
until the outbreak Of the civil war he was
one OF the cOUntry's famous newspaper
editors and publishers.
six years before Bigel0w became a bust
ness associate OF the author Of 'sTbana-
topsis julia Ward Howe, with her bus-
band, began editing the Boston Common
wealth, a little paper which PLAYED an
important part in rousing and formulating
hnti-slavery sentiment in New England
All through the ffties Thomas Wentworth
HlgginsOn devoted his energies to stir
ring up tire North, and particularly New
England, against slavery. He went n
Kansas in the interest of the Enligrant
Aid Society. which had for its object the
populating Of that Territory with emil
grants opposed 10 slavery; he was told
by John Brown Of the raid he intended
making three years before that event
occurred, and he was one OF the f1rst
male exponents IN this country of wron-
ans rights.
As All the world knows. The raanar n,
real glory in the Crimean war. begun in
l64. was Florence Nightingale. who in
tfoduced sanitary nursing methods in the
allied armies, and thus saved thousands
OF lives; and who, after her return from
the front became the promoter OF the
trained nurse movement which has spread
all over the world
Saw Service in Crimean War.
Tolstois first important service was in
the Crtmean war also As an officer ot
artillery he was at the siege Of sebas-
topoL and the three sketches OF the siege
that he wrote at that time. or shortly
after. gave him his first fame as a great
penmaster.' Il was I'm the SOS. also
that Tolstoi took his first trip abroad
became bitterly disappointed with modern
civilization and began TO form the pecul-
lar philosophy which marks him as a
worid-character to-day.
George Meredith, England's present-dav
frst man of letters. whose eighueth ami
versaTy was celebrated in February. pro
duced his first. and what many critics
hold to be his finest novel in 1883 The
same year Adam Bede," George Eliot $
first novel; was pUblished-and its dis
tinguished author has been I'm her grave
these many years. Eight years previously
Meredith had published his first volume
OF verse.
AS a molder Of college youth. James B.
Angel president OF the University OF
Michigan dates back 10 1S49. when he
was assistant librarian of Brown Univer-
sity A year or two later he became
Browns professor OF modern languages
and literature; in 1850 he was editor OF
the Providence Journal, in 1861. president
OF the University Of Vermont going to
his present position four years later.
Timothy Dwight, president of Yale from
1856 10 1889, started his career as a teach
ct of college men two years later than
President Angel He, too. is in his
eightieth year, but is no longer active.