East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-03-21
AN ILLUSTRIOUS WOMAN.

Illustrious among the names of wo-
men is that of Harriet Martineau,
journalist, politician economist and
translator of the positive Philoso-
ply" Few men have ever surpassed
her in intellectual power, and among
women it would be difficult to find
her mental superior
Harriet Martineau was born at Nor
wich, England, June 12, 1902. Her
parents were of Huguenot stock, and
at the time of Harriet's birth were
well-to-do wooden manufacturers. Mr.,
Martineau was ever busy with his
work at the mills and Mrs. Marti-
neap was equally busy with keeping
her house in order, so that while
they were most excellent people they
did not seem to be able to find the
time to love their children as much
as they ought.
At very early age Harriet became
introspective-a very unnatural and
unfortunate condition for a little girl
to be in--and, having no world of af-
fection and romance to romp in, she
turned to the world of books and
NIllnhlnS.
In this way her intellect was devel
oped at the expense of her heart, and
the divine sentiment of the soul was
forced to wait upon logic and phi
losophy. 1t was a case of Apollo in
the service of Admetus, or of Prospero
in bondage to Caliban
But Harriet Martineau's heart was
hard to kill. She was by nature a
person of large sentmentality and
profound sympathy, and in her twen-
tieth year she found herself in love.
She spoke several languages; she
was deeply read in history, art, sci
ence and philosophy; the force of her
intellect was acknowledged by all
but in her heart was the voice that
these things failed to fill.
! She loved-and loved in vain-her
parents refusing to permit the atten-
tions of the one upon whom she had
set her affection. BY and by the
young man died, and Harriet never
loved again.
Them it was that the brilliant young
woman, since she was not permitted
to love. resolved that she would make
it up in thinking--in thinking more
steadily and deeply than ever be-
fore. Since the world of her heart
had been blasted, she would turn
more resolutely than ever, to the
world of the intellect.
The result came in the shape of the
writings which We're powerful in their
time, and are still influencing the
| thoughts of men.
For the London Daily News Miss
Martineau wrote hundreds of edito.
rials which made the denizens of the
great capital think as they had never
been made to think before.
In her stories of political economy
she told the truths which set all the
kings of Europe and their henchmer
a-swearing. The great white Car
got so mad that he issued an order
for the obstruction of all the books
of Harriet Matineau found in Russia
These stories of political economy
circulating by hundreds of thousand:
did a great deal toward pre-
pairing Europe for the advance tha
is coming to it in these days, and tn,
cause of humanity was at the same
| Allllt nllS lAliS dSSlSltu ny lIt Illdill
able and inspiring articles that Mis-
Martineau wrote for the various mag
aznies.
But Harriet Martineaus creates
work was her translation of August,
Complies positive Philosophy" B.
that she is best known, and by tina
she established her surest guarante,
to fame.
The translator-we may almost sa.
the recreator-of the positive Phi
losophy' is sure of a literary immor
tality. While the history of phi
losophy lives, along with 1t will liv
the fair name of Harriet Martineau.-
Rev T. B. Gregory in the San Fran
cisco Examiner.