The National tribune., 1910-10-27
JULIA WARD HOWE DEAD.

| JULIA WARD HOWE DEAD.
Almost a Century In One Life and q
Leader In Every Advanced Cause fol
| Women and the Right.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the
coming of the Lord;
| He is trampling out the vintage where
| the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning OF
his terrible swift sword
His day is marching on"
| The hand that penned this great war
cry of the Republic so years ago lack
ing one is now folded over pulseless
heart whose every beat from girlhood
to sweetly ripened old age kept time to
the march of right and justice and the
music of the Union
Julia Ward Howe rightly deserves
the title of Americas Grand Old Wo-
man" She was born 81 years ago May
q, 1919, in a beautiful home near the
Battery in New York City That Sec
ton was then known as Bowling Green,
and only those who bore the guinea s
stamp" or belonged to the aristocratic
ranks of society lived in that particular
neighborhoOd. Her favorite resort in
childhood was the Battery, where the
flagstaff used in the Revolution was
still to be seen, and around which she
and her childhood companions romped
and played many Summers day
Julia Ward was chubby, round
faced, cherubic child, daughter of a
wonderfully beautiful mother. She
came of French Huegunot stock on her
mothers side, who was a grandniece to
Gen. Francis Marion, and on the other
side from John De Mesmekir, of Hol-
land. From her earliest childhood Ju-
l,>..- IL
years. She says in her "Reminiscences'
that she was nine years old at the time
she started to school. and somewhat
precocious for my age and endowed
with good memory. This fact may
have led to my being at once placed in
class of girls much older than myself,
especially occupied in the study of Pa
ley's Moral Philosophy" Imagine a
child of nine years of to-day being set
to work on mental food of that solidity
Mr. Howe records that she manag ged
to commit many pages of the book to
memory, but was much more interested
in the study of chemistry. She says
that the system of education followed
at that time consisted largely of MEM
orizing from the text books then in use
Shortly after this she enjoyed a course
of lectures on history, made quite a
brilliant beginning in geometery, and
took up the study of languages, which
was very congenial to her. She states
that she had been accustomed to speak
French from her earliest years, and be-
fore she was 10 began the study of
Latin and afterwards of Italian and
German. gtl- 80
Mrs. Howe records that at the early
age of seven she was taken to the Ital-
ian opera during the brief visit of Gar
cia and his troupe, which brought the
best works of Rossini before the pub
lie, and she saw and heard Malibran
and other great artists She was thoro-
ly grounded in music, and when under
II had the deepest appreciation of the
great composers, Beethoven, Handel and
Mozart Her voice was also magnifi-
Gently trained. Truly she had the right
to say without egotism that she was
somewhat precociouS for her age" A
child of to-day with half that knowI-
edge would be an unbearable, pedantic
little prig, always on exhibition.
When we remember what a splendid
woman Julia Ward Howe was the mind
must turn with inquiring interest to the
Of her childhood. She
was early motherless. Her rich father
was deeply religious. He hated the dis
sipations of fashionable society. altho
he was a large entertainer of men and
women of culture, refinement and edu-
cation, and he determined that his chill
dren should know nothing of the dissi-
pations Of the ultra fashionable Wine
was excluded from his table. When he
found that his boys were smoking, he
who had always smoked Immediately
said to them. Boys, you must give this
up and | will give it up, too" and he
stopped smoking. Mrs. Howe adds
in her "reminiscences: 'I am
afraid that this sacrifice on my fathers
part did not have the desired effect, but
a 6rts hot
of his commands to his
sons"
Little Miss Ward. with all her money
and her talent, was as demure and
Quakeriike as any nun in her love sur
rounded home. She was not permitted
ike children Of the present day, to
attend dinners, balls, parties. go to the
heater, moving picture shows and in
lulge in all sorts of Notwithstanding
1issipations, but all her outings were
confined to the family circle functions
of the simplest character. While she
vent TO school she never attended dane !
ng school, as dancing master gave
her lessons at home. She was not per-
nitteh to play cards, but to any of the
sentler pastimes which might be found
Ylthln the environs of her home and
he home grounds she was given free
ange. She could not have learned so
nuch about housekeeping or had many
domestic qualities inborn, as she refers !
n her "reminiscences to an Uncle John, |
Who very often sent her and her sisters !
material for dresses, insisting at the !
anne time that the young la
lies make these themselves. Mrs |
lowe says that they managed !
o do it. but had great deal |
# help from the family seamstress." |
She says that after she had published !
Ter first literary adventure her Uncle |
|ohn proudly showed her a compli-
nentary notice of it, and told her how
proud he was of her and her literary
but I wish that she knew
more about housekeeping" and Mrs.
lowe adds: "A sentiment which in after
ears j had occasion to echo with fer
or" Mrs. Howe records that she left
chool at the age Of 16. and thereafter
began to study in good earnest" To-
lay the young lady OF 1G years leaves
chool and considers her education end
ID. She lost her father when she was
% years OF age. and that was almost
he first shadow on her life, as her
mother had gone away when she was
10 young.