The Detroit times., 1910-10-17

SoetonD WHICH appeared serious. I'D
to Saturday the aged woman bore her
illness well, and the strongest hopes
were entertained that she would ulti-
mately recover.
Today, however, her vitality weak
ened and she expired at 1880.
Endowed with wonderful brain
that gave US "The battle hymn OF
the republic blessed with hosts OF
loving friends, given a long life Of
vast usefulness. and honored the
world Ger Julia Ward Howe count
ed none OF these her greatest gift, for
In her own words II was when the
foremost philanthropist OF the age
chose me for his wife. when he laid
the great measure of his love at my
feet, and dedicated his heart and his
live to my future"
Julia Ward Howe was born In New
York. May ~, 1919, where her child
hood days were spent In the closest
seclusion. In her later life she refer
red to her father as her jailer, not re-
proachfully, but merely to emphasize
the fact the fondest Of parents may
be the sternest Of disciplinarians. Her
education was unusual for q girl Of
that time. she studied both Latin and
Greek, and before her marriage spoke
French, German and Italian.
II was while Julia Ward was IN
Europe In her twenty. third year that
she met DR.. Samuel Gridley Howe, Of
Boston, who established the frs,
school for the blind. They were mar
ried April IA. 1Si3. Their six chill
dren attained places Of prominence In
the scientific. artistic and literary
world.
Mrs. Howe quickly assumed leader
ship OF Boston's intellectual life and
her home became the center Of tbs
Hub. Men, known to this generation
as landmarks In the nations politi
cal and literary history, Sumner
Seward, Garrison. Longfellow, Elmer
son, we're her friends. "a
For three generations the sgran(
old woman" of America stood fore
most IN the ranks of great and goo'
women. All during the stormy day
Of the fifties Mrs. Howe bAttle|
valiantly for the rights q lhe Nou6lex
ed Neroes, and when th1 war al
roome mr. ixcice and her pen Were ~
rayed upon the side of the slave.
An interesting story n told abOu
the writing OF her greatest poem, tn,
Battle Hymn OF the Republic. :" Wit
friends she had gone to see review
of union troops near Washington. 4
sudden movement OF the enemy mad
the return to Washington q slow ant
difYicult one. To beguile the time
songs, among them. John Brown,
were sung. Someone suggested tina
she should write other words for thu
stirring tune. Early next morning
as she lay in her bed. lines OF thu
poem began to shape themselves, ant
fearing that she would forget them
abe sprang up and wrote them In thu
half light. The poem, written In thu
Willard hotel, was first published II
the Atlantic Monthly.
Following DR.. Howe's death, II
1875, Mrs. Howe devoted herself Il
religion and to literature. She wal
ordained as minister In the Unitar
ian church. and contributed largely
to the literature of the church. Mrs
Howe maintained her interest in the
woman suffrage problem from the
time when she, as one OF the hrst or
ganizers of the movement, gave Il
great impetus, down to the last few
days Of her life.
Among Mrs. Howe's more notet
works are, Passion Flowers,
Word for the Hour" "A trip te
Cuba" THE Worlds own" From
the Oak to the Olive" Sex and Edu
cation" Modern Society" From
Sunset Ridge" "Is Polite Society
Polite? Representative Women Of
New England"
One son and three daughters
Henry M. Howe, Florence Howe Hall
Laura Richards and Maude Howe Ell
lott, survive.