The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-05-04
T.RlsUTETo JEF fER ON LADY
Mrs. Dinsmore Austin Ii MAIDS the Sub.
ject Of . Biographical Sketch in
Register and Leader.

mrs. Di1snore Austin 10 Made the Sub
| jeet Of . eioGr aphical Sketch in
Register and Leader.
Jefferson Bee.) Il
Last Sundays issue of the Register
and Leader attracted universal atten
ton in Jefferson by reason of the ap
lpearance, under the heading ssIowa
Woman Whom all Iowa Delights tc
Honor, of biographical sketch Of
the life and works Of our beloved
townswoman, Mrs, Dinsmore Austin
The article, from the pen of Mrs
Addie Ellington. of Des Moines
was illustrated with views of the
Austin home and of the Jefferson
Carnegie library, in whose building
Mrs. Austin took prominent part
and with excellent likenesses Of Mrs
Austin and OF her adopted daughter
Mrs. w. II. Laub, of Denison.
After reciting some details of the
romantic courtship. by correspon.
|dence, of Mrs. Austin and her late
husband, leading up to their mar
lriage at Rockford, Illinois, in the year
1870. Mrs. Ellington says:
This union resulted in the trans.
planting to broad Iowa prairies
where the grass seemed like waving
sea dotted with many hued flowers
land the sun famed home to the rest
in boundless horizon, OF one whose
nativity sprung from English and
Irish descent and whose childhood
had BEEN spent In Burlington, one
LOT the prettiest of New England
cities. There she had sbeen acus,
toned to the grandeur Of the Green
mountains, and had basked in the
sunlight that glinted and danced
|above the surface Of Lake Champlain;
|until It was finally lost In. that
|lengthened twilight which forms q
lifting prelude for the splendor Of
Essex. and she had begun what she
deemed might be her life work as q
-
teacher. Instead her lot was now, to
be cast in the work Of the church
land the experience which came ia
her are vivid in memory still.
Mrs. Austin says: when was
9 child the preacher and his wife
would often come to our house; some
lone would take care of his horse and
|get it when he wanted to 20
Mother would always get. something
[good to eat. thought preachers
folks had the incest time in the
world. I would go with my mother
to church and see them with their
children dressed up finely, and ali
the people would take so much notice
Of them. thought they were better
than other people. remember
telling my mother that was going
to- marry minister because they
always had such good times and they
didn't have to work like Other
folks.
After went with my husband tc
Hamilton county, Iowa, we at once
settled to housekeeping. Doing my
own work and going with my hus
band every Sabbath to his appoint
ments. soon led me to realize the
fallacy Of my childhood ideas. The
first Sabbath after our marriage was
OF peculiar interests and trial to me
When we entered, all eyes were on
us, and especially on me. MY hus
band seated me and went into the
pulpit. but for one service l think j
had more attention than he did
felt SO at least. The next Sabbath
we were to go to another part OF
the work. The morning appoint.
ment was twelve miles away, SO we
arranged to go down on Saturday.
think never enjoyed anything more
than riding over the prairie, and
wondering how the people would re.
ceive us, and If we should have as
good time as the preachers folks
had who came to my childhood home
Directly we came in sight Of a
little school house and my husband
said, There is where am to preach
tomorrow morning" / asked
Where do we stay over night?'
My husband. pointing to a log house
near, said, THAT is the place." II
was one-story house, with one door
and two half windows in the south
side. When we drove up there was q
rafting Of pans and kettles and
moving of chairs. The good lady
appeared with words Of welcome and
n charf,il 81 1noIk or, l,<,,. q. !. -