The National tribune., 1910-10-27

as she always did. She awoke in the
| gray of the morning, and as she lay
there watching the breaking of the day
the words of the wonderful hymn be-
gan to twine themselves in her mind.
| She thought 1t all out in those brief
moments, and then said to herself that
| she must get up and write the verses
down or she would fall TO sleep again
and forget them She Immediately
sprang out of bed, and in the dim
morning light, with an old stump of u
| pen, scrawled the verses almost without
| looking at the paper. She relates that
after completing the writing she crept
back into bed and fell asleep. thinking:
Il like this better than most things that
| l have written"
One can easily see by examining the
fac-simile that it was written exactly as
Mrs. Howe has related, for it was
scrawled diaSonally on the paper, and
| it is also remarkable to note that in the
corrected copy she changed but four
words. 1t was written on Sanitary Com
mission paper in March, 1851. The ex-
act day IS not known. She sent the
poem to the Atlantic Monthly, in which
it was printed and somewhat praised,
but small heed was taken of it. Chap
lain McCabe, the singing parsOn. is said
to have made the poem famous by
singing ii in Libbey Prison. 1t was then
the great battle hymn of the Union.
John McElroy, Little Illinoy," of An
dersonville, helped to cheer the dying
by reciting and singing il while in
prison.
Mrs. Howe always took the intensest
pleasure in hearing this poem recited
or sung, and was proud of having been
its author. Indeed. Mrs. Howe was al
most childlike in her love of approba-
ton, not for vanity, but just because
from her very childhood she wanted to
do the things that interested people.
made them think, and thus made them
better, and she knew that in her Bat
tie Hymn Of the Republic" was en-
bodied the soul of the Union, and that
its sentiment was uplifting. and that
one who loved it we'll enough to sing it
must feel that it made for good citizen
ship.
1t was while she was in Washington
at this time that Mrs. Howe, nearly
frightened to death. made her first real
troops OF the 1st Mass. H. A, but she
has made thousands of speeches since,
and no one who ever sat within the
sound of her voice but that felt the
influence of her wonderful intellect and
her sweet soul.
In summing up her long life of ac-
tiyity Mrs. Howe gave utterance to the
of life. She says that once some news
paper woman who wished to say some
thing about her wrote to her, 'I wish
to hear not of your literary work, but
of your social successes" and Mrs.
Howe says: Il could not at the time
remember that had had any. and so
did not respond to her request"
But, let us ask, what are social sue
ceases? A climb from obscurity to pub
lie notice? An abiding place on the
stage of fashionable life? A wardrobe /
that newspaper correspondents may re- |
port? Fine equipages. furniture and
These things have had
small part in my thoughts.
"As l take account of my long life, I |
become we'll aware of its failures. What |
may l chronicle as its successes? 1t was
a great distinction for me when the |
foremost philanthropist Of the age |
chose me for his wife. 1t was 4 great |
success for me when, having been born |
and bred in New York City, I found
myself able to enter into the intellectual I
life of Boston, and to appreciate the
high thinking of it's choice spirits. | |
nave sat at the feet of the masters of |
literature, art and science, and have
been graciously admitted into their fell
Iowship. 1 have been the chosen poet
Of several high festivals. to wit the
celebration Of Bryant's Goth birthday
the commemoration Of the centenary of
mis- birth and the unvailing of The statue
Of Columbus. in Central Park, New
Y ork, in the Columbian year, so called.
have been the founder OF a club of
'oung girls which has exercised a salu-
ary influence upon the growing wo-
of my adopted city, and has
Won for itself an honorable place in
he community, serving also as model
or similar associations in other cities
have been for many years the Presi-
lent of the New England Woman's Club
md of the Association for the Advance
nent of Women. 1 have been heard
It the great Prison Congress in Eng
and. at Mrs. Buffers Convention de ]
1oralite Publique in Geneva, Switzer-
and, and at more than one convention ,
n Paris. I have been welcomed in /
'aneuil Hall, when 1 have stood there
o rehearse the merits of public men,
nd later to plead the cause of op
'ressed Greece and murdered ArmeuY