The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-29

in public affairs Interest Jagged and the frail invalid in South Carolina had 10 muster all her optimism. draw on all her mental resources to keep up courage aud continue the fight.
 It was in 1858 that a severe blow fell. A charter had been drawn up for the pur- chase of Mount Vernon by the ladies as- sociation When it was submitted to John Augustine Washington he declined to sign it. All along he had refused to take the work of the women seriously. To his mind, as to the minds of many other men in those days, women could not swing an enterprise of that kind.
 But Miss Cunningham did not falter. She wrote letters daily to women in all parts of the country, cheering them on, expressing her belief that success night come. She went on completing the work or organizing and taking in new vice re- gents. She suffered greatly physically, with nervous attacks, convulsions ana headaches that eXhasted her; but she worked unceasingly.
 On March 19, 1856, she met Edward Ev- erett, and so great was her eloquence that he promised to devote to the cause the proceeds of his lectures for stated pe- riod. As a result of this he turned over to her SG9.064.
 
 the full $20O000 with which to buy, they had more than half of the amount. But MT. Washington's refusal to sell the place encouraged refusals from out siders to contribute money for the pur- chase. There were some who pretended to doubt the sincerity of the South ern Matron" and the association. Despair conquered nearly every woman in the | cause except Ann Cunningham. She went to Mount Vernon, making part of the journey by railroad. although the | motion of the train at that time aggra- vated her suffering. She went down the river in boat, was transferred to row boat in front of the Mount Vernon house, and was carried in a chair into the house There she talked to MT. Washington and his family, but they were obdurate in their refusal.
 Mr. Washington, it seemed, could not take the project of the ladies seriously. Miss Cunningham, weeping and bitterly cast down, told the family goodbye and was carried to the wharf and placed in a | small boat to catch steamer on its way | up the river to Washington. But she was 1 late and had to be taken back to Mount Vernon to spend the night Upon her ar rival in the house once more she col | lapsed utterly and had to be put to bed. | Late in the evening, by the exercise of | her indomitabe will, she recovered sufri- l cently to have herself carried down to the parlor, where she renewed her entreaties | to MT. Washington that he sell Mount | Vernon to the Mount Vernon Ladies' as- sociatiop. But he still refused The next morning, before her departure, she plead ed with him again. lire whole heart was l in her words. Here is her own description | of that last interview with MT. Washing ton:
 "The spirit moved me as never before | never spoke to mortal as I spoke to him | told him the isles of the sea would send their tributes for Mount Vernon; that Inc | would live to see it. though I would not l eve both did, for Havana and the Sand. wich Islands both sent contributions.)
 "When l saw could not shake his res. olution against allowing Virginia to buy Mount Vernon, for he was very indignant at that and considered it would be m ear for Virginia to accept the purchase money I went so far as to point to him the !igh in which coming generations would view his conduct in preventing our tribute tC Washington I told him his descendants would mourn having descended from him That is soon as I saw a draft of the char ter realized that it was not what woult be agreeable to MT. Washington. I IS sured him that I believed all the ladie. felt as I did.
 Unaware I had at last touched tn, | have removed. I now found that he be lieved the whole thing had been arranged between the association and Virginia tC put an indignity on him. l then told hin if he would consent to overcome minoi objections that l would prove to the coun try the position of the association by going before the next legislature and ask ing it to make any change he required
 but he must let the association pay tn, money, and not feel his state or himse were lowered by the act.
 q held out my hand, he put his in mine then with quivering lips, moist eyes, ana heart too full to speak, our compact was closed in silence"
 It was at this time that her suffering. were so acute as to compel her to trave lying prone on an air bed. But still sh, kept to her work In 1857 the charter al lowing the Ladies' Mount Vernon associa ton to take charge of Mount Vernon fo all time was introduced in the virginis legislature in language that met Mir Washinetons wishes. In spite of Am Cunningham's heroic work, it was beaten But in the early part of 1858 the bill grant