The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-30
NOTED WOMAN
AUTHOR DEAD
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
Passes Away
AT HER HOME IN NEWTON
Was One of Notable Number of New
England Authors-Had Written
Many Books, Best Known
Being "Gates Ajar."
AT HER HOME IN NEWTON

Boston. Jan. 30. Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps Ward, one of the best known
figures in literary America, died ut her
home in Newton Center early yester.
day morning. Not only will her death
be a severe shock to those who were
privileged to come into eantaet with
her charming personality, but il will
be blow to the thousands who have
grown to feel that they knew the heart
Of the woman through the medium Of
her writings. AS an author she had
many appealing traits Simplicity was
the keynote to the majority Of her
plots, and her characters were the sort
whom people would wish to know in
real life In her more serious Volumes
she brought comforting message 70
those who sought solace IN religion. The
message OF her fiction was equally clear.
Her style was simple and refined, with
an occasional burst of brilliant wit but
gentle humor was more predominant.
Her verse was graceful, and while it
her lighter works, much OF it is well
worth reading.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps was born in
Boston August 81, 1874. the oldest child
and the only daughter Of Rev. Austin
and Elizabeth Phelps Her baptismal
name was Mary Gray but upow the
death OF her mother. when the child was
eight years old. she assumed the name
by which she became 50 we'll known.
Hereditary influence as well as en-
vironment tended Go mold the child to
a literary career. Her father was
wcll-known theologian and author, the
pastor of the Pine street church in Bos-
ton, and later the professor Of hom-
iietics in the Audoyer theological sem.
mary The young girl went to the
private schools Of Andoyer and then to
the Edwards seminary, where she took
a course equal to that studied by the
boys Of her age in the colleges of the
day.
When 10 she left school and took up
mission and social work at a little viii
lage known rs Abbott, few miles from
Andover It was there that she came
in contact with the working people
whose problems End sorrows were later
20 be portrayed by such books as
"Hedged In, Jack the Fisherman" the
latter one OF the strongest pleas for
temperance imaginable. In this period
of Ter life, too, material was assimilat-
ed for that beautiful little story, "a
Singular Life Az well as for "Tha
Madonna OF The Tubs 1t was III 1868
that Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, as she has
been known to literature began her ca
Ger as an author.
Her first literary ven .lra WAS lit
tie tale written when Re was but -
and published IN the Youths Companion,
but her career at an author really be-
gar with shorA m"pag nc story called
"a Sacrifice Cons ulti,' which appeared
in 1854 and openel Tile columns Of liar
per's to her Since that me she has
been one Of the magazines most con
slant and prOlif. contributors. Sunday
school books claimed her ATTENTION for
some time daring her early life, fer
the Sunday school library then played
much moe intpo Iant part Il the
literary life Of tie '.nnc than is the
Gse to-day These hooks can be quick
" summarized as tho Tiny and
Gypsy" series. The 10Th OF January.
which appeared n Che Atlantic, brought
her her first recognition from the lit
erary people OF the day
1t was "The Gates Aiar," however,
that brought the woman into national
prominence. II was begun in 1862 AMI
took two years in the writing, but did
not appear until 1868, as he pubIishcls
seemed to have tailed to appreciate its
Terit. It's object was TO "bring com
Tort to the hearts of the many women
who had lost loved ones in the Civil
war and has quite a deep theological
problem. which caused discussion when
il appeared. II was praised as com.
forting, but savagely attacked as ir.
reverent and fantastic II went through
20 editions in the first year and was
translated into many languages
Miss Phelps married on October 20
1888 Herbert Dickinson Ward. son OF
William Hayes Ward Of the lndepend
ent For many years she spent her sum
meTs in Gloucester and her winters in
the South, although her home was IN
Newton Center,