Putnam patriot., 1914-10-23

her fashionable assemblies in New York remarked that Miss Halls dress and demeanof would do credit to any court in Europe.
 Another of our townswomen was a portrait painter. 1 am indebted to ars. Caroline Fairfield Corbin for these particulars about her aunt, Han- nah Thurbef Fairfield. Miss Fairfield was the daughter Of David and Han nah Thurber Fairfield sine first left her home in the north part of Abing, ton to study under Alexander of Kil- lingly, a well known pupil of Gilbert stuart, historic painter Of Washing ton. Later Miss Fairfield went 10 New York and beeame a successful portrait paineef some of her works were Of sufficient merit to be given place in the NationaI Academy. Daring a visit to Windham county she panied among other portraits, one Of Franklin Nichols, Esq, of Thompson, whom she married in ls3a. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols made their home in Norwich where, AS Mrs. Cofbin says, "Mfs. Nichols influence in fayoftof art was well known for many years"
 Miss Hall and Miss Fairfield were professional artists Of reputation. That there were women in Pomfret skilled in the arts and crafts Is shown by the variety and beauty Of the present ex- hibition of cherished heirlooms.
 Abby Allin, whom others have men. tioned, contributed poems and short stories to Boston papers and in 1850 published Home Ballads, book for New Enganders, dedicated to her mother. Many of her poems are per sonal and addressed to Emily, Lucy and Mary Anne. A few are of local interest, as one on the passing of "The Old Turnpike:p
 No more the weary stager dfeads
 The toil of the coming morn; No more the bustling landlord runs
 At the sound of the echoing horn; The old turnpike is pike no more,
 Wide open stands the gate.
 "The Old Garrett pleasantly recalls the experience of many child in that well-fiIled upper room:
 Mysterious garrett household rubbish
 room.
 Gathering the sweepings of Times
 busy broom;
 How oft child, 1 climbed thy creak-
 ing stair
 And gazed with wonder on thy pa
 geant rare.
 After Miss Allin became the wife of MT. Cuftiss she moved to western state
 Mrs. Clara Grosvenor Thompson. a lifelong resident Of Pomfrei, is pleas antly remembered for her genial, social qualities and her generous sympathies. Among her attractive stories for girls were "The Chapel of st. Nary and "The Reetory of MoreIand.1
 Another author, Mrs. Caroline Fair field Corbin, a native of Pomfret, lived here until her twelfth year when the family removed to Brooklyn, x. Y. In 1 Calvin k. Corbin, descended from one of the first settlers of Woodstock The marriage ceremony took place on the Goat rock in the wild Wolf Den woods. This reveals touch of the romantic in her nature. For more than fifty years Mrs. Corbin was a leader in literary | and religious circles in Chicago. She | has taken an active interest in moral reform and was one of the original | founders Of the association for advance ment of women. She is against sui frage for women. You may be inter | ested to know that on her last visit abroad, few years ago, Mrs. Gorbin had a personal interview with Emper- or William and also with the late Pope in the interest of anti suffrage. At the time of their publication her vari- ous books received excellent notices in papers and magazines. Among her books are "A WomAn's Philosophy Of Love, ,,"lii Marriage Vow "Letters from Chimney cornef,' "Rebeecn or A Woman $ Secret "Belle and Her Boys, written when spending sum mer among her native hills, tells the story Of her own boys.
 Pomlret WAS the birthplace of one whose poetry bears favorable compari. son with that Of ,the best American writers, Ellen Louise Chandler Moul ton. She writes in later years of her childhood home, Elmwood
 My thoughts go home to that old | brown house 1 With it's low roof sloping down to the | east
 And it's garden fragrant with roses and
 thyme
 That blossom no longer except in
 rhyme
 Where the honey bees used to feast. ] Afar in the west the great hills rose, l Silent and steadfast, and gloomy and
 gray.
 l thought they were giants and doom
 ed To keep
 Their watch while the world should
 wake or sleep
 i Till the trumpet should sound on
 judgment day
 And l was young as the hills were old, And the world was warm with the
 wealth of spring; And the roses red, and the lilies white