The Washington times., 1915-12-26

HlOTS inAnlfluk 10 AmeTlCanS lndu
The Life OF Clara Barton" b. Percy
IL Epler. which has just come from
the Mcmillan press. Her fame as
philanthropist and publicist Is world
wide. for her great life-work was giving
form and mc.ion to the greatest move
nent OF the past century-the brother
hood of nations.
II was as founder of the American
Red Cross that Miss Barton minor
talized her name. and necessarily the
larger part of the book is devoted 70
her work for and in that organization.
Mr.. ~Epler has given the work the flavor
of autobiography by permitting his sub
Ject to tell her own story as much as.
possible, and half its charm and Vaiue
are found in her writings contained
in II.
Few men have it In their lot to know
many Presidents. but Clara Barton was
we'll acquainted with eleven. Several
of them were her intimate friends! And
not alone Presidents. but royalty as
well, called her friend, and delighted
to honor her. No American woman ever
could boast so many foreign decora-
tions; no American woman's name is
held in such veneration abroad.
Braved Everything.
Clara Barton was born in North
At the age of fifteen she became a
teacher, and she followed that prores-
sion for eighteen years, after which
she came to Washington to serve the
Government in the Patent Office. While
she was here a girl acquaintance COM
planned OF there being no opportunities
to accomplish ought for the world.
Miss Barton responded that ,ppportunI-
ties were many, that they only needed
to be seized. She fitted the deed to the
word. The South seeded. war was ue-
clared and she was filled with the de-
sire to help her country by ministering
to wounded soldiers. Society forbade
camp followers of her sex were women
of loose life. Would humanity he scan
dalized and her reputation gone II she
tried IT," In addition, there were army
regulations which prohibited it..
Nevertheless, Clara Barton braved ev-
erything and became the angel Of the
battlefield No soldier risked his life
more readily than she. none braved
hardships more uncomplainingly. At
Chantilly. she says, I remember myself
sitting on the ground upheld by my
left arm, nv head resting on my hand.
impelled hY an almost uncomfortable
desire to lie completely down: and pre-
vented by the certain conviction that II
did water would flow into my cars.
After the second battle OF Bull Run. she
SAYS: You know. the full record of my
sleep-from Friday night till Wednesday
morning II two hours" Superhuman
tasks were hers in those unhappy CAM
paiRns "In all this vast assemhlsge !
saw no other trace OF womnnkind," she
wrote in the days of Harpers Ferry and
South Mountain. II was faint. but
could not eat; weary. bat could not
sleep; depressed but could not weep"
At Antietam. while bending over a
wounded soldier on the battlefield, "a
bullet sped its free and easy way be-
SlnhNe
and found its way into his body. He
fell back dead"
At. Fredericksburg.
Miss Barton's own descriptions OF war
scenes are stirring pictures. ana she
wrote OF only what transpired within
her own vision. thus imparting to them
a photographic realism. Perhaps the
most thrilling of these pictures Is that
telling of the campaign before Freder-
icksburG. After unnumbered men had
been moved down while irving to cross
the river. finally small body Of Union
troops did succeed in eftectinR a pas
that shsll-swept bridge was Clara Bar
ton, who found herself rocking across
the swnying bridge. the water Kissing
with shot on either side"
During the battle of the Wilderness
Miss Barton overheard a Union captain
declare 1t was "a pretty hard thing for
refined people like the peOD!e of Fred
ericksbhrg to be compelled to open their
homes and admit these dirty. lousy,
common soldiers. and that he was not
going to compel It" She observed other
delinuuenctes on the part of officers
which were increasing the hardships of
incton, where. after heing threatened
by Il SENATOR the Wa- Department
rushed a commission to fredericksburg
to remedy the situation.
I1vs l,l. ..N,,
was unspeakably awful to the memory
of Clara Barton. Yet afterward. in
clear vision. she saw through II a mighty
fact-that 1t was this defeat that
the American people the Emancipation
Proclamation! BY it, not only was the
false self-confidence OF the North dis
peled forever. but there came out Of 1t
also the moral courage that was to turn
After the war, Miss Barton devoted
four years to the search for missing
men. and the Government in the be-
ginning failing to assist her, she opened
an office and hired a force of twelve
men to assist her, paying the expenses
out of her private bank account
The result of these labors was
nervous breakdown; necessitating a
trip abroad. and while Miss Barton was
in Switzerland, the FTanco-Pr Prussian
war broke out. Her fame had gone
before her and she was invited TO join
the international Red Cross in Its work,
and also received an invitation from the
Grand Duchess Of Baden.
Her Service in Europe.
She desired. however, to work inde-
pendently of dhe new organization. and
despite her illness little while found
her in the Prussian ranks. having &C
cepted the invitation OF the daughter
of the Prussian King. She had been
nm 20 ri
Government had declined to be sigma
tory to the treaty of Geneva, and she
declared that 'if l live to return TO
my country will try to make my
people understand the Red Cross and
that treaty"
Ii is interesting to note her opinion
of the French people. while in this SER
vice: II am almost tired of France