 Introduction to When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Introduction. Editors introduction. When They Were Girls contains the stories of a group of American women, each one of whom occupies a very important place in her particular field. The stories of these women have been written many times before. We feel, however, that in this book, you possibly may find that their stories have been written in a little different way. Our desire has been to bring very closely to the attention of our many readers some of the outstanding characteristics in the girlhoods of these women and to show the relationship between these qualities in girlhood and the achievements of adult life. To many people, doubtless to almost everyone, comes the desire to produce results, to achieve and to add one's bit to the welfare of the world. Sometimes one is apt to become impatient and to feel that he is not arriving at his goal. Under such circumstances, it is helpful for us to acquaint ourselves with the life story of someone whom we feel has reached the goal for which we are striving. We may then learn that success does not come overnight, but the years of careful, painstaking work are often spent before the contribution that one has for the world is completed. It is so easy to admire someone who has attained success and to wish for that same success and recognition oneself. Often, however, we are not willing to pay the price that he or she paid. To very few people, does success come easily. The small minority to whom it does seem to come in that way can only remain successful through careful, painstaking work. The women whose stories are within this book have not obtained the praise of the world easily. As girls, some of them were wealthy, some of them were very poor, but they all had obstacles to overcome. Each one had her own way to make. No amount of money, nor an especially fine environment, could ever be the means of making anyone successful. Success comes not from without, but from within. It is, of course, desirable to have every opportunity that will help to develop one's particular ability. The greater a person's opportunity to receive help from all available good sources, the better it is for him. However, success depends upon oneself. No amount of encouragement, no effort put forth by loving parents, no amount of money expended for advantageous purposes will ever accomplish great things unless the person himself really desires to achieve. No matter how small our part in the world may seem, it is possible for us each to do our work in such a way that it will prove to be a forerunner of greater things to come. We can take but one step at a time, and by taking that step as best we know how, we shall be led to something higher. In reading the stories in this book, you will see at once that when these women were girls, they had no idea what they would ultimately achieve. Nevertheless, they each took the steps that seemed necessary to their progress as each step presented itself. This careful preparation, this conscientious work, has enabled these women to give to the world their best and has made it possible for us to profit, not only by their gifts, but by their example as well. Helen Mildred Owen, Rochester, New York, November 28th, 1923. End of introduction. Chapter one of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Madison Rutherford. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Demingmore. Chapter one, Jane Adams, the girl who became a neighbor to the needy. Why do people live in such horrid little houses so close together, father? asks seven-year-old Jane on a trip to the city. At home in the village, when she was tired of playing in the big roomy house, she could run across the green to the stream by her father's mill. Here in the city, instead of wide green slopes and a low hum of the sawmill, were narrow dirty alleys and the clatter of carts and streetcars. When Mr. Adams explained that some people do not have enough money to choose pleasant places for their homes, Jane declared, when I grow up, I shall have a large house, of course, but I shall not have it among other fine houses, but right in the midst of horrid little houses like these. Now, strangely enough, when she grew up, she did that very thing. She went to live in a big house situated in the midst of poor Chicago tenements. Later, this little girl, who is Jane Adams, became known all over the world as the friend of the poor. Jane Adams was born at Cedarville, Illinois, September 6th, 1860. Little Jane could not remember her mother who died when she was a baby, but she thought that no little girl ever had a father like hers. She was proud of his imposing figure and she loved him dearly. Though he was a very busy man, he always had time to answer her questions. She had a great many to ask too, for even as a small child, she did a good deal of thinking. Jane's father had been a state senator for 16 years and could tell her interesting stories about the history of the country. He talked to her so often about Abraham Lincoln, who had been his friend, that Jane felt almost as if she herself had known the great-hearted man. One Sunday, Jane appeared before her father dressed for Sunday school in a beautiful new coat. It was a finer coat than any other little girl in the village had. For this reason, Mr. Adams suggested that Jane wear her old coat to save the feelings of the other little girls. Jane consented to do so, although she was very much disappointed. As they walked to Sunday school, Jane wondered how the good things of life could be more evenly divided. Ever since she had first seen the horrid little houses about a year before, her young mind had been busy with this problem. Jane turned to her father and asked him how it could be solved. He explained that even though everything cannot be divided evenly, people should act and dress in such a way that those who are less fortunate will not be made to feel so. He told her that in school and church, at least, people should be able to feel that they belong to one family. Jane Adams attended the village school, and later, at 17 years of age, entered Rockford Seminary at Rockford, Illinois. Soon after she was graduate from the school, it was declared to college, and she received the degree of BA. She had intended after her graduation to study medicine and to help the poor, but she was urged to go abroad because she was in poor health. While in London and elsewhere, she was greatly distressed by the wretched condition of the poor. Now she was more determined than ever to go about the work of helping others. Ms. Adams believed that it was better to show people how to help themselves and to give them gifts of money. It is hard to help people, one does not know, she reasoned, and how can one really know people without seeing them very often? True to the decision she had made as a child, she resolved to live among the poor and be a real neighbor to them. With the help of some friends, Ms. Adams opened Whole House, which is located in the tenement section of Chicago. Here she established a day nursery where mothers who had to go out and work could leave their babies in good care. A kindergarten was organized for the young children in the neighborhood. There are clubs for girls and boys and also for men and women. Classes in sewing, cooking, and millinery are conducted for the girls. The Young Heroes, a boys club, today has for its own use a five story building equipped with recreation and study rooms. Printing photography and many other trades can be learned there. Whole House, originally occupying one building is now using 13 buildings, each fitted for some special service. For more than 30 years, Ms. Adams and her fellow workers have stood ready to do any neighborly act from bathing little babies to teaching an entertaining lonely old woman. At Whole House, a cordial welcome always awaits everyone. Besides her friendly aid to those who flocked to Whole House, Jane Adams has been a good neighbor to people whom she has never seen. She helped to have a law pass in Illinois to prevent children who are under 14 years of age from working in factories. Through her efforts, public baths have been provided in Chicago. Remembering the merry games she played as a child on the river banks near her home, she has made many a plea for more playgrounds for city girls and boys. Ms. Adams has been a member, often the chairman of many important committees that have been organized to plan ways for making the world a better place in which to live. She has also found time to write books on the subject. Jane Adams might have given money to the poor and spent her time in travel and amusement, but she preferred to give herself. Because she loves people enough to learn what they really need and works with them as well as for them, thousands bless her as a true friend and neighbor. End of chapter one, Recording by Madison Rutherford. Chapter two of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Chapter two, Louisa M. Orcott, whose stories of real life are a delight to girls and boys. When Louisa Orcott peeped into her journal on the morning of her 10th birthday, she found a little note from her mother filled with loving messages. It read, I give you the pencil case I promised, for I have observed that you are fond of writing and wish to encourage the habit. Louisa's mother often wrote little messages in her daughter's journal, urging her to keep on trying to be good. Very often, the notes encouraged Louisa to go on writing. On both her 14th and 15th birthdays, her mother's gift was a pen with a poem and a loving letter. As Louisa at 80 years of age had written a little verse about a robin, Mrs. Orcott hoped that her daughter would someday be a great writer. It was a hope that was realized for Louisa M. Orcott's books have become famous, delighting each succeeding generation. Little Women, her first great success, is the story of the Orcott family. It tells of their jolly times and their hard times at the Orchard House at Concord, Massachusetts. The lively outspoken Joe of the story, writing in the attic, is Louisa herself. The other March girls are her own dear sisters, Anna, Elizabeth, and Abermay. Mommy, of course, is the beloved mother, and Mr. March, the father. Louisa M. Orcott was born at Germantown, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1832. But most of her girlhood was spent in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts. It was a happy life that she led even though the food was plain and her clothes were generally made over. There was never enough money to go around in the Orcott family, but there was no lack of love, kindness, good conversation, and good reading. Louisa and her sisters received their education chiefly from their father, a man of rare intellect. Mr. Orcott was devoted to his children, and he took great pleasure in teaching them. In addition to these daily lessons, there often were long, hard tasks of sewing and ironing, but there was plenty of time for play too. What fun they had in the old barn at Concord with their playmates, the children of Ralph Waldo Emerson and of Nathaniel Hawthorne, they acted out their favorite fairy tales and also the pilgrims' progress. Their giant tumbled off the loft when Jack cut down the beanstalk and there was a real pumpkin for Cinderella's coach. Their mother's birthday was always a great event. When that day arrived, Louisa would say to herself as soon as she awoke, it's mother's birthday, I must be very good. After breakfast, the children always gave their mother her presents. One year, Louisa's gift was a cross made of moss with a bit of poetry attached. That day there were no lessons and everybody was very jolly and happy. Two great joys of Louisa's life were books and the outdoors. She enjoyed a quiet corner with a good book. She also loved to run in the woods in the early morning before the dew was off the grass. She liked to feel the velvety moss under her feet and to look up into the green branches overhead. Once when she was a child, she paused in her running and stood still listening to the rustle of the pines. It seemed as if I felt God, she wrote in her journal and I prayed in my heart that I might keep that happy sense of nearness all my life. Louisa had a quick temper and found difficulty in managing it. At 14 years of age, she wrote a poem about her struggles entitled My Little Kingdom. It began, a little kingdom I possess where thoughts and feelings dwell and very hard I find the task of governing it well. For passion tempts and troubles me, a wayward will misleads and selfishness its shadow casts on all my words and deeds. She kept on trying however and never let her little kingdom control her. As Louisa Orcott grew older, she began to realise very keenly all the cares that burdened the dear mommy because of their lack of money. None of Mr Orcott's ventures in teaching or lecturing had added much to the family treasury. Louisa was determined to help and she willingly did any kind of work that would enable her to earn a little money for her dear ones. Sometimes she taught school, sometimes she helped her relative with the housework and sometimes she took care of an invalid child. Often she did fine needlework. While her hands were busy with her daily tasks, her brain was active planning stories. She wrote them late at night and soon publishers began to accept them and pay her small sums of money. For her first story, written when she was 16 years old, she was paid $5. Writing was a joy to Louisa Orcott and sewing a tiresome task. However, she continued her sewing because at first the needle paid better than the pen. It was a pleasure to her to earn enough money to buy a new shawl for mommy, a crimson ribbon for May's bonnet or a new carpet for the whole family. Shefully she wore her old bonnet and her shabby shoes. During her spare moments, the young author continued to write happily in her attic. To her delight, the mail often brought her the news that her stories had been accepted. This greatly encouraged her. Then came the civil war. Louisa realized that no matter how greatly she desired to write, her first duty was to her country. Therefore she went to the Union Hotel Hospital at Georgetown DC as a nurse. The letters that she wrote home telling of her experiences were later published as a book called Hospital Sketches. By this time Miss Orcott's work had become so well known that she was asked to write a book for girls. She began to write Little Women to prove to the publisher that she could not write for girls. What she did prove everybody knows. Young people and their elders as well, not only in this country but also abroad were soon laughing and crying over the doings of the March girls. Miss Orcott had become famous. Little Men and other books followed rapidly and proved so popular that Miss Orcott received many thousands of dollars from her writings. She was happy because now she could fulfill her dream of giving her dear mother some of the comforts that she had never had. It was but small return she felt for all the help and encouragement that her mother had given her. Miss Orcott's books have lived because they show people as they really are. They tell too how jolly and happy life can be if people think less about money and more about living unselfishly and enjoying the outdoors and the simple and beautiful things of life. Louisa M. Orcott could not help writing in this way, for it was the way in which she herself lived. Chapter 3 of When They Were Girls This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Larry Wilson. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Demingmore. Chapter 3, Susan B. Anthony, who worked for 60 years to secure rights for women. Young Susan vigorously attacked with her broom the cobweb in the corner of the school room ceiling. It was a stubborn cobweb and Susan had to step upon the teacher's desk to reach it. No girl, trained by so good a housekeeper as Susan's mother, could be happy in the same room with a cobweb. Deborah was pleased to have the room clean, thought Susan. However, Deborah, her Quaker teacher, was not pleased. Susan's heavy shoes had broken the desk hinges and the girl who had tried to do well was severely scolded. It was often very much like this in Susan B. Anthony's later life. When she tried her hardest to brush away the cobwebs that kept the world from seeing that women did not have the same rights as men, she was jeered and scorned. Nevertheless, she kept on wielding her broom, the broom she used being her clever tongue. This little Quaker girl grew up to be an interesting and eloquent lecturer who never lost an opportunity to speak a good word for her fellow women. Susan Brownwell Anthony was born February 15th, 1820, in Adams, Massachusetts, in the midst of the Berkshire Hills. She was the second of eight children. Every night, as a little girl, she used to watch the sun go down behind Old Greylock. She came to love the Great Mountain and all her life she liked to think of its rugged strength. Mrs. Anthony was a very busy woman. In addition to caring for her lively little children, she also cooked and watched for a number of factory hands. However, she found time to read good books and to be interested in all her children's doings. Susan's father was a Quaker, a man much liked and respected. At an early age, little Susan learned to be a good cook and housekeeper, like her mother. Once, when Mrs. Anthony was ill, 12-year-old Susan, with the help of her two sisters, 10 and 14 years of age, did all the household tasks, including packing the lunchboxes for the factory hands. Susan was so anxious that everything should be done exactly right that she and her sisters carried samples of the food to their mother for her approval. At three years of age, Susan, who was very bright and quick, learned her letters and also some words, while on a visit at her grandmother's. When she was a little older, she attended a district school and then a private school conducted in the Anthony home. Later, she joined her sister at a boarding school near Philadelphia, where she studied for a year. Susan began to teach in a district school when she was 17 years old. She was boarded in turn at the homes of her pupils, being paid in addition only $1.30 a week. Susan was a very successful teacher and often she grew indignant to see that men who did not do their work so well as she received four times as much pay. Equal pay for equal work was one of the rights that she began to demand for her fellow women from that time on. When Susan's father failed in business, she saw his creditors take all of her mother's personal things. Susan was enraged with the injustice of it and declared that there should be a law to make a wife's belongings her own. In 1851, Miss Anthony made a trip to Seneca Falls, New York, to urge the admission of girls to the People's College then being founded. There she met Miss Lucy Stone and had an opportunity to become well acquainted with her and also with Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whom she had met a few months before. Mrs. Stanton and Miss Stone believed that women should have a share in making the laws of the land and Miss Anthony soon became their most ardent coworker. 25 years later, Miss Anthony drafted the Federal Suffrage Amendment. However, it was 45 years from the time that the amendment was drafted until it became a part of our constitution. Susan B. Anthony was one of the greatest friends that women have ever had. When she was born, there were only three things that a girl who wanted to earn her living could do. Be a mill hand, a servant, or a teacher. Before the close of Miss Anthony's life, the girl might fit herself to be a doctor, a lawyer, a businesswoman, or in fact, almost anything that she chose. When Miss Anthony was a young girl, the doors of nearly all colleges were closed to women. The girl who dared to ask for as much education as was given to her brother was considered a great oddity. However, Miss Anthony lived to see girls admitted to college quite as a matter of course. Susan B. Anthony found a world where a married woman could not do what she liked with the property that she owned. Neither could she do as she wished with the money that she had earned or received as a gift. She could not even take charge of her own children if anyone objected. Miss Anthony left a world where women's rights in all these matters were considered and where in four states women could help make the laws. The 19th Amendment giving women the vote came later. Miss Anthony devoted all of her time to public speaking. She traveled from coast to coast, always making the most of every opportunity to speak in behalf of the various reforms to which she devoted over 60 years of her life. Sometimes she pleaded for the freedom of the slaves, sometimes for temperance, but always for her favorite cause, rights for women. Susan B. Anthony kept on pleading for women no matter how much people laughed at her. Gradually the world began to see some reason in what she said. Today all women who cast their vote, control their property and send their daughters to college can thank the determined Quaker girl who had such a large share in giving women their rights. In the chapter three. Chapter four of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter four, Clara Barton, the girl who unfurled the first American Red Cross flag. The Barton family was made very happy on the Christmas of 1823 with the gift of a baby girl. The four older sisters and brothers gave the baby a royal welcome, though they little thought that this gift was also to be a Christmas present to the whole world. This baby was Clara Barton, called in civil war times the angel of the battlefield and known by all nations as the founder of the American Red Cross Society. Baby Clara grew up to be the pet of the family, although no codling was allowed on the Barton farm in Oxford, Massachusetts. Each member of the family wanted to teach her something and Clara was equally eager to learn. Mrs. Barton taught her daughter to be level-headed. Nothing could have been worth more to the girl who was to be the first woman to carry organized aid to the wounded on an American battlefield. Mrs. Barton also taught Clara to sew, to cook, and to be an excellent housekeeper. Clara was particularly grateful for this knowledge and had countless opportunities to use it. Once a dying soldier whispered his wish for a custard pie crinkly around the edge to remind him of home. With what materials she could get together, Mrs. Barton made the pie and scalloped the edge with her finger, just as her mother had taught her to do in the farm kitchen. It was big brother David who taught the little sister many things that were to make her a very practical angel of the battlefield. At five years of age, thanks to his training, she rode wild horses like a young Mexican. This skill in managing any horse meant the saving of countless lives when she had to gallop all night in a trooper saddle to reach the wounded men. David taught her also to drive a nail straight, to tie a knot that would hold and to think and act quickly. From her father, Clara heard thrilling tales of his fighting in the Revolutionary War under mad Anthony Wayne. These stories doubtless made a deep impression on the youthful listener. Little did she realize that in the years to come, she too would play an important part on many battlefields. Clara Barton attended a boarding school for a short time. However, she received her education chiefly at home, being taught by her brother and then by a tutor. Later she had an opportunity for a more advanced study at a nearby school. The little farm girl was busy and happy from morning until night for she loved to do things. She went for the cows, helping with the milking and churning and had a hand in planting the potatoes. When the house was being painted, she begged to help with that too and she learned how to mix the paint as well as to put it on. Once she went into her brother's factory and learned how to weave cloth. Her first experience as a nurse came at the age of 11 when big brother David was injured by a fall. For two years, this cheerful, patient little nurse scarcely left his bedside. When she was only 15 years old, Clara Barton began to teach school. She taught well too for she understood girls and boys. It seemed as if she found the work that she best liked to do. However, after 18 years of teaching, her health necessitated her giving up this profession. Clara Barton did not know how to be idle so she went to Washington and secured a position in the patent office. When the civil war broke out, many wounded soldiers were brought to Washington. Clara Barton helped to care for these boys, some of whom were her former pupils from Massachusetts. She also sent out appeals for money and supplies. As Ms. Barton saw the wounded taken from the transports, she was extremely sorry for them because they did not have proper care. She felt that she must go to nurse the soldiers who were close to the battlefields. This was entirely against army regulations but Ms. Barton was very persistent. She was fondly allowed to take her store of bandages and other supplies to the front where they were most needed. People used to ask Ms. Barton if she had not always been brave. A woman who walked coolly through Fredericksburg when every street was a firing line answered telling of her childhood. I was a shrinking little bundle of fears, fears of thunder, fears of strange faces, fears of my strange self. It was when the shy girl forgot herself and working for others that she forgot her fears. Bravery and willingness to help others, however, could have been of little use to Clara Barton had she not been level-headed. The ability to see what should be done next and to do it quickly and well were of equal value. It seemed as if Clara Barton worked magic but her magic was only a mixture of common sense and a great pity for the suffering. Once at Aunt Itam when there seemed to be nothing to feed to the wounded men she noticed that the medicine had been packed in fine meal. Quickly she borrowed several big kettles from the farm where they were quartered and she soon was serving the men with steaming gruel. At another time at nightfall one of the doctors complained about mismanagement that left him with a thousand wounded men to care for and only an inch of candle for a light. Miss Barton had fortunately brought along several boxes of lanterns which she gave him. Her remarkable forethought not the saving of many lives that night. After the Civil War Clara Barton did not give up her work of mercy. For four years she helped to trace missing soldiers. While in Europe during the Franco-Prussian War she saw the wonderful work that the Red Cross societies abroad were doing. She was deeply impressed with the value of such an organization and immediately decided that upon her return to the United States she would do all that she could to interest her country in the Red Cross. Miss Barton worked for years to persuade the United States to found an American Red Cross society. We shall never have another war people objected. However Miss Barton pointed out that in time of great floods, fires, earthquakes and other disasters lives could be saved by organized aid. At last she was successful. For in 1882 the American Red Cross society came into being. Clara Barton was its president for many years. The Red Cross banner was first unfurled for service in this country at Miss Barton's home at Dansville, New York where she established a local chapter to aid the forest fires sufferers in Michigan. Ever since that time the Red Cross has continued to give its efficient aid wherever needed. It had an exceptional opportunity during the World War to prove its worth. Our country has caused for deep gratitude to Clara Barton. Clara Barton risked her life on 16 battlefields of the Civil War to care for the wounded. She founded the organization that has brought relief to thousands of people and war and disaster. She did great deeds but they were possible only because she had learned to do the little things of life well. End of chapter four. Chapter five of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. A LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter five, Amy Marcy Cheney Beach. The Girl Who Made Melodies. See, the conquering hero comes, rang out in the studio, clear and true as a bell. The photographer thrust his head out from under the big black hood of the camera and stared in amazement at the tiny sitter. The two-year-old child was singing the very air that he had been practicing for the first piece, Jubilee and she was singing it absolutely correctly. Others were eventually to be astonished with the musical ability of this little girl who grew up to be America's foremost woman composer. Amy Marcy Cheney was born in the little town of Hennacher, New Hampshire, September 5th, 1867. From the time that she was a year old, her talent amazed even her musical mother. She learned dozens of heirs and sang them, keeping the pitch perfectly. She would listen delightfully for hours to violin music. At the age of four, Amy was finally allowed to play on the piano. Often when her aunt was seated at the instrument, little Amy would stand on a hassak and play with her, making up an accompaniment as she went along. Just as other little girls planned how to arrange their playhouses or how to make new dresses for their dolls, this little girl used to think out tunes. Once when she was visiting at a house where there was no piano, she composed a little piece of music. She remembered it and three months later was able to play it correctly on the piano at home. She had composed three other little pieces before she was seven years old. Long before Amy knew the names of musical notes, she knew their meaning and could read them. It amused her to transpose from one key to another and she never found it difficult. When she was six years old, Amy thought that she should have regular music lessons so she begged her mother, who was an excellent pianist to teach her. You may be sure that little Amy Cheney never had to be urged to practice. At seven years of age, she played several times in public. Before long, she was playing difficult music from Chopin, Bach and other composers. When Amy was eight years old, her family moved to Boston. The prominent musicians of this city before whom she played agreed that she was ready to go to Europe to study music. However, Mr. and Mrs. Cheney did not want their little girl to be trained only in music. They knew that she would be happier and healthier if she were to go to school with children of her own age. They also realized that she should have plenty of time to romp and play outdoors with other children. Amy was therefore sent to a private school conducted by Mr. W. L. Wittemore where she rapidly mastered the regular studies. She was greatly helped in her piano work by her good ear and accurate memory. She was able to play a whole Beethoven sonata without notes after she had heard one of her fellow pupils practice it. While Amy was quite young, her quick ear and good memory gave her an opportunity to be of real service to the world. Professor Sill, a scientist who made birds his special study, asked her to record the songs of the California larks. Out into the fields they went together and waited motionless for the birds to appear. Then just as soon as one of the little feathered creatures trilled out his melody, Amy wrote it down in notes. The song thus caught was kept for all time. She continued this practice of recording songs so that she finally had a volume filled with bird melodies. Amy Cheney studied under Ernst Parabo, Carl Bearman and Junius W. Hill. She also studied many musical subjects independently. She did not always want to be helped over the problems that confronted her, referring to work them out alone. Translating books on music and memorizing and rewriting difficult music were some of the hard tasks that this Ernst Thoreau Young student set for herself. At 16 years of age, this young pianist made her first professional appearance before the public at a recital in Boston and was greatly praised. The next year she played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. During that year, a beautiful song which she had composed entitled With Violets was published. It was considered by musical critics to be faultless in form. The following year, Amy Cheney became the wife of Dr. H.H.A Beach of Boston. She did not however give up her musical career. In fact, all of her most important pieces of music were written after her marriage. Mrs. Beach has composed music for the orchestra, piano and violin and has also written cantatas and many songs. One of her most famous and successful pieces of music is her Jubilate Cantata, written for the dedication of the woman's building at the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. At this exposition, Maude Pell, the famous violinist and Mrs. Beach played one of Mrs. Beach's compositions written for the violin and piano. The music for a poem called Dark is the Night is thought by many people to be her best song. Other favorites are Across the World, Scottish Cradle Song and Fairy Lullaby. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach kept on working to develop her talent. Her love of music and enthusiasm for it were not alone responsible for placing her foremost among the women composers of America. It was her desire for knowledge, leading her to studiously apply herself to her work that enabled her to create music which has brought pleasure to thousands of people. End of chapter five. Chapter six of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Nettle. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter six, Cecilia Bow, whose paintbrush has brought her fame. Cecilia's gray eyes grew thoughtful as she considered the drawing that she was copying. She held it at arm's length, scrutinizing it critically. Ah, this is much more fun than practicing scales, she reflected. When the family examined these drawings, they said Cecilia would never be a success at music, but she draws very well. This little girl was Cecilia Bow, whose portraits have won many medals. She was born in Philadelphia in 1863. Her father came from province France where the people have ever been famed for their enjoyment of beauty. Her mother was of New England descent and had inherited from her ancestors the ability to do things and to do them conscientiously and well. From each parent, the little girl received a golden gift. From her father, his joy in the beautiful. From her mother, the love of doing things. Her good use of these two gifts has made Cecilia Bow a famous artist. Cecilia was taught at home until she was 12 years old. Then she attended a private school for a short time. Because of the skill that she had shown in copying drawings, her aunt and uncle, with whom she spent a great deal of time, proposed a training in art for her. This young girl had a few lessons in drawing from a Philadelphia artist, Mrs. Thomas Jean Vierre. She also had an opportunity to have her work in painting criticized by Mr. William Sartain. Her gray eyes shown with happiness as she applied her colors and listened eagerly to every word from this distinguished teacher. Cecilia Bow was practically self-taught. These few lessons constituted her only instruction in art until she went abroad some years later. Instead of sitting and dreaming of the great pictures that she might paint someday, Cecilia Bow looked for an opportunity to use her brush or pencil to aid her financially. A scientific society needed someone upon whom they could depend to make accurate drawings of fossils. This kind of work necessitated very careful attention to detail. The drawings were to be made into plates to illustrate scientific books. They would have been useless if they had not been exactly correct. Some young artists, eager to do what they would call big things would have been impatient with such slow, tedious work. Cecilia Bow did not despise it. She did it to the very best of her ability just because she believed in doing things well. Little did she dream that this training in careful and exact drawing was to be of great help to her when she began to paint portraits. Another way in which she earned money was by giving lessons in painting and drawing. She also found that she could increase her income by painting portraits on china plates, taking her subjects from photographs. She did these very well too, being careful to make correct likenesses. Then Cecilia Bow began to make crayon portraits from photographs. These attracted attention and she soon received many orders for portraits. One success followed another, but although Cecilia Bow received much praise for her work, she was not content with what she had accomplished. She felt that she needed still more training and to have it she must go to Paris. Accordingly, Miss Bow went to Europe and began to broaden her talent by studying with several great French masters. One of them, Robert Fleury, used to summon her before the class to praise her work publicly. So modest was this American girl that she thought he could not be an earnest. Her fellow students also used to discuss her excellent work. The many friends that she made in Paris begged her to stay in that beautiful city and paint there, but she was too thoroughly American to spend her life in a foreign land. So after a few years, she returned to her own country. A great many of Miss Bow's best known pictures are of women and children, but she has painted men with great success too. In fact, she was chosen to paint portraits of Clemenceau, Admiral Beattie and other great war leaders. Her portraits of women and children are really little pictures of everyday home life. She has caught the children as they have paused in their play for a moment. Ernesta, one of Miss Bow's well-known portraits hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Among her other important paintings are The Last Days of Infancy, The Dancing Lesson, Sita and Sorita and The New England Woman. Cecilia Bow has won medals and prizes at many exhibitions of art. People are glad to pay large sums of money for her pictures and it is considered an honor to be painted by her. She has steadily achieved success because she has never scorned nor slighted small tasks. She has done them conscientiously and well, making them a preparation for greater things to come. End of chapter six, Cecilia Bow, whose paintbrush has brought her fame, recording by Nettle. Chapter seven of When They Were Girls, this is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter seven, Evangeline Booth, the girl who lived the meaning of her name. Many a passerby on the crowded London street paused to glance at the earnest, thoughtful face of a slender golden-haired flower girl and to buy a nosegave from her basket. When her stock was sold, this girl, as fair and fragile as one of her own flowers, picked her way through the throng. She presently disappeared into one of the dirty alleyways where only the poorest of Londoners lived. Children ran to meet her and rough men, touch their caps as she passed. The sick woman whose wretched room she entered fell asleep peacefully after receiving a bowl of soup from her hands and a cheery word. For weeks, this sweet-faced young girl who sold flowers or worked at making matches had been winning the hearts of the poor, discouraged people of this district. She tended their babies and prayed with the lonely old women. These people felt that they had found a friend who was sorry for them and it was always ready to give them aid. They called her the White Angel. One day, she told these people that she was a Salvation Army lassie. The army was hated in this district because it was trying to close the saloons. Only a few months earlier, its preachers had been stoned in the streets. The White Angel herself had been warned by the police that it would be dangerous for her to speak in this part of London. Yet so beloved and respected had she become that she felt perfectly safe. Because of her good work, the people in this poverty-stricken and wicked district were soon attending the meetings of the army. The girl who dared to go into the very worst part of London to live the life of its poor people that she might better know how to help them was Evangeline Booth. In later years, she became the Commander-in-Chief of the Salvation Army in the United States. Evangeline Booth's father, William Booth, had been apprenticed as a boy to a pawnbroker. He was so touched by the poverty and wickedness around him that he put his whole soul into helping others to lead better lives. The mission that he established in London after many struggles became in time the Salvation Army. For years, William Booth, General of the Army, toiled against odds of every kind. The thinking world now has respect and admiration for the splendid work that the Salvation Army carries on. In those days, however, the street preachers of the army were as likely to be showered with stones and bricks as to be sneered and ridiculed. The rougher people disliked the army because it was fighting drink and wickedness. Other people could not see that the drum and tambourine and simple prayers might help to turn a man's heart to God as readily as could organ music and learned sermons. It was into the home of the founder of this once-despised organization at Hackney, a suburb of London, that a seventh child, Evangeline Booth, was born, December 1865. There was a loving welcome for the little girl, though she had come into a home where both mother and father believed that their family must be second to the work that they were doing for the world. Little Evangeline and her sisters heard so much of their father's work that even their favorite game was playing prayer meeting with their battered dolls. She and the others had very few toys because their parents thought that the money should be spent for the poor. It was a very busy home in which Eva, as her father preferred to collar, grew up. The bell was always ringing. Messengers were coming and going. In one room her father's deep voice might be heard planning his work. In another room her mother was busy writing for the cause. The younger children murmured their lessons in a third room and in a fourth, one of the older girls practiced on the piano. The general would often stop in the midst of his work for little chats with his children. He would take Eva for whom he always had especially deep love and tenderness upon his knee and ask her about her puppies or kittens. Once when Eva fell very sad over the death of her pet dog, her father took her to the city and spent the whole day telling her stories and comforting her. At an early age Eva learned that she could pick up her books and toys or above everything else except sin, her father hated disorder. Orderliness was a useful habit to be acquired by one who was later to have charge of the affairs of a great organization. Though Eva's mother was often too busy to spend much time with her, she heard her daughter's prayers and urged her to study so that she could help the weak, the poor, the ignorant and the wicked. Mrs. Booth often reminded Eva to carry out in life the meaning of her beautiful name, Evangeline, bringing glad tidings. Evangeline Booth began her work of bringing glad tidings when she was very young. She had inherited her father's gift of eloquence as well as her fearlessness and love of work. At 15 years of age, she spoke very beautifully at a meeting near London. When she was 17 years old, she was made an officer in the army and began the work in the slums which won her the title of White Angel. After ably filling various positions in the Salvation Army in Great Britain, Evangeline Booth was made commander of the army in Canada. At the time of the gold rush in 1898, she sent Salvation Army workers to the Klondike. In 1904, she was made commander in chief of the Salvation Army in the United States. Besides her duties as commander, she has composed words and music for the army songs and has written articles for the army publications and other magazines. In addition to its religious work, the Salvation Army maintains homes, hospitals, clinics and day nurseries. It finds employment for men and women out of work and it sends mothers and children on summer outings. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving, pennies dropped into the Big Red Salvation Army Kettles provide dinners for thousands of the poor. In a single year, the army in the United States made 175,698 children happy with Christmas toys. During the World War, the pies and donuts served by the Salvation Army Lassies cheered thousands of lonely soldiers and many a mother has the Salvation Army to thank for her boy's last message. Evangeline Booth was for almost 20 years commander in chief of this great organization in the United States. She believes, as her father did before her, that the first step in influencing a man to lead a better life is to make him feel that you really care whether he sinks or swims. Her courageous, selfless life shows that she does care. End of chapter seven. Chapter eight of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriBox recording. All LibriBox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriBox.org. Recording by Jabali Gadde. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Demingmore. Chapter eight, Frances Hodgson Burnett. The girl who loved stories and wrote them. From under the sitting room table came strange whispers but Mrs. Hodgson was not at all surprised. Beneath the long overhanging cover, she could see a chubby, curly headed little girl seated on the floor talking in low earnest tones to her wax doll, braced against the table leg. Frances, the little girl under the table, would have described the scene very differently. What she saw was not an ordinary center table but an Indian wigwam, not a speechless doll but a squaw to whom she, as the chief, was telling tales of the war trail and the happy hunting grounds. Frances, as pretending again, said Mrs. Hodgson to herself as she went out of the room a bit puzzled at this little daughter's way of playing. The chubby little girl and her doll had many an adventure together. They took mad gallops on coal black steeds that seemed to ordinary eyes, nothing but the arms of the nursery sofa. As survivors from a sinking ship, they drifted on a rock that Frances's two sisters would have called the green arm chair. These experiences seemed very real to the little girl. Something within little Frances's curly head helped her to transform the sitting room cupboard into a temple in Central America and the stiff doll into Mary Queen of Scots. It was the gift of imagination. How surprised her family would have been at that time had they known that this gift was one day to make her a famous story writer. In the smoky factory town of Manchester, England, Frances Eliza Hodgson was born November 24th, 1849. When she was about four years old, her sweet gentle mother was left a widow. Like other English children of family's uncomfortable circumstances, the Hodgson girls had a governess at home before they entered a nearby private school. The lessons which interested Frances the most were those that contain stories such as certain parts of history. She could never satisfy her great appetite for stories though she read continually. There were not so many good books for children then as nowadays. Frances's relatives seemed to think that the birthday and Christmas gift books were quite enough for a little girl. Frances, however, did not agree with them. When she made a new acquaintance at school, she was sure to ask her first of all what books she had to lend. Sometimes when she went to visit a little friend, she forgot her manners entirely and buried herself in a new book so eager was she to read. One gloomy rainy day, Frances wandered through the house looking for something to read. She glanced at the tall secretary and wished that its books looked more interesting. However, she decided that she might at least try one. Accordingly, she pulled out a fat volume. It had short lines which, to Frances, meant conversation and a story. She opened another book and found more stories. Delightedly, she continued to examine the books. Frances was so excited and happy that she forgot to go to tea. She had discovered that there were stories enough to last her for months. It was in this way that Frances Hodgson discovered Shakespeare's plays, Scots and Dickinson's novels and many other interesting books. Not content with reading stories, Frances was always telling or reading them. On the afternoons at school, when the girls were allowed to talk quietly over their crocheting and fancy work, Frances would tell stories in low tones to the group of girls near her. They were delighted with her tales and continually begged her to tell more. At home, she often wrote stories on slates or in old account books. For fear of being teased, she rarely showed the stories to anyone except her mother. Mrs. Hodgson always had an encouraging word for her little daughters, tales and verses. This gave Frances an added incentive to continue writing. Just at the close of the Civil War, a great change came to the life of the little story writer. Mrs. Hodgson decided to leave England and move to America. The family fortunes were impaired and an uncle had promised to find work for the boys in the United States. Romantic Frances was delighted with the change. Her first American home was in a tiny settlement in the forests of Tennessee. Everything was so new and strange that she seemed actually to be living in a story. The next home on the top of a hill with mountains in the distance was even better. How she loved the bright sunshine, the flowers, the birds and her bower, a cozy retreat in the woods. The boys had not as yet been able to add very much to the family fortunes. Frances and her sisters did not mind worn out frogs and scanty nails, but they were troubled to see their dear little mother so worried. The girls decided that something had to be done immediately. How wonderful it would have been, thought Frances, if an editor would buy one of my stories. She was only 15 years old and she did not know how to send the story to an editor. She had read in a magazine that contributors must write very clearly on full-scat paper and enclosed stamps. Not having sufficient money with which to buy stamps and paper, Frances and her sisters earned the money by selling wild grapes. At last, the story was set, but it was done secretly, for Frances was afraid that her brothers would tease her. What a happy day it was when on its second trip, the story, together with another, brought a check for $35. She had found a way to help. Frances Hodgson went on writing and selling her stories. Soon her books became famous. When she married Dr. S. M. Burnett, she was able to help him complete his education by her writing. Their son Vivian is also a writer. He has been a journalist and is the author of several books. Mrs. Burnett has written many novels for grown people, as well as stories that children love. Little Lord Fauntleroy, the tale of a lovable little American boy who won the heart of his crusty old English grandfather, is the best known of her books for children. Among her other well-known books are Editha's Burglar, Sarah Crew, The Cozy Lion, The Secret Garden, and Land of the Blue Flower. Mrs. Burnett does not preach in her delightful stories for children. One can, however, easily see in her stories the lessons in thoughtfulness and courtesy she had learned from her mother. Francis Hodgson Burnett's great gift of imagination, together with her desire to write, enabled her to give us stories that have brought pleasure to many people. End of chapter eight. Chapter nine of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter nine, Catherine Bement Davis, the girl who has helped to straighten twisted lives. The villain had received his just desserts, but he, or rather she, was smiling with satisfaction. Her play, for Catherine was the author as well as a principal actor, had been a great success. Nobody had forgotten a line, and in addition, the scenery had added a realistic setting. Who would ever have dreamed that the deep forest and bold cliffs were only bowels cut from the shrubbery and boxers covered with mother's old gray shawl? The back parlor of the Davis home was crowded with the friendly audience of girls and boys and a few mothers and fathers. This attendance was very gratifying to Catherine, for it assured her that the receipts would be large. With them, she intended to provide a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner for a good woman who was having difficulty in supporting her crippled grandson. Little did this merry 11-year-old girl think that the work of helping others begun in such a small way that night was the work that she was to choose for her own later on. When she grew up, she became a sociologist. This is simply a long word for a person who thinks, studies, plans, and works to help people lead happier, healthier, and better lives. Catherine Bement Davis was born in Buffalo, New York, January 15, 1860. Within a short time, the family moved to Dunkirk, New York. In the happy childhood days spent in this town on Lake Erie, there was no hint of the sorrow of life which Catherine was to cheer in later years. Besides four younger sisters and brothers for playmates, Kitty, as she was called, had no end of school chums. They were always welcome at her home for the Davis house was a sort of center of good times for the neighborhood. In the winter, the children acted plays in the house. In the summertime, they played Indian in the backyard or built houses of kindling wood. Kitty was usually chief builder because she loved to watch something grow under her hands. Making things was always such a joy to her that years later when she had charge of the Bedford Reformatory, she taught the girls how to do all sorts of useful tasks. They even laid the concrete walks between the buildings. This little Lake Erie girl had as great an appetite for finding out how other people did things as for doing them herself. Once when a friend of the family took her for a drive, she inquired the name and use of every part of the carriage. By the time they reached home, her companion felt as if he had been put through a severe examination, but Catherine knew all about the carriage. This habit of going to the very bottom of things was to be of great use to a woman who was to have hard problems to settle in her public life. Kitty Davis was very fond of reading. Her sisters and brothers often found her deeply absorbed in a book. Some of Scott's and Dickens' novels were among the book friends that she made at 11 and 12 years of age. Little Catherine Davis liked to create with her mind as well as with her hands. When she was 11 years old, she had thought out tunes for a number of hymns. She enjoyed her music lessons, especially the part which showed her how music is made. The grown-up Catherine Davis realised that music helps people to forget their troubles and to think better thoughts. For this reason, she made sure that her girls at the reformatory should not only hear good music, but should sing it themselves in their own glee club. In the Davis family lived grandmother Bement, a woman who had always had a hand in any new movement to make the world better. Catherine and the other children loved to hear her tell about the escape of slaves by means of the Underground Railroad, the fight against drink, and the struggle for rights for women. It was not strange that the granddaughter of such a woman should have a desire to be of service to the world. The years flew on until Catherine Davis was ready for college. Business reverses had come to Mr. Davis and he told his daughter that he could not pay her expenses. Never mind, answered Catherine, I will own them myself. She kept her word. Studying by herself while she was teaching science in the Dunkirk High School, Catherine Davis completed two years of college work. She then entered Vassar College as a junior. She successfully passed the many special examinations that it was necessary for her to take. Upon the completion of two years work at college, Catherine Davis was graduated with honours. For a number of years, Ms. Davis spent her time first in teaching, then in settlement work, and later in further study. After three years of graduate work, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with honours was conferred upon her by the University of Chicago. Thus, she was ably prepared to enter the field of social service. When it was announced that a new reformatory for women was to be opened at Bedford, New York, Dr. Davis was immediately interested. She thought that there she might be able to carry out her ideas for helping girls who had not had a pleasant home and wise parents like her own. Dr. Davis received the appointment as superintendent of this reformatory and set about getting acquainted with her girls. She believed that many of these lives that had been started in the wrong way might turn out happily if someone took the trouble to study them. Dr. Davis endeavored really to know the girls at Bedford. She was vitally interested in their welfare and did everything that she could to help them. She spent many successful years as superintendent of this reformatory. Dr. Davis' ability to grasp a situation and meet it was clearly demonstrated at the time of the Messina earthquake. She was in Sicily when the disaster occurred and immediately set about to aid the sufferers. Her work of rehabilitating the earthquake victims was so important that it won for her a Red Cross medal presented by President Taft. When Dr. Davis took charge of all the prisons in the city of New York as commissioner of correction, she had another opportunity for continuing her wonderful work. Catherine Bement Davis has served on a number of commissions formed for the purpose of social betterment. Many persons who desire to learn the best ways of working for humanity go to her for advice. Because of the little girl who carried into later life her joy of working and her habit of investigating things, many twisted lives have been straightened. End of chapter nine, recording by Julian Pratley. Chapter 10 of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Madison Rutherford. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Demingmore. Chapter 10, Grace Hodley Dodge. The Girl Who Worked for Working Girls. A group of prominent men and women were sitting in the drawing room of a beautiful home in New York City talking earnestly. Close by them sat a young girl, the eldest daughter of the house. She shyly added only an occasional word to the conversation, but she gave very careful attention to everything that her elders said. One member of this group was Dwight L. Moody, the famous preacher. The girl listened to him with particular interest and was deeply impressed by all he had to say. There were often such gatherings in this home. No matter with what subject the conversation started, sooner or later came the question of how to help men and women lead the best kind of lives. It was not strange then that one day this young girl went to her mother and said, I have found out what there is for me to do. I am going to help people. That is exactly what Grace Dodge did. She helped people. Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that she helped each one of you girls and boys. Every girl who has learned in a cooking class how to bake a wholesome loaf of bread, every boy who brings home from school a well-finished footstool for his mother, has Grace Dodge to thank. Every one of your older sisters who enjoys a swim or a game of basketball at the YWCA has her to thank too. Of course, there are others to thank as well, for every good work needs many helpers. When Grace Dodge was young, girls and boys in the public schools were not taught how to work with their hands, and girls who were earning their own living had no pleasant clubs. Grace Dodge believed strongly in these things and worked so earnestly all her life for them that other people became interested too and gladly cooperated with her and her beloved work. Grace Hoadley Dodge was born in New York City, May 21st, 1855. The Dodge family divided their time between their city home and their beautiful country house at Riverdale on the banks of the Hudson. Here Grace had many a fine gallop through the country with her brothers. Aside from these lively rides which she greatly enjoyed, she lived quietly. Even as a child, Grace thought very little about her own pleasure or herself. She liked to talk with the workmen who kept the beautiful lawns and gardens in order and to make friends with their children. Although there were nurses and governesses in the family, the younger sisters and brothers always preferred to go to sister Grace when they wanted to be comforted and they did not go in vain. When Grace went shopping in the city with her mother, she used to think that it was very hard for girls to have to stand behind the counter all day. I am ashamed to have so much while these girls have so little, she would many times say to herself, wondering what she could do about it. Grace Dodge attended a private school at Farmington, Connecticut. After her school days were over, she began to do the work that had always interested her. One of the reasons that she accomplished so much was that whenever she saw a need for something, she set about to fill it. Furthermore, she kept persistently at the work until it was done. Miss Dodge soon discovered that many of the girls in whom she was interested had to work long hours in factories. She began to find that they did not know much about cooking or sewing or taking proper care of their health. It was a great pity, she thought, that these girls, many of whom would soon be having homes of their own, should know so little about the important work of homemaking. Miss Dodge began to gather a group of these girls about her every week and talk to them. She told them in a friendly, simple way how to choose their clothes, how to keep well and strong, and how to use their money wisely. She told them too how to live the right kind of lives and of the help that God would give them. Often she talked to them about the homes that they might make someday. The girls were eager to tell her about themselves. Each one felt that she could consider Miss Dodge as her personal friend. The Irene Club, as this group was named after a beloved member, grew until it had to be divided. Still the girls continued to come. In this way, clubs for working girls were started. These clubs have proved to be so successful that they have never stopped growing. At that time, there were no places where girls who were busy all day could learn homemaking. Miss Dodge, therefore, together with several other young women organized classes for these girls and various household subjects. Miss Dodge and her associates soon discovered that there were very few teachers who had been trained to teach in this particular field. They later found that there was a lack of highly trained teachers and practically all of the departments of teaching. Miss Dodge began to think that there should be a school to train teachers in the various branches of learning. It was not Grace Dodge's way to stop merely with thinking. She began to work for this school and largely because of her efforts, Teachers College of Columbia University rose on Morningside Heights in New York City. Every year, this college sends out thousands of men and women prepared to teach all the school subjects. The wonderful work that Teachers College is accomplishing is due and a large measure to the inspiration and guidance that Grace Dodge gave to the college throughout her life. In many other ways, Grace Dodge carried on her work of helpfulness. She was the first woman to serve on the Board of Education in New York City. Because of her pity for women and children who were unprotected and bewildered in travel, she organized the Travelers' Aid Society. So firm was her belief in what the Young Woman's Christian Association does for girls that she worked to make it a strong organization. She was the president of its national board for eight years. Miss Dodge often called herself a working girl whose wages were paid in advance. Her money meant to her merely a means for doing good. Grace Holy Dodge was unselfish and determined to fill the need that she saw. Through her efforts, school girls and boys now have many opportunities to use hand and brain together. It was because of her great interest in others that she brought joy into the life of many a wage-earning girl and helped to fit her for her work of homemaking. End of chapter 10, recording by Madison Rutherford. Chapter 11 of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Harmon Busby. When They Were Girls, by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter 11, Alice Cunningham Fletcher, The Girl Who Befriended the Red Man. Once upon a time, there lived a little girl named Alice who loved to sit upon the shore and listen to the song of the waves. She also liked to climb a high hill and look far off at the blue sky and the green slopes. At home, she had plenty of good books to read and she loved them too. They told her delightful stories about things that had happened long ago. Sometimes she did not quite understand all that they said as she read them curled up by the fire but later when she wandered in the woods, their meaning became clearer. It was the same way when she played on the piano at home. The music set her to dreaming and called forth puzzling thoughts. Outdoors, she seemed to understand better what the music had to tell her. This little girl was Alice Cunningham Fletcher. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1845. As she grew older, the thought came to her that if she felt so happy out in the open, how must the Indians feel who had lived a free out-of-door life for generations? Gradually, she began to think that these people whom the world called savages must have learned something about how to live happily. Alice Fletcher resolved that if ever there came a time when it was possible, she would go to the home of the Indians and try to discover their secrets. Meanwhile, she studied all that books and museums to teach her of the story of the red men. At last, there did come a day when she decided to go and live among them. It meant leaving behind her beloved libraries, fine concerts, beautiful pictures, and even a comfortable bed in easy chair. Ms. Fletcher felt, however, that there was something that meant more than comfort to her. It was the doing of a definite piece of work that she believed would be useful to the world. Therefore, she left the friends with whom she could talk of books, pictures, and music, and went to live among the Dakota and Omaha Indians. From the door of her rude wigwam of buffalo skins, she could watch the little Indian children at play and see the everyday life of the older members of the tribe. Most people think of the American Indian as a reserved, stern sort of person who never laughs or jokes. What Ms. Fletcher saw from her wigwam gave her an entirely different opinion. She saw the Indians enjoy fun and take a wide awake interest in everything that went on around them. She decided that the sternness of the Indian was only a kind of mask that he wore before strangers. Soon, the new England woman ceased to be a stranger to her Indian neighbors. The love that they both had for the sky, the wind, the streams, and the forest helped to make them understand one another. It was not long before these children of nature realized that Ms. Fletcher had come to them as a friend and that she was really interested in them. So they dropped their mask of reserve and let her know them as they really were. Ms. Fletcher, always a lover of music, became greatly interested in the music of the Indians. She found, however, that it was very difficult to study. An Indian does not sing just to be heard but to express some feeling. His singing is a kind of prayer. It was only stray bits of such music that she was able to overhear and write down. Then Ms. Fletcher had a severe illness which turned out to be a blessing in one respect. When her Indian friends discovered that she really wanted to hear their music, they gathered about her bed and sang for her. To please her, they even were willing to sing into a phonograph, which was to them a strange machine. Thus, their songs were preserved for all time. Ms. Fletcher has written a book entitled Indian Story and Song from North America. This book has already suggested themes for a number of American musical compositions. Presently, a chance to prove that she was really a friend of the Indians came to Alice Fletcher. Some greedy white men were trying to get the good land away from the red men, giving them poorer land in return. Sometimes the Indians were so enraged with their treatment that they would rise and revolt. The situation kept growing worse and worse. Ms. Fletcher realized that it would be no better unless each Indian secured from the government the right to hold a portion of the tribal land for himself. She set out for Washington to try to persuade Congress that the Indians must hold their land just as the white man holds his. A book which had just appeared, written by Helen Hunt Jackson, called A Century of Dishonor, helped a little to make people realize the wrongs done to the Indians. However, the congressmen were much more interested in the affairs of their own people than in the Indians. Ms. Fletcher, therefore, had to plead their cause continually until the Indian Land Act was finally passed. The president asked Ms. Fletcher to undertake the difficult task of allotting the tracts of land to the Omaha Indians. He knew that they trusted her and would be content with her judgment. Later, she did the same work for other tribes of Indians to the satisfaction of everybody. The girl and boy scouts and the campfire girls have interested Ms. Fletcher very much because she believes that the outdoors can bring health and happiness to girls and boys. She has made a collection of Indian games for these organizations. Also, Ms. Fletcher has written books and articles about the Indians. Her writings are a great help to those who are making a special study of the different people of the world. Alice Cunningham Fletcher gave up luxury and even comfort to learn about the Indians. The work of her mind has been of great value to learned people in their study of races and the work of her heart will never be forgotten by the simple folk who's wrong she helped to write. End of Chapter 11 Recording by Harman Busby Chapter 12 of When They Were Girls This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Jen Broda. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter 12, Louise Homer, who believes that hard work is the secret of her success as a singer. Louise paid no attention to the calls of the children, what were a few hours lost play compared with the treat in store for her. Tonight, after the regular prayer meeting, a song service was to be held to study hymns. Louise had begged so hard to be allowed to attend that her father had consented, provided that her lessons were thoroughly prepared in the afternoon. These midweek song services were held at the Minneapolis church of which her father was pastor. There, Louise Beatty sang for the first time outside her own home. Little did this girl realize that her rich, deep voice would later make her famous throughout the world. Louise Dilworth Beatty was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1872, into a family where playing and singing were as much a part of the daily program as eating or sleeping. Every one of the eight Beatty children loved music. They were always singing in duets, trios, quartets, or choruses. Gathered around the fire on winter evenings, the family formed an impromptu orchestra. One sister played the piano, a brother, the bones, Mr. Beatty the flute, and Louise, the future great opera singer, the triangle. Music had always delighted Louise in particular. At school, the seven-year-old girl was stirred day after day by the thrilling notes of the music which the teacher played as the pupils marched out for recess. When Louise was 14 years old, she made her first appearance in public as a soloist. The church in the little Pennsylvania town where the family was living was to give the cantata, Ruth, and Naomi. Mrs. Beatty was rather amused when Louise was asked to take the part of Ruth, for she had never sung alone. But Louise herself was delighted. There rehearsals were a joy. On the night set for the cantata, just as the singers were assembling, the disturbing news came that the man who was to sing the part of Boaz had missed his train. What was to be done? I will sing his part too, offered Louise. She carried the bass profundo part in addition to her own, with such great success that everyone told her mother that Louise's voice was wonderful and that it should be cultivated. Soon after this, Louise began to take singing lessons, but the thought of becoming an opera singer did not occur to her. She kept busy with her high school work and later on studied music in Philadelphia. She also sang in a church there. Then one day Louise Beatty took the most important step in her life. She decided to go to Boston to study music seriously. She felt that she must know more about music itself if she were to become a real singer. She was advised to study harmony and composition with Sidney Homer, well known as a writer of music. She began her lessons with Mr. Homer and in addition studied singing with William L. Whitney. In 1895, Louise Beatty and Sidney Homer were married. Mr. Homer believed that his wife's voice was unusual and that it was especially suited for opera. He wanted her to go abroad to train herself to be an opera singer. Accordingly, they went to Paris where Madame Homer studied very hard for two years. She was able to do a tremendous amount of work without injuring her health because she lived quietly and ate good home food at regular hours. Then came the reward of the long hours spent in singing with her teachers, in practicing and in studying languages and dramatics. Madame Homer was ready to sing an opera. In America, she appeared for the first time in San Francisco in the opera Aida and a few weeks later in New York in the same part. She was a success at once. For many years, Louise Homer has delighted American audiences with her beautiful contralto voice. To keep her voice in good condition and to learn the many parts that she had sung has not been an easy task. Every day during the season she practices and studies. Madame Homer believes that a great name, once made, can only be kept by thorough work. While Madame Homer has never slighted any part of the work of her profession, neither has she neglected the work of home-making. She has always found time to be an intelligent and affectionate mother to her children and to preside over a real home. Remembering her own happy childhood, she has been determined that her children should have as much love and care and good training as her own mother gave her. Louise, the eldest daughter, has a good mezzo voice and has sung in recitals, sometimes with her mother. Sydney, the second child, has also inherited musical ability. Madame Homer and her husband have always been intensely interested in each other's work. The wife loves to sing the songs her husband composes, and in turn takes delight in dedicating them to her. Louise Homer possessed a remarkable voice, but her own painstaking and constant work has brought it to perfection. End of Chapter 12, recording by Jen Broda. Chapter 13 of When There Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Chapter 13, Harriet Goodhue Hosmer. The girl who loved art more than ease. Bats, birds, toads, snakes and beetles filled the room. Some were stuffed and mounted and the others were either dissected or preserved in alcohol. This room was neither a museum nor a boys' den. It was owned by a little girl known as Happy Hattie and she herself had collected and prepared every one of its strange ornaments. At the time that Harriet Hosmer was young, dissecting animals was not considered a proper amusement for a girl. The neighbors thought that Harriet would have been much better employed in sewing a fine seam. Harriet's father, an eminent physician, had his own ideas about bringing up his little girl. Dr. Hosmer wanted her to live in the fresh air and sunshine so that she would be strong and healthy. The more Harriet ranged the woods in search of specimens, the better her father was pleased. Dr. Hosmer gave his little girl a boat so that she could row on the Charles River which flowed past her home. He had a Venetian gondola made for her too with velvet cushions and a silver prowl. In fact, he thought that no gift was too rich for his little girl so long as it would keep her in the open air. Harriet enjoyed out-of-door life. She grew tall and strong. Her muscles became firm from much rowing. She could walk miles without being tired and was a fearless rider. Thus unknowingly did this little girl who later became a distinguished sculptor lay a strong foundation for her life work. Harriet Goodhue Hosmer was born in Watertown, Massachusetts on October 9, 1830. Even as a child, she liked to play with clay and mold it into shapes. In one corner of the garden, there was a clay pit. Here the little girl used to go when she grew tired of books to fashion dogs and horses from the wet clay. Harriet went to school in Watertown and later attended a private school at Lenox, Massachusetts. After three years at Lenox, Harriet returned home. She then began to study drawing and modeling in Boston. Often she walked both to and from her lessons a distance of 14 miles. By this time, Harriet Hosmer realized that nothing made her happier than to turn formless bits of clay into beautiful objects. She felt that she would like to go still further in her work. She wanted to see some of her ideas take shape in marble. Harriet knew that a sculptor cannot fashion lifelike figures of people or animals without understanding the position and shape of the bony frame under the flesh. The decorations of her museum-like room, all those specimens that she had dissected or mounted as a child, had given her a fair start in the study of anatomy. She also studied this subject with her father. However, she realized that if she were to be a real sculptor, she must know more about anatomy. She consequently looked about for a school where she might study. The Boston Medical School would not accept this eager young student because she was a girl, but Harriet Hosmer was not a person to be daunted by one refusal. She was finally admitted to the St. Louis Medical College, where she had a very thorough course in anatomy. After she had completed this course, she returned home and began to work seriously in a studio which her father had fitted up for her in his garden. A beautiful girl representing Hesper, the evening star, was the subject that Harriet Hosmer chose for her first original statue. From a solid block of marble, she had a workman knock off the corners. As he was not accustomed to working for sculptors, she did not allow him to go within several inches of the part that she was to cut. All the rest of this difficult work she did with her own small hands. For eight or 10 hours a day, she chipped away at the block with chisel and a leadened mallet weighing four pounds and a half. Muscles made strong and flexible by much rowing and other exercises, enabled her to keep up this hard work day after day. The block of marble was finally turned into the head of a lovely maiden. Her hair entwined with poppies and a star on her forehead. Beautiful as was this head of Hesper, Harriet Hosmer felt that she must study more. She was very desirous of entering the studio of John Goobson, a noted English sculptor who was then resigning in Rome. Now, Mr. Goobson, hearing that Ms. Hosmer was young and rich, feared that she might be easily discouraged before real difficulties. However, as soon as he saw the daguerreotypes of her Hesper, the great sculptor said to her father, "'Whatever I can teach her, she shall learn.'" At the very beginning of her work with Mr. Goobson, Harriet Hosmer showed him that she was not the sort of girl who gives up easily. The iron rod in a clay copy of the Venus de Milo which she had modelled in order that her teacher might have an idea of her work snapped and the figure fell to pieces. However, without stopping to complain, she started at once to make another model. Harriet Hosmer continued to work steadily with John Goobson. Then one day a message came from her father stating that he had lost his fortune and could no longer send her money. Ms. Hosmer sold her fine saddle horse and took an inexpensive room for herself. Now she was actually to work for her living. Ms. Hosmer became an important figure in the art and literary circles of Rome. She numbered among her friends the Brownings, Hawthorne, the Thackerays and many other interesting people. In the years that followed, many beautiful statue emerged from unshaped marble through the transforming touch of Harriet Hosmer's hands. Her statue puck shows a merry little elf sitting cross-legged on a toadstool, his left hand resting upon a lizard, his right clasping a beetle. Some of her other important statues are a known, Beatrice Sensy, Sleeping Thorn and a statue of Thomas H. Benton. Zenobia in chains, which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is the most famous of all. This is a colossal statue representing the beautiful Queen of Palmyra taken prisoner by the Roman Emperor Aurelian. Harriet Goodhue Hosmer so loved to watch beauty grow under her fingers that she was willing to give up the carefree, easy life that she might have had as the child of a rich man. Because she developed her talent through hard, serious work, she won for herself a high place among the sculptors of America. End of Chapter 13, Recording by Julian Prattley. Chapter 14 of When There Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Nettle. When There Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter 6, Julia Ward Howe, whose battle hymn sang itself into the hearts of a nation. In the days when New York was not the big city that it is now, there was a fashionable section called the Bowling Green. The people who lived there often used to see a great yellow coat roll by. Within, three little girls sat stiffly against the bright blue cushions. These children were dressed in blue coats and yellow satin bonnets to match the chariot and its lining. They were the three little ward children, one of them, Julia, to be known later throughout the land as Julia Ward Howe. She is the author of the famous patriotic hymn which you sing so often at school, the battle hymn of the Republic. Julia Ward, the eldest of the three little girls was born in New York City, May 27th, 1819. Although her father was a rich man and loved his children very dearly, they did not have many of the pleasures which most children today enjoy as a matter of course. The ward girls had very little chance to romp and play outdoors and get acquainted with birds and flowers. To be sure, they went to Newport Rhode Island in the summer, but poor little Julia had to wear a thick green worsted veil to protect her delicate skin. It was not until she had children of her own that she realized how much she had missed in her youth. She was glad that her children could live close to nature. Julia was, however, a happy child in spite of her rather sober life. She was alone much of the time for her lively brothers were away at school and the two younger sisters played by themselves, but she was never lonely. She read a great deal, Shakespeare, Byron, and as much other poetry as she could find. She enjoyed her music and other lessons. Julia was particularly fond of study. At first she had lessons at home, but at the age of nine, she was sent to a private school nearby. Here, this little girl studied a difficult book, Paley's Moral Philosophy with girls of 16 and 18 years of age. Once at this time, she heard a class reciting an Italian lesson. The musical sound of the language delighted her and she listened whenever she had the chance. She secured a grammar and studied it by herself. Then, one day, she handed the surprise teacher a letter written correctly in Italian, asking permission to join the class. Julia loved to make up poetry and when she was in her 13th year, she copied a number of her poems into a brown blank book as a present for her father. One of them was a poem written about her mother whom she had lost when she was only six years old. Still, another was in French and in the four stanzas, there was only one mistake. The study of languages was always a delight to her. She spoke and wrote French and German very well. Later in life, she studied Spanish and at the age of 50, she did not feel that she was too old to begin the study of a Greek. At 24 years of age, Julia Ward married Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe. He was a noble-hearted man whom everyone knew as the first person to teach language to a blind deaf mute, namely Laura Bridgeman. A happy busy time began for these two people who believed that life should be lived for others. Dr. Howe was engaged with his work for the blind and for the freeing of the slaves. Mrs. Howe went on with her studies and wrote poems, plays, and essays. She helped her husband with his anti-slavery work and together they edited a newspaper called The Commonwealth. Yet, no matter how crowded these days were, there was always a time in the afternoon that was set aside for the children. The mother played and sang to the little folks and there were Mary romps as the father wrapped in a big fur coat, played bare and growled fiercely. Both mother and father often read aloud to their children. When the civil war broke out, Julia Ward Howe longed to help her country and soon a special way came. One day she was driving back into Washington with friends after having witnessed a review of some troops. Their carriage was delayed by the returning soldiers to pass away the time Mrs. Howe and her companions began to sing war songs. Among them they sang, John Brown's body lies emouldering in the grave. Why do you not write some good words for that stirring tune? Someone asked Mrs. Howe. I have often wished to do so, she answered. The next morning Mrs. Howe awoke before dawn and found the words of a song shaping themselves in her mind. As soon as the poem was complete, she rose and in the early morning light wrote it down on a sheet of paper. This poem was the famous battle hymn of the Republic which soon sent itself into the hearts of the nation. Mrs. Howe's writings have been numerous. In addition to her books of poetry, she also wrote much in behalf of social reforms. She lectured far and wide and loved to talk to school children. Because she wanted women to learn how to help themselves, she founded or helped to found many clubs and organizations for them. She wanted them to have the vote too. Mrs. Howe's children have followed in their mother's footsteps and written books themselves. One of her daughters, Laura E. Richards, has written delightful stories for children. Her book, Two Noble Lives, tells very beautifully the life stories of her remarkable mother and father. Maude Howe Elliott and Florence Howe Hall are also the authors of many books. The son, Henry Mary and Howe, has written books on scientific subjects. Our country honors Julia Ward Howe as the author of one of its greatest songs, which will ever continue to stir our patriotism. Because as a girl, she made the best use of her talents, she was enabled to fill a long life with great service. End of chapter six, Julia Ward Howe, whose battle hymn sang itself into the hearts of a nation. Recording by Nettle. Chapter fifteen of When They Were Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Larry Wilson. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter fifteen. Helen Keller, the deaf and blind girl who found light and happiness through knowledge. In a beautiful southern garden where birds sang gaily and roses, honeysuckle and jazamine, shed their fragrance, little Helen lay face downward on the ground. She hid her hot cheeks in the cool leaves and grass. The tears flowed fast. Why? Why would no one understand what she wanted? Sometimes it seemed as if she could not bear the world of darkness and silence in which she lived. This little girl could not talk like other children. Neither could she see the yellow rose petals or hear the songs of the birds. On June 27th, 1880, Helen Keller was born in the little Alabama town of Tuscumbia. For nineteen months she was just like any other happy, healthy baby girl. Then a severe illness took away her sight and hearing. And because she was unable to hear her baby words, she soon forgot how to talk. One day when Helen was nearly seven years old, a new doll was put into her arms. Then in her hand, a lady made the letters D-O-L-L in the deaf alphabet. Helen did not know that things had names, but she was amused with this new game and imitated the letters for her mother. Helen's new friend and teacher was Miss Ann Sullivan. She had come from the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston to teach this little girl. When the finger game had been going on for a month, Miss Sullivan spelled the word W-A-T-E-R into Helen's hand, letting her feel the warm water from the pump. A light broke over Helen's face. For the first time she understood that everything had a name. She touched the pump and the trellis and asked for their names. In a few hours he had learned 30 new words. That night Helen went to bed very happy, looking forward for the first time in her life to another day. A new joyous life now began for this little girl whose mind had been in the dark. She soon realized that every word that she would learn would provide her with a new and pleasant thought. Miss Sullivan gave Helen slips of cardboard on which words were printed in raised letters. She never tired of playing the game of arranging these words and sentences. Down by the river Helen built dams of pebbles and dug lakes and bays and was taught how the world is made. In the woods her teacher put a violet or dogwood blossom in her hand and explained about growing things. She learned to know the crickets and the Katie did by holding them in her hand. Helen played all these games, not realizing that she was learning lessons. When Helen was eight years old, Miss Sullivan took her to Boston to the Perkins Institution for the Blind. The child was delighted to find there little girls and boys who could talk to her in the language of the hand. She enjoyed too the books in the library printed in raised type and began to read in earnest. It was at this time that she climbed Bunker Hill Monument counting every step. She had another lesson in history at Plymouth Rock. It was difficult of course for Helen to talk with people who did not know the deaf alphabet. Miss Sullivan had to spell out the conversation into her hand. When Helen heard of a deaf girl who had been taught to speak, she was determined to learn too. It was the hardest task she had undertaken, for she could not hear the sound of her own voice nor see the lips of others. She would feel the position of her teacher's tongue and lips when making a sound and then imitate the motions. Constant practice and the great desire to achieve always spurred her efforts. It was slow tedious work, but Helen persevered. She did succeed in learning to speak. It was a very happy day when Helen actually spoke to her parents and to her little sister Mildred. At 10 years of age, Helen had put her whole heart and will into learning to speak. Six years later, after having studied lip reading, French and German and other difficult subjects, she determined to undertake what seemed like another impossibility. She made up her mind to go to college. Many of the books that she needed were not printed in raised type. She could not hear lectures nor take notes. Such were a few of the difficulties that this young girl had to face. Nevertheless, Helen was not to be discouraged. She entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies and bravely began her preparation for Radcliffe College. Miss Sullivan went to Helen's classes with her and spelled into her hand all that the teacher said. Helen wrote her compositions on the typewriter. She used it too in answering successfully the examination questions. Helen was urged to take special work at college, but she preferred to follow the regular course. Once more, this blind and deaf girl conquered all the difficulties and in 1904 was graduated from Radcliffe College. She had completed the same course as had the young women at Radcliffe College and the young men at Harvard University who could see and hear. As Helen Keller grew older, she realized that knowledge, besides giving pleasure, enables one to be of more help in the world. After her graduation, she was eager to be of service. Naturally, she thought of the blind first. Miss Keller was made a member of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and served on several boards for the blind and deaf. She has always urged that the blind be given the kind of education that will fit them to support themselves. Miss Keller has written many magazine articles and several books. When she was only 12 years old, she wrote a short account of her life for the youth's companion and her The Story of My Life was published before her graduation from college. Instead of being a burden, this blind and deaf girl early became a happy useful citizen. She has succeeded because she was determined to know more, no matter how much hard work it cost her. Helen Keller says that the worst darkness is ignorance. Her life motto has been, knowledge is love and light and vision. End of chapter 15. Chapter 16 of When They Were Girls. This is a LibraVox recording. All LibraVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibraVox.org. Recording by Betty B. When They Were Girls by Rebecca Deming Moore. Chapter 16, Maria Mitchell, the girl who studied the stars. It was an eventful day in the Mitchell home. The parlor window had been taken out and the telescope mounted in front of it. 12-year-old Maria at her father's side counted the seconds while he observed a total eclipse of the sun. Not every 12-year-old girl could be trusted to use the chronometer, an instrument which measures the time even more accurately than a watch. Maria, however, had been helping her father in his study of the stars ever since she could count. Before many years, this little girl beside the telescope became America's best known woman astronomer. On the little three-cornered island of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts, Maria Mitchell was born, August 1st, 1818, with its broad sandy beaches, its wide moors and ocean breezes. The island was a delightful spot in which to grow up. The Mitchell home was a pleasant place filled with the laughter and fun of a large family of children. Due to the mother's careful planning, the wheels of the household machinery ran very smoothly. No one would have guessed by seeing the cheerful, comfortable home how far Mrs. Mitchell had to stretch a tiny income. Work and play were happily mingled. Little Maria, with her sisters, learned to cook and sew. Maria was always ready to do her share of the household work. If she swept a room, she did it thoroughly. When she arranged the furniture, it might not be done artistically, but every piece was straight. She could not bear to have things crooked. This exactness about little things was one of the qualities that made it possible for this girl to become a great astronomer. There were always good books in the Mitchell home. They were read over and over and were very carefully handled. One textbook, an algebra, was used by eight children in succession, each child adding his name inside the cover. Mr. Mitchell, who was a Quaker, enjoyed quoting to his children from the Bible and from the poets. He was particularly fond of references to his beloved stars. He often said that an astronomer could not fail to believe in God. One of the earliest poems that Maria learned was about the heavens, beginning the spacious firmament on high. She used to like to say it over to herself when in later years she was frightened or troubled. The most unusual object in Maria's home was her father's telescope. On pleasant evenings it was set up in the backyard. Ever since boyhood, Mr. Mitchell had been interested in the stars and it made astronomy his special study. Every clear evening he observed the heavens. Maria was always glad to help him. Soon she took his keen a delight in watching the sky as he. The chronometers of all the whale ships which sailed into Nantucket were brought to Mr. Mitchell to be raided as it was called. Maria used to help her father with this and at a very early age learned how to use a measuring instrument called the sextant. There was no school at this time where Maria Mitchell could be taught astronomy. Even Harvard University had no better telescope than her father's. Maria, however, had an excellent teacher in him. Many scientists sought out Mr. Mitchell in remote Nantucket and Maria had the benefit of their conversation. The years of Maria Mitchell's girlhood passed quietly but happily. She went to two schools that her father taught and then to a private school where she did very good work in mathematics. At 16 years of age she began to teach. She gave up teaching, however, to become librarian of the Nantucket Atheneum, a position that she held for nearly 20 years. The library was open only afternoons and Saturday evenings. In the afternoons there were few visitors so Ms. Mitchell had plenty of time for reading and study. She went on with her studies in higher mathematics and worked out difficult astronomical problems. Whenever visitors came in and chatted as they liked to do with this bright, interesting young woman, her book was dropped for knitting. Maria Mitchell never wasted a moment. Every clear evening was spent on the house top observing the heavens. No matter how many guests there were in the parlor, Ms. Mitchell would slip out and lantern in hand mount to the roof where the telescope was now kept. On October 1st, 1847, there was a party at the Mitchell home. Maria, as usual, ran up to the telescope. Presently she hurried back and told her father that she had seen a new comet. Mr. Mitchell was convinced that she was right and he wrote to Harvard University announcing the discovery. Maria Mitchell received for this discovery a gold medal offered 16 years before by the King of Denmark to the first discover of a telescopic comet. This won worldwide distinction for Ms. Mitchell. Next year, another great honor came to the Nantucket girl. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was the first woman to be admitted to this important scientific society. Soon after this, Ms. Mitchell was asked to put her knowledge of astronomy to use on a work for navigators called the American Nautical Almanac. She was to watch the course of the planet Venus and to make the tables which mariners need to guide them. For 19 years, she kept up this important work. It was quite natural that a woman who had watched ships pass her island home ever since childhood should long to travel. Ms. Mitchell was especially eager to meet the great scientists of Europe. At last, the happy time came for a European trip. Everywhere she was cordially received and astronomers not only opened their observatories to her but welcomed her in their homes. Shortly after Vassar College was opened, Maria Mitchell was asked to become its professor of astronomy and director of the observatory. Accepting this position meant giving up to a great extent her own studies in the hopes of making more discoveries in the heavens. However, Ms. Mitchell was very anxious that women should have a chance for higher education. Therefore, she put her own ambitions aside and threw herself into the work of teaching. Hundreds who knew her advisor will say that she chose wisely. She was honored as a remarkable teacher and loved as a friend and advisor. Ms. Mitchell was a prominent member of many important organizations. Several colleges conferred degrees upon her. In 1905, Maria Mitchell was elected to the Hall of Thing. This hall, which is situated on the grounds of New York University, was built to commemorate the achievements of distinguished citizens of the United States. Maria Mitchell lives in the memory of scientists as a great astronomer. She lives in the hearts of her students as one who taught the beauty of thorough and accurate work and of lives free from pretense and sham. End of chapter 16.