USA > Ohio > The Western Reserve of Ohio and some of its pioneers, places and women's clubs, Vol. II > Part 16
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I think we women who have the honor to belong to Sorosis should feel a great pride in the advancement made by her. At our meetings, one and two years ago, we were called upon to listen to outside talent. Our club was an experiment, so to insure success we must have those with an established reputa- tion to furnish the entertainment for its members. Now we have, right in our own society, many ladies who hold us en- chained for hours, listening with interest to their views, thoughts and interpretations of the leading topics of the day, women who never imagined they could write, much less stand before an audience of intelligent ladies and express themselves. What we need is originality, not a recapitulation of chronologi- cal events copied from encyclopedias, but the speaker's own ideas, drawn from a study of the facts recorded there. But this will be developed in time.
Our club will be our educator, and with harmony (spelled with a capital H), unity of purpose, purity of motive and per- severance, there is no obstacle which we may not surmount, and stand with our banner, upon which is written in golden letters Sorosis, and shout "Eureka."
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MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. Paper read by Mrs. N. A. Gilbert, at Historical Banquet, January 12, 1893.
Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots, was a woman of great beauty of face and form; tall, majestic and queenly in her bear- ing. She was born December 15, 1542-beheaded February 8, 1587. She was born in a Palace-beheaded in a Castle. She was the daughter of a king, and born midst scenes of defeat, resulting from British ambition and royal dissensions. She was crowned at eleven years of age Queen of the Scots, mar- ried at sixteen to the Dauphin of France, in order to complete the alliance of Henry II with Scotland; she was left a widow at the age of eighteen, and married again at the age of twenty- three to Lord Henry Darnley, son of the Earl of Lennox. On him she conferred the title of King the day before their mar- riage. Her first and only child was born the following year. Her second husband was murdered before the child was a year old, and within three months thereafter she was again mar- ried to the Earl of Bothwell, who was made the Duke of Orkney before their marriage.
About two months afterwards she signed an Act of Abdi- cation in favor of her son. During the two months that elapsed between her last marriage and abdication, hostilities broke out, growing out of a conspiracy against her husband, and Mary was deserted by most of her troops, her husband fleeing, never to return. The following year she made her escape, a powerful force rallying to her support. But again she was doomed to defeat, and fourteen days later she fled to England, where she was variously treated for about five years, when her party in Scotland was entirely overthrown and she lost all hope
MRS. N. A. GILBERT
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of deliverance therefrom. Her experiences for the next thirteen years were varied and many, especially her relations with Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth's treatment of her, the scheming of Queen Elizabeth, of the reformers, so-called, and others, would fill a volume. Their efforts, however, culminated in an association, cunningly named, and directed against those who should do violence against Queen Elizabeth, and those for whose benefit violence was committed.
This association received the sanction of parliament, and under it proceedings were begun against Mary, Queen of Scots. She was by legitimacy the rightful heir to the throne of Eng- land. Fear and jealousy inspired the charges against her. The Commission to try her met October 11, 1586, and three days later proceeded with her trial. On October 25, the Commission unanimously declared her guilty. Various attempts were made to save her life, but on February 8, of the following year, she was executed. Her death was cold, cruel and against all the higher laws of morality. The palliating fact, if such it may be called, was the necessity of securing the throne of England from a Catholic successor, and possible rebellion. After many months of neglect, Mary's body was buried in Peterborough Cathedral. A quarter of a century afterward, her body was re- moved to the Chapel of Henry VII, by order of her son, James I.
Thus have I outlined the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, from her birth to her final resting place. In the few moments allotted to me, little else than general statements can be made. Her life of forty-five years was an eventful one. Probably as many writers have written in her defense as queen, wife and woman, as have written of any one person; but after three cen- turies of debate, in hundreds of works of historians, poets and novelists, her guilt or innocence is no nearer settled than when
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debated by her champions and accusers three centuries ago. Always charged with crime and unfaithfulness, she has ever had the sympathy and admiration of the majority.
She was born, lived and died, in and during a period of time, and in countries such that the exercise of a degree of charity may largely account for the difference of opinion con- cerning her.
From the cradle to the grave, she was in a great degree favored by, or the victim of, circumstances over which she had little or no control. To be sure, she played her part in those troublesome times, and her acts were not always invol- untary. She may have been to some extent, and was in some degree, the architect of her own fortunes and misfortunes. However, her coming into the world, the heir to a throne at a time when intrigue, war, conspiracy and treason were rampant in her own and neighboring countries, and her existence during that time, were matters over which she had no control. Neither was she responsible for the historic fact that virtue among women, even among royalty, was not the priceless jewel, sung by poets and believed in by the women of later years. I do not seek by this to cause it to be believed that Mary Queen of Scots was not a true woman, but rather to account for accu- sations against her. Marriage, during the period of her life, was not a union of hearts, but statecraft, and the union of in- terest. She was accused of treachery, murder, conspiracy, un- faithfulness and domestic intrigue, but her accusers were those interested, or rivals, either for royalty, power or otherwise. She was possessed of sufficient principle to differ with her people in her religious belief, and to maintain it in the face of the greatest danger, not only to her royal office, but to her very life. She maintained her faith to the time of her death,
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and died with the heroic bravery of a martyr. Her last words were, "I die constant in my religion, firm in my fidelity toward Scotland, and unchanged in my affection for France. Commend me to my son. Tell him I have done nothing injurious to his kingdom, nor to his rights, and God forgive all those who have thirsted without cause for my blood."
It would be but the exercise of Christian charity, viewing all the circumstances of her life, all of which were to her, at that solemn hour, an open book, to say that her message to her son, that she "had done nothing injurious to his kingdom, nor his honors, nor his rights," as but the truth, especially when the words were spoken by her when she knew that within a few moments of time, she must be in the presence of Him who knoweth all things, and for whom her faith and reverence had been so great and steadfast.
WOMAN AND THE WORLD'S FAIR.
Response to a toast given at Historical Banquet, January 12, 1893, by Mrs. M. C. Hickman.
I am embarrassed by the greatness of the subject: Woman and the World's Fair. Either is enough, but both together are too much for anybody.
The Woman's Council have advised all women coming to the Fair to wear the reform dress, and one editor thinks if this reform can be adopted it will be the greatest good effected by the exhibition.
So far as heard from, every woman in America expects to be there. Two years ago, when visiting in the Far West, al- most everyone we met was planning to come East at that time. At Chautauqua last summer, the common expression at parting was, "We'll meet again at the World's Fair." There will then
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be such a gathering of women-and some men-as the world has never seen. There are more to go, there is more to show, and it will be easier to get there.
Max O'Rell is reported to have said, that he hopes the next time he is born, it may be as an American woman. It argues great improvement in woman's condition that any man should dare express such a wish. The devout Mahommedan returns thanks daily that he was not born a woman. Luther expressed the universal sentiment when he said, "This is a hard world for girls." But this is woman's age, and woman's country, and she is rising. Still if Max O'Rell were an American woman and could have no vote, and must be taxed without representa- tion, must work for much less because of sex, and if married could own neither his children nor the proceeds of his daily toil, to say nothing of the sufferings endured from fashion's tyranny, it is very probable he would wish he were a man again.
Woman is now in a transition state, and where she is going nobody knows. The light of this age has proved very destruc- tive to many time-honored theories and fancies. The venerable theory that man is a sun and woman the moon reflecting his light has miserably perished. Modern investigation has dis- covered that woman is a sun too, and may shine by her own as well as by borrowed light. The brightness of so many men has been obscured by ignorance and sin, and this world would be vastly darker than it is if women only shone by reflected light. The future will be sunnier and brighter, healthier and happier, with two suns in the social firmament instead of the sun and moon of olden times.
Another very touching and beautiful figure that has been fatally damaged by modern investigation, is, that man is a tree and woman the helpless clinging vine. I hardly know
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how this fancy originated, for women seem to have borne the burden of support among most nations of the past. The vine theory was very hard on women who found no suitable tree to cling to, or whose support was destroyed by sin, death and incompetency. And many a fine tree has been hopelessly ruined by trying to support burdensome exhausting vines. Theories mold life and action, and it is well the discovery has been made that woman is a tree, too, somewhat different in kind, but capable of self-support and of standing alone. It has also been found that these trees flourish best in close prox- imity. Hence, doors long closed are everywhere opening to admit women, where men have reigned alone through the ages.
Women will be represented in the management of the com- ing World's Fair for the first time. It is said men's clubs are chiefly for dining and wining, for lounging and smoking. But woman's societies have nearly always some moral, literary or social object. Possibly it is woman's influence that explains the fact that over one hundred congresses of different kinds will be held in connection with the Chicago Fair for the pre- sentation and discussion of moral, social and literary questions. To very many these councils will be more interesting than the mechanical exhibits.
Women's councils are something new under the sun. Neither sacred nor profane history record anything of the kind before the last few years. If many weak and foolish things are said and done at them, it is only what may be said of all the great councils of history, though women were not in them. Women show great zeal for knowledge now that the way is open, and the danger is that men will be left behind in education, virtue and culture. Every true woman desires men to excel in these things, not by keeping her back, but by their own forward
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movement. With all the advantages still in their favor, they should do this.
Two-thirds of the graduates of the high schools are now girls-most members of the Chautauqua and other reading cir- cles are women. But knowledge is a power in a woman's head as well as a man's, and if the men would hold their ancient supremacy, they must educate. Too many boys fall out of school and into the saloon and other bad places. Some quit because they must go to work, but perhaps more because they want money for foolish gratifications and because they and their parents do not realize the importance of education. It is hoped that this question will be investigated at some of the Chicago congresses.
The Columbia year finds woman in most of the trades and professions. Some of these she almost monopolizes, as teach- ing, stenography and clerking. But what effect will this have upon home life? With a million men in America now unem- ployed, is there not danger that men will be ruined by idleness, and the women by over work?
Mrs. Livermore tells of her disgust with woman's exhibit at the Centennial. The inevitable bed-quilt of many colors and pieces was the principal thing seen.
Women have largely outgrown that once famous industry, though it still lives in other forms quite as foolish. One girl was reported to have made a crazy quilt of ten thousand pieces and hundreds of different stitches, but she was good for noth- ing else, and it was significantly added, her father fastened his suspenders with a nail! That quilt will probably be at the World's Fair to make sensible women ashamed.
Home-making is woman's chief pursuit and most important industry, for which she is willing, and often anxious, to re-
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linquish every other profession, no matter how lucrative or hon- orable. Man can build a home, but he cannot make a home. But how can this home-making industry be properly exhibited? In one sense, everything at Chicago is the product of the Home and Woman's effort, though perhaps it would not be wise to claim it. It will be very disastrous for the country if business and the professions should draw women in large numbers from the home life, but womanly instincts are too strong to excite much alarm in that direction.
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY THE NORSEMEN.
Paper read by Mrs. J. H. Paine, before the Sorosis, February 2, 1893.
While not desiring in any way to detract from the laurels of Columbus and the adventurous admirals of his day, if we are to be true recorders of history, and give honor where honor is due, we must look to the "land of the midnight sun"-not to the sunny climes of Italy and Spain-for the true discoveries of the new world.
The Norsemen were a branch of the Teutonic race, that in early times emigrated from Asia and finally settled in the western part of the kingdom of Norway. They made them- selves known in every part of the civilized world. Political cir- cumstances urged many of the boldest and most intelligent to seek there an asylum of freedom.
Harold Haarfrage had determined to make himself monarch of all Norway, in which he was instigated by the ambition of the fair and proud Rogna Adelsdatter, whom he loved and courted. She declared that the man she married must be king of all Norway. Harold accepted the conditions, and after twelve years' hard fighting, during which time he neither cut nor combed his hair, he gained his kingdom.
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He passed a law abolishing all freehold tenure of property, usurping it for the crown. To this the proud freemen would not submit, and they resolved to leave those lands and homes which they could scarcely call their own. Whither should they go? Some went to the Hebrides, Shetland and other islands; some as vikings to England and France. But by far the great- est number went to Iceland, which had been discovered by the celebrated Norse Viking Naddodd, in the year 860, and called by him Snowland. The emigration from Norway began in 874, and this is the hinge upon which the door to America opened. The constant voyages between Iceland and Norway led to the discovery, first of Greenland, then America. It is due to the high intellectual standing and fine historical taste of the Icelanders, that records of these voyages were kept- records that instructed Columbus how to find America, and afterwards solved for us the mysteries concerning the discovery of this continent. Alexander von Humboldt says, "The dis- covery of the northern part of America by the Norsemen can- not be disputed." Herjulf, who had moved to Greenland, had a son Bjarne, who followed the seas. The latter, finding his father had moved during one of his absences, resolved to fol- low. So he started with his men. They sailed for three days and lost sight of land, then the wind failed. After this a north wind and fog set in, and they knew not where they were. At last, when the sun shone, like a blue cloud in the horizon they saw the outlines of an unknown land. It was without moun- tains, and covered with woods. Bjarne saw that this did not answer the description of Greenland, so he left the land and sailed north. In two days he again sighted land. Still Bjarne would not land, but sailed on, driven by a violent wind which in four more days brought them to Greenland. From distances,
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the currents and length of days, etc., there is every reason to believe that Bjarne Herjulfson was the first European to see America, in the year 986.
When Bjarne visited Norway a few years later, he was censured in strong terms for not going ashore, by Earl Erik and others. Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, bought Bjarne's ship, and with a crew of 35 men set sail. They landed at Helf- land, now called Newfoundland, and in Markland, now called Nova Scotia. They again proceeded in the open sea, after two days once more encountering land. They ran their ship into a place where a river flows out of a lake (which is supposed to be the Charles river and Mount Hope bay). Here they an- chored, and it is supposed they landed near Fall River, Massa- chusetts. They remained through the winter and built a large house.
There was a German in Leif Erikson's party, who was a prisoner of war, by the name Tyrker. He had become a special favorite of Erikson. He was missing one day and Erikson be- came very anxious, fearing he had been destroyed by the na- tives or wild beasts. Toward evening he was found coming in in a very excited state of mind. The cause of his excitement was some fruit he had found, which to his joy was the same grape that grew in his native land. So Erikson named the country Vineland.
The first expedition landing in America was in the year 1000. In the spring Erikson returned to Greenland. In 1002 another expedition was fitted out by Thorwald Erikson (Leif's brother), who remained three years in Vinland. But it cost him his life, for in a battle with the Skraallints (natives) he was killed. His death gains interest from the fact that a skele- ton in armor was found in the vicinity of Fall River. Many of
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the circumstances connected with it were so wonderful that Longfellow wrote in the year 1841 "The Skeleton in Armor," beginning, Speak, speak, thou fearful ghost; after which he makes the skeleton tell of his adventures and discovery of America. He says:
"Three weeks we westward bore, And when the storm was o'er, Cloud-like, we saw the shore, Stretched to the leeward. "
The great Swedish chemist, Barzelins, analyzed the breast- plate found upon the skeleton and found that its composition corresponded with the metals used in the north in the tenth century.
When the Norsemen had buried Thorwald, they loaded their ships with the products of the land and returned to Green- land in the year 1005. We know that while Columbus was maturing in his mind the discovery of the West, he made a voyage to Iceland in 1477, which shows that he discovered America by study and research and not by accident.
Then let us remember that Leif Erikson was the first white man who stepped upon American soil, and that five hundred years before the discovery of Columbus. Then why should we not pay homage to Leif Erikson and build him a monument? Perhaps our Sorosis may in the near future celebrate his dis- covery of America by a banquet worthy of the memory of the brave Norseman.
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A PICNIC DOWN THE TENNESSEE. Paper by Mrs. J. K. Hord.
The privilege of a picnic excursion on a pleasure boat down the Tennessee river from Chattanooga to Shellmound, a distance of some thirty-five miles, with a chosen party of friends, is one of no ordinary value; such was mine.
The weather was all the most exacting could ask, and as we boarded the little steamer Walden, her decks were covered with a happy crowd of tourists and excursionists, intent upon all the enjoyment and pleasure the occasion could afford.
The broad Tennessee comes sweeping down on the north side of Chattanooga, with spreading banks more than half a mile apart, and runs most circuitously, being forced to make its channel at the arbitrary dictation of those mountain ranges which seem to lie at will, in all directions, forming a pano- ramic picture of gorgeous magnificence. It seems indeed a vain effort for me to attempt a description, portraying the rugged heights and rocky palisades presented on this trip-as if, in some far-away geologic age, nature had risen, like the angels, when there was war in heaven, contending against herself, with mighty forces.
The last warning notes of the steam whistle had scarcely sounded when we swung out from land, feeling every pulsation of our being respond to the patriotic notes poured out upon the bosom of the Tennessee by Chattanooga's favorite band, and echoing back in rolling waves from these many peaks and mountainous elevations. We are first confronted on the north side of the river with Walden's mountain-its abrupt palisades, rising from a thousand to fifteen hundred feet above low water
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mark, then breaking off and sloping down into undulating foot- hills, covered with shrubs and forest trees, mingled with laurel and pine, that keep these forest slopes in perpetual green.
. Immediately at our left stands Cameron Hill, about which cluster many interesting and thrilling memories of the war, but which is now covered, on the slope facing the city, with elegant homes occupied by our wealthy citizens, and reached by an incline railroad and a steep winding street. We rounded the base of this celebrated hill-some three hundred feet high- which presents an appearance as seen from the north, of a sleeping lion, apparently ready to lap the waters of the turbid river flowing at his feet. While passing its western shore we have in full front of us (going south) the far-famed, historic Lookout Mountain Point, rising nearly three thousand feet above sea-level. We steam directly towards its base, and the view here presented is one of more than ordinary beauty and grandeur; and as we near the lofty-browed point the impressive scene becomes inspiring, and we stand in breathless admira- tion. But here we are at the very base, and almost in touch of the massive rocks, save only by a threadlike line, where lays the track of the iron monster, who scales the mountain and pene- trates the tunnels, carrying behind his well-burdened train with the triumph of a victorious conqueror.
Immediately and almost over our heads on the plateau and at the foot of the palisades is the battle-field where the Con- federate forces made their stand against the irresistible sol- diers of the Union, and where Gen. Hooker did not fight above the clouds, but only a misty fog, which is often seen hanging over the valley below. Here the mighty river impinging against the solid buttress of the mountain base, as though it would gladly break through this giant karrier, and pursue its course
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at will, yields to superior force, turns back almost upon itself, like the classic Meander, and flows for a distance of some three miles within sight of the portion over which we have just passed, forming a striking figure known as Moccasin Bend, so named by the native children, the Indians, and still retained. We are now passing Lookout Creek at Brown's Ferry, a stream of war interest that comes down the valley between Lookout and Raccoon mountains, a distance of some thirty or forty miles, to empty its waters into the broad bosom of the Tennessee, and near which the famous midnight battle was fought among the foot hills of Wauhatchie, between two contending armies, while farther up the valley the mule brigade of the quartermaster's department was stationed. The terrific advance of the rebel command had so terrorized the drivers of these thousand mules, they became panic stricken and left the mules to care for them- selves. Then, as the reinforcing troops under command of Gen- eral Schurtz advanced upon the Confederates, the mules, too, became frightened, and in a body began a march toward the rebel forces. This march accelerated into a trot, then into a gal- lop, until the clatter of their iron-clad feet in the darkness, as they dashed wildly on in uncontrolled confusion, seemed like a countless cavalcade, before whose resistless onward march death seemed inevitable; whereat the rebels in turn stampeded, and by early dawn Generals Geary and Schurtz were left without an opposing enemy, and the riderless mule brigade had won for their country a bloodless victory. Here was laid the pontoon bridge across the river, which constituted a part of the "Cracker line" over which supplies were carried to the famishing army at Chattanooga. Over this same bridge General Sherman's army crossed on its way to that part of Missionary Ridge now called Sherman's Heights.
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