As one of them put it, "We looked at each other and, faith, it turned out to be nayther of us."
The Princess Ma.s.salsky sent to Mrs. Oliver and myself valuable tokens of her regard as souvenirs.
CHAPTER VII
Elected to be the First President of New Hampshire Daughters in Ma.s.sachusetts and New Hampshire--Now Honorary President--Kind Words which I Highly Value--Three, but not "of a Kind"--A Strictly Family Affair--Two Favourite Poems--Breezy Meadows.
On May 15, 1894, I was elected to be the first president of the New Hampshire Daughters in Ma.s.sachusetts and New Hampshire, and held the position for three years. Was then made Honorary President.
Some unsolicited approval:
Hers was a notable administration, and brought to the organization a prestige which remains. Rules might fail, but the brilliant president never. She governed a merry company, many of them famous, but she was chief. They loved her, and that affection and pride still exist.
A daughter of the "Granite State," who can certainly take front rank among business women, is Kate Sanborn, the beloved president of New Hampshire"s Daughters.
Another thing that has occupied Miss Sanborn"s time this summer aside from farming and writing is the program for the coming winter"s work for the Daughters of New Hampshire. It is all planned, and if all the women"s clubs carry such a program as the one which Miss Sanborn has planned, and that means that it will be carried out, the winter"s history of women"s clubs will be one of unprecedented prosperity.
If New Hampshire"s daughters now living out of their own State do not keep track of each other, and become acquainted into the bargain, it will not be the fault of their president, who has carried on correspondence with almost every one of them, and who has planned a winter"s work that will enable them to learn something about their own State, as well as to meet for the promoting of acquaintance.
OUR FIRST MEETING
This meeting was presided over by our much loved First-President, Kate Sanborn, and it was the most informal, spontaneous, and altogether enjoyable organization meeting that could be imagined, and the happy spirit came that has guided our way and helped us over the rough places leading us always to the light.
Our first resolve was to enjoy to the utmost the pleasure of being together, and with it to do everything possible to help our native State. To these two objects we have been steadfastly true in all the years; and how we have planned, and what we have done has been recorded to our credit, so that we may now say in looking back, "We have kept the faith and been true."
At this time there are so many memories, all equally precious and worthy of mention here, but we must be brief and only a few can be recalled.
In our early years _our_ Kate Sanborn led us through so many pleasant paths, and with her "twin President," Julia K. Dyer, brought the real New Hampshire atmosphere into it all.
That was a grand Dartmouth Day, when the good man, Eleazar Wheelock, came down from his accustomed wall s.p.a.ce to grace our program and the Dartmouth Sons brought their flag and delighted us with their college songs.
Since then have come to us governors, senators, judges, mayors, and many celebrities, all glad to bring some story with the breath of the hills to New Hampshire"s Daughters. Kate Sanborn first called for our county tributes, to renew old acquaintances and promote rivalry among the members. We adorned ourselves with the gold b.u.t.tercup badges, and adopted the grey and garnet as our colors.
NEW HAMPSHIRE"S DAUGHTERS
_Members of the Society Hold an Experience Meeting._
The first meeting of the season of New Hampshire"s Daughters was held at the Hotel Vendome, Boston, Sat.u.r.day afternoon, and was a most successful gathering, both in point of attendance and of general interest. The business of the a.s.sociation was transacted under the direction of the president, Miss Kate Sanborn, whose free construction of parliamentary law and independent adherence to common sense as against narrow conventionality, results in satisfactory progress and rapid action. The 150 or more ladies present were more convinced than ever that Miss Sanborn is the right woman in the right place, although she herself indignantly repudiates the notion that she is fitted to the position.
The Daughters declare that the rapid growth of the organization is due to Miss Sanborn more than to any other influence. Her ability, brightness, wit, happy way of managing, and her strong personality generally are undoubtedly at present the mainstays of the Daughters" organization. She is ably a.s.sisted by an enthusiastic corps of officers.
MY DEAR KATE SANBORN:
Your calendar about old age is simply _au fait_. After reading it, I want to hurry up and grow old as fast as I can. It is the best collection of sane thoughts upon old age that I know in any language. Life coming from the Source of Life must be glorious throughout. The last of life should be its best.
October is the king of all the year. A man should be more wonderful at eighty than at twenty; a woman should make her seventieth birthday more fascinating than her seventeenth.
Merit never deserts the soul. G.o.d is with His children always.
Yours for a long life and happiness, PETER MacQUEEN.
[Ill.u.s.tration: PETER MacQUEEN]
DEAR KATE SANBORN:
The "Indian Summer Calendar" is the best thing you have done yet. I have read it straight through twice, and now it lies on my desk, and I read daily selections from it, as some of the good people read from their "Golden Treasury of Texts."
MARY A. LIVERMORE.
DEAR MISS SANBORN:
It gives me pleasure to offer my testimonial to your unique, original, and very picturesque lectures. The one to which I recently listened, in the New England Conservatory of Music, was certainly the most entertaining of any humorous lecture to which I have ever listened, and it left the audience _talking_, with such bright, happy faces, I can see it now in my mind. And they _continued_ to repeat the happy things you said; at least my own friends did. It was not a "plea for cheerfulness," it _was_ cheerfulness. I hope you may give it, and make the world laugh, a thousand times. "He who makes what is useful agreeable," said old Horace of literature, "wins every vote."
You have the wit of making the useful agreeable, and the spirit and genius of it.
Sincerely, HEZEKIAH b.u.t.tERWORTH.
I published a little volume, _A Truthful Woman in Southern California_, which had a large sale for many years. Women tourists bought it to "enlarge" with their photographs. Stedman wrote me, after I had sent him my book:
MY DEAR KATE SANBORN:
I think it especially charming that you should so remember me and send me a gift-copy of Truthful Kate"s breezy and fascinating report of Southern California. For I had been so taken with your adoption of that Abandoned Farm that I had made a note of your second book. Your chapters give me as vivid an idea of Southern California as I obtained from Miss Hazard"s watercolors, and that is saying a good deal. We all like you, and indeed who does not? And your books, so fresh and sparkling, make us like you even more. Believe that I am gratified by your unexpected gift, and by the note that convoyed it.
EDMUND C. STEDMAN.
New York Public Library, Office of Circulation Department, 209 West 23rd Street, February 19,1907.
MISS KATE SANBORN, Metcalf, Ma.s.s.
DEAR MISS SANBORN:
You may be interested to know that your book on old wall-papers is included in a list of books specially recommended for libraries in Great Britain, compiled by the Library a.s.sociation of the United Kingdom, recently published in London. As there seems to be a rather small proportion of American works included in the list, I think that this may be worthy of note.
With kindest regards, I remain, Very truly yours, ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK.
_Chief of the Circulation Department_.
MY DEAR MISS KATE SANBORN: