656 



The Review of Reviews. 



THE RED CROSS WOMAN OF 

 AMERICA. 



The life and work of Clara Barton, founder of the 

 Red Cross in the United States, who died last April at 

 the age of ninety-one, is sketched in the Norik American 

 Review for May by Ida Husted Harper. She was the 

 daughter of an Army captain, and granddaughter of 

 one of the revolutionary heroes. She provided for her- 

 self, by her own savings, one of the best educations 

 then open to women. She got the State of New Jersey 

 to found a free public school, almost the first in that 

 State. In 1854. she was given the position of confidential 

 secretary to the Commissioner of Patents at Washing- 

 ton, and so was the first woman publicly employed in 

 a Government department. The male clerks were 

 highly indignant, and made a dead set against her. 

 But she brought the department out of chaos into 

 order. Dismissed because of her supporting the anti- 

 slavery movement, she was found so indispensable that 

 finally she was recalled. 



HOW HER LIFE-WORK FOUND HER^ 



She went to the help of the first wounded soldiers : — 



She'saw at once the great need of woman's help in nursing, 

 feeding, and caring for the sick and wounded, and from that 

 moment she consecrated herself to this worlj as long as the war 

 should last. Women never had been permitted in hospitals, 

 camps, or on lialtle-fields,' and officials, military and civil, 

 declined her services, really not knowing how to accept them. 

 In her own unequalled manner she succeeded in gaining the 

 confidence of the commanding officers, and finally made her 

 way to the front, where the situation was terrible. As soon as it 

 was known slie was there supplies sent to her care poured into 

 Washington, first from her own State and then from many others. 

 Her wonderful work under the most distressing conditions in a 

 short time gained for her the name " Angel of the Battle- 

 field." By her quiet self-reliance and her prompt decision she 

 obtained so large and complete a recognition that camp and 

 hospital supplies, a corps of assistants, and even military trains 

 were placed at her service. 



She was present on sixteen battlefields. After the war 

 was over she located and marked the graves of over 

 twenty thousand Union soldiers, which- but for her 

 would for ever have remained unknown. She spent 

 her own wealth freely in this service, and later the 

 Congress refunded the outlay with thanks. Then she 

 became one of the mo.st highly-paid lecturers of the 

 time. Her profits enabled her to lay aside about 

 25,000 dols. 



FIRST A15TH0RESS OF AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY. 



Worn out with her exertions, in 1869 she went to 

 Europe, came to Geneva, was approached by the Red 

 Cross Society there which had been formed in 1864, but 

 which the United States, absorbed in Civil War, had not 

 joined. In 1877 she was so far recovered as to approach 

 the United States Government, first President Hayes 

 and then President Garfield. In 1882 she secured the 

 adhesion of the United States to the Treaty of Geneva. 

 " This is doubtless the only instance where an inter- 

 national treaty vvas brought about by one person, and 

 that person a woman." Miss Barton became President 

 of the United States Society. 



RED CROSS WORK DURING PEACE. 



At her instance, the scope of the society was 

 extended to include any national calamity — forest 

 fires, river floods, cyclones, famine, earthquakes, yellow- 

 fever epidemic, tidal waves, etc. Its services in the 

 Spanish-American war were much appreciated by the 

 Spanish Government as well as by the United States. 

 She was five times appointed to represent the United 

 States at international conferences of the Red Cross 

 in Europe. In 1902 she was received with marked 

 distinction by the Tsar and Tsarina and the Empress 

 Dowager of Russia. 



THE BEST PART OF HER RELIGION. 



Though eighty-four years of age she purchased a 

 house and outlined her later work. She vi-rote to 

 friends, " You have never known me without work, 

 and you never will. It has always been a part of 

 the best religion I had." She set about establishing 

 "organised first aid to the injured." Miss Barton was 

 a strong advocate of woman's suffrage. When she was 

 eighty-four she offered her services and those of the 

 Red Cross to both Russia and Japan, and held herself 

 in readiness to start -for the Orient at the word of 

 command. Almost to the last she kept a stenographer 

 busy day after day answering the thousands of letters 

 which came to her from all parts of the globe, 



JAPANESE EPIGRAMS. 



In the Open Court for Ma\' there are three pages 

 devoted to translations of poems by Confucianist philo- 

 sophers and others from the pen of the late Arthur 

 Lloyd. Soine are quite delightful and worthy of being 

 remembered : — 



The child of lliree' 

 Possesses his own soul ; that self-same soul 

 Is his at sixty. 



How true to everyday life are the following two 

 songlets : — 



Your shoe string's broken, but beware you stoop 

 To mend it till you've crossed that melon patch, 

 ■ Lest those who see you misinteipret you. 



And again : — 



A thief may sometimes t;ike a holiday : 

 A watchdog, never. 



How many more of us would live happier lives and, 

 perchance, accomplish great things were we to learn 

 with the Japanese philosopher : — 



There is a gate, whereliy ijDod luck and ill 

 May enter in. But of that gate yourself 

 Hold the one key. 



In the May issue of the Connoisseur, Mr. George 

 Cecil has an article on the collection of Sir Alfred 

 Turner at Carlyle House, Chelsea Embankment. The 

 treasures of Sir Alfred include some fine examples of 

 Bohemian and other glass, a combined bureau and 

 prie-dieu used by Madame dc Maintenon, an ornate 

 early Jacobean cabinet, furniture of the Stuart and 

 other periods, china, rare old colour-prints, and curious 

 engravings, clocks, etc, 



