May Wright Sewall Papers

The Modern St. Anthony

By Fanny B. Ames

"Who loses home and friends for my name's sake Finds life that neither foe not time can take!" So spake the ancient Voice.

By spirit-ear the spirit-sense is heard: And souls that caught but half that mystic word Fled far from homes of new, ---

To list in cell, or cave, or desert wild, The whisper sweet, "Well done: thou art my child!" That bids the heart rejoice.

Fair legend tells how one who bore the name Of Antony left all and wandered till he came Where wild beasts make their den.

Alone he fought the fiends that ever would Beguile the souls that follow after Good, And kept his faith intact.

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And sacred Art has told, in pictures quaint, What hideous forms & foul beset the saint, In horrid, grewsome strife.

By victory o'er these ugly shapes of wrong, What purity & power he gained, ere long! Nor higher skill he lacked ---

To cheer sad souls, heal hearts, charm feuds to peace, To bid injustice & unkindness cease: And thus he won the Life.

Tau, And now he bears the sacred (Tau) with those Who keep the chosen way, despite of foes, -Way of the Crucified.

And thou, Saint Anthony of modern days, Hast thou not also trod the desert ways? The fiends, that mock and rage,

Thou hast confronted in the halls of state, In labor's market, and at college gate; Yet none could make afraid.

feelings that I hope to be able to express in deeds as I cannot do it in words --

My visit to Indianapolis will always be [remembers?] as my most pleasant journey and of being allowed to speak from the platform to the very intelligent members of your honorable and high esteemed club will always be considered as a honor.

In sending you my best wishes, I do realy hope to have the pleasure to meet you again before I leave your great country.

Yours very sincerely, Magnus Andersen

P.S. I forgot my [?] cap in the [?] of my [?]. Could you have it sent.

I might have honestly replied [that?] just then I would willingly have been a clown to secure a smile from you and to hear your voice with its usual and natural cheery ring - I could not however, take to myself the credit of producing these symptoms of a return to your usual serene frame of mind, for I knew them attributable to the fact that you were in a car on a track which reached to Indianapolis, [?] and home - and I appreciated your feeling - the same adventatious combination of circumstances (Phila and [Wilm?]) being substituted in the trio of attractions) would probably make me smile too, even tho the metaphors of the person to whom I was listening were as inextricably mixed as are the plans of the Lady Board in connection with the Woman's Bldging and the ideas of the W. Cong. Aux. in relation to the World's Cong. and the [N.?] C. and I. C. W. What could be more so?

You need not file this even if it is on this precious paper. Believe me with deep and abiding love, boundless admiration of your ability and limitless faith in yourself. Yours. R.F.A.

Train leaves in 5 minutes

BARTON, CLARA JULY 6 1888

Washington DC. July 6/88.

Dear May Wright Sewall:

My beloved friend

I pray you will not take for granted any thing which I may or may not do, but always proceed to tell me plainly what I ought to do.

I will be most happy to lay before our meeting the subject of the organization of the Red Cross becoming an ally of the National Council and will give you the result before the 1^st of October.

I look for the greatest

progress, and [immence?] results from the "National Council," its five Officers from a galaxy of power and strength, and it will lay a reforming, and a healing hand on all needy points.

I was at "Wellesley" and at "Lasselle" two weeks ago, and I thought of your institution and wished I could see it.

I missed you at the Boston Convention - it was excellent: and popular. And dear Lucy Stone was as sweet and calm as a summer morning.

It was a fitting finale to the great and grand meeting which so honored our national Capital and where we did not miss you. In dear love and appreciation I am always your Clara Barton

our "Saint Anthony" had! and how they flourish, and spread, and live after her.[symbol?] How thankful you are for every hour you labored by her side. They are like a string of pearls about your neck, and the remembering fingers tenderly feel them one by one for the treasured whole.

I am spending the Autumn and winter probably, in Glen Echo. and am very well, and "over" busy.

Alway glad of a remembrance from you and am Always Affectionately yours

Clara Barton

Mrs. May Wright-Sewell Eliot York Co Maine

disclosed by both, than I could be by the higherst results which could follow is sure - and as a manifestation of my long and heart friendship for you, and my appreciation of your unspeakably noble work I beg you to accept the inclosed small {testimonia?} All too small, but such as it is I pray you accept and use it as you will.

With the grateful affection of

Clara Barton

Washington D.C. March third. Nineteen Hundred two

BARTON, CLARA JAN 21, 1889 [letterhead] - The American National Red Cross, For the Relief of Suffering by War, pestilence, Famine, Flood, Fires and other Calamities of sufficient magnitude to be deemed national in extent. The Association and is Auxiliary Societies operate under the provisions of the Geneva Treaty, promulgated at Geneva, Sitzerland, in 1864, and signed since then by all the nations of the earth, including the United States, which gave in is adhesion through President Arthur, in March, 1882.

- - [names printed in letterhead]

Washington D.C Jany 21 1889.

Mrs May Wright Sewell

Cor. See. N. C. W. (Indianapolis)

My very dear friend:

I hastent to reply to your communication of 17th [??rt] without loss of time in order that no misunderstanding possibly continue. I also include copies of the correspondence upon the subject [treated?] in your valued letter, the one of the letter received from Miss M. [Gulles'?]. The other my reply copied from our Press Book of that date. This was followed by a request that I entered myself with the societies of the [Women?] of the W.R.C. [?] of the G.A.R. - my reply to this was in "doing the thing" so far as I could. I met the ladies of the W.R.C. and I believe they joined the council. The other society I have no knowledge of. At the writing of my letter Aug 17. The cloud of yellow fever hung threateningly above our heads

in less than two weeks it [lr???] from that moment till the first of December we stood under our burden serving God and man as faithfully as in us lay. All the Hundreds of thousands of contributions to [Jacksonville?] and the Hundreds of thousands from the Government for the relief of the same were not a penny to us. Alone, unaided, and often reviled we have tried to do the Masters' work. The only body in all the fields that became responsible for ist own actions and, paid its own [helpers?], We are nearly [through?], but He who gave the command to labor in this vinyard alone knows how we have done it. We are tired, sore and heavy hearted, and no time for a step toward reorganization has yet been found, consequently no outside causes have been laid before our committee, and nothing has been Considered. You will observe that we did not "make application for admission", and did not even acept when it was made on the other side. of course no "fees are due" and no bodies "Treasury funds" are and for so good a cause and season, so low as ours. I must wait 'till my Red Cross hand gets out of my own packet where it has been more than a month before I can essay to keep up others funds. No