Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/55

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HALE
HALE
35

New Hampshire (Boston, 1876), and of "Theron Metcalf," of the Supreme judicial court of Massa- chusetts (Boston, 1876). The " Memorial History of Boston" also contains an historical sketch by him of the charities of that city.


HALE, Sarah Josepha (Buell), author, b. in Newport, N. H., 24 Oct., 1788; d. in Philadelphia, 30 April, 1879. She was taught by her mother, and her childhood's reading was derived princi- pally from the English poets. In 1813 she married David Hale, a lawyer, brother of Salma Hale, and was left a widow with five children in 1822. Mrs. Hale then resorted to the pen as a means of sup- port, and in 1828 removed to Boston to take charge of the newly established " Ladies' Magazine," which she conducted till 1837. In that year it was united with " Godey's Lady's Book," published in Phila- delphia, and Mrs. Hale became editor of that pe- riodical, but did not remove to Philadel- phia till 1841. In Boston she origi- nated the Seaman's aid society, the par- ent of many simi- lar organizations in various ports. In her position as edit- or she advocated the advancement of women, urging es- pecially their em- ployment as teach- ers, and the estab- lishment of semina- ries for their higher education. The idea

of educating women

for medical and missionary service in heathen lands was another of her thoughts, and she devoted much labor to securing its practical adoption. This was first attempted through the Ladies' medical mis- sionary society, which was formed in Philadelphia. mainly by her exertions. The object was finally accomplished through the Woman's union mission- ary society for heathen lands, formed in New York in 1860, with its chief branch in Philadelphia, of which Mrs. Hale was president for several years. Mrs. Hale proposed through her Boston magazine that the women of New England should raise $50,- 000 to complete the Bunker Hill monument, and took a leading part in organizing the fair by which the suggestion was successfully carried out. About the same time she suggested that Thanksgiving- day should be made a national festival, and be held on the same day throughout the country. She continued to urge this for twenty years, not only in her magazine, but by personal correspond- ence with the governors of states and with presi- dents of the United States. President Lincoln adopted her suggestion in 1864, and the observ- ance has now become established. Mrs. Hale re- tired from editorial work in 1877. Her fugitive poems, including " The Light of Home," " Mary's Lamb," and " It Snows," became widely familiar. Her best-known work is " Woman's Record, or Sketches of all Distinguished Women from the Creation to the Present Day " (New York, 1853 ; 3d ed., revised and enlarged, 1869). Her other publications are "The Genius of Oblivion and Other Poems" (Concord, 1823); " North wood," a novel (Boston. 1827; republished in London as "A New England Tale"; New York, 1852): "Sketches of American Character " (1830) ; " Traits of American Life " (Philadelphia, 1835) ; " Flora's Interpreter " (Boston, 1835 ; reprinted in London) ; "The Ladies' Wreath," a selection from the fe- male poets of England and America (1835); "The Way to Live Well, and to be Well while we Live " (1838); "Grosvenor, a Tragedv" (1838); "The White Veil," a bridal gift (Philadelphia, 1854); " Alice Ray," a romance in rhyme (Boston, 1846) ; " Harry Gray, the Widow's Son," a story of the sea (1848); "Three Hours, or the Vigil of Love" (Philadelphia, 1848) ; " Ladies' New Book of Cook- erv " New York, 1852) ; " New Household Receipt- Book" (1853; 2d ed., Philadelphia, 1855); "A Dictionary of Poetical Quotations " (1854) ; " The Judge, a Drama of American Life" (1854) ; "The Bible Reading-Book " (1854) ; " Manners, or Happy Homes and Good Society" (Boston, 1868); and " Love, or Woman's Destiny, with Other Poems " (Philadelphia, 1870). She also edited several an- nuals, including " The Opal " and " The Crocus," also "The Poet's Offering" (Philadelphia); " Miss Acton's Cookery " ; " Letters of Madame de Sevigne" (1856); "Letters of Lady Mary Wort ley Montagu " (1856) ; and other works. — Her son, Horatio, ethnologist, b. in Newport, N. H., 3 May. 1817, was graduated at Harvard in 1837, and was appointed in the same year philologist to the U. S. exploring expedition under Capt. Charles Wilkes. In this capacity he studied a large num- ber of the languages of the Pacific islands, as well as of North and South America, Australia, and Africa, and also investigated the history, traditions, and customs of the tribes speaking those languages. The results of his inquiries are given in his " Ethnography and Philology " (Philadelphia, 1846), which forms the seventh volume of the ex- pedition reports. Dr. Robert G. Latham, the Eng- lish philologist, speaks of it as comprising "the greatest mass of philological data ever accumulated by a single inquirer." On the completion of this work he spent some years in travel and in literary and scientific studies, both in Europe and in the United States. Subsequently he studied law, and was in 1855 admitted to the bar in Chicago. A year later he removed to Canada to take charge of an estate acquired by marriage. Mr. Hale took up his residence in the town of Clinton, Ontario, where he has since devoted his time in part to the prac- tice of his profession and in part to scientific pur- suits. He has published numerous memoirs on an- thropology and ethnology, is a member of many learned societies both in Europe and in America, and in 1886 was vice-president of the American association for the advancement of science, presid- ing over the section of anthropology. His intro- ductory address on " The Origin of Languages and the Antiquity of Speaking Man " proposed some novel theories which have excited much interest and discussion. His other publications include "Indian Migrations as evidenced by Language" (Chicago, 1883); "The Iroquois Book of Rites" (Philadelphia, 1883): and a "Report on the Blackfoot Tribes," presented to the British association for the advancement of science at its Aberdeen meeting in 1885. — Mrs. Hale's nephew, Edwin Moses, physician, b. in Newport, N. H., 2 Feb., 1829. He became a printer in early life, employing his leisure hours in study. He was graduated at the Cleveland homoeopathic medical college in 1859, practised his profession for twelve years in Jonesville, Mich., became in 1863 professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the Hahnemann medical college, Chicago, and held the same chair in Chicago homoeopathic college from 1880 till 1884, when he became professor emeritus. In 1871 he began a series of s[>ecial lectures on dis-