Ohio Legislature passed a bill in Columbus, which entitled every county to establish a Children's Home. In 1866 she became the wife of A. S. D. Ewing. She has since devoted much time and labor to the children about her, teaching a large infant class in the Sabbath-school and also establishing a sewing-school. She is the author of a comprehensive historical report on the origin and growth of the children's home movement in Washington county, Ohio.
EWING, Mrs. Emma P., apostle of good cooking, born on a farm in Broome county, N. Y. in July, 1838. Since her marriage she has lived in Washington. D. C, New York City, Chicago, Ill., and other cities. In 1866 she became impressed with the belief that good food is an important factor in the development of the individual, morally, mentally and physically, and since then the leading aim of her life has been to improve the character of the every-day diet of the people by the introduction of
EMMA P. EWING.
better and more economical methods of cooking. Most of her culinary studies and experiments have been in that direction. In 1880 Mrs. Ewing organized a school of cookery in Chicago and conducted it in a highly satisfactory manner for three years, when she was appointed professor of domestic economy in the Iowa Agricultural College. That position she held until 1887, and then resigned to accept a similar one, at a largely-increased salary, in Purdue University, Indiana. In the fall of 1889 she resigned her professorship in Purdue University and went to Kansas City, Mo., to organize and take charge of a school of household science; but before she had been there a year the calls upon her from all sections of the country for lectures and lessons upon culinary topics became so incessant and urgent that she resolved to leave the school. Placing it in other hands, she devoted her entire time and energies to itinerary work, preaching the gospel of good cookery to larger and more appreciative audiences than she could possibly reach in schools and colleges. Some idea of the amount of missionary work that is being done by her may be gathered from the fact that during 1891 she gave nearly two-hundred-fifty lectures and lessons on the preparation of food. For several summers Mrs. Ewing has been in charge of the School of Cookery at the Chautauqua Assembly, and every season she delivers a series of lectures there on household topics. Her popularity as a lecturer and teacher is such that her services are in constant demand, many of her engagements being made a year in advance. On all subjects pertaining to household science Mrs. Ewing is a leading authority. In addition to her other labors Mrs. Ewing has written two books, "Cooking and Castle Building " (1880) and "Cookery Manuals" (18861, and is now devoting her leisure time to the preparation of a text-book on cookery for schools and homes, to be entitled "The A B C of Cookery." Her home is in Rochester, N.Y.
EYSTER, Mrs. Nellie Blessing, author, was born in Frederick, Md. She is of good ancestry, with a commingling of Huguenot and Anglo-Saxon blood. On the maternal side she is a granddaughter of Captain George W. Ent, a commander at Fort McHenry in the war of 1812 and an intimate friend of Francis Scott Key. On the same side she is a kinswoman of famous old Barbara Frietchie. Abraham Blessing, Mrs. Eyster's father, who died in his early prime, when she was but ten years old. was a man of noble character, the youngest brother of George Blessing of Maryland, whose loyalty and patriotism, as displayed during the late Civil War, has won for him in history the title, "The Hero of the Highlands." The mother was a woman of unusual refinement and poetic taste, leaving as an inheritance to her five children the memory of a life of Christian rectitude and usefulness. The eldest of these five. Nellie, baptized Penelope, early gave promise of literary ability. When sixteen years old, she was wooed and won by her private tutor, David A. S. Fyster, a young lawyer of Harrisburg, Pa. From the beginning of their acquaintance to Mr. Evster's death, in 1886, he was her teacher, best friend and critic. Her family consists of one daughter, Mary, born a year after her marriage, and one son, Charles, several years later, who died at the age of ten, in 1872. Mrs. Eyster's first public work was in aid of the purchase of Mt. Vernon and she put forth earnest activity in the Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. Her first literary venture of any note was a series of children's books called the "Sunny Hour Library" (Philadelphia, four volumes, 1865-691. The success of these books gave fresh impetus to Mrs. Eyster's pen. She has written for many leading periodicals. "California Illustrated Magazine," the New York "Tribune." "Lutheran Observer," Harrisburg "Telegraph," "Our Young Folks," "St. Nicholas." "Wide Awake.'" "Harper's Magazine," the "Riverside Magazine," and others. She worked for a year with Gail Hamilton on " Wood's Household Magazine," editing the juvenile department. Mr. Eyster held a useful and remunerative post as financial clerk of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. In 1872 and 1873 the death of her son and her mother caused her health to give way, and in 1876 the family removed to California, where, in San Jose, a delightful new home was made, and Mrs Eyster rallied from her depression to take hold of religious and benevolent work once more. In Pennsylvania the family had been members of the English Lutheran Church, but in San José they became connected with the Presbyterian denomination, and Mrs. Eyster was linked with all its Christian and benevolent enterprises. Mrs.
