Woman of the Century/Clara Erskine Clement Waters

WATERS, Mrs. Clara Erskine Clement, author, born in St. Louis, Mo., 28th August, 1834. She is the daughter of John Frskine. Her first attempt at writing was made in a description of travel in 1868, and was called "A Simple Story of the Orient." It was printed for private circulation only. Mrs. Clement Waters has traveled extensively, and mostly from her own note books compiled "Legendary and Mythological Art" (Boston, 1870). That was followed by "Painters, Sculptors, Architects, Engravers and Their Works" (1873). These books were written while she was an invalid, and hut for the voluminous notes that she had made, could not have been done at that time. Subsequently, with Lawrence Hutton, she prepared "Artists of the Nineteenth Century" (1879). Her other works are: "A History of Egypt" (1880); "Eleanor Maitland," a novel, (1881); "Life of Charlotte Cushman" (1882); "Painting for Beginners and Students" (New York, 1883); "Sculpture for Beginners and Students" (1885), and "Architecture," belonging to same series, (1886); "Christian Symbols and Stories of the Saints," prepared for Roman Catholics, edited by Katherine E. Conway and dedicated by permission to the Very Reverend Archbishop Williams (Boston. 1886), and "Stories of Art and Artists" (1887). She has also written occasionally for magazines and newspapers; has translated " Dosia's Daughter," by Henry' Greville, and the "English Conferences" by Renan. For the benefit of various charities, societies and clubs, she has given lectures upon "Women Artists," "The History and Symbolism of the Cross," "Travel in the Holy Land," "Parsifal." "The Passion Play at Ober Ammergau" and " Dravidian Architecture." In 1852 Miss Erskine became the wife of James Hazen Clement, who died, leaving four sons and one daughter. Her second husband is Edwin Forbes Waters, for many years publisher of the Boston "Advertiser," with whom, in 1883-84, she visited Japan, China and India for the first time, and, after an interval of eighteen years, made for the second time the journey across the Holy Land and ascended the Great Pyramid. She has lived twice in Italy for lengthy periods, and has visited all the countries of Europe, except Russia, again and again. Her home for many years has been in Boston, and is well known for its generous hospitality to friends and acquaintances from near and far.