Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe
History
Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910
Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe
Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography; Feminists -- United States -- Biography; Howe, Julia Ward, 1819-1910
The Journal describes briefly the distribution among the Cretans, "some
extremely bare and ragged, with suffering little children. Our calico
skirts and sacks made a creditable appearance. We gave with as much
judgment as the short time permitted. Each name was called by a list,
and as they came in we hastily selected garments: the dresses, however,
gave out before we had quite finished.... Ungrateful old woman, who
wanted a gown and would hardly take a chemise. Meddlesome lady of the
neighborhood bringing in her favorites out of order."
Generous as the supplies from America were, they did not begin to meet
the demand. After visiting Crete (in spite--perhaps partly because--of
the fact that a high price was set on his head) and the various colonies
of refugees, the Doctor felt that further aid must be obtained.
Accordingly, the journeyings of the little party after leaving Greece
were for the most part only less hurried than the earlier ones, the
exception being a week of enchantment spent in Venice, awaiting the
Doctor, who had been called back to Athens at the moment of departure.
The Journal tells of Verona, Innsbrück, Munich. Then came flying
glimpses of Switzerland, with a few days' rest at Geneva, where she had
the happiness of meeting her sister once more; finally, Paris and the
Exposition of 1867.
After a visit to Napoleon's tomb, she writes: "Spent much of the
afternoon in beginning a piece of tapestry after a Pompeiian pattern
copied by me on the spot."
Worsted work was an unfailing accompaniment of her journeyings in those
days; indeed, until age and weariness came upon her, she never failed to
have some piece of work on hand. When her eyes could no longer compass
cross-stitch embroidery, she amused herself with knitting, or with
"hooking" small rugs.
Her sketchbook was another resource while travelling. She had no special
talent for drawing, but took great pleasure in it, and was constantly
making pencil sketches of persons and things that interested her. We
even find patterns of Pompeiian mosaic or of historic needlework
reproduced in the Journal.
From Paris the travellers hurried to Belgium, and after a glance at
Brussels, spent several days in Antwerp with great contentment. Both
here and in Brussels she had been much interested in the beautiful lace
displayed on every hand. She made several modest purchases, not without
visitings of conscience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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