Produced by Al Haines [Illustration: Cover art] [Frontispiece: 'YOU SHALL NOT KILL MY MISTRESS UNTIL YOU HAVE KILLED ME!'] [Illustration: Title page] Noble Deeds of the World's Heroines By HENRY CHARLES MOORE _WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS_ LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street & 65 St. Paul's Churchyard 1903 PREFACE In these pages I have tried to show how women, old and young, in many ranks of life, have proved themselves in times of trial to possess as much courage and daring as men. Some of these 'Brave Women' died for their Master's sake, whilst others, in His cause, passed through dire peril and grievous suffering. All of them counted not their lives dear unto them, so long only as they might do their duty. I have designedly omitted many familiar heroines in the hope of winning attention for some whose deeds have been less widely recognised. H. C. M. CONTENTS I. BRAVE DEEDS OF RESCUE BY WOMEN ALICE AYRES AND THE UNION STREET FIRE GRACE BUSSELL AND THE WRECK OF THE GEORGETTE CATHERINE VASSEUR, THE HEROINE OF NOYEN MARY ROGERS, AND THE WRECK OF THE STELLA MADELEINE BLANCHET, THE HEROINE OF BUZANCAIS HANNAH ROSBOTHAM AND THE CHILDREN OF SUTTON SCHOOL II. BRAVE DEEDS OF WOMEN IN THE MISSION FIELD JANE CHALMERS; ALONE AMONGST CANNIBALS ANNA HINDERER, AND THE GOSPEL IN THE YORUBA COUNTRY ANN JUDSON ) SARAH JUDSON ) PIONEER WOMEN IN BURMA OLIVIA OGREN, AND AN ESCAPE FROM BOXERS EDITH NATHAN ) MAY NATHAN ) MARTYRED BY BOXERS MARY HEAYSMAN ) MARY RIGGS AND THE SIOUX RISING III. BRAVE DEEDS OF WOMEN IN WAR-TIME MARY SEACOLE, THE SOLDIERS' FRIEND LAURA SECORD, A CANADIAN HEROINE LADY BANKES AND THE SIEGE OF CORFE CASTLE LADY HARRIET ACLAND, A HEROINE OF THE AMERICAN WAR AIMEE LADOINSKI AND THE RETREAT LADY SALE AND AN AFGHAN CAPTIVITY ETHEL ST. CLAIR GRIMWOOD AND THE ESCAPE FROM MANIPUR THREE SOLDIERS' WIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA IV. BRAVE DEEDS OF SELF-SACRIFICE AND DEVOTION ELIZABETH ZANE, A FRONTIER HEROINE NELLIE AMOS, A FRIEND IN NEED ANNA GURNEY, THE FRIEND OF THE SHIPWRECKED GRIZEL HUME, THE DEVOTED DAUGHTER LUCY HUTCHINSON, A BRAVE WIFE LADY BAKER, AN EXPLORER'S COMPANION I BRAVE DEEDS OF RESCUE BY WOMEN ALICE AYRES AND THE UNION STREET FIRE 'FIRE! FIRE!' It was two o'clock in the morning when this cry was heard in Union Street, Borough, London, and the people who ran to the spot saw an oil shop in flames, and at a window above it a servant girl, Alice Ayres, screaming for help. Some rushed off to summon the fire-brigade, but those who remained feared that before it could arrive the place would be gutted. 'Jump! jump!' they shouted, and stretched out their coats to break her fall. But instead of jumping Alice Ayres disappeared from the window. There were other people in the house, and she was determined not to seek safety for herself until she had made an attempt to save their lives.