JULIA WARD HOWE - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 12/14/1908 - HFSID 253064

JULIA WARD HOWE.
Her signed, handwritten thanking the daughter of a deceased friend for a gift and inviting her to pay a visit, Howe being too frail at age 90 to make visits herself.
ALS: "Julia Ward Howe", 4 pages, 5x61/2. 241 Beacon St (Boston), 1908 December 14. To Mrs. Schaeffer. In full: "I don't wonder that you have supposed that I could not have received the articles mentioned in your letter, recd on Saturday. I returned to town quite late, to find your kind note waiting for me, with the book, made more precious by your dear Mother's use of it, and with the lovely little heart of glass and silver. I wrote to you on the spur of the moment, acknowledging the valued gift. But after a little while the same day my note got itself hidden under some confusion, I think, of papers, and could not be found. As I had written you at some length, I thought I must certainly find my note. Briefly, I never never found it, and by and bye I forgot about writing. My dear daughter Mandi was sailing for the Meditteranean (sic), and all my thoughts seemed to be with her. Now, although it is late in the day, allow me to thank you very much for your kind attention. The little heart constantly reminds me of the dear lady who showed me such affectionate regard. I should be very glad to talk with you about her. She had a long and I fear a painful illness. We miss her very much from our Authors' Club meetings, in which she always showed much interest. Cannot you come to see me some day soon? Between eleven and one is a good time. I am too old to make visits, and rather unsteady on my feet, being in my ninetieth year." JULIA WARD HOWE was a social reformer and poet who wrote the words to one of the nation's most stirring songs: "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Howe later turned her fervor against slavery into a crusade for women's rights. She was the first President of the New England Woman's Suffrage Association and founded the Women's International Peace Association in 1871. She founded the Boston Authors Club. Mid-vertical fold touches "r" in Ward. Stray ink blots in last two lines, affecting two words of text. Light pencil notation (unknown hand) on first page. Overall, fine condition.