LII

Clara Barton—The millions she has blest.

Kate Brownlee Sherwood.

With the gleam of the scarlet she walks with the immortals now.

Haverhill (Mass.)Gazette.

One of the few immortal names.Fitz-Greene Halleck.

Oh! the love of woman, the love of woman! no coldness, no neglect, no harshness, no cruelty can extinguish thee! Like the fabled lamp in the sepulchre, thou sheddest thy pure light in the human heart, where everything around thee is dead forever.

Will Carleton.

Will Carleton—author of “The New Church Organ,” “Betsy and I are Out,” “Over the Hill to the Poor-house,” and many others.The Author.

Thy voice sounds like a prophet’s word;And in its hollow tones are heardThe thanks of millions yet to be.Fitz-Greene Halleck.

Thy voice sounds like a prophet’s word;

And in its hollow tones are heard

The thanks of millions yet to be.

Fitz-Greene Halleck.

The following correspondence occurred between two beloved Americans:

On the occasion of Memorial Day, May 30, 1895, at Arlington, Will Carleton delivered the poem. Itwas so fine that at its close I felt a great desire to reach him with some word of appreciation and, tearing a scrap from an envelope which I had, I wrote this upon it:

Thanks: Immortal thanks for immortal words.Arlington, 1895. (Signed)Clara Barton.

Thanks: Immortal thanks for immortal words.

Arlington, 1895. (Signed)Clara Barton.

Folding and addressing the scrap to Mr. Will Carleton, Miss Barton passed it to the next person, who graciously passed it to the next, and so on, through possibly a hundred hands, until finally it was lodged with Mr. Carleton. In due course of time, another little scrap with the following words came back to Miss Barton, through the same hands:

To Miss Clara Barton,A million thanks to one,Who hath a million plaudits won,For deeds of love to many millions done.(Signed)Will Carleton.

To Miss Clara Barton,

A million thanks to one,

Who hath a million plaudits won,

For deeds of love to many millions done.

(Signed)Will Carleton.

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