Memories of Jane Cunningham Croly, "Jenny June"

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• Publié par: onka
• Publié le: 01 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 27
• Langue: English

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Title: Memories of Jane Cunningham Croly, "Jenny
June"
Author: Various
Release Date: April 21, 2004 [EBook #12099]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK JANE CUNNINGHAM ***
Produced by Ari J Joki and PG Distributed
Proofreaders
Caroline M. Morse, editor
JANE CUNNINGHAM CROLY "JENNY JUNE"1904
[Illustration: Portrait]
[Illustration: Facsimile of signature
"With sincere affection
yours-ever
J.C. Croly"]
Memories of
Jane Cunningham Croly
"Jenny June"
TO THE GENERAL FEDERATION OF
WOMEN'S CLUBS IN AMERICA THIS
BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
BY
THE WOMAN'S PRESS CLUB
OF NEW YORK CITY
ForewordOn January 6, 1902, a Memorial Meeting was
called by Sorosis jointly with the Woman's Press
Club of New York City, and a month later the Press
Club formally authorized the preparation of a
Memorial Book to its Founder and continuous
President to the day of her death, Jane
Cunningham Croly.
In addition to a biographical sketch to be prepared
by her brother, the Rev. John Cunningham, this
book, so it was planned, should contain such
letters, or excerpts from letters, as would illustrate
her lovable personality and her life philosophy.
A Committee of Publication was appointed,
consisting of Mrs. Caroline M. Morse, Chairman,
Mrs. Mary Coffin Johnson, Mrs. Haryot Holt Dey,
Mrs. Miriam Mason Greeley, Miss Anna Warren
Story and Mrs. Margaret W. Ravenhill. These
began their work by sending a printed slip to club
members and to Mrs. Croly's known intimates,
asking for her letters. But the response came
almost without variation: "My letters from Mrs.
Croly are of too personal a nature for publication."
A few, however, were freely offered, and these it
was decided should be used, depending for the
bulk of the Memorial upon copious extracts from
Mrs. Croly's "History of the Woman's Club
Movement in America," from her editorial work on
The Cycle, and from her miscellaneous writings. To
this characteristic material her long cherished
friends, Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus B. Wakeman,
added an account of the "Positivist Episode," that
objective point in her career, with which herhusband was closely identified.
With these are: Mrs. Croly's Club Life, a sketch by
Mrs. Haryot Holt Dey; the Sorosis-Press Club
Memorial Meeting; the Resolutions of the Woman's
Press Club of New York City, the General
Federation of Clubs, and the Society of American
Women in London; tributes from London
clubwomen; Essays and Addresses; Letters and
Stray Leaves and Notes, written by Mrs. Croly;
tributes from many of her friends, and my own
recollections.
CAROLINE M. MORSE,
Chairman.
Contents
"JENNY JUNE."—Ethel Morse
A BROTHER'S MEMORIES.—John Cunningham,
D.D.
SOROSIS-PRESS CLUB MEMORIAL MEETING
ADDRESSES:
Dimies T.S. Denison
Charlotte B. Wilbour
Phebe A. Hanaford
Orlena A. Zabriskie
Carrie Louise Griffin
Cynthia Westover Alden May Riley Smith
Fanny Hallock Carpenter
RESOLUTIONS AND TRIBUTES FROM CLUBS:
Resolutions of the New York State Federation
From the Croly Memorial Fund of the Pioneer
Club of London
THE POSITIVIST EPISODE.—Thaddeus B.
Wakeman
MRS. CROLY'S CLUB LIFE.—Haryot Holt Dey
ESSAYS AND ADDRESSES BY JANE
CUNNINGHAM CROLY:
Beginnings of Organization
The Moral Awakening
The Advantages of a General Federation of
Women's Clubs
The Clubwoman
The New Life
The Days That Are
A People's Church
NOTES, LETTERS, AND STRAY LEAVES.—Jane
Cunningham Croly
THE TRIBUTES OF FRIENDS:
Miriam Mason Greeley
Marie Etienne Burns
Izora Chandler
Janie C.P. Jones
Catherine Weed Barnes Ward
Sara J. Lippincott—"Grace Greenwood"
Jennie de la M. Lozier Genie H. Rosenfeld
S.A. Lattimore
Ellen M. Staples
Margaret W. Ravenhill
T.C. Evans
St. Clair McKelway
Laura Sedgwick Collins
Mary Coffin Johnson
Caroline M. Morse
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Illustrations
JANE CUNNINGHAM CROLY (JENNY JUNE) AT
THE AGE OF 61
MRS. CROLY AT THE AGE OF 40 (ABOUT THE
TIME SOROSIS WAS INAUGURATED)
FACSIMILE OF RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY
THE
WOMAN'S PRESS CLUB OF NEW YORK,
JANUARY
11, 1902
FACSIMILE OF RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY
THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN WOMEN IN
LONDON, MARCH 24, 1902DAVID GOODMAN CROLY
FACSIMILE OF A PORTION OF A LETTER
WRITTEN BY MRS. CROLY, OCTOBER, 1900
MRS. CROLY AT THE AGE OF 18
Jenny June
The South Wind blows across the harrowed
fields,
And lo! the young grain springs to happy birth;
His warm breath lingers where the granite shields
Intruding flowers, and the responsive Earth
Impartially her varied harvest yields.
Through long ensuing months with tender mirth
The South Wind laughs, rejoicing in the worth
Of the impellent energies he wields.
Within our minds the memory of a Name
Will move, and fires of inspiration that burned low
Among dead embers break in quickening flame;
Flowers of the soul, grain of the heart shall grow,
And burgeoned promises shall bravely blow
Beneath the sunny influence of Her fame.
ETHEL MORSE.A Brother's Memories
By John Cunningham, D.D.
The most interesting and potent fact within the
range of human knowledge is personality, and in
the person of Jane Cunningham Croly (Jenny
June) a potency was apparent which has affected
the social life of more women, perhaps, than any
other single controlling factor of the same period.
Jane Cunningham was born in Market Harborough,
Leicestershire, England, December 19, 1829. She
was the fourth child of Joseph H. and Jane
Cunningham, and though small in stature and
delicate in organism, was full of vivacity, and
abounding in natural intelligence. Her rich brown
hair, blue eyes and clear complexion proclaimed
her of Anglo-Saxon origin. She was the idol of her
parents and the admiration of her school teachers.
Her comradeship with her father began early in life
and was continued to the time of his death. The
family came to the United States in 1841, making
their home at first in Poughkeepsie, and afterwards
in or near Wappinger's Falls, where the father
bought a large building-lot and erected a neat and
commodious house, which remained in the
possession of the family until sold by Mrs.
Cunningham after the death of her husband. The
lot was soon converted into a garden by its owner
who tilled it with the spade and allowed no plough
to be used in his little Eden. It was characteristic of
his generous spirit, too, that none of the surplusproduct was ever sold, but was freely given to less
favored neighbors. Happy years were spent by Mr.
Cunningham in his shop, in his garden, with his
books, and in visiting his daughter Jennie in New
York after her marriage when she became
established there. It was as nearly an ideal life as a
modest man could desire. He lived respected by
the best people in the community, and died in
peace, with his children around him.
As I remember my sister in early life, the sunniness
of her nature is the first and prevailing
characteristic that I call to mind; occasional moods
of reverie bordering on melancholy only made
brighter the habitual radiance and buoyancy of a
nature that diffused happiness all around her. She
was a perfectly healthy girl in mind and body. A
sound mind in a sound body was her noble
heritage. She was always extremely temperate in
food and drink, fastidious in all her tastes and
personal habits, indulgent never beyond the
dictates of perfect simplicity and sobriety. Proficient
in all branches of housekeeping, her apparel was
mostly of her own making. Good literature was a
passion with her, and while never an omnivorous
reader, she had a natural instinct for the best in
language. A spirit of indomitable independence,
courage and persistence in purpose characterized
her from childhood. She must think her own
thoughts, and mark out and follow her own path.
Suffering from a degree of physical timidity that at
times caused her much pain, she possessed a
spirit that sometimes seemed to border on
audacity in the assertion and maintenance of her