Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/402

 MBS- PEBCY V. PENNYBACKER 379 tendent of schools in Tyler, Texas, Miss Hardwicke soon fol- lowing to accept the principalship of the high school there. In Tyler were passed nine of the happiest and busiest years of her life, for in a few weeks after her arrival she became Mrs, Pennybacker; there her first child was bom; there she wrote her History of Texas ; and there she entered upon club work, a field in which she was to play so prominent and use- ful a part. Women's clubs had existed in the United States for more than twenty years, but they were comparatively few in num- ber and gave no promise of the power they were to wield dur- ing the next quarter-century. With fine vision, the young wife and teacher, with the encouragement of her husband, organized the first club in Tyler and one of the first in the state of Texas. This was in 1886, and four years later a dty federation composed of seven clubs was formed, which has been the means of great educational, civic, and social helpful- ness. During these busy years, however, Mrs. Pennybacker found time to write her History of TexaSy which is so graphically written as to challenge the attention and fire the enthusiasm of old as well as young, and which has been adopted as a text- book in the Texas public schools. It seems that a country school teacher, a guest in the Pennybacker home, having been much impressed by his hostess' manner of presenting the subject in the class-room, and realizing also the need of an adequate school history, first suggested the idea to her. He was warmly seconded by Professor Pennybacker, who was ever on the alert to encourage his wife's efforts, and so, after careful thought and considerable research, she undertook the task. It is pleasant to be assured that the spirit of intense patriotism manifest in the young people of Texas is attribut- ed largely to the Pennybacker History, and also that the book has produced royalties that have placed the author and her little family in easy circumstances. No wonder the men, wo- men and children of Tyler put on their best attire, culled out a holiday, and strewed flowers in her way, when Mrs. Penny- backer went back there in April, 1914, after an absence of