Page:Sketches of representative women of New England.djvu/621

470 ett, her mother, was a genuine New England woman, much devoted to her family. She was of Scottish descent.

Mrs. Foster was educated at the French convent of Villa Marie, Montreal, and was graduated there with honor in 1882, delivering the valedictory in French. She was the winner of the silver medal offered by the Marquis of Lome as Governor-general of Canada, and at a reception tendered him and his wife, the Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, had the honor of presentation. She also received a gold medal, called the Countess de Borgia medal, for French conversation.

In 1884 she was united in marriage to Dr. Barzillai B. Foster, a native of Unity, Me., and a graduate of the Maine Medical School, connected with Bowdoin College. The home of Dr. and Mrs. Foster is in Portland, Me. They have three sons.

Mrs. Foster has refined literary tastes, and possesses a library of choice books. She is a member of the Woman's Literary Union, of Portland, and president of the Faneuil Club, and is much interested in the charitable work of the city.

MILY LOUISE CLARK, National Chaplain of the Woman's Relief Corps, was born April 24, 1832, in Becket, Mass., where her girlhood days were passed. Her father was William A. Iline, a native of England, and her mother was Hannah Putnam, daughter of David Putnam.

At the age of eighteen years she was married to Edwin Cook Clark, a native of Northampton, Mass., where, after a few years spent in Jersey City, Brooklyn, and Southampton, they have since lived. When the Civil War began, they had three children, the youngest only eleven months old. While unable to leave her home to engage in work for the soldiers, she resolved to perform her share of duty in the great crisis of the nation. She opened her house as a rendezvous for all who desired to aid the Union cause, and it was continually thronged with people who were zealous in working for the volunteers. Mrs. Clark continued her efforts until the close of the war, and felt, when peace was declared, that the "boys in blue" no longer needed her aid. It was not long, however, before she realized that, though the conflict was ended, the suffering it caused remained. Her patriotic work was continued, and when W. L. Baker Post, No. 86, G. A. R., was organized at Northampton, Mrs. Clark entered heartily into plans for its success. She was the first President of W. L. Baker Relief Corps, auxiliary to Post No. 86, which was instituted May 13, 1885, and she was re-elected two successive years. At the Department Convention in 1887 she was chosen a delegate to the National Convention in St. Louis, and has since participated in several National Conventions. In 1888 she was chosen by the Department Council to fill a vacancy in the office of Department Chaplain, was re-elected to the position by the annual convention in 1889 and again in 1890. On account of severe illness Mrs. Clark retired from active work the following year, but in 1892 accepted the office of Department Senior Vice-President, and upon the expiration of its term was nominated for the highest office in the gift of the convention. Mrs. M. Susie Goodale, Past Department President, presented her name as follows:—

"I have the honor to place in nomination Mrs. Emily L. Clark, who has many qualifications for the position. First of all, she has a heart filled with love for humanity, and very few are the days when some poor wounded soul does not seek and find comfort beneath her sheltering roof. In all this she is seconded by her .soldier husband. Again, she is a pioneer in the order, and has served you faithfully as Department Chaplain and Senior Vice-President. I believe her to be in every way qualified for the position."

Mrs. Clark was unanimously elected, and upon assuming the duties of her office gave special attention to the interests of the corps throughout the State. Though living one hundred miles from Department headquarters in Boston, she was on duty there several days each week. A summary of her work was given in her address to the convention of 1894, over which she presided with grace and ability. During the year she travelled more than twenty