Page:Tributes to Helen Bell, Woman's Progress, April 1895.djvu/13

206 Moravian, including men and women who were distinguished, in their day and generation for their steadfast endurance, their simplicity of life and their integrity of purpose. Among her far back ancestors were that John and Barbara Bevan, who, when they emigrated from their native Wales, were counted "Pillars to the Meeting," according to the ancient record, and who relinquished a considerable estate because "the precious truth was much in their eyes, and this alone moved their hearts and wrought upon their spirits in order to their removal hence." An ancestress, of whom Helen Bell was justly proud was Ann Henry, who for twelve years during the difficult and unsettled times subsequent to the war of the Revolution, held with honor the position of Treasurer of Lancaster, having succeeded her husband, William Henry, in that office. From this capable and executive woman, the president of the Browning Society may have derived much of her admirable business and administrative ability.

To no one were the dear delights of companionship dearer than to Helen Bell, and while entering with keen enjoyment into the flash of wit and play of fancy, the good natured give-and-take of badinage, or the more subtle intricacies of argument and discussion which all go to make up that supreme delight of life, which we name conversation, she was ever ready to enter with interest into the most commonplace talk about every day affairs—the trials of a housekeeper or the sorrows of a shop girl. Nothing seemed too trifling or too insignificant to awake her interest or draw forth her sympathy. While admitting into the close bonds of friendship certain chosen ones, whom she loved with a tender and utterly unselfish devotion, she entertained a strong liking for a large circle of acquaintance and felt a warm sympathy and interest in "all sorts and conditions of men." Even in the most commonplace and ordinary mortal whom many of us would call dull and pass over without another thought, she through some heaven-born instinct of comradeship, some generous feeling of the kinship of humanity, would find something to interest her, some meeting place of thought through which she could enter into his or her pursuits and pleasures. So well was this characteristic understood that when Helen Bell said at the close of an evening to a friend and hostess, "That was a rather dull person to whom you introduced me," the friend replied, surprised at such a remark from her, "Why that was the reason I introduced her to you. I knew that you could talk to any one. She seemed to be having a pretty poor time and I knew that you could make the evening pleasant to her."

Mrs. Hallowell, in her beautiful remembrances of Helen Bell, in the Philadelphia Ledger, has spoken with exquisite appreciation of her work in the New Century Guild and in her German class. Of the delights of the Saturday walks, I can speak with enthusiasm having taken part in many of them and entering with her into the desire to arouse in these young women an interest in the historic spots so dear to her, Carpenters' Hall, the Hall of Independence, old Christ Church, the burial place of Franklin, or old St. Joseph's