Page:Tributes to Helen Bell, Woman's Progress, April 1895.djvu/14

Rh where she was quite sure the constant lovers, Gabriel and Evangeline lie buried. Often have we wandered with her through the crowded streets of the lower part of the city to find the Blue Anchor Tavern, or to trace the winding course of Dock Creek, and to wonder where Society Hill began and where it ended, or where the old jail stood on the High street, or try to fancy how the streets looked when they were trodden by sweet-faced Quakeresses or gayer daughters of the Church of England. Dearly as she loved this old Philadelphia with its historic and picturesque associations, which she absorbed in early years under the guidance of her devoted uncle, Mr. John Jordan, for years an honored leader in all historic work in Pennsylvania, she was earnest and unflagging in her efforts and desires for that newer and better Philadelphia, the city of our hopes and of our dreams. All centres of education and light she considered as important forces toward the bringing about of a just and righteous administration of affairs, and added sources of benefit and enjoyment for the people. The Browning Society, she deemed not simply a meeting place for an hour's enjoyment or the exchange of thought and opinion upon literary subjects; but as an important and elevating influence, a spiritual factor in a material and prosaic age. This idea she expressed more than once from this platform, on those rare occasions, at the opening and closing of the session's study, when she gave us a few words from herself. Usually, as we all know, the president of the Browning Society occupied that ideal attitude of the presiding officer, holding evenly the balance nicely poised, showing, by no hair's breadth of inclination to one side or the other, by no flash of expression upon her most expressive face, with which side of the vexed question she was disposed to agree.

Of Helen Bell, as president of the Browning Society others will speak, dwelling upon the generous culture, the richly stored mind the well balanced judgment and administrative ability that have enriched and guided our society during the years of its broadest development. Although deeply appreciating, and having enjoyed to the fullest extent these benefits, I like better to linger over those intimate personal traits—those qualities of heart and spirit that conspired to make up a character of unusual strength and sweetness, the subtle underlying traits, which make us what we are. It was a fine combination of many noble and womanly qualities, united to an almost childlike frankness and simplicity of character that made Helen Bell's lovely and engaging personality an inspiration and a joy wherever she appeared, which spread a homelike warmth and cheer about her, and caused her sweet face like Una's, "to make sunshine in many a shady place of earth."

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