ClassIBX .6.435 
 Book__THSX5!^ 
 
 Copyright N°_ 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
^^^S^o(^6^cl^^f 
 
divert) Eotones Bust 
 
 Mrs. Maty Haven Thirkield 
 
 
 1 The joy of loyal service to the King 
 Shone through her days, and lit up other lives." 
 
 Jennings & Pye 
 
 Cincinnati 
 
 1903 
 
^ € 
 
 lht UbRARY CF 
 CONGRESS, 
 
 Two Copies Received 
 
 JAN 8 1903 
 
 .Copyrignt Entry 
 i CLASS 4U XXb. No 
 COPY B. r 
 
 • » • • -. g<wright by 
 XheSWoma^sJUpmi! Missionary Society of the 
 
 * • * » M«SriJo&>isii Episcopal Church 
 1902 
 
Clt?a6etf) itotones d&wt 
 
 1835-1899 
 
 "A distinctive feature of the latter half of the 
 nineteenth century is the development of so many 
 good and true women." Thus wrote Mrs. Rust of 
 a leader among women, and well do the words fit 
 her own noble, Christlike character. Her ancestry 
 was noted for nobility of life, freedom of thought, 
 and conscientious action. In her blood flowed 
 Scotch purity and strength, united with the san- 
 guine temperament of the Welsh. Her father and 
 mother, coming from the Middle States, and be- 
 ginning their married life in Baltimore, were both 
 members of the Quaker Brotherhood. Devout in 
 spirit, true to God's leading, outspoken for the 
 right, generous toward others, quiet and unob- 
 trusive, yet bold and courageous in the hour of 
 duty, they were noble representatives of the Society 
 of Friends. 
 
 3 
 
4 C£it?abitl) ketones Uust 
 
 Born in such a home in 1835, Elizabeth 
 Lownes Rust inherited the sterling integrity and 
 The Quaker philanthropic spirit of her father, as 
 
 Home we u as the beauty of feature, fine intel- 
 lect, and strong character of her mother. The at- 
 mosphere of the home surrounded her from infancy 
 with purity and refinement. She unconsciously 
 caught from the parental love and instruction, les- 
 sons in the broader sphere of love towards human- 
 ity and the wondrous richness of love towards God. 
 
 In later years, as I saw the face of that Quaker 
 mother entering the Western home in her simple 
 garb of gray, I perceived the beauty and strength 
 which had enriched the training of Elizabeth. In 
 the early days, across the sea, her family had taken 
 its place among the highest circles, and Mrs. 
 Lownes, in Quaker costume, revealed a queenly 
 presence and royal lineage as truly as though 
 dressed in rustling silk. She had great influence 
 and power in social and religious life. Her home 
 was changed from the East to the West during 
 Elizabeth's childhood, and Ohio welcomed her to 
 its fresh and vigorous life. There the daughter 
 availed herself of the educational advantages in her 
 neighborhood, and graduated from Cooper Semi- 
 nary, Dayton, in 1853. 
 
 Her young womanhood was devoted to helpful 
 lines of service. During the war she was president 
 of a branch of the Sanitary Commission, noted for 
 
fifti^abetl) iotones Must 5 
 
 its zeal and success in furnishing supplies to armies 
 and hospitals. Keenly alive to the needs of the 
 times, she was eager to enlist in the Young 
 silent army of home workers, so loyal Womanhood 
 and effective in their assistance to the brave sol- 
 diers in the field. 
 
 She developed a strong taste for art, and for 
 several years was engaged as Instructor in Art in 
 the Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College 
 during its earlier history. She greatly 
 enjoyed this contact with youth, and the opportunity 
 to turn their fresh thoughts into noble channels. 
 She gained some recognition as an amateur artist 
 and portrait painter, and in 1871 went abroad 
 for further study. In Paris and Rome she enjoyed 
 special opportunities under the guidance of Madam 
 Marjoli, the sculptor, and Monsieur Jules Richome, 
 the distinguished painter. In Paris she had friendly 
 relations with the families of Drs. De Pressense 
 and Bercier, the distinguished Protestant divines. 
 
 This life in foreign lands and association with 
 master minds was a great joy to her artistic nature. 
 As the hand wielded the brush, and the colors were 
 transferred from the palette to canvas, until the 
 living presence seemed to stand before one, her 
 soul caught the glow of the true artist, her mind 
 was quickened, her whole being enriched. The 
 Italian face, with its bronzed features and scornful 
 eyes, reveal the wicked thought and sinister mind; 
 
6 (ftijabetfc iLotonea ftu*t 
 
 the peasant, in his humble toil and simple life, is 
 in vivid contrast to the thoughtful monk wrapped 
 in his gloomy cowl. Elizabeth Lownes reveled in 
 this study of human nature, and brought back to 
 her native land copies from the masters' works and 
 portraits from the living representatives of Euro- 
 pean nations. Pastoral sketches, full of beauty and 
 grace, were mingled with the deeper studies of face 
 and form, revealing the breadth and depth of her 
 artistic nature. On her return to America, the fu- 
 ture was bright with promise. Attractive in per- 
 son, her mind enriched by foreign travel, cultured 
 and refined, she entered society to win instant 
 recognition. Her skill as a portrait painter was 
 acknowledged, and her moments were full of work 
 and full of joyous hope. 
 
 Here love came in and changed her plans. She 
 left the studio for the home ; the easel for the manse. 
 In 1875 s ^e married the Rev. Richard 
 S. Rust, D. D. Her life assumed a new 
 meaning, her philanthropy widened its scope, and 
 henceforth she became actively identified with the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church. Milton says that a 
 poet's life should be a poem. Mrs. Rust made this 
 high truth a living fact. Instead of breathing forth 
 the poetry within her soul by painting it in vivid 
 colors until it seemed to speak, she let it shine 
 through her life, adorn her home, and touch other 
 souls, until, in place of the dead canvas, the living 
 
features bespoke her power. She became deeply 
 interested in the benevolent enterprises of the 
 Church, and was in keen sympathy with her hus- 
 band's work. Thus did they together live as one life, 
 
 "And reigning with one will in everything, 
 Have power on this dark land to lighten it, 
 And power on this dead world to make it live!" 
 
 Their home became a centre of Christian 
 activity, and from it went forth forces which 
 touched and helped humanity. In 1876, The Phiian- 
 Mrs. Rust organized a philanthropic thropist 
 movement for the colored people of Cincinnati, 
 which continued its usefulness for several years. 
 In 1877 she took an active part in the charitable 
 work of the city, proposing plans for the ameliora- 
 tion of the condition of the poor, which were ap- 
 proved and adopted by the citizens, and a thorough 
 organization of the city effected which proved most 
 efficient in controlling vagrancy and elevating the 
 needy. From these early years she was connected 
 with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 
 anxious to cast her influence on the side of temper- 
 ance and purity. She became identified with many 
 local philanthropies, securing the employment of 
 matrons at police stations, and women to take 
 charge of the female wards of prisons. Because 
 of this latter interest, she was appointed by the 
 mayor one of the managers of the female depart- 
 
8 Ciijabet^ JLotone* Hu*t 
 
 ment of the City Workhouse. Always awake to 
 every new enterprise, ever on the alert to improve 
 and better the old conditions, she urged and pleaded 
 for the admission of industries into the regular 
 course of the public schools, and lived to see her 
 plans and ideals put into action. Thus, while reign- 
 ing as queen in the home, devoted and loyal to her 
 husband, constant in loving thoughtfulness and 
 tender affection, she was making a strong impres- 
 sion on the outside world. She mingled the ideal 
 with the real. Her home, pure and true, was the 
 absorbing passion of her life; but, with it all, a 
 needy and suffering humanity right about her was 
 not forgotten, and she went forth with courage and 
 eagerness to uplift others. 
 
 In the course of time she traveled with her hus- 
 band through the South. She saw the black man 
 Observations * n his lonely cabin ; she realized his ig- 
 tn the South norance ; she felt his poverty ; she longed 
 to help him upward. She knew that improvement 
 must come from within, that the people must work 
 out their own salvation; but she felt the strong 
 desire to reach the mothers and daughters of the 
 race, to arouse within them courage and character 
 which should overcome the barriers, and lead them 
 on to material and moral success. Her sensitive 
 heart was stirred, her artistic nature aroused to the 
 strength and beauty which suffering and oppression 
 
€li?dbtt\) ketones &ust 9 
 
 had kept hidden, and she longed to let Christ's love 
 and liberty redeem and sanctify until the real per- 
 son stood forth in living light, "a man for 2! that." 
 She dared to look this national problem squarely 
 in the face, to urge speedy and generous action 
 towards sending aid to these who bear the imprint 
 of night, but whose hearts may be made pure and 
 white by the dawning of Christ's day. 
 
 Who knows but for such a time as this she 
 has come into her kingdom? Ripened in intellect, 
 broadened in culture, consecrated in Entering the 
 spirit, mature in wisdom, disciplined and ° pen Door 
 equipped through years of experience and the faith 
 and courage of a Quaker home, she discerned the 
 open door, and was quick to enter and render her 
 character and attainments a blessing to Methodism 
 and America. Read a letter which she wrote in 
 November, 1876, to a friend in the East, as it re- 
 veals her thoughts and plans: 
 
 "Cincinnati, November 8, 1876. 
 
 "I hope that your sympathy and co-operation may be secured 
 in a plan to interest Northern women in behalf of the freedwomen 
 in the South. In view of the great need there is for moral and 
 spiritual elevation among these poor creatures, and the terrible 
 sufferings they are subjected to in consequence of their igno- 
 rance and degradation, it seems that not only their salvation but 
 the future of our Government depends on Christian efforts in their 
 behalf. 
 
 "To avoid the embarrassment of organizing a new society, and 
 
io dfcit^abett) ilotames Kust 
 
 to make our efforts available immediately, the Board of Managers of 
 the Freedmen' s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was 
 petitioned to admit ladies to its councils, and to be co-laborers. 
 This petition was cordially welcomed by the president, bishops, and 
 Board, and granted, which opens the field to us at once to organize 
 our mode of appeal, and to enter upon the work of collecting funds 
 and to send missionaries to the South. While we will not abate our 
 interest for salvation of the * * heathen women ' ' in foreign lands, 
 let us not pass by, unheeded, the cry for help and the need of 
 these, so near our own threshold. 
 
 "The schools established by the Freedmen' s Aid Society are 
 doing incalculable good, b"t it is hoped, through the help of Chris- 
 tian women, to elevate the homes by the moral instruction of the 
 freedwomen. This is an absolute necessity to make Christian work 
 among them deeply effective. 
 
 1 ' We trust that the claims of this cause may meet a response in 
 your heart, and that you may give to it the assistance of your sym- 
 pathy and influence. Several of the best known and official ladies 
 in the Church are engaged for the inauguration and carrying forward 
 of this movement." 
 
 This line of work in connection with the Freed- 
 men's Aid Society was not found practicable, as the 
 introduction of women into the Board of Managers 
 (by the law of the State) would endanger its title 
 to property. Thus failing to secure the needed 
 work through existing agencies, the interest aroused 
 could not be set aside, but public and private ap- 
 peals continued to be made. Women were em- 
 ployed as missionaries in Atlanta and New Orleans, 
 who for several years were supported by personal 
 gifts. 
 
The approval of this enterprise by The Woman's 
 the General Conference of 1880 led to "^ W £ 
 the organization of the Woman's Home ciety 
 Missionary Society. Let Mrs. Rust tell it in her 
 own words: 
 
 "The first meeting in this behalf was called by 
 the writer, and held in Trinity Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 8, 1880. After con- 
 sultation with representatives of general Church 
 work in Cincinnati, it was decided to form a new 
 society. The constitution of the Woman's Home 
 Missionary Society, substantially the same as was 
 approved four years later by the General Confer- 
 ence of 1884, was adopted at a meeting held July 
 10th. While recognizing the fact that our cities 
 presented the largest, and possibly the most impor- 
 tant home mission field, the society, at first, sent 
 her missionaries to labor among the neglected popu- 
 lations of the South, and employed teachers in the 
 West for the planting of Christian schools among 
 Mormons and Indians. The contributions of our 
 few scattered auxiliaries could be united for the 
 support of a frontier mission, but, at that time, 
 unanimity in behalf of any one of our cities could 
 not have been secured." 
 
 Elizabeth L. Rust had been stirred by her en- 
 thusiasm, aroused by a high ideal, until a definite, 
 intelligent plan revealed itself to her of putting that 
 
12 Clijabet^ Jlotones Hufit 
 
 ideal into action. Her faithful husband was her 
 
 help and inspiration. Constant in sympathy, deep 
 
 Leadership * n Merest, eager and ready to advise 
 
 in a New and assist, she found in him the com- 
 plement of her own soul. Her heart 
 grew stouter, and new joy and courage thrilled her 
 being as she felt the throbbings of a kindred nature. 
 Women listened to her words, and many followed 
 where she led. It was no hasty impulse that 
 prompted them to this action. They banded to- 
 gether in unity of heart and devotion of purpose. 
 They aroused the Church to a new line of w r ork, 
 Christianizing the homes within its borders. 
 
 It was my privilege to be with the small com- 
 pany of women when this Woman's Home Mission- 
 Early ary Society was organized. Come with 
 
 Workers me f or a m0 ment into that cozy parlor 
 in Cincinnati, and draw your chair up near the busy 
 circle, where you may listen to the discussions of 
 that band of earnest women as week by week they 
 met and planned, thought and acted. Their brains 
 were busy, their hearts were inspired, their lives 
 were consecrated, their faith was undaunted. 
 Clouds hung threateningly over them at times, but 
 they always discerned the rainbow athwart the dark- 
 ness. Prayers went up to heaven for Divine guid- 
 ance, and I have seen those women stop all work 
 and spend that hour upon their knees in fervent 
 supplication. That little company, associated in the 
 
CEUjabetlj 5lotone0 &u$t 13 
 
 name of Christ to study his truth, to live his life, 
 to do his deeds, shaped the beginnings of the work 
 of this society. There was the fountain from which 
 came the streams of Christian beneficence; there 
 the roots from which sprang the growth of Chris- 
 tian service. Mrs. Rust rejoiced as a mother in 
 the birth and growth of this organization. Pain 
 was forgotten in rapture; weariness and toil lost 
 sight of in success. The urgent needs of the ever- 
 broadening field often filled those loyal women with 
 fear and trembling; but buoyed up by Christian 
 courage, cheered onward by loving co-operation, 
 they became more united of heart, more earnest of 
 purpose. God held them in his own intention until 
 the hour had come when they emerged in spirit and 
 in power, his handmaidens united in his service, 
 embodied in the Woman's Home Missionary So- 
 ciety. Words of exhortation rang in the ears of 
 those women, urging them to action : "But one hope 
 for our land. It is the gospel. Let us set up the 
 Christian Church and school on every hill and val- 
 ley, until every wild waste shall blossom as the 
 Lord's garden." 
 
 As the Church became aroused, the society 
 rapidly grew. The East joined hands with the 
 West, auxiliaries were organized in Growth of 
 nearly every Conference, daughters fol- the Work 
 lowed the mothers' example and formed their 
 "Circles," until even the little ones were drawn in 
 
14 (Eli^abetti flotonetf l&ust 
 
 as the "Mothers' Jewels." We discovered the mis- 
 sion fields lying so near at hand, and sent mes- 
 sengers with the glad tidings of salvation into the 
 distant wigwams of the Indians, the low adobe 
 huts of the New Mexicans, the josshouses of the 
 Chinese, the cabins of the Southland, the far-away 
 homes in Alaska; to the foreigners of every clime 
 and hue in our large cities. The Lord marvelously 
 opened the way, and his Christian workers followed 
 swiftly as he led. 
 
 Never shall I forget the first annual meeting, 
 when we hailed with joyous welcome our honored 
 First Annual and true-hearted president, Lucy Webb 
 Meeting Hayes. Her name and presence were 
 an inspiration to our work, and the memory of her 
 noble life will always be most precious. Well does 
 Mrs. Rust say: 
 
 "The seal of the Divine approval was placed 
 upon the society by the gift of Lucy Webb Hayes, 
 one of the most illustrious women of the century, 
 who for the first nine years of its history was its 
 honored president. She came from the Presidential 
 mansion, where she had borne testimony to the 
 cause of temperance and the truth of the Christian 
 religion, to preside at our meetings and participate 
 in our deliberations/' 
 
 Reports were uttered with trembling lips; new 
 plans proposed, new fields entered, new obligations 
 
assumed; but at the close of that session the dox- 
 ology went up from all hearts. The Rev. Dr. A. B. 
 Leonard, in a review of that meeting, writes: 
 
 " The most important event in Methodist circles in the Queen 
 City that has recently occurred was the assembling of the first an- 
 nual meeting of the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday, October 30, 1882. 
 
 "The report of Mrs. Dr. R. S. Rust, the corresponding sec- 
 retary, was a carefully prepared and comprehensive presentation of 
 the subject, history, and work of the society. The object of this 
 society is to enlist and organize the efforts of Methodist women to 
 co-operate with other societies and agencies of the Church in behalf 
 of women and children, and all classes in our own country, who are 
 in need of Christian sympathy and help. There is ample room for 
 this new organization. It proposes to occupy a field which as yet 
 is almost uncultivated by us as a Christian denomination. We have 
 the numbers and the means with which to do this work, and God 
 calls us to undertake it in his name and strength. Now that this 
 society is fairly before the Church its auxiliaries will increase rapidly, 
 and its funds multiply yearly ; so that, in the near future, the home 
 missionary work of Methodism will take rank with the most potent 
 agencies of Protestant Christianity for the enlightenment and salva- 
 tion of the neglected classes of our own country." 
 
 At this meeting Mrs. Rust stated that the great 
 inspiration of this whole movement in behalf of 
 home missions has been the work of Bishop Wiley, 
 who aided in its organization, and has added en- 
 couragement during all the way of its progress. He 
 has given to it the best effort of his pen, his elo- 
 quence, and his money. 
 
1 6 (Eltjabetlj ilo tones Ifcust 
 
 Ten years later as Mrs. Rust reviews the past 
 she rejoices in its prosperity, but pleads 
 
 Outlook r 1 11 
 
 After One * or larger numbers and more earnest 
 
 Decade effort : 
 
 "This Society, in its organization and history, and in the efforts 
 of its friends to secure recognition, and awaken interest in its special 
 fields, has called the attention of our Church to the neglected por- 
 tions of our country, to the dangers which threaten it, to its great 
 responsibilities, and to its controlling influence upon the destiny of 
 other lands. These efforts have deepened the sense of responsibility 
 and obligation of our people, and have contributed largely to in- 
 crease the tide of religious effort in behalf of home missions. 
 
 "Since a separate society had been formed for woman's work 
 in foreign lands, the autonomy of our Church work could only be 
 preserved by an organization of her women in behalf of home mis- 
 sions. Our associated womanhood must have an opportunity to 
 consecrate a portion of its efforts and funds to the evangelization of 
 our own country. There is no reason why woman's heart should 
 be moved in tender response to appeals for help in foreign lands, 
 while she should neglect those quite as pathetic in our own. 
 
 "There is a clearly defined work for these organizations, and 
 each may move in its own sphere without conflict, each shedding 
 light and love upon the other ; the Woman' s Foreign Missionary 
 Society aiding the parent society in foreign lands, the Woman's 
 Home Missionary Society aiding it in our own country, and the 
 General Missionary Society, like a wise and loving parent, encour- 
 aging both organizations in efforts for the conversion of the whole 
 world, all of them being animated by the same spirit, guided by the 
 same wisdom, and upheld by the same Almighty power. 
 
 "In this crisis, the Church and State alike require the help of 
 Christian women. They alone can carry into dark cabins and wig- 
 wams, and adobe huts and garrets and cellars where human 
 wretchedness and vice abound, the methods and spirit of the Chris- 
 tian home, which is the foundation of the Republic. ,, 
 
ELIZABETH LOWNES RUST. 
 
<£ii?atetlj JLototu* ftust 17 
 
 These victories were not achieved without cease- 
 less toil and extensive travel. They involved re- 
 peated visits, consultations with com- Toil and 
 mittees, public presentation of the co^cLpond* 
 claims, and the selection of officers, ing Secretary 
 which required more than one hundred thousand 
 miles of travel. Social pleasures were all aban- 
 doned, home comforts often sacrificed, the artist's 
 brush laid aside, restful hours surrendered, that 
 Elizabeth Lownes Rust might give herself unre- 
 servedly into the Lord's hands. Correspondence 
 often kept her pen busy until the small hours of the 
 morning. While others slept, she planned and 
 wrought. Original and inventive, she could not 
 rest until some new thought had been put in writ- 
 ing, and sent hither and yon for the approval of 
 other workers. Leaflets and letters were constantly 
 emanating from her fertile brain, which should 
 scatter broadcast the needs of the cause and the 
 suggestive remedies. The missionaries in their dis- 
 tant fields were cheered and comforted by her fre- 
 quent messages, and all lines of the work seemed to 
 focus at her desk. The humblest toiler found a 
 welcome in her home; the faintest call for help 
 reached her ear; the suffering and despair in the 
 farthest corner of America found a responsive chord 
 in her heart. Her ever-watchful eye was quick to 
 discern the openings of the present, the portents 
 of the future. Summer's heat or winter's cold did 
 
1 8 dEli^abetli ilotomea foust 
 
 not hold her back from duty; long rides and little 
 sleep were not considered when the word was 
 needed and the personal visitation desired. She 
 spoke not from theory, but from actual observation. 
 She visited nearly every field where the society was 
 laboring. She came in close touch with the mis- 
 sionaries. She realized their bravery and self-sac- 
 rifice ; she saw the squalor and degradation of their 
 surroundings; she knew the power of sin which 
 they were called to combat. 
 
 Her reports were full of interesting informa- 
 tion; not mere words and sentiments, but burning, 
 living facts ! Arguments, strong and convincing, 
 enforced the wisdom of her plans and actions. Her 
 logic was cogent; her pleadings were convincing; 
 her common sense was an element of strength. The 
 training from her youth among the Friends made 
 her strong in the faith that God works through 
 those who commit themselves to the leadings of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 Few knew how tireless was her energy; how 
 completely was she absorbed in her work. No 
 thought of salary ever entered her mind; no re- 
 muneration for service was ever given. To me was 
 given the rare privilege of living in her home, and 
 I am glad to reveal this unselfish and complete giv- 
 ing of herself to others, which lay hidden from the 
 outside world. Vacation and leisure were unknown 
 terms to her. Rest and ease were no longer ex- 
 
(Kitjabett) ILoixmtg ISust 19 
 
 pected or desired. Work was God's tonic. As she 
 bent in prayer for his guidance, his grace sus- 
 tained, his arm steadied, his voice said, "Be strong, 
 be faithful, and I will lead you home." 
 
 For nearly twenty years she was thus led, as 
 she watched the rapid, wonderful growth 
 of her beloved work. Let her own lips an d Growing 
 tell the story : H °P e 
 
 "Viewed in the light of the past, the year is full 
 of hope, and the influences set in motion for the 
 triumph of Christ's kingdom in our beloved land, 
 with the accumulated forces of years past, in- 
 creased by those of years to come, assure us that, 
 though Christ tarry for a season, yet he, at no dis- 
 tant day, in conquering power will surely come. 
 . . . The rapidly changing conditions in the 
 country require corresponding modifications of 
 method. The society has demonstrated its ability 
 to manage its work intelligently, conduct its busi- 
 ness upon a safe financial basis, and adapt its plans 
 to the providential changes of the hour. Profiting 
 by experience, and with increased funds and influ- 
 ence, it is able to take a broader view of obligation, 
 look deeper into the problems offered for solution, 
 and enter more earnestly upon the discharge of 
 duties connected with its mission. ... It 
 should so arrange its plans and methods as to be 
 prepared for the work of the Church in the twen- 
 tieth century." 
 
2o Clijabetlj iLototus Hutft 
 
 Mrs. Rust realized that the future of the poor 
 
 girl in the South was hopeless without the perfect 
 
 union of faith in Christ and education; 
 
 industrial heart and mind must be alike renewed. 
 
 Established It soon became manifest that to secure 
 this object, more was needed than itiere 
 house-to-house visitation. In consultation with 
 others, the suggestion came, which led to the es- 
 tablishment of our Industrial Homes. Their good 
 effects were soon apparent, and such buildings were 
 erected all over the Southland, reaching and up- 
 lifting the womanhood of the race, training the 
 poor white and poor black along similar lines, bring- 
 ing them more closely together as one in Christ 
 Jesus. At the dedication of such a Home, named 
 in honor of Mrs. Rust, Bishop Atticus G. Haygood, 
 a brave and noble champion of the right, who 
 spoke whereof he knew, uttered these strong words 
 of approval: 
 
 "Dig wells in the desert and in the rocky 
 places. Plant these Industrial Homes all over 
 the South. Send out one well-trained woman 
 from such a Home; she will be worth a regiment 
 of lady missionaries and their visitations. She will 
 live among the people who need her; she will be 
 a specimen and an inspiration to them; she will 
 incarnate what you seek to teach." 
 
dHijateti* JLotontf Kugt 21 
 
 Is it strange that these Homes met with 
 marked success? The matrons are true heroines, 
 leaving the impress of their personality upon the 
 girls they teach. The girls become living mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 "The dear Lord's best interpreters 
 Are humble, human souls ; 
 The gospel of a life like hers 
 Is more than books and scrolls !' ' 
 
 Within those walls they learn the dignity of 
 labor ; they discover that brains and skill are needed 
 in the commonest acts of life ; they real- 
 ize that the simplest vegetables may be dustrial 
 made savory, the plainest utensils be Home 
 most useful. Silver or tin may hold 
 the same food, but the care and thought in its 
 preparation make it palatable. As they pass from 
 room to room, from one line of work to another, 
 that secret so often hidden becomes revealed — 
 the vast difference between housekeeping and 
 home-making. One is a business, the other an art. 
 They are taught to combine the two, and while 
 cleaning up the cabin and making it and all within 
 most healthful, they also add the little touches of 
 beauty and comfort which shall reach the soul, and 
 transform the hut into a home. Thus is their char- 
 acter, as head, hand, and heart are alike renewed, 
 made all rounded and complete. 
 
22 dBU^abetlj floume* Hust 
 
 Mrs. Rust caught a glimpse of the new light 
 in the cabins. She writes : 
 
 "I have recently visited several of our indus- 
 trial schools in the South. Though I had large 
 " Light in expectations of this work, yet it has 
 the Cabins" become greater and broader in its early 
 achievements than I had ventured to expect. If 
 this branch of our work can be vigorously prose- 
 cuted, it will not be long before we shall witness 
 great triumphs in the elevation of the women and 
 homes of the poor people all over the South. 
 
 "Observation had given me the facts which gave 
 force to this remark. As our train passed through 
 one of the richest cotton-growing sections, in a two 
 hours' ride, besides the small stations, I did not 
 see a single house — only one-room cabins, some- 
 times alone, and sometimes in clusters. These were 
 without windows, and one unacquainted would 
 hardly have suspected that they were human habi- 
 tations. At that time I counted in the fields thirty- 
 two women and one boy hoeing cotton and corn. 
 
 "We are convinced there is no way of reach- 
 ing and aiding the women and girls in these neg- 
 lected sections so successfully as by training edu- 
 cated young women in practical duties, and send- 
 ing them out as teachers. They can carry into the 
 distant rural districts these higher ideals of life, 
 and instruct the people in methods of correct liv- 
 
Cit^abetlj Jiotonea l&ust 23 
 
 ing more successfully than missionaries not of their 
 own race and unacquainted with their peculiar 
 needs. 
 
 "We were greatly pleased by the atmosphere 
 of trust and confidence which prevailed in the 
 homes visited, and which attested the sweetness 
 and firmness of the management. Few of the girls 
 have previously known anything better than rough 
 cabin and field life, so the restraints and refine- 
 ments of a home must be acquired. There was some- 
 thing very touching in the confidence of these girls, 
 as though the old ways had been laid aside as cast- 
 off garments, and a new life was surely entered 
 upon." 
 
 Look at the new mother, as she goes forth from 
 our Homes ! Visit the place where she reigns as 
 queen ! Equal with her husband in in- The New 
 tellect, congenial in taste, thorough in Mother and 
 housework, full of sympathy for the Homemaker 
 needy ones about her, her heart aglow with a 
 mother's love; she turns crudity into beauty, dis- 
 order into order, the drudgery of work into a joy, 
 the cares of childhood into a Divine and holy mis- 
 sion. No wonder her boy's eyes sparkle, her two 
 rooms attract and allure, — her very living speaks 
 louder than any words from pulpit or platform. 
 "It is the man who is the missionary, it is not his 
 words. His character is his message." 
 
24 CEU^atmij lloftmeg liufit 
 
 No one rejoiced more than Elizabeth Rust at 
 the sight of these blessed results; but while her 
 The Field heart was ever deeply interested in the 
 Broad as welfare and improvement of the South- 
 America i anc [^ w here first her sympathies were 
 awakened and thoughts aroused, she was not nar- 
 row, or blind to equally great needs in other fields. 
 
 As secretary of the society, in co-operation with 
 the Board of Managers, she wrote and planned for 
 similar Homes throughout the West. She joined 
 her energies with those of others, until the heathen 
 within our midst were constantly brought to our 
 view, and evangelizing agencies were scattered 
 from shore to shore, carrying the redemptive power 
 of Christ's gospel into the darkened, benighted 
 homes. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Dorchester, Jr., said of this society, at 
 its anniversary: "We recognize you as the heart 
 force of the moral and spiritual condition of our 
 Nation." 
 
 But the far-seeing eye of Elizabeth Rust did 
 not stop at the Nation's horizon. She writes: 
 
 "We ought to secure a fuller rec- 
 
 Home and . . r i t T t tt 
 
 Foreign Mis- ognition of the Woman s Home Mis- 
 sions One sionary Society, in view of the relation 
 
 Work 
 
 it bears to the foreign field, and the in- 
 fluence for good that may be wrought upon the 
 world through the evangelization of this country. 
 
RUST HALL, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
We must save and hold this country for Christ as 
 a base of supplies. We can not furnish means and 
 missionaries for the wide world, unless the Church 
 at home be strengthened and its resources devel- 
 oped, unless the baptism of the Holy Spirit shall 
 come upon the women, who constitute more than 
 two-thirds of the membership of our Church, and 
 aid them in their efforts to save this country for 
 Christ/' 
 
 Truly, Home and Foreign constantly clasp hands 
 in this work for God. We would save and con- 
 vert the idolatrous and superstitious in our own 
 land; we would train and furnish missionaries for 
 their own in other lands ; we would bring the world 
 to the foot of the Cross ! 
 
 Every line of work inaugurated by the so- 
 ciety, every new field entered, but increased the 
 zeal and added to the joy of Mrs. Rust. T . . 
 
 J J Training- 
 
 The Immigrant Homes, which welcomed school and 
 and sheltered the strangers as they RustHaU 
 landed on our shores; the Mission Homes among 
 the Orientals and New Mexicans; the centers of 
 help for the Indians ; the blessed retreats for God's 
 little ones ; the rapid spread of Deaconess Homes — 
 all revealed to her God's approval, but called for 
 more efficient workers. She writes: 
 
 "If our Society purposes to occupy this field 
 successfully, it must make provision for an adequate 
 
26 Cii^abetlj Jlotones Huge 
 
 supply of thoroughly trained women for the service. 
 In view of these conditions and obligations, we con- 
 sider the Lucy Webb Hayes Memorial Training- 
 school for Missionaries and Deaconesses, located at 
 Washington, D. C, the most important enterprise of 
 the society, and the one which should have the most 
 generous consideration. The location of the school 
 on North Capitol Street affords ample space for 
 enlargement, and there is urgent need of additional 
 dormitory and departmental accommodations.'' 
 
 This need has been answered in the erection of 
 Rust Hall, which will be a memorial to her worth, 
 and a blessing to all future generations. Almost 
 her last act was to write in its behalf and plead for 
 its completion. Standing in the Nation's capital, 
 near the place where she was born, overlooking 
 the beautiful city, the valley o* the Potomac and 
 the heights of Arlington, it well represents her 
 sterling character, the Nation's weal for which she 
 pleaded, and the intelligence and skill demanded in 
 Christ's work. 
 
 Mrs. Rust was a woman of vision. As Paul of 
 
 old, she caught a sight of the risen Christ. The 
 
 moral degradation, the alarming igno- 
 
 of Faith ranee and vice, caused her to think and 
 
 and fear; but she was not overcome, for 
 
 she saw the remedy. She did not tarry 
 
 to think of the odds against her, but timidity and 
 
 sensitiveness were lost to sight as she realized her 
 
ceii^abetfe iloftmes VLu&t zy 
 
 duty, and gained help from Christ to enter the 
 conflict. Bravely, hopefully, enthusiastically, she 
 stood for the right. Words written of another well 
 fit her character: "The greater the odds, the more 
 resolute her bearing; the more desperate the for- 
 tunes, the more resonant the ringing cheer of her 
 tone. History has shown that a great faith is the 
 wisest and sanest of all guides." 
 
 Listen to her thoughtful words, as she looks for- 
 ward into the coming years : 
 
 "It is wise, in formulating plans, and in organ- 
 izing Christian work, to regard the claims of the 
 enduring future, as well as those of the transient 
 present. It is the relation that the present bears to 
 the future that gives it significance and controlling 
 power. Improvements in the management of 
 worldly affairs follow in rapid succession, and 
 clearer views and greater consecration should char- 
 acterize the agencies and methods employed by the 
 Church of Christ in elevating the people, and in 
 saving the world. It is short-sighted policy to limit 
 our plans of work to the present. We should take 
 a more comprehensive view of the needs, possibili- 
 ties, achievements, and conquests of the twentieth 
 century. We should carefully scan the horoscope 
 of the future, watch its earliest indications, and ad- 
 just our plans and movements to the possibilities 
 of philanthropy and religion, as they may be un- 
 
28 Cl^abetl) ILototutf ftuat 
 
 rolled to our vision by the unerring wisdom of 
 Divine intelligence/' 
 
 Women of vision are needed to-day. We are 
 at a turning point in the history of Home Mis- 
 sions. The era of extension is passing into the 
 era of strengthening and energizing. Twenty 
 years ago the women were timid and doubtful ; now 
 they are full of faith, with plans matured and work 
 accomplished. The future lies before them, rich 
 with opportunity. Duty bids them enter, and Christ 
 promises the victory. 
 
 The true greatness of Elizabeth Rust is revealed 
 
 in her last illness. Heroic in suffering, she con- 
 
 The tinued to sustain her beloved work until 
 
 Hour of both heart and flesh failed her. Her 
 
 numph spiritual sight became clearer, her faith 
 stronger, and God gave her strength to suffer and 
 endure. It is easy to smile when all goes well. It 
 is noble to be joyous in the hour of trial. As she 
 left the doctor's room, and received the word of 
 fatal illness, she seemed to enter at once into the 
 care of the Great Physician. Meeting a friend, she 
 said, "I may live six months, I may live six years ; 
 but I must work all the harder, that every moment 
 may count for my Master." These words were put 
 into action, and for three years she tarried not, 
 save as the hospital claimed her. Even her sick- 
 room became the center of work. While she die- 
 
CUjabetfc flofcme* Hust 29 
 
 tated scores and hundreds of letters pertaining to 
 the welfare of the society, she often penned a few 
 choice words to her friends, speaking as from heart 
 to heart. One of those who came very close to 
 her life was Mrs. H. C. McCabe, and to her she 
 reveals the sacred thoughts of that upper room: 
 
 "It has seemed to me that the Angel and His 
 presence has been at my right hand constantly.'' 
 
 "I am busy all the time, for the work presses. 
 Whether I am to be here years, or only a few weeks, 
 that is in His hands. I am blessed in the fact that I 
 have the strength and the heart to do what the hour 
 demands. I have given my case over absolutely 
 into the keeping of my Heavenly Father, and I 
 do not worry about it." 
 
 "I am not so strong as I was a year ago. I am 
 obliged to rest an hour after working two or three, 
 and so I sandwich work and rest all the days. 
 Friends think it strange that I try to continue ; but 
 why should I not? If God gives me the strength 
 and the disposition, I should be culpable if I did not 
 use it, and the opportunity in his service." 
 
 "How glad I would be to look into your face, 
 and have the inspiration of your well-rounded spir- 
 itual life. In the last few days I have grown very 
 weak. My talking is very spasmodic, because of the 
 oppression of the lungs and shortness of breath. 
 The powers of nature seem to be falling away. 
 
30 <fl?U?Bbtt!) Jlotones fcuat 
 
 When I want to be changed from one side of the 
 bed to the other, they help me into a chair, pull 
 me around, and then settle me on the other side. 
 I can not walk at all. If the miracle we are ex- 
 pecting is wrought, I hope to be with you for the 
 September meeting, and to be able to keep my hand 
 on the work. I give dictations of important let- 
 ters every day, almost. The Father is very good 
 to me, though I suffer greatly from weakness and 
 difficulty in breathing. I feel quite at rest." 
 
 "I find that I must hurry to get my share of the 
 Master's work done, unless a miracle is wrought in 
 my behalf. But I am not repining. I am so glad 
 that He gives me grace to keep all the shadows 
 out of our home, and strength to do my work." 
 
 "I want you to pray, dear friend, that I may not 
 lose faith and courage. I have all along felt so sure 
 of my Helper, and such peace and rest, that when 
 these last days the foundation seems to be slip- 
 ping away, I was frightened by my own weakness 
 to reach my 'tower' — or does God test us in these 
 ways ? To-day I feel as strong as Samson (not phys- 
 ically, for I am much weaker than at any time since 
 I left the hospital). The disease is steadily gain- 
 ing a firmer hold. Then I thought maybe, in send- 
 ing this extra suffering of the last few days, God 
 is rebuking me for my selfishness in thinking so 
 much of my own need of healing. I am trying so 
 
hard to save my life, when I should be willing and 
 glad to lose it. My eyes are turned toward the 
 'everlasting morning/ I receive gladly the bene- 
 diction of service yet a little longer. I ask God 
 continually, if my services are needed, to heal, and 
 keep, and use me." 
 
 "I am too tired most of the time to think intelli- 
 gently ; but I appreciate and I am so thankful when 
 a day comes like to-day, that I can get through many 
 letters, business of the society — a good, long dicta- 
 tion/' 
 
 "I have for some time felt so sure that relief 
 would come that I have not made an iota of change 
 in my work these last days, though the doctor said I 
 had reached the 'last stage' of the disease. This 
 morning I gave four hours' dictation, and have been 
 busy this afternoon, and with a light heart have done 
 my work, singing praises all the time/' 
 
 "My faith takes hold of the promises." 
 
 Does not the power of Christ shine through 
 these words ? Do you not catch the note of triumph 
 as she steps into the presence of the King ? Almost 
 at the last hour, her devoted husband writes : "The 
 disease does not relax, and her vital forces are 
 weakening. She is full of courage and hope, and 
 assures us that she is resting in the eternal arms 
 of her loving Father." 
 
32 Clijabetl) Ho tone* Hust 
 
 She entered upon her eternal rest, October 3, 
 1899. 
 
 Strong and earnest words came from many- 
 friends, paying tribute to her life and strong 
 character. One of the highest testi- Testimonial 
 monials was given in these lines by a sister in an 
 other Church — Mrs. Eliza G. Sage, of the Baptist 
 denomination : 
 
 "The highest tribute to Mrs. Rust is that she en- 
 deavored to do her duty to humanity, until this be- 
 came her highest pleasure, her ruling passion. When 
 I first knew her, as Miss Lownes, she was an artist, 
 devoting her superb vitality to that absorbing voca- 
 tion. But 'art for art's sake' could not hold such a 
 nature as hers. Like Sir Ashley Cooper, she heard 
 innumerable voices calling for help. So she quietly 
 laid aside her art, and turned all her enthusiastic 
 effort into the Christ work. When next I met her, 
 she and Mrs. John Davis became my guests at Hart- 
 ford, the season that they together traveled over 
 New England establishing your great Home Mis- 
 sionary Society. I saw that her ideals had changed. 
 She had a more glorious motive than any that art 
 could give. I was also struck with her great 
 earnestness. In 1895, Mrs. Rust founded the Civic 
 League. She was carrying great responsibilities 
 as the Secretary of your Society. Another woman 
 would have considered her hands too full to feel 
 
CiijabetJj flotones Must 33 
 
 the claims of a new duty. Not so Mrs. Rust, al- 
 though she was writing hundreds of letters and 
 traveling everywhere in the interests of the Home 
 Missionary Society. She felt profoundly that the 
 women of Cincinnati were called upon to serve their 
 city, and could only do so efficiently through a special 
 organization for civic work. Burdened as she was 
 with your duties, she assumed this service of in- 
 augurating the Civic League. Her first step was 
 to create a sentiment favorable to it. She talked 
 with individuals in her own enthusiastic way. She 
 held conferences with circles of ladies. She wrote 
 letters to those whom she could not meet. Judg- 
 ing from the number of letters she wrote within 
 my knowledge, her work in this direction must have 
 been very great. When the first meeting was held, 
 over a hundred women were present, all by her 
 gentle persuasiveness, and pledged themselves to 
 support the movement. She was a veteran organ- 
 izer, and her plans were all carefully matured. 
 Nothing was left for haphazard. The board of 
 officers chosen were able and faithful. Some of 
 the most efficient women in the city joined the so- 
 ciety; but all regarded that one strong, serene 
 woman as the inspiration of every meeting. She 
 possessed the subtle power of leadership in a very 
 unusual degree. More than that, she possessed the 
 genius for hard work. 
 LofC.: 
 
34 (Bli^abetlj iiotame* fcttft 
 
 "The shadow of her last illness darkened her 
 life and compelled her withdrawal from the active 
 work of the League, but she attended our meet- 
 ings occasionally. It was at one of the last meet- 
 ings which she attended that she said to me, as 
 nearly as I can recall: 'I know not which it is to 
 be — life or death; but I am happy either way. If 
 I live, I shall be spared to my husband; he needs 
 me. If I am to die, I shall still be happy, for I 
 know that I shall go to heaven V Her face glowed 
 as though heaven itself were shining on it. I have 
 often heard Christians speak confidently, even tri- 
 umphantly of the immortal home, but I do not re- 
 call an instance when the realization of immortal 
 happiness so transfigured a face or so thrilled 
 through the tones. I felt that it was a revelation 
 sent to my distrustful heart through her. It seems 
 easy now to see that glowing countenance in the 
 presence of the King!" 
 
 Words of like tenderness and praise were spoken 
 
 Loving ^y her co-workers in the Church at the 
 
 Tributes from memorial meeting held soon after her 
 
 Co-workers death# No better thoughts can close this 
 
 sketch and linger in our minds than these tributes 
 of love : 
 
 "In an interview with Mrs. Rust, Mrs. Fisk 
 asked her if there was anything she could do 
 for her, saying, 'We women want to do something 
 
for you/ 'O no/ Mrs. Rust replied, 'I am resting 
 in the arms of my Savior, as a child nestles in the 
 arms of its mother ; you can only love me and pray 
 for me. . . . 
 
 "Mrs. Fisk introduced Mrs. H. C. McCabe, 
 a lifelong friend of Mrs. Rust, and her beau- 
 tiful tribute began with a description of the 'upper 
 room' in this noble home of Methodism, sancti- 
 fied by prayer and by the conferences and counsels 
 of the servants of God and the friends of man. Then 
 followed the close analyzation of the life and char- 
 acter of this noble woman, which Mrs. McCabe, 
 from years of close intimacy, was able to give. In 
 closing, she said: 'Eighteen years we have had our 
 great and talented leader. In her earnestness, her 
 creative power, her genius for work, she thought 
 of everything, she grasped everything. Holding 
 the center, she was ubiquitous on the whole cir- 
 cumference. In her the corresponding secretary 
 was innate. The true corresponding secretary is, 
 like a poet, born, not made. From the open grave 
 of one who so long came and went with us, from 
 the contemplation of the glory into which she is 
 received, let us turn each individually, and seek the 
 indwelling of that Spirit by whose ennobling we 
 may carry forward with new life and vigor the 
 work to which our departed and beloved Secre- 
 tary gave, perhaps sacrificed, her life/ " 
 
 Mrs. Fisk then called upon Mrs. Aiken, record- 
 
36 eii^abetl) notorize ftuat 
 
 ing secretary, who followed with a tender tribute to 
 Mrs. Rust : "Where nobler tributes to the life, char- 
 acter, and work of our lamented Mrs. Rust are 
 woven into a wreath of immortelles, I would add 
 only a little sprig of evergreen, — simply giving you 
 a glimpse of her as she slowly vanished from our 
 sight. During the midsummer days, before the 
 ladies left the city, a Business Committee meeting 
 was held in the spacious parlors of her elegant 
 home. I found her there alone. 'How are you, 
 Mrs. Rust?' I said. With a radiant smile shining 
 as a rainbow over the tearful face, she cheerily re- 
 plied, 'A bit nervous this morning ; but I am better.' 
 Two weeks later, I found her in great feebleness 
 of body, reclining upon the couch in that large and 
 light 'upper room/ of which Mrs. McCabe spoke, — 
 the sanctum sanctorum of the home. The heart and 
 brain then gave dictation to the ever-faithful secre- 
 tary, Miss Wommer. As I inquired after her health, 
 she smiled and said, 'O, I am better/ and in earnest 
 words spoke of her wonderful trust and unfalter- 
 ing faith in God. On another occasion, when in 
 the midst of heroic endurance of intense suffering, 
 there came the same answer, 'Better/ When last 
 I saw her in her own quiet room, scarcely able to 
 speak, while the light of eternity shone in her eyes, 
 she indicated that she was 'better this morning/ 
 My unuttered words were, 'Yes, better further on/ 
 Soon thereafter all that was mortal lay before us, 
 
CUjabetti 2Lotone$ l&ust 37 
 
 encircled by the choicest flowers, while the im- 
 mortal had joined the choir invisible, and in tones 
 triumphant testified in unison with the unnum- 
 bered chorus that 'It is better farther on.' " 
 
 The president then introduced Mrs. Jane Ban- 
 croft Robinson as the familiar friend of Mrs. Rust, 
 and competent to speak of her life and work from 
 this standpoint. Mrs. Robinson said : "Friends, it is 
 hard for me to speak here ; for rarely has a society 
 of women gathered as we do to-day, to mourn the 
 loss of a great leader, and to share in the triumph 
 of her great deeds." A short resume of the work 
 of the society in its early organization was given, 
 the prophetic vision of Mrs. Rust for the society, and 
 her self-sacrificing efforts for it during all the years. 
 As a friend, she "bound us to her with hooks of 
 steel." As a philanthropist, her sympathies were 
 not confined to her own Church and work, but in 
 local charities she bore her part. But of her work 
 as corresponding secretary of our society, Mrs. 
 Robinson spoke at length. From the first she had 
 a prophetic grasp of the work of the society, its 
 magnitude, and its possibilities. When the faint- 
 hearted and fearful would say, "We can do no 
 more," she would cheerfully exhort and persuade 
 and wisely lay the plans that would be accepted. 
 She discerned character, and warmly welcomed 
 every one who could bring any talent, any gift, 
 to the upbuilding of her beloved society. "Our 
 
38 dt^abetlj ilofcmeg &u*t 
 
 great work now to her memory is Rust Hall, 
 named alike for Dr. and Mrs. Rust. This hall 
 will commemorate, in a form far more lasting than 
 marble or granite, her noble life-deeds. To-day, 
 friends, the close of this wonderful century is 
 rounding out the twentieth year of this society. 
 Could we form into one long procession those who 
 have been helped by its beneficent work, we should 
 see represented every class that Mrs. Rust so 
 prophetically enumerated. There would be the 
 teachers and mothers from our colored schools of 
 the South ; the Indian girls, and the New Mexicans 
 from our Industrial Homes; the women who have 
 been guided out of Mormon errors; the Chinese 
 girls who have been rescued to a pure, free life; 
 the foreign sisters, who, as immigrants, have landed 
 on our shores ; the poor, the needy, and the ignorant 
 who have been helped by our deaconesses ; the little 
 children from our orphanages — all of these I see 
 in my mind's eye, as in one grand procession, 
 marching along on the highway of life to nobler, 
 happier living, because this great-souled woman, 
 and all who with her have helped to make this so- 
 ciety effective, have been true to their light, and 
 'followed the gleam/ And it is no mournful dirge 
 they chant, but a song of solemn triumph; for rest 
 and reward and blessed immortality are hers. 'She 
 rests from her labors, and her works do follow 
 her/ " 
 
JAN 8 1903 
 
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