Memoirs of Anne C.L. Botta,: written by her friends. With selections from her correspondence and from her writings in prose and poetry.

Iecollecttons
ardent believer in the dignity of humanity, she
longed to see its every unit self-sustained and up right, and to this end spared herself no whit. What ever she had she gave- herself most of all. For
herself she asked of others nothing but themselves;
but for humanity she asked everything. Such was
the spur of her incentive, that not the smallest, the
most futile of lives could come within her radius and
ever contract to be quite its own scant self again.
With sluggish lives she had a merry discontent: "I
could shake A; she will not grow." Hers was a
natural power, like gravitation. In such measure did
she evolve it, that she, of all American women, came
nearest to the formation of a salon. Had her interests
been a shade less universal we should have had the
Salon Botta, as once society had the H6tel Rambouillet. Her friends were leaders of parties, of charities,
of reforms, of social, literary, and artistic organizations. Participating in all of these, her chief pursuit
was still to develop the best latent in all persons,
herself included,- a universal learning, helping, doing. " Give me persons," she said. " I must have
people; they are my passion; I must see them grow.
I have often been deceived in them, and yet each
new person intoxicates me as with wonderful possibilities."
The import of this life was great. It was true to
nature. It sowed seed everywhere, without count
of harvests; we know not where its hidden germs
may spring. This underlying fidelity to a true type
conferred its powers, confirmed its possibilities, and
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