Hearne History - Page 732

[Continued from page 731]

Hearn a regular worshiper for many years, and almost every department of Church work is interesting to her.

The minister's vestry at College Street well repays a visit. In one corner stands a glass case, which contains copies of diaries kept by many old Baptist worthies. The room in which Miss Hearn's class is held is reached by a flight of steps.

"The girls themselves," remarks my guide, "subscribed £100 towards the building of this room."

Fitted with electric light, a platform, an organ, a piano, and cosy chairs, it lends itself admirably to the purpose. The walls are adorned with photos of nearly all the girls--both past and present members of the class.

Miss Hearn's Life Story.

We return, and I think it full time to get Miss Hearn to talk of herself. But this is not the easiest of matters. As a companion she leaves nothing to be desired. Her breezy conversation, generous smiles, and winsome manner, charm one and all. She is not a little bit "old maidish." Ever ready to pay the highest tribute to friends, she is equally reluctant to make herself the subject of conversation.

However, by gentle persuasion, talk got personal, and I was informed that she was born at Farningham, in Kent. Hard by is the little village of Eynoford, the Baptist Church here being the "mother" of quite a number of other churches which now flourish "mid the flowery meads of Kent." Here Miss Hearn's father was a deacon. Both Joseph Hearn and his wife were Sunday-school teachers, and at the early age of fifteen their daughter, Marianne, was baptized by the pastor, Mr. Renalds. Soon after, the daughter, following in the parents' footsteps, also became a teacher in the Sunday School. Later on, some years were spent in schools at Bristol and Gravesend. Then Miss Hearn migrated from the South to the Midlands--from Gravesend to Northampton, and for several years she taught in the British schools at the latter town.

Her Literary Career

Here begins her active literary career. On April 9, 1857, the Christian World first saw the light. Among the contributors to the first number were two ladies--Marianne Farningham and Emma Jane Warboise. Four years after, Miss Hearn gave to the world her musical "Lays and Lyrics." This work has run into many

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Notes:

Thanks to Catherine Bradford for transcribing this page.


Copyright (c) 1999, 2007 Brian Cragun.