Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/247

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228 FAMOUS LIYING AMERICANS out one 's knowing that she did them, which I have not found to be a common diaracteristic ' ' For three months Miss Willard led those great meetings for women, and at her request Miss Gordon played the organ at every meeting. They became friends, and soon Miss Wil- lard gave her correspondence to her care. Concerning this. Miss Willard said : ^^In the prompt and accurate execution of commissions, tactful meeting of people, skilful style in correspondence, I have not known her equal. As soon as the meetings were over, she had a lecture trip ready for me, extending all through New England. I remember she brought her plan to me in a little book ruled in red and black ink, showing the town, the hostess, the place of meeting, the time and place of trains, in- deed every item that one need wish, so that I used playfully to say, if I should only pin Anna's directions on my back, I could go the country over in the capacity of an express pack- age.** At the close of the Moody meetings, the friendship of Miss Willard and Miss Gordon had become so great that Miss Gor- don went to Rest Cottage to live with Miss Willard and to become her private secretary. When Miss Willard 's work as president of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union became heavy and ab- sorbing, it was Miss Gordon who superintended and arranged all of her engagements. She shielded her from all petty an- noyances and detail work. In the formative period of the organization, together they visited every town of over ten thousand population in the United States, holding one or more meetings in the interest of the Woman 's Christian Tem- perance Union. After Miss Willard organized the World's Woman's Chris- tian Temperance Union, uniting the temperance women of many nations in a peaceful warfare **For God, Home and Humanity," the new international relations increased the al- ready heavy demands upon those in leadership. It was Miss Gordon who accompanied Miss Willard on all her travels in the United States, in Canada, and in Europe. At one time