their waters two miles below, in the beautiful
Machias Bay, with its winding shores and out-
lying islands.
Here was the scene of the first naval battle and victory of the Revolution, famous in the annals of naval warfare for the reckless daring of the undertaking and the desperate valor of the hardy assailants, which alone achieved suc- cess. Along the shores of the bay and the banks of the rivers are still shown the grass- grown ramparts, behind which those early settlers resisted the British power, defended their houses, and preserved to Maine the east-, ern half of the State — an imperishable monu- ment of the character and courage of "the fore- fathers of the hamlet."
From this purely New England stock in direct line, in the third generation, Mrs. Hoyt traces her descent, and from such an inheritance derives naturally those distinguishing qualities so strongly displayed in the various spheres of her activity and success. Of the three potent influences chiefly instrumental in shaping the lives and moulding the characters of individuals — heredity, environment, educa- tion — which in this instance has been most powerful we have no occasion to consider, since all seem to have been equally favorable. Of the early and mare remote ancestry we have alreaily spoken sufficiently. Coming down to the immediate progenitors, the parents, Sylva- nus and Cynthia 0. (Seavey) Seavey, were both persons of marked individuality. Her father was a man whose sterling honesty and intelli- gence commanded the highest respect of his contemporaries. Never seeking publicity nor aspiring to official position, he made his influ- ence felt in the conduct of public affairs and in the stirring questions of the day. Strong in his moral convictions and pronounced in his opinions, without fear or favor, he stood firmly on the ground of principle, and was always found among the first and foremost of the temperance reformers and the earliest abolitionists, when these were names of reproach and obloquy. And the mother was no less distinguished for her noble and womanly qualities. A most de- voted wife and mother, and full of sympathy for the suffering and afflicted, generous-hearted, always watching for opportunities to do good and to help others, especially the poor and needy, gentle in her manners, doing all this quietly and with the spirit of love, she was beloved by all. Of an active mind, quick intelligence, and a most genial disposition, Mrs. Seavey enlivened the home by her ready wit, and was a most agreeable companion in all social intercourse, retaining these qualities to the last of her ninety years of existence.
Inheriting in a large degree the characteristics of her Puritan ancestors — independence in thought and action, enterprise, and energy, which grew with her growth and strengthened with her strength — at an early age, with pupils mostly her senior, Martha Seavey entered Washington Academy. An institution old and well endowed, famous for its record of able instructors and still more for the many distinguished men and women it had trained and sent forth into almost every walk of life during the more than half-century of its existence, no better fitting-school could be found for one's life work.
Thus equipped with educational advantages, she went forth to make a way and place for herself in the workl, not unsuccessfully. A fine opportunity soon offered for the exercise of her gifts. A young minister, the Rev. Gilman A. Hoyt, wanting a competent helpmeet for his chosen work, found in her the right woman, admirably suited to the high vocation. They were married in East Machias, and immediately started for their new field of labor in the Far West. One year of successful labor in Missouri and three more of arduous work on the prairies of Kansas wore out the life of the minister, leaving the young widow, with the addition of a rich experience, to begin life anew in a widely different sphere of activity. Boston offered the most inviting field, and with her practical energy, natural business ability, self-reliance, and knowledge gained of the world, to win confidence and gain a permanent and lucrative position was not a difficult task for Mrs. Hoyt. Here she found congenial occupation in one of the prominent newspaper offices, where she labored with success until the death of her father called her away to the performance of more sacred duties. With characteristic devotion she then returned to her childhood
