Woman of the Century/Mary S. Fawcett

FAWCETT, Mrs. Mary S., temperance reformer, born near Burlington, Ontario, Canada, 22nd February, 1829. In 1852 she became the wife of an older brother of Rev. D. V. Lucas, of the Montreal Methodist Conference. She was a worthy helpmate to her husband. Together they labored in church and Sabbath-school work and were equally useful in the neighborhood in which they resided At the end of six years her husband lost his health. His death in 1862 left her alone and childless. For the next six years she devoted herself to the welfare of others, using her means as well as giving her time. She labored in the Sabbath-school and was most successful as a Bible-class teacher. In 1868 she became the wife of Rev. M. Fawcett, an honored minister of the Toronto Methodist Conference, and for years shared with him the life of an itinerant. Four years of that time, from 1872 to 1876, he labored as a missionary in Manitoba, and, as the country was then comparatively new, there were hardships and privations to endure which are unknown in older countries. There, as elsewhere, Mrs. Fawcett MARY S. FAWCETT. found a field of labor. While in that distant province, she first read of the woman's Crusade, and her heart went out for the women engaged in it. About the time of their return, the first union in Canada was organized, and in a short time organizations sprang up in many of the towns and villages. She became interested, and from that time has been connected with it, first as corresponding secretary of the Ontario Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which office she filled for eight years, but. her husband being at the time in poor health, she refused office for a year. When his health was restored, she again took up the work and since then has filled the position of provincial and dominion president of the Canadian Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She is at present vice-president of the Provincial, but can not work as in former years. Her health began to fail in 1890 from overwork, and she is now obliged to rest.