Her ability
was recognized, but the celebrity she attained finally was not
anticipated, probably, by any of her town acquaintances. Her writings
may justify the opinion that as a writer and thinker she is in the
front rank of American women.
Samuel Dana, who had been a judge for many years, president of the
Massachusetts Senate for three terms, and a member of Congress for one
term, was also a resident of Groton. He had been an active politician
on the Democratic or Jeffersonian side in politics, and for many years
in early life he had been the competitor of Timothy Bigelow, who had
been a resident of Groton and a leader in the Federal Party of the
State. The town supported Bigelow and returned him to the House, where
he became speaker for many sessions. Dana as a candidate for the
Massachusetts Senate was elected by the county of Middlesex then
Democratic, and for three terms he was president of the Senate. Judge
Dana was interested in a small social library that was kept in a
chamber over the store. It contained Josephus, Plutarch's Lives,
Rollins' Ancient History, and some other standard works whose titles I
do not now recall.
Judge Dana was also interested in the organization of a reading room
club in a building connected with the store. As clerk in charge of
the store I was custodian of the reading room and library.
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