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'[in Boston Mrs Ward] met the fine old veteran, Mrs Julia Ward Howe, author of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic", who had lately brought out her memoirs. Mrs Ward had been somewhat wickedly amused by certain passages in the latter: "Imagine Mrs Ward Howe declaring in public that a poem of hers, which a critic had declared to be in 'pitiable hexameters' (English of course) was not 'in hexameters at all - it was in pentameters of my own make - I never followed any special school or rule!' - I have been gurgling over that in bed this morning".'