Fannie E. Hughey

Two bronze copies of this may be found — one in the Dresden Gallery and the other in the Louvre, Paris, while a colossal statue of the same confronts the visitor on entering the Saint Louis Art Museum.

[1] The qualities of the New England pioneer mingle with those of the family of Hughey's father, who were prominent in Southern New York and Northern Virginia all through the life of the colonies, and the subsequent history of the United States.

[1] After the death of McKinney's mother in South Africa, her father was forced to return to his native land on account of the ill-health of his daughter, Fannie, and because of this urgent need, boarded the first vessel coming into port.

This was a freight vessel, with a prize cargo of saltpetre for the federal army, which was in the midst of its struggle with the Southern States in the War of the Rebellion.

[1] The next season was spent in Boston studying musical composition and pipe organ with Whitney Eugene Thayer, and piano with William H. Sherwood.

Such opportunities proved too great a temptation to her ambition and again she taxed her limited strength beyond endurance, and just as she was timidly bowing to possible success her health gave way and she was forced to abandon all hopes of concert life.

[1] While in Philadelphia she also studied composition with Dr. Hugh A. Clarke, and rhythmic law, melodic forms, kindergarten principles and practices and various philosophical deductions with Daniel Batcheller.

"[1] The interesting part of Hughey's system is that she insisted it is best to begin music before a child is able to walk, in happy play with its mother.

Little children, three, four and five years old, could learn music faster and more accurately and enjoy the study more than at any later period, provided they had the right start.

[1] From earliest infancy children were attracted by colors; Hughey had simply taken advantage of this fact and developed a natural and logical system from it.

A thorough test of the color method had been made before presenting it to the public, and the eagerness with which children took up the lessons, and their enthusiasm over the work, had amply demonstrated its practicability.