BLACKWELL FAMILY ALICE STONE BLACKWELL BLACKWELL, ELIZABETH UNDATEDRock House. Hastings. Monday aft; My dear Child, After seeing the last of your dear little face this morning I did some shopping for Kitty, put her into an omnibus to Rachel's house, and then returned direct to Hastings. There I find this card, which I hasten to enclose. You are in Liverpool as I write this and meeting I hope the nice young [cousins?], Dear child we hate to have you go away, we shall both miss you very much, andKitty will only gradually heal the pain of parting. Let me tell you once more dear Alice, what a support and real delight it is to me, that you will look after the welfare of my dear child, and that should anything break up her home with me, she will find a true one with you - for I leave her by will to you! Once more, God bless you my dear child, may you have a safe voyage and a happy reunion with all you love. We shall think of you step by step on your journey and send you the most loving memories. With much love dear Child affectionately, Aunt Elizabeth. If you could only see the blue sea and brown sand glowing in the sunshine, it looks really lovely. I wish you were with us my dear child!Dear Alice, I think that Kitty has mentioned to you that my valued young friend Arthur [Sham?] who was my [English?] trustee under my Will, died suddenly of typhoid fever on the Riviera whither he had gone during the Easter holidays for refreshments. I at once applied to a good business friend Mr. [Prou?] Newcombe to act in his place; he kindly consented; and I have added a Codicil, appointing him your co-trustee and Mr. Massey of the same legal firm [Sham?] Roscoe & Co 8 [Bo??n] S Row, will continue my solicitor and keep my Will. I want to know if you can recover an item for me, which I saw some time ago in the Woman's Journal. [b?] [p?] to cut out. The miserable Cad Pomeroy who was imprisoned for life is now still living in a Massachusets Prison. If you could ascertain the date of hisconviction, his present prison, and his mental & moral state now; without giving yourself a great deal of trouble, I shall be very glad. I can use him with effect as an illustration on the "importance of Mothers", in some enlargement of my address on "the influence of women in medicine" which I am preparing. The morbid craving of the butcher's wife during gestation, to watch the killing of animals is a terrible fact and bears upon [reflection?} as corrupting the most sacred principle of life - Maternity - the great potential [fact?] possessed by all women. I am anxiously watching the deadening moral effect of this extending evil which is defended by shallow sophistry and even lies; and is really injuring true progress in medicine, as I intend to show. It grieves one much that any whom I value in the profession, should be afflicted with the moral blindness that prevents their seeing the immense and [in?able] injury that this practice is doing to the great healing art - converting surgery into butchery and "scientific" (sic!) mutilation, and hindering sanitary progress. I am really thankful that you are morally clear sighted in this matter; - which is a very serious one unhappily for women physicians. I am looking forward to a visit next month from Marian; and shall probably be obliged myself to cross the Channel later to see the exact state of Anna's health, which is giving us both serious uneasiness. I am thankful that I gave up the plan of crossing to America this year for Marian who is in very poor health herself ought not to bear alone, the anxieties which Anna's health causes.The Country here is exquisite at the present time and I never go up to London without wonder as well as delight at the spectacle of English summer - the gorse is giving place to the broom's brighter but paler green the primroses disappear as the blue bells cover the brakes- the celandine is vanishing as the orchis appears - and daisies and buttercups are a sight to see. We have often wished that you with your keen appreciation of natural beauty, could see the carpet of our english soil in the flowers of May as well as the lovely orchards of which America can equally boast. We are enjoying fully the short lovely season, and I almost begrudge that preoccupation with social work which seems to increase as the months roll on. We consider all you say about family health with keenest interest. But I have long ago learned that it is better not to comment on anything that letters speak about. Affectly your Elizabeth BlackwellRock House Hastings Feb: 19th Dear Alice I write immediately on receipt of your last letter, although I fear my letter may not reach you in time to prevent the sending the book from England back to England! Emily and I are often mixed up; and the Rev. McCullen whose note you enclose is evidently not a very bright man as he says that he knows I have a "sister in England" whose address he could have found in the Medical Directory during the past thirty years. Pray present the volume to Emily, when convenient and I will do the polite to the rather obtuse gentleman who asked for the addresses of Miss Booth, Miss KelloggMiss Barton and Mrs. Gibbons. How much I should like to be able to send the exact addresses of those excellent women. I wonder in which circle of the celestial or trans-terrestrial world they have found their advanced work place! In answer to your note to me received by last mail - of course I shall not ask you to take any active steps about my little medical book - It would be in every way unsuitable that you should be connected with it. I really forget now what I said, but I thought it was only the addresses of Boston medical publishers that I asked for - but as I can get these in London - don't think of the matter any more. I trust, or rather I do hope that the political complications you dread, may not arise. Slavery and german immigration, have been terrible drawbacks to the [re???mition] of women's equal rights in the U.S. However, representative government is still [on?i?trial]. About eight years ago I wrote a pamphlet entitled "The Failure of Representative Government" based on my municipal experience in Hastings; and I observe that in the last election at Toronto although the burning liquor question was to the front, only 1 elector in 5 (of the women 1 in 6) could be induced to go to the polls. It is almost always a minority vote that governs! But dear Alice, I do hope that you will remember in allthis public work, the duty you owe to your self. We have in my opinion no right to commit slow suicide - and overstrain, is that. The right ordering of the Universe, does not depend on the individual; although the right attitude of mind is essential to the welfare of the individual. But I often think that like that really noble man Gladstone, we often over-calculate our powers - and self hood comes unduly into play. I do wish you could take a long holiday in Southern - Western Europe. - not Armenia! - Kitty would so gladly travel with you. --- Kitty is still away, enlarging her experience and testing her independent powers. I hope to see her back the end of this week, though dates are not yet settled. All as usual in Dudley Road. I often think of your dear Father Affectly yr, E. Blackwellas on a plane of thought - good enough for it's temporary purpose - but immeasurably below the heights to which she has attained - would be worse than useless. I have long since found that to prevent Anna's toleration of me becoming active dislike, I must carefully refrain from either contradicting her or reasoning with her. She has joined some occult London Society, involving an oath of secrecy, - for which she is daily employed in secret study & writing - and this society enjoins a vegetable diet as essential. She has conceived also an inveterate hatred to Mr. Gladstone, and takes in the Daily Echo, a strongly partisan paper. This paper is also strongly opposed to vivisection - a judgment which of course I share. But this paper prints frequent letters detailing the cruelties practiced by so called scientists which are certainly unfortunate reading for unbalanced minds! Therefore, pray let any injudicious remarks be simply ignored - not spread. In this particular matter, Edith, who follows, has evidently been confounded with Ethel who leads. I sincerely regret that both these girls have been misled by existent medical fallacies; but they are so young that it is quite impossible for them at present to refute these fallacies. So I am only sorry for them, not angry with them. I am preparing with some care, an address on "The Reconciliation of Medical Research with Human Conscience" in which I hope to place the whole subject in a true basis. This, if acceptable to my audience and any intelligent friends, I shall print in book form, and hope it may do good. - My firm central principle is, that cruel experimentation on animals is not indispensable to medical progress and is therefore unjustifiable. This can be amply proved. All here, as well as usual. Affectly yrs E. Blackwell- Mrs. J.E. Butler 8 North View Wimbledon, Surrey Alice Tuesday, June 21 Dear Alice, I enclose a note to Mrs Fawcett to be sent or given with your card. Kitty feels sure I have put the right number on, about which I did not feel sure. I also send a note to Mrs Butler in case you like to forward it. I leave it for you to fasten, as all notes of introduction should be read by the bearer - destroy it if you do not need it. We were very glad to get your nice long letter, and know that you were well and fully engaged. Pray give my kind regards to your friend Mrs. Barrow and offer congratulations on her joyful wedding day. We shall beElizabeth Blackwell be very glad to welcome you back to the Haven of Rest when you are ready to come. Kitty would willingly you join you when Mrs. Barrows leaves, if you will feel lonely in the Great Babel. Your letter shall be posted to Emma by the first steamer. I am glad it is written for her also. Don't get run over or knocked down by a bicycle, of which catas- trophe Kitty has endured! Affectly yrs E. Blackwell ROCK HOUSE, EXMOUTH PLACE HASTINGS Wednesday June 23 Dear Alice, I write to you as your father and Kitty are in Oxford today, to say, that the plan, however pleasant, for Kitty to leave with you tomorrow for Warwick, had better be given up. It would have been in any case a hurried and fatiguing trip; and as Kitty's special friend - Paul - is coming down with Ethel to spend Sunday with us, some extra preparations are needed which require her presence beforehand. It would not do to risk fatigue and possible missing of trains.So if you really leave London tomorrow - Thursday - you must say that unwelcome word - goodbye - so that Kitty may reach home either in the afternoon, or by the morning train of Friday. But dear child, I do hope that the old friendship now personally renewed, after such a very long interval, may be kept up by more frequent personal intercourse in the future. I hope you will have gained also such little glimpses of progressive life over here that you will be tempted to come over and extend your knowledge of various aspects of national growth, well worth studying. As you do not mind crossing the ocean and as Kitty will not like to leave England as long as the Dudley Reed households require our affectionate care, the visits for some time must be one-sided. But Reed House will remain as a loving resting place for you whenever you can come and use it. I am rather anxiously engaged just now, in settlingElizabeth Blackwell. difficulties that have arisen in relation to our autumn course of Humane Science lectures. Also in trying to gain over valuable medical & scientific help in working our L. B. Trust. Bu I am glad to report that all is well in our various households. Thank you father for his interesting card journal, which I duly send to the sisters. Affectly yrs E. Blackwell.Gorse View Rusthall Common. June 30th Dear Alice, I will bear Mrs Dietrick in mind, and when I return home, will forward from time to time any papers likely to interest a clever active woman. My "Interviewer" put some crude and impossible statements of his own views, into my mouth, but I left them without contradiction, as my main contention that surgery is unduly supplanting medicine (which includes hygiene) is strictly and dangerously true. The conscienceless spread of vivisection now almost universally practiced by medical [*I think with pitying sympathy of your poor father. How I wish he would run over and visit us! I wrote to Emma sometime ago about her poor Mother.*]"Tom, Dick & Harry's" is undoubtedly one cause of this change. I consider that the loss of a natural internal organ is a very grave mutilation of the human body, and the permanent effects upon the subjects of such mutilation, have never been carefully and honestly collected. I am convinced that a very different aspect would be given to a very large amount of so-called brilliant surgery, if the testimony of the subjects of such surgery could be honestly tabulated. I have tried to bring this necessity of far more careful statistics before some of our lady surgeons over here; but they are too much under the influence of the ordinary surgical mania at present, to realise the importance of my suggestion. Indeed I heard one of our cleverest medical women, quite lately, state that special feminine functions were such a nuisance that it would be a blessing if all women could have undergone a certain surgical operation! - This shallow way of regarding human nature and its present lessons to us, marks too often the attitude of some women. But we have to live through this phaseAunt Elizabeth of "emancipation" ; and I had with satisfaction the new attitude which men like Durmmond, and Manouvrier of Paris, are now taking towards motherhood. It will gradually teach women to reverence their womanhood. We leave here next Monday, having spent a month to great advantage, in the free outdoor life of delicious high pure inland air. The country is lovely in every direction - and our sunset walks on the high ridge of this beautiful Common, where the distant view is panoramic and comfortable seats are placed in all lovely spots and will long be a delightful remembrance I shall hope soon to hear of you "at Camp". Affectly Elizabeth Blackwell.Rock House Friday 26th June 25 Dear Alice Your letters are all forwarded to Emma as they arrive, with the injunction to preserve them for you, for they will be, I am sure precious reminders of this episode of London life. We are much interested in all that interests you; and we shall expect to hear innumerable details when you return to us. Will you thank Mrs Barrows for so kindly responding to my enquiries about Vivi Kenanda; but I fear that she will not see Mr Stapley [*that may come tomorrow. I shall be going to London on July 14th - but not before that date. Affectly E. BlackwellElizabeth Blackwell who seems rather aggrieved that any rumor of moral blame should be listened to, respecting this - exalted Yogi- whatever that may mean. I have read one of the Hindu's books, and heard him lecture; and he repels me, so I uttered a word of caution to Mr Stapley who holds Drawing-room meetings. But he seems to be fascinated at present, so, to my regret, the fascination must run it's course - it is an epidemic. We shall welcome you back tomorrow if you decide to return then and will not forward any letters. The pamphlets and notices asked for, were sent yesterday. Rock House Hastings Sep 2. Dear Alice, I am so provoked at the Hotel's unwarrantable inference. Of course you have got from Kitty before now the addresses "Reynold Rogers (with his brother Reynold] Rogers), 9 A Tower Chambers "Liverpool," - and Kenjou's house address 2 Portland Terrace - Wavertree Liverpool - "And Wm Rogers Morton Bank Litherland Park Litherland "Although I fear these addresses will be of no use now, I still must forward them if only for the desire of showing sympathy and keeping you in reach- For your card only reached me at one o'clock, and Kitty would have answered you much sooner from London. I have written to you a letter which should be sent on board at Queenstown for I am not sure this will get to you before you leave - but I shall be most anxious to learn that our plans did not all fail - and as you know how to use the telegraph I have strong hopes of your repairing the hotel fault, and Rachel's experience. Kitty remains in London till you have actually sailed, so she is near you by telegram. Heaven bless my dear young niece. Aunt Elizabeth P.S. I sent the [Latin?] card from "Lucien" yesterday.Rock House Oct. 15 Dear Alice, Your very distressing letter reached me two days ago. I don't wonder that the facts came with immense shock to you! Immediately dispatched to you two copies of "Human Element"; and two copies of my last pamphlet with the important medical lecture at the end. But dear child this is work to be taken up by older women like Mrs. Aaron Powell, Mrs. Livermore &c- Certainly Aaron Powell who is a delicately minded as well as brave man, might help you - and the [?] workers at the United Charities Building in New York. I enclose committeeNettie, about Agnes' engagement. I need not say how heartily I hope that Agnes has made a good choice, and will prove the affectionate thoughtful wife that will create household happiness. It is a very responsible career to enter upon, but I know so little of her, that I can only hope, all will be well. With much love dear Alice Affectionately E. Blackwell P.S. about Human Element, you can state that it has been brought out for many years by the leading Medical publisher in London. It is a most shocking thing that the Churches do not realise, how this growing vice is destroying all sound religious life, as well as risking the stability of our race. Certainly you must be aided about your Armenian and I think you might continue, through friends, that the scandalously perverted Armenian doctors shall be tackled by a right minded doctor and if conversion seem improbable be frightened from his abominable work of corrupting his poor ignorant young countryman. What an ignorant weak minded stupid woman the Sunday school teach. must be! I am most sorry for you, mixed up in such a mess! I have just heard fromElizabeth BlackwellDear Alice, I have no permanent address to which to write Ellen and do not like to trouble Emily with remembering to forward things to her so I am sure you will send the enclosed to her if she be not at Boston as her last address leads me to suppose. The enclosed to you will explain itself--I shall be very glad if you can find out the bonafides of this indian story. The profoundly interesting discoveries which are being gradually made in relation to our spiritual nature, promise a new revelation--much needed. I am looking forward to Marian's return for the winter, as a really necessary step in the infirm condition of her health. She has secured a large comfortable room, close by us, where she can be perfectly independent, with[?] [?] [?] and yet be well cared for. Much love to all at home for I trust that Harry has safely returned to you by the time this reaches you. affectly E BlackwellMay 18th Private Dear Alice Just a line to re-assure you about your father's singularly unfortunate joking on a subject whose gravity he in no way realised -- and to make you quite certain that when you confide any matter to us it is never re-echoed by us across the ocean. All these unfortunate materialistic practices of the Profession (unchecked experimentation, inspection of women etc etc) by which women students are being (temporarily) corrupted, concern me very closely--and I cannot avoid a growing sense of duty towards the N .Y. Infirmary which if my life is prolonged makes me feel that I must go to New York next year, to check the really atrocious practices for [which] if Ellen's report be correct, I would far rather destroy the school than suffer such infamies to continue. I never heard of more atrocious wickedness in vivisection than excruciating story she relates of the tortured monkey, blinded, but striving to save its companion who was being tortured!! -- But this matter requires very delicate handling. Our worst enemy I fear is Mary Putnam, who is a bond slave of the narrow male intellect. I shall set to work with our girls in the most cautious way -- and I have written to Edith by this mail without any reference to vivisection -- but inviting her confidence on the medical position of women, and looking to her and Edith as our successors. Don't breathe a word of all this to any one. Maria Barlow has written us about the Boston Technological School -- Dr Rose Bryan and others have told us of other facts --so you may be quite ignored. But distinct facts, with names date & placeare most importants for future use So any matters referring to medical misdoings will be valuable for future discreet use - and you may freely forward them - but they must be verifiable as I have stated. I have read with pleasure your articles on Grant Allen &c you improve each year in this work, and I rejoice to see it. A woman's pen is now a powerful instrument for good - or evil. I am going over for a fortnight - much against my inclination - to [?] , for had I realised the fuss going on in that great Babel, I would have timed my visit otherwise. But medical and family reasons call me over Affectly yours dear Alice Elizth. Blackwell.Rock House. Hastings Nov. 24th Dear Alice, I have two or three things to say, so enclose a private note. I have heard again from Emily, a second letter written after my long particular enqueries about your health - and not one word does she say in reply. The whole matter has evidently gone entirely out of her mind, which shows positively that she does not regard your temporary trouble as of any serious consequence whatever. So dear child, consider that matter as satisfactorily settled, past and done with. Another point which I wish to mention is my Will; which I have had legally drawn up and attested at the U.S. [Legal] Consulate in London. I have named you, Uncle Sam and Arthur Shawn as executors -- and the Will deposited at my lawyers Shawn Roscoe & Co. 8 Bedford RowLondon W.C. I keep a copy of it, together with a letter of instructions to Kitty at Rock House. This arrangement will save you all trouble, as my old young friend Arthur Shawn is a capital fellow, and will manage any European business should I die in England. I have sent these facts to Sam, but wish also to give them to you, as you consented to look after Kitty's interests for me. I was much interested in your account of Dr. Putnam Jacobi - and her very pretty note about you. Poor Mary Putnam, her life has gone wrong somehow with all her bright cleverness - her judgment can never be relied on for she cannot catch a glimpse of Truth - unhappily. She made the fatal mistake of confounding Knowledge with Truth. Whereas knowledge wrongly sought for leads to error for facts taken out of their proper connexion and research unguided by Morality, leads to the "hell of falses" in which we now so largely live! It is now my great anxiety that women physicians do not instinctively see the difference between Knowledge and Truth - and thus are too much under male error and influence. I hope however sometime to be able to influence my successors in the medical life more powerfully than my decreasing physical strength now allows. For Mary Putnam is again wrong in supposing that age impairs in any degree the energy of a reformer who has once had a glimpse of the Ideal. The desire grows ever stronger - and as such, I fully believe that a larger measure of such service will be granted when living in the unseen world. Affectly yrs E. BlackwellNove. 1st. 6 Burwood Place W. Dear Alice, How much I wish I could have taken you down with me to Wales, and introduced you both to the family of cousins who want to know you (they several times to ask for news of you when you were ill) and to beautiful country in which they live Lillie the youngest particularly, who writes little verses and repeated to me page after page of Wordsworth's poems I think would be quite a nice little friend if you should know her. I want all you children to send over your photographs this Christmas and receive theirs in return. Fanny & Maria, & Guenever perhaps would not interest you so much because they are grown young ladies though very simple. kindly, and refined in tastes - but Maggie, Rachel and Lillie are still in the school room and I really hope that you will sometime make acquaintance with your nice little Welsh cousins. Before I leftLillie brought us half a dozen little napkin rings that she had worked, & said "Cousin Elizabeth I did not work as much as the others on your sofa cushion so I thought I would make you these." Rachel I think is the most of a student, amongst them; and I think has a little fancy for medical study. I don't know how to describe the lovely walks I took with them for there are little differences all through that make every walk different from a walk in Massachusetts or at Jersy- the little white washed stone cottages, the abundant hawthorne, the fern breaks then a golden brown, the hill slopes with soft dowing grass, and tracts of heather, the clumps of beeches + broad spreading oaks, the gorse & the wee daisy - every thing a little different, but very lovely - our mountain was marked by a fir wood on the most abrupt slope, a broad avenue as cut straight up it and I dont know whether it looked most beautiful, looking up the avenue or down it, for I think the trees must have been nearly 100 feet high but I can imagine, + the children said, that coming down at twilight when the moon was rising, might be the most beautiful of all. The children are all devotedly fond of flowers and all country things; they are quite - little artists in their perception of simple charming decoration - most of them have pretty slender figures, dark eyes and dress in simple good taste. There was no end to the excursions they wanted to take me. On top of one smooth hill at the head of a valley, was a lovely farm, a perfect model of its- kind they told me, where Mr + Mrs Thomas, the most jolly goodnatured people made quite a little festival if you came to see them. Then there was the oldest ruin in Britain about 12 inches off, to which we should have gone, hadn't the pony hurt its knees. So many little cottages perched up in high picturesque niches where you can get a cup of tea and delicious cream; and dashing streams with pointed stone bridges; and here & there a gentleman seat with velvet lawns beds of brilliant and flowers, fruitrees, and glimpses of esquisite-country & ivy covered cottageswith casement windows - all in the most beautiful order. You must come some time and judge for yourself. How I wish we could all meet together at Christmas! By the Bye - Many Happy returns of the three birthdays close at hand, Uncle Sam, Uncle George and Cousin Florence! (you may be sure it was Kitty who reminded me of them). Tell Papa & Mama to consider well the contents of the note I sent them which I particularly wish to re-emphasize - and this mysterious sentence - "that there are periods of growth that will never recur again, when a constitution may be strengthened or weakened for life" And now little peccaniny much love, and best wishes for all you care most for; and remember that Aunt Elizabeth is close by, although you cannot see her always and will be very glad to show her little niece the sights of the old island in which she has a claim, and where much pleasure and interests certainly await her. Yr affect. Aunt E. A.