Blackwell Family Alice Stone Blackwell Blackwell, Dr. EmilyDorchester, Mass: [May] June 1, 1884. Dear Aunt Emily: Our very busy week is over, & as mother remarked at breakfast, three months of comparative leisure are a pleasant prospect before us. Last week was spent in meetings, Monday Tuesday & Wednesday, & the rest of the week is settling down after them. They were good meetings. I was much interested in what Mrs. Hidden told me of the work in Vermont, and have more than half promised to go up there in September for two or three weeks of lecturing in the small country towns. Don't you think you see me? But it would be a new experi- [*"upon Dorchester? Affy, Alice S. Blackwell.*]-ence, & not without its amusing side. Those Vermont villages are quiet little places with very few roughs, and as the meetings would probably be small, I think I could [stand] make my voice heard. The Vt. Woman Suffrage Association will pay my expenses; and if nothing prevents I mean to do it. Emma & Uncle G. go down to M.V. somewhere from the 12th to the 19th & father & I propose to run down at the same time for a week's preliminary holiday. Aren't you beginning to long for the fresh air of the downs? This cold snap, though, makes the main land seem quite cool enough. The weather here has been more like October than May, & the papers tell of frosts. Do you remember my little friend [Co?] Putnam, for whom you prescribed once? She passed through Boston yesterday on her way to Danvers, with her baby, which is very big, very blonde, and very good-natured. He had not cried or fretted once all the way between Brooklyn & Boston, although he left the former place with three teeth & arrived at the latter with four, and had had only half a pint of milk since morning, instead of his usual allowance of two quarts. (Bottle broke on the way). He seemed in a most peaceable & jolly frame of mind, let himself be passed [to] from hand to hand like a bundle without a murmur, kicked his little legs jovially, &smiled upon us when we smiled at him. His little mother is thin & pale, & threatened with nervous prostration. Sea air is prescribed: & she is coming down to M.V. to board at Miss Jemima Smith's. Father made a speech at the festival of the Free Religious Association night before last. He needs a holiday badly, but feels it a relief to have the meetings over, as we all do. But they have invited a lot of Harvard students of woman suffragy sympathies to come out to dinner next Sunday, which will be a nightmare on my mind till it is over. We expected Edith this morning, but she has not turned up.She must have put off her departure for some reason. When are you going to shed the light of your countenancePlease send this on to Kitty. Office of The Woman's Journal No. 3 Park Street. Boston, Mass., Jan. 11 1901. Dear Aunt Emily: I send you the latest family letters about Aunt Ellen. She is a little better, and her invincible cheerfulness persists even under these circumstances. As you have often said, it is like Pandora's box; she meets with all sorts of afflictions, but there is always hope at the bottom! Such a temperament is worth more than a fortune. We are beginning now to look out for your first letters from the other side. I do hope you did not have a horrid passage; the papers report a good many storms at sea, but the ocean is such a big place we hope none of them happened to be just in your part of it. We shall soon know now. Bette was sick in bed with tonsilitis for two days, but is now well again. Agnes has a new colored girl, who is said to be neat & to promise well. But perhaps you have later news about this from Nannie. Agnes & Tom are both devoted to an "AstronomyClass" - Agnes is reported deep in the preparation for it of a paper on the "Chemistry of the Heavens", & Tom as sitting up till midnight to write his on the "Sun." During the Xmas holidays Emma & Uncle G. had the Brown & Bruno families to dinner, making a party of 11. Frances had a little white apron on & waited on table very nicely. Emma says, "She is still Frances, but more thoughtful & shows growing sense." They had a popcorn ball party for Frances & her friends, & Anna had a visit from her friend Helen Pomeroy, & had a fire on the hearth in her room & thought it fine. A grate has also been put into Howard's room & a fire lighted there for the first time. He thinks it will be very pleasant to have his own fire when he wants it. Uncle G. made his family an Xmas present of a Century Dictionary of Names & a Century Atlas. [Emma] Anna had a dress-suit case & bureau cover, Frances a set of furs, Howard a fine umbrella & various smaller things - Lovina a Jaeger nightgown, a shawl, gloves, white apron &c. Emma reports that Dr. Brown is not well: his throat & lungs trouble him a good deal. On the last night of the New Year, Emma went to Office of The Woman's Journal, No. 3 Park Street. Boston, Mass.,.............190 a "musical & social evening" at the home of the Swedenborgian minister whom she likes, Mr. Roeder. There was to be a church service after for those who cared to stay. I don't know whether our people stayed. Emma likes Mr. Roeder's preaching much the best, but generally goes to the Presbyterian church instead because Anna so much prefers it, as more fashionable, & the whole family seem to think it rather more respectable. The Chinese laundrymen here make their customers Xmas presents of the bulbs of a sort of Chinese lily, with flowers like the narcissus. It grows without earth, in a dish with water + stones. The Chinaman who does Papa's shirts sent us one, & it has filled the library with an almost overpowering sweetness. I don't know but I wrote you that before. [*We could be sure of her getting good care. I imagine Beth's suggestion was stimulated by dismay at the idea of her coming to us. Poor Aunt Em, it is a forlorn state of things when no one really wants you except as a family duty. And she is a good woman, too, & I really like her. No special news. Your aff. niece, Alice Stone Blackwell.*]We are expecting Prof. Ellen Hayes & her friend Mrs. Brainerd, a sweet- faced Dorchester woman, to lunch to-morrow; also Dr. Emma Brainerd Ryder, who has been in India, Ceylon, Australia &c. & is full of interesting experiences. You will read about some of them in to-morrow's Woman's Journal Papa says that if Aunt Ellen wants to come to our house after she is able to be moved, he shall invite her to do so. He says: "I shall [stand by] back up Ellen. She was my father's youngest daughter, & he was very fond of her." And he recalls some occasion on which Grandpa called her "my poor little Ellen." But Papa says it will be a "martyrdom," & that he would not have her board with us for $50. per week, from the point of view of his own comfort. But this is all in the future. Beth suggested that Aunt E. stay with Cornelia, & that the money for her board & the nurse's would be acceptable there: but I don't think National American Woman Suffrage Association. Member National Council of Women. Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 26 West 61st Street, New York. Honorary President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, Carrie Chapman Catt, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, Rachel Foster Avery, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Auditors{Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill. National Headquarters, 2008 American Tract Society Building, N. Y. Office of Recording Secretary, 3 Park St., Boston, Mass. Nov. 17, 1901. Dear Aunt Emily: Howard is here, with his friend Mr. Blauvelt, and we have exchanged our family letters. While Howard is reading my batch, I copy his last letter from home for you. Emma writes to him, Nov. 10: "Your letter was the first reminder that the dear Papa had of his birthday, but after you had suggested it, Anna & I went out & chose five beautiful chrysanthemums, three pink & two white, & presented them with our love. Last night Mr. Bowman & Mr. Hackett came from N. Y. to see Tom, & brought him a dozen, less one, which Agnes said she suspected Mr. Hackett had abstracted for his wife. They were permitted to look at him & to talk for a very little while, but Agnes said it made him pink + was not good for him. Dr. Seward is quite happy about Tom, although he still has a temperature of 103+, because the other symptoms are mild. Are you using arbor vitae internally & externally with unremitting faithfulness? Alice wrote that your feet were better, & I hoped she was correct, & wondered whether it was due to the arbor vitae. On Friday afternoon Mrs. Dart & I had a long walk in the park. We followed the course of a little brook, & went through a dear little valley with a cream-colored cow feeding in it, & past delightful garden terraces, planted with strawberries & pie-plant & "many other things," & finally clambered by a narrow foot-path to the top of the mountain, where we sat down to look at the purple cloud-shadows on the far-off meadows, & did each of us eat a beautiful sweet apple which she had brought for the purpose. We gathered.witch hazel, the last flower of the year, as skunk cabbage is the first. Lovina was longing to see it, and Mrs. Dart knew just where to find it beside the brook. It is said always to grow near water, which accounts for its being used as a divining-rod when people want to locate wells + springs. The woods had still many trees of beautiful color, + when we came home just before sunset, forest fires of leaves were burning in all directions, making picturesque lines of flame, + reminding me of the fire of leaves that we kindled by the Charles River. These were much larger, + running in long lines, but nobody seemed watching, or concerned about them, + they were very pretty to look at, too. Mrs. Dart + I thought we should like to go again, but it will soon be cold, + probably we shall not. I don't think any of us will go to the Yale game, though Anna has suddenly developed a desire to go. She could not well go alone, + it would be hard on the studies. I have taken your blue pitcher to a china- mender, who will rivet the lip of it, + probably return it to morrow, when I will get it packed with the other china ware, as soon as I can." Uncle G. writes to Howard, Nov. 12: "After a long + beautiful autumn, it rains. I hope cold will not follow. For some days past I have been quite busy, + [left] have let Mamma do most of the writing. She is a better correspondent than I am, having always something to say. Tom is now at the critical stage. Up to midnight his temperature for some ten days had been 104 or above. Early this A.M. it began to fall, + by 7 A.M. had reached 99. Agnes was in great glee + hoped he would now at once mend; but it has been up + down since, reaching 102 + dropping again. This afternoon she was in great distress, fearing a collapse. He was very weak + a little out of his head. We keep well. You do not say how your feet get on. Are they better: Are you following any treatment? Remember that good health is of the first importance; avoid all things that are [debr] detrimental. As to the Yale game - I don't know but I may bring Anna + at the same time visit your quarters + Henry. I shall not 11/17/01 National American Woman Suffrage Association. Member National Council of Women. Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 26 West 61st Street, New York. Honorary President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, Carrie Chapman Catt, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, Rachel Foster Avery, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Auditors{Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill. National Headquarters, 2008 American Tract Society Building, N. Y. Office of Recording Secretary, 3 Park St., Boston, Mass. care to go to the game. If we come, it will be, I think, by the late train, arrive early Saturday + go to Henry's to breakfast, to Cambridge later, see your room, look about Cambridge, leave Anna with you to bring to Pope's Hill to dinner, + Sunday take afternoon train to N.Y. so as to get home to sleep + be on hand Monday A.M. 7 P.M. Dr. Seward has just been to see Tom, says his condition is critical, but he hopes + expects him to get through. Au revoir, my dear boy." Nov. 14 Uncle G. writes to Howard: "I am sorry snow + winter are upon you already. We have had slight [illegible] though the air for two days has been cold + the leaves are about all gone. The reason we contemplate the night train for Boston is [that] because Anna wishes the afternoon + evening for study, so as to be ready for Monday's [letters] lessons. She is really trying as hard as she knows how to, to get through. I am glad to know that your feet improve. I hope they will continue to gain. Tom's condition is rather better than yesterday, but we still feel anxious. We have all been busy of late, though the Mamma has not been so over-run as formerly. We keep well. To-day I sent Nettie the amount that Sam had insured on his life. She is about to move into a flat on 71st St. + the North River. She has rented the 64th St. house. I hope it may prove for the best, though she pays more rent than I think is quite wise, + I do not altogether like to have her + Grace live alone together. If Agnes could have managed it, I think it would have been much better to have joined her in E. Orange. There is room enough + it would have been far less expensive, + I should think thewitch hazel, the last flower of the year, as skunk cabbage is the first. Lovina was longing to see it, and Mrs. Dart knew just where to find it beside the brook. It is said always to grow near water, which accounts for its being used as a divining-rod when people want to locate wells + springs. The woods had still many trees of beautiful color, + when we came home just before sunset, forest fires of leaves were burning in all directions, making picturesque lines of flame, + reminding me of the fire of leaves that we kindled by the Charles River. These were much larger, + running in long lines, but nobody seemed watching, or concerned about them, + they were very pretty to look at, too. Mrs. Dart + I thought we should like to go again, but it will soon be cold, + probably we shall not. I don't think any of us will go to the Yale game, though Anna has suddenly developed a desire to go. She could not well go alone, + it would be hard on the studies. I have taken your blue pitcher to a china- mender, who will rivet the lip of it, + probably return it to morrow, when I will get it packed with the other china ware, as soon as I can." Uncle G. writes to Howard, Nov. 12: "After a long + beautiful autumn, it rains. I hope cold will not follow. For some days past I have been quite busy, + [left] have let Mamma do most of the writing. She is a better correspondent than I am, having always something to say. Tom is now at the critical stage. Up to midnight his temperature for some ten days had been 104 or above. Early this A.M. it began to fall, + by 7 A.M. had reached 99. Agnes was in great glee + hoped he would now at once mend; but it has been up + down since, reaching 102 + dropping again. This afternoon she was in great distress, fearing a collapse. He was very weak + a little out of his head. We keep well. You do not say how your feet get on. Are they better: Are you following any treatment? Remember that good health is of the first importance; avoid all things that are [debr] detrimental. As to the Yale game - I don't know but I may bring Anna + at the same time visit your quarters + Henry. I shall not larger family would have been much pleasanter than to live just two alone." (Howard is just chuckling over your remark that in England you had "very available though rather prosaic weather.") Howard says you write about the best descriptive letters he knows. Nov. 22. The latest news from Tom is that he is better, but not yet considered quite out of danger. We expect Uncle G. + Anna tomorrow, + I shall try to extract all the news from them. A card from Ethel says "Pater" Robinson is better. There is a little batch of letters which have just got around to me, + I will copy some bits from them, though they are no longer very fresh. Edith wrote to her mother, Nov. 3: "The girl with the 'yellow chill' had another, + died two days after I left. It seems as if she must be saturated with quinine, but I suppose we ought to have given her still more. I am very sorry, but it is a relief, if she had to go, that it was while I was not in charge. Her heart was very weak, + she might not have recovered even if the chill had been avoided. There is no sick list in the dining room this morning, + only two girls ailing in the Infirmary. It is very dry here, I believe has not rained at all since September, except that, as the colored man said who came down for me, "it sprunkled" a little one night. The leaves look just about as dry as at Orange. I hope you did not have much trouble in keeping the grate fire in last night. Be careful to keep warm enough. I will send name of the powder you took to ward off gall-stones. If you feel the slightest suggestion of discomfort, have Grace get it + take a pinch three times a day in water several days, enough. I wish I could be in N. Y. + here too. With a great deal of love, Edith." A later letter from Edith to Aunt Nettie, undated, said: "How would it be to accept Uncle H's invitation for a time, + then board until spring? (This was before they had definitely decided to take the flat.) Pope's Hill is a perfect place for writing + reading - no one to disturb one, + Boston with its meetings + interests if one wants them. I do not know how you would feel about it, but it might be less effort than taking a flat at once, + certainly less expense; + there would be more chance to find a suitable flat next Fall early, when new ones will be ready + people changing. If this were a better winter climate it would be nice to come South for a change, but I do not thing Greensboro is far enough South or attractive enough to be very comfortable as a [**wintering place if one is choosing one. It is time to go to office hours, so I will mail this on the way." Please forward this letter to Kitty, + also the family letters which I enclose. Your aff niece, Alice Stone Blackwell. [*11/17/01*] National American Woman Suffrage Association. MEMBER NATIONAL COUNTY OF WOMEN. Honorary President, ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, 26 West 61st Street, New York. Honorary President, SUSAN B. ANTHONY, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, REV. ANNA H. SHAW, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, RACHEL FOSTER AVERY, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, ALICE STONE BLACKWELL, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, HARRIET TAYLOR UPTON, Warren, Ohio. Auditors LAURA CLAY, Lexington, Ky. CATHARINE WAUGH MCCULLOCH, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill. NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, 2008 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY BUILDING, N.Y. OFFICE OF RECORDING SECRETARY, 3 PARK ST., BOSTON, MASS. care to go to the game. If we come, it will be, I think, by the late train, arrive early Saturday + go to Henry's to breakfast, to Cambridge later, see your room, look about Cambridge, leave Anna with you to bring to Pope's Hill to dinner, + Sunday take afternoon train to N.Y. so as to get home to sleep + be on hand Monday A.M. 7 P.M. Dr. Seward has just been to see Tom, says his condition is critical, but he hopes + expects him to get through. Au revoir, my dear boy." Nov. 14 Uncle G. writes to Howard: "I am sorry snow + winter are upon you already. We have had slight [?] [?] [?] though the air for two days has been cold + the leaves are about all gone. The reason we contemplate the night train for Boston is [that] because Anna wishes the afternoon + evening for study, so as to be ready for Monday's [letters] lessons. She is really trying as hard as she knows how to, to get through. I am glad to know that your feet improve. I hope they will continue to gain. Tom's condition is rather better than yesterday, but we still feel anxious. We have all been busy of late, though the Mamma has not been so over-run as formerly. We keep well. To-day I sent Nettie the amount that Sam had insured on his life. She is about to move into a flat on 71st St. + the North River. She has rented the 64th St. house. I hope it may prove for the best, though she pays more rent than I think is quite wise, + I do not altogether like to have her + Grace live alone together. If Agnes could have managed it, I think it would have been much better to have joined her in E. Orange. There is room enough + it would have been far less expensive, + I should think the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Member National Council of Women. Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 26 West 61st Street, New York. Honorary President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, Carrie Chapman Catt, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, Rachel Foster Avery, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Auditors{Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill. National Headquarters, 2008 American Tract Society Building, N. Y. Office of Recording Secretary, 3 Park St., Boston, Mass. Jan. 19, 1902. Dear Aunt Emily: Howard has come over to spend Sunday afternoon, as usual, and has brought letters from his father, mother + Edith, which I take the chance to copy. Emma wrote to Howard, Jan. 12: "I am glad the room looks pleasanter, though it was cheerful before. (Howard has lately added curtains, a couch &c to the furnishings of his room.) You really need a cover for the centre table. Have you seen any that you like, or have you suggestions as to something for it? Just before Xmas Anna + I were looking at velours covers for our own sitting-room table, + did not find any that we liked. A pretty velours would do well enough, though people use various other things. - I have been reading again in your National Parks (book Howard gave her for Xmas) + they form a very attractive picture. I think I want to go to the Yellowstone first. The Yosemite will keep better. It has no geysers to get boiled out + finished. The General Federation is to meet on May 1. Tickets from April 22 to June 25, $50. for the round trip by the Atchison, Topeka + Santa Fe from Chicago. No information as yet from Eastern railways of rates to Chicago. But I don't know that I shall go at this time. If we visit Aunt Elizabeth this summer, that will perhaps be journeying enough; + Anna wants to be dragged through her French + Latin (Uncle George coaches her in French, + Emma in Latin). She is not as bad as "Brombey" (a character in a book of college stories that was given Anna this Xmas), but May + June are critical. A lapse then might be fatal to the Smith certificates. (High school certificates admit to Smith College.) Agnes's house looks lonely with no one at all there. We had a note from Aunt Nettie last night, saying that they had reached 71st St. verycomfortably, & that she hoped much from the change. Grace is certainly better, for she can sleep without powders, but she is far from right. Anna, Frances & I went to Munn Ave. this A.M., & heard a very good missionary sermon from Dr. Ludlow. It was the morning for the foreign mission collection, & though I am not "a good Presbyterian," I felt willing to help the Presbyterian missions, because, if their work is not all perfectly wise, as of course it is not, still it carries seeds of new thoughts which will grow & displace some of the older wrong thoughts, & that is the greatest work of the world, to help people to think true thoughts. We have begun to get up earlier at this house. See what a good record I have for a week! Jan. 6, 6.45; Jan. 7, 6.55; 8, 6.35; 9.7; 10, 6.55: 11, 6.50: 12, 7.15 (because it was Sunday). And Frances is considering favorably an offer of five cents a day to be down at 7.30 on week days." Edith had written to Uncle G., Jan. 12: "Thank you for the interesting letters from Aunt Elizabeth & Aunt Emily, & for the report of things in E. Orange. There never seems to be much to report here. I am glad Aunt Emma finds the club work so interesting. It must take a great deal of time. No doubt there will be still plenty of committee work, etc., after the gives up the presidency, since the clubs have found out her value. - I like the college life, but do not specially care for the Greensboro' region. That is, I should be sorry to consider it a permanent home, though it does very well temporarily. I think it is not far enough South to be typically Southern & to have the advantages of a really Southern climate, & it lacks many advantages of a more Northern town. Winston or Charlotte are more agreeable, well kept, residence towns, & Lynchburg, Va., pleasanter than either, I think from the little I have seen of them. Newbern is interesting to visit, as it is so quaint & unlike Northern places in many respects, though there is quite a mixture of modern, & I think perhaps more culture than in Greensboro - though I really do not know much about the Greensboro people outside of the college. I wish I might see more of the South, as new places are interesting. Dr. McIver thinks of taking an excursion, or rather of taking a party of the students National American Woman Suffrage Association. Member National Council of Women. Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 26 West 61st Street, New York. Honorary President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, Carrie Chapman Catt, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, Rachel Foster Avery, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Auditors{Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill. National Headquarters, 2008 American Tract Society Building, N. Y. Office of Recording Secretary, 3 Park St., Boston, Mass. on an excursion to the Exposition at Charleston in April. I do not know whether it will be possible for me to go, though I should be glad to have a glimpse of S. C. - I am glad to hear that Grace seems better, if only a little: but it is a pity that she did not go to the Sanitarium. It must be a burden to Mamma to have the care of her & the inconvenience of a trained nurse constantly. I wish Grace could be persuaded to go to the rest cure, which is doubtless specially adapted for such cases, & likely to benefit her more than home treatments." Jan. 23. A letter just rec'd from Emma (which I [am] send with this) encloses a card from Aunt Nettie, dated at Lakewood, Jan. 21. Aunt N. writes: "Agnes, so far as can now be determined, has typhoid fever. She is too ill to be moved. I came here yesterday, shall leave to-day, but shall probably return some time next week. A nurse from N. Y. seems to be efficient. A. is very weak. I am not wanted here at present, & perhaps do more harm than good, as she needs to be as quiet as possible. Little Agnes (Ethel) may be already in E. Orange. I hope her cold is going. Please oil her chest." Poor Tom & Agnes! What a siege of it they are having. We can do nothing, but wait for news. Papa insisted on copying for me the letters from Emma & Tom. Please send on to Kitty this letter of mine, & all the enclosures. I cannot copyletters twice over. Yours of Jan. 6 was safely received, + is now on its rounds. Yes, indeed, I wish I could go with you + see the places you mention - especially the street built to commemorate Garibaldi marching in through the breach in the wall. I was up till about 1 A. M. last night, + must be up till late again to-night, so will stop for this time. By a queer + cussed concatenation of circumstances, our annual meeting came to-day + our legislative hearing comes to-morrow, + the Woman's Journal went to press to-day + the Woman's Column goes to press to-morrow, + a pile of proof to be read for Mrs. Babcock arrived to-night, + there are two or three other things on hand to justify the saying "It never rains but it pours." Never mind, after to-morrow the worst of the rush will be over. Your very aff. niece, Alice Stone Blackwell.