Blackwell Family                General Correspondence              Grimke, Sarah M.
Lucy Stone[*AS Blackwell note*]
Sarah and Angelina Grimke and Abby Kelly Foster.  These three bore
the brunt of getting the right for women to speak in public.

Angelina corresponded with William Lloyd Garrison.  She was invited
to come north to lecture for a salary.  She declined the salary but
came and brought her sister, who said, when the call was issued for
the National Woman Suffrage Convention "My sisters bleeding feet
have worn smooth the path by which you came to be here".  ([They were] Sarah
was opposed to slavery and joined the Friends.)
The sisters began speaking at parlor meetings of women and
soon no parlor would hold the crowds who wanted to hear them.  The 
brothers and sons and fathers heard the discussion among women and
soon they attended the meetings.  The ministers opened rooms in their
church buildings; and finally they were lecturing to men and women's
audiences in the largest halls that could be found.  These meetings
called forth the well-known pastoral letter.1850(?)
July 13th
Dear Lucy
Has not your ardent heart been
almost discouraged by our apparent lukewarmness
in the noble cause of Womans Rights - her
redemption from an objectless life, her comparative
nothingness in the intellectual world - her
childlike dependence upon some man, father
husband, brother or more distant relative to
feed & clothe & shelter her.  And yet your instincts 
always told you that we were not, could
not be indifferent to such a cause.  The truth
is I shrink indescribably from coming before
the public.  I would fain serve the cause
by writing in some more private way - any
thing but appending my name to such a call
as that you speak of - my secluded life for
the last 15 years has made me morbid, & yet
I see very clearly that if my name can be of
any use to you you ought to have it, so take
it dear Lucy but do not put the Grimke
in, let it be Angelina Weld & for this reason,I have some relatives who are opposed to this
whole movement, it is a great mortification
to them that I have retained the uncontaminated[?]
name of Grimke, [and] they wish me to drop it.
For their sakes let it be so - let us condescend
to those of low estate. The name is long
enough, good enough without it.
In all probability we will attend
the Convention[.]  It would be a great feast
to me to be there unseen, unknown[.] My
Theodore is not at home. If he were here
he would say a word for himself - his return
is uncertain or I would keep my letter, but you 
seem to be in a hurry to hear from us.
We had been hoping that your intimacy
with Miss. Whipple would bring you out
to Belleville, and then we should see you.  Surely
you know how heartily we should welcome
you under our roof.  Come then whenever
you can conveniently. We have sent
you two or three messages to this effect.
My Sister will add a line. I am most
Truly Yours
A Weld


Dear Lucy
Had I put on paper all the thoughts and
feelings, which have welled up from the bottom of my
soul, on this great subject of Woman's humanity -
I should have sent you many a sheet, but providential
circumstances have so absorbed my time, and
so entirely precluded me from taking any part in the
movement, that duty has kept me silent and inactive,
yet if the breathings of one earnest soul can avail
any thing, mine has been poured out for your success,
because I feel deeply that the regeneration of
this world is to be achieved through the instrumentality
of Woman, and the Progress of the race
is t[he] great object of my life.
My name is at your service and it is possible
I may attend the Convention. These gatherings 
meet the wants and states of mind of a vast number
of those; who are interested in this cause it
enlightens a great many outsiders, and makes
many ponder this great subject who would otherwise
pass it unnoticed.
Yours most truly
Sarah M. Grimke
You did not say where to directSarah & Angelina Grimke


Lucy Stone
Care W. L. Garrison
Anti Slavery Office
Boston