BLACKWELL FAMILY Antoinette B. Blackwell 1852 Blackwell, Lucy StoneHenrietta, N.Y. Dec 16, 1852
Dear Lucy ...
....I heard that Mrs. Davis and
Mrs. Smith are about to commence their paper
together. That Mrs. Davis has written to Lizzie
Stanton asking her to be a contributor. She
said she had a legacy left to her, that she
had no child, and could as well spend it
in editing a paper as any way.
Take back your kind caution about
my health and apply it to yourself. You are more
nervous than I now, and Bloomer dresses
and all, you can't endure a bit more -----
Nettie.

(A. L. Brown to Lucy Stone)     [*BMS*]
Henrietta, Aug 4, 1852   
Dear Lucy
----I am not ordained yet, so few
may rejoice and welcome; but what a milksop
you must take me to be, if I can be
manufactured over into a "would-be-but-cant-priest"
by so simple a ceremony as ordination.
It is well that certain grave divines should
have drawn back just in time, for they were
on the very brink of the fatal spring over the
great wall of custom. A little more and
I should have been a man-acknowledged
minister, but somebody happened to think
that though a woman might preach she
ought not to administer the sacrement.
etc. Others thought this and that, so
they joined hands and turning round
walked backwards together, and I took
up my bundle and walked home. -----
So you are at home this summer, butpreaching Sundays on Anti-slavery. Well, that
is good. I shall begin to lecture some in
about two weeks. ----
Sarah Pellet is quite well but very nervous.
She does not know yet whether they will let her
graduate and read her own piece or not. She
will not graduate unless they let her read.
---- (Nettie)

(Antoinette Brown to Lucy Stone
May 15, 1862 (?)
Lucy dear.
----- Yesterday I received a letter
inviting me to take the charge of the McGranville
Central College, ladies department. It was mainly
on Prof. Hudson's recommendation. He will
probably accept the presidency. Wrote them today:
"If my impressions are correct, you recognize, both
theoretically and practically, human equality, independent
of color or sex. If so, I know the
principle and know of none in which I could
more heartily cooperate." This must bring
up the real issue. Of course, I could give no
definite answer till they explained more of
the "condition, principles and internal arrangements"
of the N.Y.C. College. So they must write
again and I am quite curious to know exactly
what stand they will take. Then I wrote Prof. H.
asking if in his recommendation he recognized
some prominent isms which had come to be verymuch associated with my character and reputation,
told him I was going to be ordained this summer,
and asked if they, and he as president, would recognize
me as an authorized minister, etc. If he would assist
in the ordination, etc. It all came up naturally and
I frankly told him what was most evident, that I was
acting upon the old Apocryphal text, "Surprise the
opportunity." These issues are fine. There is precious
little chance doubtless of my going, but let them appoint
me with a real practical equality, __ a
privilege of speaking, lecturing, etc, like the rest,
and I'll go. I have no objections to becoming
a Reverend Professor when they choose to make
me so. Ha, ha! The ordination though, there is
little doubt of.
The Women's N.Y. Temperance Society puts
undefined and unlimited power in the hands of
what may be a permanent Executive Committee.
It's awkwardly ordered. I don't think they meant
it so. One article is grammatically and rhetorically

false. They probably wrote it in haste, but on a
second reading I withdrew my signature till they
got a better set of articles for a Constitution.
I am going to Oberlin some time in June.
Possibly may go around by Philadelphia, and be at
the Convention. Think not. When I came home
started from Millville expecting to meet my trunk
which was to be sent from Hopedale. It did not
meet me. Went to Charlton where I had an appointment
for that evening. Spoke there on Temperance.
Waited over 24 hours. Conductors all said they would
bring the trunk there. Mr. Crane took it home with
him, and knowing I could not under the circumstances
wait for it, forwarded it to Albany, hoping
it would meet me there. It did not. I came on
without it and have not heard a word of it since.
Many of my clothes, books, and 32 dollars of money
were in it, and, more than all, nearly everything
of value that I have written during the past ten
years. Don't know what in the world to do. All
the thoughts and books on the Bible argument were
there, and I can't bring myself to begin everything
over. Think it will come at last, and so I am
quite thrown out of my summer's employment.
(A.L. Brown)
_____________
(A. L. B. to Lucy Stone)
Henrietta, April 15, 1852
----What an experience you must have had
in Rhode Island. How glad I am you stayed
and preached down the opposition. You are really
quite a martyr. ----

(Antoinette Brown to Lucy Stone) [*BMS*]
Rochester, April 14, 1852
Dear Lucy:
The convention is over. I have been
here most of the time. Some things were good
and glorious, but they quarrelled a good deal,
of course. Douglass and Remond grew painfully
personal, but you will hear about it! Last evening
we had a fugitive slave gathering. The house was
full. The impression good, -- grand so far, as one
could judge, but I don't think Phillips has been
quite himself here. He spoke a great deal but
not as he can speak in a free atmosphere.
News came there were slave-catchers in the
place after three fugitives. This brought the
people together.
Now I hate quarrels among those who
should be friends. Such scenes teach one
wisdom. Some of the people called a
part of it nigger-wrangling and I kept
thinking it was just the way we women
should do and be talked of as having womanish
jealousies. Heaven save us from it, yet it
must be that offences must needs come, but
woe to those by whom they come.
You know the New York women have been
forming a State Temperance Society, and they
call it the Woman's Society, and have a rule
that none but women shall be office holders,
though men are members of the Society. I am
glad they have commenced in earnest, and
think they will do something. Have joined
the Society, though I had nothing to do in
forming it, and was not here at the Convention
at all. But in the first place the
name is a misnomer for it is not exclusively
a Woman's Society. If it was so, I would
having nothing at all to do with it; then in
the next place, the idea of making it a
rule that no men shall be officers is
retaliation and womanish at that. It

would be a shrewd, good joke in a convention
perhaps, to pass such a rule, but a State Society is
altogether a grand affair. I shall protest against
it zealously. Organizations are rather serious matters,
if they are really going to effect anything. I am more
and more in hopes we shall not organize a National
Woman's Rights Society at present. We are not
ready for it, and if were were ready by Fall there
ought to be a thorough discussion of the matter
during the Summer. All this time I have been
as mute and mum as a kitten, -- a looker-on
and a speculator, ready enough to act independently
and allow every one else to do the same, while
the matter remained at that point, but there's 
grit enough in me and officiousness too,
upon occasions. None of us will be put in
trammels, and do you believe the Woman's
Rights advocates are willing and ready to make
a broad platform of free speech upon the
subject? A Woman's Rights odd-fellow clan!

Heaven help us! But if we don't organize upon
true grounds won't somebody get up a narrow
minded, partial affair of some stamp that will
shame the cause and retard its progress.
And then there will have to be a rival organization
formed in self-defense. If we could start
right wouldn't it be better? But then who is
ready to start not only, but to stand by the
staff and do battle to the end? No society ever
did or will prosper, continue, and attain its
end without there were strong men to stand
steadily by it till the conquest was made. We
may have a dozen ephemeral Woman's Rights
organizations like successive crops of mushrooms
springing up and dying, one after the other as
the temperance parties have done, and though
the agitation will do good, still comparatively
little will be accomplished. I am sick to death
with this running forward blindfolded without
even asking where we are going to. You see

I am writing the day after yesterday, and some
of the burning lessons learned there are still
burning into my heart. How I do wish some
strong, noble-minded men or women would
solemnly devote themselves to the cause with
the firm, earnest intention of making it
theirs for life, giving their best energies up
to it as the moral reform ladies do to their
cause; the Garrisonians to Anti-Slavery; Elihu
Burrit to the Peace movement; ministers
to their churches, etc. Then the masses
couldn't keep being attracted, magnetized,
converted, and something could be done.
Form an organization with such women or
men -- no matter which, having for its
constitution the one general principle equality
in rights for men and women, and then
leave this principle to develop itself in the
different directions which it must necessarily
take, and the society may be permanent andabiding, but it never can be in any other way.
But how is it now? In the first place who
expects to devote himself to the cause? Unless
it is yourself, I don't know of anybody. They all
have some separate and higher interest.
Much more anon.
Nettie.
There are ever so many things to be said on this
subject but not now. Your patience must be well-nigh
exhausted, and I am so tired. Dont lecture on
Anti-Slavery because they want you to, not unless
your own heart impels you. I've seen Miss
Holly. Would like to tell you just how she and
they all seemed. Mrs. Foster says she is a "glorious
creature", - "a glorious creature but peculiar," and
so she is. I could not keep from laughing inside
all the time, and outside some. Had a nice visit.