UNDATED BLACKWELL FAMILY SARAH ELLEN BLACKWELL BLACKWELL, HENRY B.Aunt Ellen Dear Harry. Your letter just received. If you will ask Emma for my last letter in which I stated my position you will see that it is almost identical with yours. How could you so misunderstand my letter as to suppose it advocated war. It was the woman's appeal to prevent it by offering, 200 millions to Spain for the purchase of Cuba, for the Cubans and that it should be a free gift, as England in 1817 gave as a free gift 400 thousand pounds to secure the emancipation of the slaves. As to interference, it was Cleveland & Olney that interfered. Instead of just recognizing the insurgents as Congress desired and leaving the Cubans to achieve their own independence, Cleveland & Olneymust needs hatch up an autonomy scheme that we would not have listened to for a moment, and try to force it upon the Cuban leaders who had had years of experience of Spanish treachery and were dying to achieve absolute independence. When President McKinley advocated the purchase of Cuba, I wrote him a few lines saying I believed that the women would enthusiastically welcome so righteous a way of settling the trouble and I wished the offer could be definitely made, and I thought if he wished it the women would use their influence in support of such a measure The President's Secretary Porter answered saying my letter had been received and its contents noted. That was why I wanted you to say something in the Journal in advocacy of such a peaceable proposition. Spain might yet come to it. I have never advocated war, though now we have set Spain to making such extensive preparations the poor Cubans might find her now too much for them, and our duty to them and vengeance for the Maine may force us into it. Where I differ with you is in my estimate of the Cuban Republican leaders. I think they have been as noble and as intelligent as any we have or have ever had and are much more capable of managing their own internal affairs than we have of managing them for them. The idea of America's legislating for them is preposterous and un american and utterly insulting to them, as if they were children or fools. If Cuba should be crushed or so involved in a hideous war we have Cleveland and Olney's accursed interference to thank for it.But it is very odd that I never say a word about Cuban independence which I think is wholly right, but people flare out at me and say I am advocating war when I am using what little voice I have for a totally different measure. Affectionately, but much aggrieved, LEBDec. 29th Dear Harry Your kind letter just received. It is all you can say and I suppose the thing must go on and I must accept the dissolution of a partnership of 14 1/2 years with the result that one partner takes all the profits and the other partner all the sorrows and losses. Emily has been too long headed for me and there are some transactions that I find it hard to forgive but all this I must bury, and try to reserve a kindly spirit. The one feature that seems to me best is that she will no longer be able to hold me under her thumb, as she has done by the united power of the purse and my affections. Having taken away every thing she can do no more. To be sure she may resume the house but that is a small affair, and would involve her in much bother & loss of convenience. I'll take my chance of that. I have written her kindly and made some suggestions that may lessen the sorrow for Nannie Cornelia's throat is not healing as quickly as Emily anticipated. I went to see her on Saturday. She looked thin & yellow, and was wonderfully quiet, like one who had been crushed in spirit, and felt herself powerless. I think she would do better out of the city and that close cooped up home. I am going to begin a deposit in the Orange bank toward my future housekeeping and am making an effort to show & sell my sketches. 19 have been sold in one way or another in a little more than a year Nine of them were given to church fairs, but it is encouraging to find that all I gave were sold readily. Much will depend upon whether I rerent my Rockaway house well. Mr Russells lease expires in May. He owes me $300, and whether I shall eventually collect this years rent or not I do not know He is so dilatory irregular and abusive that when [Sam?] gets any thing out of him it comes as a surprise but occasionally he does get something. Thank you dear Harry for your suggestion. I am going to send you an account of the Orange water colour society. I doubt if Women alone & unaided have ever started a Water Colour Society before and this one has made a capital beginning and is making some sensation. As Secretary I have considerable writing to do for it. I have just had an application from a man at Roxbury Mass for information as he wants to make an article upon it for the "Magazine of Art." Will that do for Contribution No 1? Goodnight dear Harry with many thanks for your kind letter. Alice took dinner with me yesterday, and has to go today again to Mrs Putnams. We wish she could stay longer, but I think she has much enjoyed her visits Philadelphia Sept 10 Dear people I wrote to you three days ago, a long full letter, giving accounts of Elizabeths arrival, appearance, and proceedings of Mother and Marian, and my own holiday doings present occupations prospects etc. in short posting you up in every thing I could that I supposed would interest you but having just received this letter from Marian, enclosing letters from Emily and Sam, I hasten to fulful her injunction on not delaying it, and take a scrap of paper on my lap to scrawl you another hasty greeting. I am working busily at my lithograph which is a real undertaking as Mr. Sinclair says it would take an experienced lithographer six weeks working all the time to complete it. I have spent about a month at it already, but dont think I shall spend more than a fortnight longer. It is to figure at the exhibition in October. I long to be back inN Y with M & E, but I shall not be likely to find so pleasant a place to work in, as the school here, as the rooms are very pleasant, and I like Mrs. Hill & the girls there, and it is much pleasanter to work in company, but it is a great distance from the Elders, and intolerably hot going & coming morning & afternoon. What will you boys do now Emily is gone back I am afraid it will be very dull, but you will have Mother back in a few weeks. Sam wont you tell me in a little private note what it was you had to impart to me in a low voice. Dont you go and get engaged to any one out west for I've picked out two or three nice girls to introduce you to when you come East. There is one at the school of design that I think a good deal of. I do wish I could step in and see you boys. I am afraid you will forget what I look like even, but I'm coming to visit you as soon as my Lithographing gets fairly and profitably at work. Goodbye, [Ellen?] London, Nov 27 Dear Harry I send you the power of attorney as you request. He is surprised that it is not neccessary to witness it before an Am Consul. I have the title deeds which I shall leave with Kenyon, as I go to Paris tomorrow morning to spend the winter. Two or three artists who have seen my Welsh sketches give me good encouragement, but I don't know where the funds are to come from after this winter. However, I hereby authorise you to invest every cent of the money derived from the sale of the Illinois land (if it does sell) in western land again, for I am quite determinedto keep it as you once said "sacred to turning." I suppose at this time you are all rejoicing in Emily's safe arrival. I hope the dear good girl has had a safe and tolerably pleasant voyage, and that she will meet with good success. If not she must return for I certainly think she would do well here. I've already had the aggravating task to perform of sending away a lady who had come all the way from Bristol to consult her. Thank Lucy very much for her nice letter of home news, Lucy dear, it was very welcome & I will write you soon in return. I think of you all together in N Y with the greatest satisfaction. You dear people, I never forget you though I dont write very often. Harrykin what are you about? Have you bought my place near NY yet & are you going into business with Aug Moore? Is it not sad that the Republicans could not quite carry in their candidates! You must indeed have had an exciting campaign with such great things at stake. I look out with the greatest interest for the Am. news in the papers. Kenyon & Maria are well & prosperous in their pleasant London home, but much regret Emily's departure as they were both much attached to her. I am so sorry about poor Marian's health. She must try the garden next year, and heaven grant it may do her good! I wish I could do something for her. Give my love to Harriet Howells To Keziah Emery & to Cornelia, ifever you see either of them. I am glad Sam has got the situation in so excellent a house, but hope the poor fellow will be able to keep better hours by & by, or indeed I should fear with such a sedentary occupation it would really injure him! We shall look for the next new from his little homestead with the greatest interest. Have you separate sitting rooms at C's or do you sit together in the matted parlours? or rather parlour for one is C's office. It is late dear Harry & I must say goodnight for I have to be up very early tomorrow for my journey. afft yrs Ellen.A note from S. Ellen Blackwell to Henry B. Blackwell, undated, says: How coarse and mean that speech of Judge Johnson's was! but I don't believe it was worded exactly as it is reported. I think what he meant to say was, that the protest secured to Lucy the independence and legal rights that women retain when not legally married, without the loss of reputation: which is exactly what women need to do. Lucy & I are going to take the old red & the carriage & Little Emma & ride up to Yardner tomorrow, 30 miles, attend to some business of yours & come back next day. Poor little Emma ran a pitchfork [second column] into her little bare foot this afternonon. She has a plaster on it, & will be glad to ride tomorrow, as she wont be able to run about so much for a day or two. But Lucy does not mean to tell Mr. & Mrs. L(awrence) until she can say that it is getting well, but I don't think it will be very bad. Lucy is writing to you downstairs & seems to have brightened up again.June 27 Dear Folks Here is another pleasant letter from Marian, bless her heart and soul! I hope she may really be permanently benefitted after a while. I received Sams and Mothers letters the same evening and hoped to receive Mr. Elders detachment yesterday but as it did not come must write without it. Mother says in her letter "George has been saying at home to day with a slight touch of the kind, but is better to night." I suppose the kind means some return his last years dysentery, and I feel quite anxious to hear more of the poor fellow Dear mother you ought to write a more clear and full account of anything that happens, and not scare a person with so vague an allusion, but I am greatly indebted to you for such good long letters, and send you thanks for every line and a perfect blessing for every page you write. As to that Sam, he's a great boy, worth a considerable amount of gold dust! He must have been in good spirits when he wrote me that last little letter. I had a good laugh over it, and shall send it to M, as a fine specimen ofOf his playful style of correspondence (To be returned mind for I consider it valuable). I saw J Wakeman Sam that same evening for the first time. Oh but he is tall! Mrs. Alofsen went last Saturday to Middleton taking with her Lizzie and Georgie, for a week or two, and leaving me to keep house. Mr. A is polite and tolerably friendly. Mr Eaton cheerful and equable, and Agustus I am getting a little a better acquainted with, he is a real oddity and I am greatly amused some times at his queer ways and blast impolite speeches, which I don’t care a straw for. He leaves me to paint pretty much after my own devices. Mrs. A told me one day, she said to him Augustus it seems to me, you don’t show C much in her painting. Oh she knows Well enough what to do. Why you required [?]. Oh I was fool! Well but you have been taking lessons for years there must be many things you could show her. Well I do I do I do! and that was all he woud say. He would come after dinner, and look with rather a grave cross face at what I had been doing for I paint in the [second column] dining room and the picture usually stands there on the easel in the corner). I sometimes felt discouraged for he said but little except that it would do well enough. One day after he had been peering at it he burst out suddenly. I do declare all the time I’ve been painting I’ve not been able to do a bit of foliage as good as that. Next time he brought me a great tree to do. I asked him if he had ever painted it. He replied very crossly No it was too hard for him to try. I told him I guessed he had brought it home to puzzle me. After painting the first day, he went down after I had gone, and seeing was not going on in the regular process for painting trees, he cried out, What did she do that for. She’ll never get a bit like the copy. Now what will you bet said Mrs. A. I lay you something she will. No she wont its impossible. Yesterday I finished it and he condescended to say it was very pretty; but I know nothing of drawing and I see I must practice for years if I wish t become a proficient. He greatly admires Miss Annie [?] but thinks that the family are such strict episcopalians not one would marry out of the church but we all laugh at him a great about her and he seems to enjoy it mightily. There have been some strawberry festivals as they are called given by the churches here for the benefit of theirfunds two days ago the Episcopal festival was held at [?] gardens and during the morning the ladies were going backwards and forwards preparing and among them the Misses Bridges. I noticed Agustus hovering about outside the door looking in that direction and called out to him to go and try to make himself useful. He came in and said do you think Ive got nothing better to do than to be running after them. I’m going up town on an errand for my daddy. Oh what a good boy I cried but run Agustus run and fetch you’ll get back in time. He usually keeps a very grave countenance but he had to laugh this time and I thought it quite a victory. In the evening as I was reading my letters I noticed him going through the hall two or three times with a peculiar little cap stuck on the top of his head. I walked out at last and told him to let me look at it and I knew he had got it to set at some of the ladies at the festival. I pronounced it quite bewitching and he pretended not to hear, but when I went back in the parlour to resume my letters, he came in - seated himself and trying to look very grave and crass, said Where you making all that palaver about my cap It is an old one I bought last year. I said he felt like laughing and it was as much as he could do to keep grave, and he commenced to tell me of a conspiracy among the young folks to get up a dance but they did not succeed, for I went in the [*evening, but they eat a great quantity of strawberries and ice cream I’ve no news to tell you yours [?]. I spent the day drawing studying painting and writing a little, and am to busy to feel lovely, though. I see but little of the neighbors. I long for Sam regularly every night when the wind blows and I’ve no one to take a walk with but I enjoy a sail over to ferry sometimes very much. Dear George dont get sick Sam must tell Springer and Whiteman not to let you work too hard during the hot weather, and look forward to staking a change after a while like your venerable sisters. I often wish you were here and think we should have some fun together. Good bye. Love to all the girls and especially M L G Love I shant bestow [?] affections on Miss B. All I know how much Miss G has [?] treated. Give Harry a double amount of hatred.*]