Nawsa general correspondence Smith, Abby H. [*1874*] Glastonbury Jan 14-74 Mrs. Lucy Stone Dear friend How could you think to write us so pleasantly & comforting? We thank you with all our heart. You have probably read the result of taking our cows in the Spring field Republican. We had no idea the town would do any such thing, & we think now had they known what notoriety it would bring they would not have done it. This notoriety is all we want, if the people would only discuss the subject they would see the justice of our claim. The Hartford Times advertised the sale of our cows & has come out with a piece against us of which we are very glad, (& also the Springfield Union) for they have both called forth able answers from Mrs. Buckingham & her sister which neither paper has as yet published. But the worst piece is in the [?] Providence Evening Press last Friday I think the editor of which an old friend of my sisters, is a native of this town & his mother & [sister] brother are now living here. He has been Congress man from this state four years After praising us highly he thinks for our "foolish" conduct the town may take our "fine patrions [?]" & put a conservator over us! & sent us the paper himself My sister answered him that the Springfield Rep publican having proposed a Defence Fund we were daily in the receipt of money which would relieve him from his anxiety for the town & for us & prevent the necessity of doing it! We were quite pleased with his suggestion of the S. R. for as Miss Burr wrote us last night "it would strengthen our cause by letting the public know that you have strong sympathizers in your refusal to pay taxes" For this reason we like it, but intend to pay all expenses ourselves & return the money. We thank you much for your offer of assistance & for the kind invitation you give us to attend your annual meeting of Jan 27 making your house our home We would like to go, but cannot tell as yet. As we were returning from Virginia last June where we had been to attend the exercises of the Hampton Normal School for colored youth, we met on the cars a gentleman from Kansas who said he knew you & I have been trying ever since to learn his name When the cars came into the New Haven the gentleman who accompanied us left his seat next me to reach his home by a nearer route than Hartford & 4 or 5 other men came in. One of them took his vacant seat & bending forward to the two in the slip before us requested their newspaper. I made the observation that I noticed when the men came in they always wanted a [news]paper for they felt interested in the affairs of the country–who ruled over it, but the women never did, they had no interest in it–it was nothing to them. I have never seen men so excited several others came up & the discussion [seemed] seemed to engage the attention of every one in the car I had them all against me till just as we reached Hartford one of them turned to me & said I am wholly on your side" "But why did you want to fool me so then" I enquired 'He said controversy was the life of every good cause that he was from Kansas that Lucy Stone had made his house her home & that he had canvassed the state with her & came within 18 votes of carrying it. You live in an old fogy state said he to the men. We are greatly before you out West. He was a native of a town just below us & knew some of our citizens Will you be kind enough to tell me his name & place of residence. Yours affectionly, Abby H. Smith Abby Smith Glastonbury Jan 20 1874 Tuesday Eve Our dear Friend Mrs. Lucy Stone, We have just received your kind invitation to be present at the Annual Meeting, and are sorry enough that we cannot accede to your agreeable request. Had we time to give you our special reasons, you would think we had sufficient excuse. We thought last week we would go at all events, and much enjoyed the idea of making your acquaintance as well as meeting old Anti Slavery friends. We were never in Boston but the place has not so many attractions as the company we would like so well to see. We continue to receive sympathetic letters, which enliven us and we grow stronger and stronger in this most just cause. A supporter of the Hartford Times was sent over to interview us, who through agreeable company made not the best impression upon us to yield to irony. He came twice last week, the last time staying half a day, and assayed to convince us, that the men were not to blame but we should attack the laws. Today the Editor of the Boston Post called on us, to see the Alderneys and their owners, he appeared like a very sensible man. It's now near 10 oclock and must close with regret that we cannot attend that interesting assemblage next week, which would give us so much pleasure. Please accept our thanks, for giving us the name of Col Wood and his place of residence, and believe us to be hearty collaborers, and sufferers in so just a cause. Your sincere and obliged friends, Julia and Abby Smith Abby H. Smith Glastonbury July 15 1814 Mr H. B. Blackwell and Mrs Lucy Stone Dear Friends I have just returned from the S. D. and feel somewhat disappointed, not to find some copies of the last Woman's Journal. Our regular paper did not come till Monday, and in neither newspaper have we seen any account of the South Framingham meeting, and that was so interesting we do want to get a few no's to send to our friends. I could not appreciate all the speaking while there as I have in reading it, especially Mr Black well's poetry. It may be now, you have no extra no's to spare. After Mr B. left us we had a very pleasant ride in the cars and were not obliged to have our seats until we reached Hartford at 12½ oclock. We took the stage at 3 and arrived safe home at 5, and agreed fully after our arrival that we could never remember a visit that we enjoyed more if quite as much. We certainly have not made a stay of the visiting order in one house of three nights in more than ten years. Miss Burr of Hartford who is now staying with Mrs. Buckingham (who is yet an invalid) made us a visit yesterday with other friends said when we told about our agreeable visit with you, that she wished she had been with us. We like her much, she does much for the suffrage cause. Mrs Stone is quite a favorite with her, as well as with Mrs Buckingham, we have had a very agreeable time with them both in talking about the doings of the 4th, and also of the pleasant time spent in your home. Abby has written a short piece about the legislation doings and sent it to the Springfield Republican this morning to be inserted. We see no excitement of the 4th of July at Framingham in that paper, that is in the Weekly, the Daily we do not see only when some no. We sent that have something from us in there. We received 10 cards night before last from JKH Weller of New York headed forny when; Woman Suffrage League inviting us to address their meeting the 22nd or 29th of this month, it pleased us much, but we cannot go, [for] that outrageous meadow land ever is on our hands and we expect to bring out the affair to light. We went to Hartford Monday Morn to see our lawyer but he is so busy while the Assembly is in session that he cannot take it up until after it [rises?]. Perhaps we are always in too much of a hurry to have matters set right, but our lawyer told us there would nothing suffer by waiting. I cannot yet believe as one of our neighbors told us that the [collector] would certainly sure that we told him we had no personal property. I cannot yet think that ever heard he like that. I suppose you will not yet visit Michigan, but when you do I hope you will sometimes write to us, and tell where you are, so that we can give you some account of ourselves, for we expect to be annoyed and you may receive something that may be interesting enough to communicate in your meetings, Abby is sitting by the table [?] with me and joins [?] me in love to you all. She often speaks of the friends that called at you house Sunday, we both wish to be remembered to them, Yours, Julie E Smith Thursday Morn As soon as we can we intend to get a subscriber [f?]or two for the Journal, Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.