NAWSA  GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE  SpAldiNg, ElizA


Eliza Spalding
1854

Rockland Me. July 15th/54
Dear Friends, 
Your letter of June the 10th
which did not reach me until the 19th found
me confined with indisposition; as soon as able 
I sent for the package which was received on the 
4th of July by express.  I did not understand that
it was to be left at the Anti-Slavery Office. I 
supposed that we were to meet you there, but not
knowing at what time, concluded to wait & see you
at the Spiritual Convention; I regret not having 
called as you proposed. 
Being obliged to leave
home on business, I handed the tracts to Miss Gowne
to be disposed of as she thought would be subserve
the cause. She has sold quite a number, & if it is
in accordance with your intentions we shall appropriate 
the proceeds to the purchase of more tracts.
There seems to be a growing interest in the subject 
& I doubt not the tracts will do good. I 
frequently hear the remark, what a great change
has been affected in public opinion by your lecture

[lec]ture; but this change goes beyond mere opinion,
it is taking a practical form.  Two young
ladies have but recently gone into the printing office
in this City & are even now earning their two dollars
per week.  They would not have been persuaded to
accept of this employment before you came among
us;  every one seems to feel in duty bound to give
them a word of encouragement;  one year ago they
they never would have thought of expressing approbation
& what is most likely would have considered it
derogatory to the female character to be thus employed.
   Another young lady I have been informed finds
employment in her father's counting room, but "never
thought of it before she heard Miss  Stone's lecture."
   Miss Rose still retains her office of 
Regr of Deeds.  An effort was made to remove her
but without success.  Her opponents took the ground
that altho' she was eminently qualified & perfectly
trustworthy, yet it was "unconstitutional for a women
to hold office."  I have heard one other objection
against Miss Rose;  she has no family to support
& the office should be given to some poor man who
has one!!  "This ointment might have been sold

for much and given to the poor."   
   With regard to the Conventions I cannot say,
which I enjoyed most;  I was gratified to find
that some among the Woman's Rights Advocates
were spiritualists and that all Spiritualists--at least
those who spoke at the Convention - were in favor of
Woman's Rights, Temperance, the Abolition of Slavery,
& Capital Punishment, and the Higher Law.  "a
strange affinity seems to bind the radical &
infidel movements all together"

                                         For years I have
felt shut up like Noah in this ark, yet blind
and ignorant;  seeking for light & truth.  [I have]
I have gone out into the world but could "find no
rest for the soul of my foot," "for the waters " of
(selfishness)" were on the face of the whole earth";
but at these conventions, if I may so express myself
I could stand on dry ground and I brought home
an "olive leaf plucked" from the tree of Humanity

            May its branches continue to expand until
it covers "the whole earth" and God's will be done
here as in heaven;
                              Yours Truly,
                              Eliza Spalding

(Eliza Spalding to Lucy Stone)

Rockland, Me. July 15, 1854

Dear Friend:

   There seems to be a growing interest
in the subject (woman's rights) and I doubt not
the tracts will do good.  I frequently hear the remark,
that a great change has been effected in public
opinion by your lectures;  but this change goes
beyond mere opinion, it is taking a practical
form.  Two young women have but recently
gone into the printing office in this City, and are
even now earning their two dollars per week
They could not have been persuaded to accept
of this employment before you came among us.  Every
one feels in duty bound to give them a word of
encouragement;  one year ago they would never
have thought of expressing approbation, and what
is most likely would have considered it derogatory
to the female character to be thus
employed.
   Another young lady, I have been informed,

finds employment in her father's counting-room,
but "never thought of it before she heard Miss
Stone's lecture."  Miss Rose still retains
her office of Register of Deeds.  An effort was made
to remove her but without success.  Her
opponents took the ground that, although she was
eminently qualified and perfectly trustworthy, yet it
was "unconstitutional for a woman to hold office."
I have hard one other objection against Miss
Rose;  "she has no family to support and the office
should be given to some poor man who has one!!"
"This ointment might have been sold for much
and given to the poor."
    With regard to the Conventions, I cannot
say which I enjoyed the most;  I was gratified
to find that some among the Women's Rights
advocates were Spiritualists, and that all Spiritualists--
at least all who spoke at the
Convention--were in favor of Woman's Rights,
Temperance, the Abolition of Slavery and of

Capital Punishment, and the Higher Law. 
"a strange affinity seems to bind the radical
and infidel movements all together."
 For years I have felt shut up like
Noah in the ark, yet blind and ignorant, 
seeking for light and truth. I have gone 
out into the world, but "could find no rest
for the sole of my foot", "for the waters (of selfishness)
were on the face of the earth."  But at 
these Conventions, if I may so express myself, 
I could stand on dry ground, and I brought 
home an "olive leaf plucked" from the tree 
of Humanity.  May its branches continue to 
expand until in covers "the whole earth" and 
God's will be done here as in heaven. 
Yours truly
Eliza Spalding.

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.