Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1857-02-17

Description

Handwritten letter from Lucy Newhall Danforth Colman to Amy Kirby Post, February 17, 1857.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

1147

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

[Text in top margin, upside down]
                Give love to all who enquire, who love
                 me, let our peopl [sic] see the letter as soon
                   as possible _ Mr Foss sends greetings
                         to you all Lucy

[Text normal]
                                            Sterling, Whiteside Co, Ill_
                                                           Feb 17^th 1857

Dear Amy, What one earth is the reason I can not hear
from Rochester? I'm sure I shall go frantic soon
I have not heard one word since the 27th of Dec, and
I have ^written^ to you twice, to Aurelia, to all the children,
to Gerty, three times, and to Mr Vanblack _ There is I hope
and trust, a letter at Lyndon for me, but we are weather
bound, and cannot get there _ the great freshet has swept
away the bridges, and when they will be again passable
is beyond my prophetic vision _ I hope my letters have
reached Rochester, otherwise it must seem to the dear
ones at home that I'm very neglectful _ We are now
in the hospitable home of Jacob Powel, and very much
at home we feel I assure you _   Did Rhoda De Garmo,
tell you the story she told me, about Jacob? why she
charged me on no account, if I valued my reputation to
go to his house, said he was a great libertine, and that he
would damn a meeting, should it be known that he had
any thing to do with getting it up _ all of which has
been proved the veriest falsehood _ In the first place, his
home is a very pleasant one, the family instead of being a
low dutch, is composed of a Gentleman English by birth
more intelligent, than americans, usually, in his station
his wife a beautiful woman, born in Massachusetts, but
of Scotish [sic] descent _ I like her much, if she is a low, bad
woman, I pray that I may ever be thrown among
the low class_ well now what of the influence in getting
up the meetings, why we have had the largest and most
respectable audiences, the Court house which is large
has been crowded to overflowing_ Jacob has been most
liberal as well as hospitable _ I think Sterling will be-
a grand point for our lecturers in the future - So much
for miserable gossip. I hope I shall ever be true to my own
intuitions, I find they are a much surer guide than
the reports of men and women, selfishly disposed _

(Page 2)

I am getting a good deal of confidence in myself as a
speaker _ I have spoken recently almost entirely without
notes, and if I may judge by the attention of the audience
to good acceptance _ My journeyings with Friend Foss, I
set down as one of the fortunate occurrences of my life,
his talent is so versatile as a speaker, and then he has
been a public speaker for the last thirty years, he is posted
up on all matters, that I did not fully understand in the
matter of Antislavery, and his great soul goes out to
give instruction wherever needed _ hence when I ask
him of any subject which I do not understand, instead
of feeling inferior from the fact of my ignorance, I
only feel how happy the fact that he may benefit
me, makes him, and so it all goes off pleasantly _ Mr
Foss I find is a great favorite in the West, his energy
and boldness please exceedingly _
Giles Stebbins spent last sunday here with us _ he
seemed quite inclined to flatter me, I think however
he meant it, when he said to me as he did, "Why Mrs
Colman you are a grand talker" _ I heard his lecture
on the Old & New, and am free to confess, that in my
estimation, it is in style and matter far beyond
Wendell Philips, "Street life in Europe", and very
nearly approximating to "Lost Arts"_ I wish he could
once become famous_
                           What does Aurelia say to my stay-
in Michigan this summer_ I do wish I could hear
from her _ Mr Foss says if his influence is worth
any thing, and he thinks it is, I shall have an appoint
ment from the American Society another fall,_ he
knows me now, and has told me repeatedly that
he would be more than glad to work with me,
and I,m sure he is true when he says so _ Oh how
sick he is of Spiritualism, as he found it in Mich
though he believes it, and is himself often visited

(Page 3)

by spirit Friends _   Now Dear Amy, what more
shall I say, Oh! how much I want to see you and
Isaac _ as well as my own loved ones _ Zerviah and
Sarah and their families, they seem to me like "bone
of my bone, and flesh of my flesh", and then my own
Gerty, surly [sic] a Mother who has been so cruelly bereaved
as myself may be allowed to love with heart and soul
^her^ only born _ how is Mother this winter, and Father
is he at work as usual? I hope Aurelia is contented
I am willing to share with her and her Fatherless
boy, all that is mine now, or that shall hereafter come
to me _ not one word have I heard from sister Fran[o?]
or from Jenny this winter, ask Aurelia to write me
about Fran[o?], and if any of you have heard from Jenny
pray tell me where she is _ dear girl, she owns a large
place in my heart _
                   I wish you were out here with me,
this winter, you would enjoy so much _ some parts of
the west are very beautiful, As you keep near the
borders, of some of the rivers, the scenery is very beautiful
and then the soil is so rich and fertile _ Why the
mud in Illinois is as black as Tar, and it clings
to you, with as much tenacity as some men whom
I have seen, cling to the persons, whom the law has
decided is the wife, and when we, by great effort,
remove the feet from it, it still leaves its miserable
stain upon them, just as the stain of a false relation
clings to one, through life _ Oh! daily do I see the
necessity of labor in the cause of poor down trodden
woman _ but then the poor Slave of the south
is the greatest sufferer, and I must give my warmest
feelings to their cause _ but while I pass along I will
do what I may for the women of the North _
    Arint [sic] you glad Preston Brooks choked to death
without the Walker, I,m afraid I should have said
[Continues with line beginning ["amen to any event"]

(Page 4)

[Text in top margin, upside down]
Dear Amy, Lucy has told me so much of you that
I feel quite at liberty to address you as a dear and intimate
friend. When I return home I shall do myself the pleasure
to call at your house. Lucy dont know that wrote this
                                                                       Andrew

[Text normal]
amen to any event of "Divine Providence", which
should have taken him from this world, even though
it would have been the gallows, & with more gusto
than would become a Christian of my standing _
I wonder if William Hallowel [sic], and Jacob, and other
good Anti slavery Republicans are not proud of the
speeches of Hall and Wilson, Oh "how do the mighty fall
when they once dabble with the miserable debasing
Politics of our Country _ God save Sumner, think
you he will remain true? I fear! _
            How much have you raised by Anti Slavery
parties this winter? let me see you had a large
number in the prospective, had you not? I did not
see any acknowledgement of any thing received from
Rochester by the [Baggar?] _
                     Did Mrs Cochrane send you a copy
of the paper, in which she so admirably defended Mr
Philips from the attacks of the [Wunker?] Press of Detroit?
                      I almost forgot to tell you that we had
been to the town where Mrs Tracy Cutter residies [sic] _ how
much think you she received a day, for her labors in the
Kansas aid society _ only five dollars, and expenses paid; I,m
glad I had nothing to give, for ^tho^ I believe "The laborer is worthy
of his hire"_ I dont believe, it's my duty to give any one
five dollars a day while I may be making fifty cents, and
living out of that _ oh dear! how much there is wrong
in this world of ours, when shall we right it? _
            Andrew preached last sunday in this place
text in the morning "Can ye not of yourselves judge
what is right" in the afternoon "Say ye to the righteous
it shall be well with them, wo to the wicket it shall be
ill with them" _ They were earnest speeches I assure you
I read Gerald Massey's beautiful poem, "This world is so full of
beauty"- and Whittier s sabbath scene _ and we let them
do their own praying _   now I must stop, my paper is full, do
write direct to Lyndon Whiteside this place good bye Lucy N Colman

Tags

Abolitionism; Personal; Spiritualism; Women's Rights

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth, “Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 24, 2024, https://rclomeka2.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3437.

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