The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-02
LETTER FROM GRACE GREENWOOD.
New BRIGHTON, Pa, Sept. %, 1851

DEAR DocToR BAILEY feel it incumbent
on me to make some explanation of my non
appearance in the Era " for these many weeks
past lest it should be thought that, lightly es-
teeming my privileges | am a voluntary absen-
tee Now. the sad truth of the matter is have
been on the invalid list and have almost lost sight
of my vocation In my best estate, | hardly
feel equal to the honorable role of correspond
emit of the Era" and | have had too much
forbearance to inhict on your readers my wild
sck-roo fancies, or the languid reveries of con-
valesence And thus it is, that week after week,
| "come up missing and the columns that
once knew me, know me no more.
What a wretched feeling is this sense of use
lessness-of the utter waste of time-the loss of
long, shining, precious recoverable days; how
wearying the vain spasmodic efforts of the will
to drive into deep and direct courses of thought
wandering and purposeless mind how intol-
cradle the DUH lethargic, lazy beating of the
brain. To me these things are far more dread
full than the keenest pain Of severe illness--to
me there is no suffering so utterly unbearable
as forced idleness of head and hand. But, thank
Heaven, already feel the full waves of hope
and strength flowing back, and gently bearing
up my stranded life.
| have lately returned from visit to Ohio
to the Western Reserve. Not even my illness
could destroy though it sadly marred the
pleasure of that visit | found myself among a
set of true-souled men and women whose heart
warm kindness and transformations hQsRitalli l,
bable hone-feeling so peculiarly grateful. 40
vitality needful to the invalid More than once
came to me those divinely pathetic words
was stranger, and We took me in-I was sick.
and We ministered unto me-
If your guest, my erous-heartod
All too mutey from you parted
Doubt her not-for in her going
Had her true farewell been spoken
Must her very soul have broken
Into utteranee strange and Wild
Not with praise and blessing glowing
But wordless heart o'erfowing
In the warm tears of a child.
liz her brow seemed overcast
If her smile too quickly passed,
Like the sun Of autumn skies
Like the light Of Swallowed brooks
Twas that she was 0vershad0wed
by the trouble in your eyes,
By the fears, the tender pity
Struggling through your smiling looks
If her soul seemed heavy laden
No weary grief was there
But parted lovers tighten
Their breasts of loves sweet care
And with the precious burden
Weigh down some carrer-dove--
SO ye weighed down her spirit
With too much, too much love.
When in years to be- her heart
From the whrl of life apart
Counts its treasures or and o. or,
Not as one with care and pains
Counteth up his rightful gains,
But rather with the Joy and wonder,
OF one who taketh all as given
BY gracious almoners of Heaven;
Oh precious still, amid that store
Shall seem the love it staggered under
In going from your door.
saw our noble friend Mr. Giddings. that
Ajax of political Anti-Slavery. at his own pleas
ant home He was in fine health, and in his
usual happy and hopeful spirits. Nothing seems
to daunt his large. courageous heart, to weaken
its innate love of Freedom and hatred of OPP
preston. Oh, for a race of such men at the
North, with nerve enough to stand up against
the lordly ascendency and the more subtle
mesmeric power of the Southern character.
The women of the Western Reserve would
impress you alike by their mental and moral
culture, by their individuality and entire indie
pendence. You hear them, among themselves,
discussing, not the fit of q dress the fashion OF
| bonnet or the latest pattern of sack. but all
the most important agtating, or novel aues-
tons of the time Anti-Slavery. Woman's
Rights Spiritual Philosophy the New Costume.
&c Mr. Giddngs amused me by telling of a
distinguished Judge, hereabouts, who, having
a young law student under examination. sol
EMMY put to him the questions Do YOU be-
lieve ~ the Rappings? Do you go the Bloomer
dress?n
have, as yet, seen no specimen of the new
costume which | thought pretty think it
might be made very picturesque; and provided
one had the independence to don it. and feel
comfortable in il, nothing could be better for n
journey to the Far West n visit to the Man,
moth Cave, trip to the White Mountains or
for long morning walks in the country
As costume for the parlor, or ms a common
street dress, surely could not advocate it. But
do advocate the right of every woman to dress
as she pleases-to make herself beautiful or
hideous as suits her fancy-provided no lust law
of delicacy is violated. The cry ~ immodesty
raised against the costume, is it seems TO me
most unfounded and senseless.
Still more ridiculous is the accusation. that
the Bloomers have unlawfully appropriated the
sign and symbol of masculine dignity and do
minion. IL in truth, they had robbed YOU Of
your heavy, ungraceful "bifurcated garments,p
you ought to be insrpress,biy relieved But at
the worst they have only made free with Mos
lem privileges, and doubt not that the gentle
men Mahomedans more gallant than trans |
Atlantic Christians will have a proper sense of
the compliment
Wherever went among the friends Of the
Era found Uncle Toms CABIN theme for |
admring remark-eyerywher saw il read with 4
pleasant smiles and gushesof irrepresible tessx
Mrs. Stowe is winning. not alone golden opin- |!
iona" but love and gratitude, and . hearty rev.
erence, by this incompatible story. IL style,
Its spirit, its construction, scope aud purposH
are alike admirable Since il has been in course |
Of publication have felt that should not be
missed If stood asids and listened with the |