Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-01-29
Letter from Mrs. Gage.
COLUMBUS, Jan. 20, 1853,

COLUMBUS, Jan. 20, 1853.
DEAR FRIExD: have been trying. for the
last four days, to find moncut of leisure, both
Of body and mind, that might devote to you.
and tell you, what "good time" am having
in Columbus. did not get here, il is true, to
the Temperance Convention, but you know the
old adage that il is better to be at the end of
feast, than the beginning Of famine" and
truly 1t was enough, to satisfy even as hungry
an appetite as mine, to hear recountcd by earn
est lips aud hearts, fresh beating with newly
awakened impulses, tho scenes of the conven.
ton, and the strong hope for the future, grow
ing out of womnn's influence, aud womnn's 5
effective action. 1t was a great treat, too, to
meet here your tOwnswoman, j. L Jones. who
is tarrying on her mission OF love, giving a
course of lectures to the citizens. generally. on
the Phy ysioal, Intellectual and Moral cultivation
of man. She is rcaping rich harvest of good
will Il viii not say applause, ever, mounto-
bank gets that and the citizens rich harvest
of Hygcnic truth, as well rs being rrcsistaby
drawn, by her strength and eloqucncc, away
from the old notions that woman may not
teach. Is It not strar ge that the world will
still insist upon womans wasting all tho cncr-
gics Of her mind, in keeping a house. whether
she have one to keep or not; of rocking era
dies, when there arc no babies in them; and
getting dinners, when there is none to cat
them, when they have the strength aud power
to move with high impulse in the causc of
truth and right. the hearts of a whole town or
city. II n woman have tire enough in her soul
to work an engine that shall move with sure
and safe speed a train of fifty cars well laden
"ith human hearts fun of lite and love, over
the straight and narrow railways of morality
aud virtue, would it not be u squandering of
the good gift of God, to waste all that lire in
boiling the pot, or heating up the cooking stove;
Now II there are houses to keep, cradles to
rock, and dinners to be eaten. let the work be
done, and done choeIfully. too, and with vii
ling hands. Far be it from me, to call upon
woman to desert any known duty. Why, l
should think it as irickrd and ierony as would
for man 10 do the same thing and woman
neglecting her family and her household, and
running about to lecture, is pretty nearly as
disgusting sight as n man at the same employ
ment; and would be quito as bad if she claim
ed at all times and in all placcs-su superiority of
physical and intellectual strcrgth-to be the
head of the household-the master politically,
legally, educationally, and so forth and so on.
But still she modestly submits to stand infe-
rior; of course the world ought to be very
charitable to her direlcction of duty, especially
as she has so many illustricus examples set for
her by the "lords Of creation
Mrs Mary J. Conner, too, one of earth's no.
blcst and best, is here, and has just closed
course of Physiological Lectures. She is bound
for the "Great West" to sow seeds of reform
over the grand prairies. God speed both these
noble women, and incline the hearts Of the
people 10 hoar their words, and help OH their
mission.
shall return homo, to NJ Connelsville, in a
short time, set my household in order, and be
ready to leave with my husband and children,
as soon as possible. in the spring, for our new
home in st. Louis, Mo. have been there and
seen for myself, and while love Ohio with q
renewed affection, feel the sun shines moro
brightly in Missouri than had hoped.
That there is mighty harvest ripe there for
the sickle of reform, and the laborers are fow,
they are the moro earnestly called for more
imperatively demanded. find there is strong,
under current, ready to swell up into a broad,
open stream, Of opposition to intemperurce, IL
centiousness, slavery, &c. The loud trumpet
tones of reform are not startling the cars of the
people, but the loud murmering of many voices
is every where heard.
And the day must come and that ere long,
when even in Missouri, as in Ohio, freed I'm of
speech will be tolerated upon ali subjects. l
question whether that time is not now, If the
world would but see clearly and feel iudepen-
IDENTIFY. Yours truly,
FRANCES d. GAGE.