The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1875-12-28
THE sTnlMLAND AFFAIR.
Another Letter from the Uuforsu.
mate Girl.

Another Letter from the Unforsu.
nate Girl.
The President OF the Female Suffrage
Society of st. Johns has received from
Matte Strickland the following letter
to her recent contract" with
Leo Miller:
wish to send you copy Of q contract
have recently signed, because i want
the privilege OF saying to you (what
believe you are already satisfied of,
that have done only what / must to
be honest. II has been terribly CALLING
to me to utter only partial truths and
suppress the highest, holiest convict
ions OF my mind. But have had TO
do this or take a stand for the dispiscd
cause OF social freedom, and loose my
reputation, friends, home, position. and
nearly kill my parents and sisters. Is
il any wonder hesitated? But could
not longer be held. / must be Matte
Strickland or nothing. saw that it
was impossible to live rs hypocrite-
not avow my honest beliefs; and. more
than that it was ours that would fill
me with the deepest self-condemnation
and reproach. / have never deceived
my precious parents. told them two
years ago nearly that Icould never take
upon myself the legal bonds OF matri-
mony, and when met and loved Mr..
Miller, told them Immediately OF the
fact, and that we could not marry. for
we did not believe in the right Of the
law to interfere in matters Of affection.
Nevertheless, through my dread OF
their suffering, We came to contemplate
marriage, and Mr.. M. concluded to
procure a divorce through the aid Of
shrewd lawyer, and yield to the holier
institution. But-thank heaven I'VE
were prevented doing thus falsely.
Conscience overlook us, and we could
not marry Then we tried TO give each
other up. We could not, and now We
propose to live for each other. and the
sexual bondage that Is cursing our land
to-day with misery greater and more
widespread than that which flowed
from negro slavery. have suffered
more during the last year and half
than il seems possible to endure again.
/ have wished and prayed to die many
md many times. ] could not, and how
must / live to myself though the hes-
vens fall. The suffering OF my parents
agonizes me-they so mistake my con-
victions. 1t will be bitter to lose my
friends, but not half so bitter as il has
been the past year TO realize, as did
that retained them through their ig-
norance Of my belief. You, probably
do not see, as do the necessity OF q
radical revolution in our marriage laws,
but believing thus, do you not see that
could not do differentlyf / regret
the condition at home that prevents
my being at st. Johns while my posi-
tion becomes known. / want TO see
you all, and anticipate, with consider
able amazement, seeing at no distant
day the averted heads and drawn away
skirts Of women whom 1 know to be
living lives Of subjection-lives at
which their whole souls revolt--and
who are powerless TO escape. / say
look forward TO il with amazemsnt. j
do; but yet know how hard il will be
TO bear. However, the tortures OF the
stake would not equal what have pass
through in the last year. and too, there
is such a sense OF appreciation in my
own soul even doing my very best, in.
stead OF through cowardice faltering in
what know TO be right, that could
face anything. Now that i have de-
fed the unjust laws aud the ignorant
public, feel kind and tender toward
it; but last summer when / nearly
yielded, hated il. Yes, il may nov
hurl at me its sneers, scorn, ridiculs
and disgrace. shall have n grand op-
portunity Of testing friendship when
again visit st. Johns. / am very pleas
antly situated with liberal friends, who
sympathize and respect our position.
need not tell you love and wor
ship my lover with my whole sonl. Yo
will realive that from the position
have taken. Give my love To friendi
wko would be glad to receive IL, an,
to others 1 say, "fhink of this mattel
for years, as 4 have, aud see II you d,
not discover the truth Of the priuciple
Of social freedom, and IL you do not q
least, believe me sincere, can you com
fort my precious parents. They fee
40 strongly the Disgrace, and then the,
believe me absolutely wrong. o,
they could only see II they could b
willing 10 live out my own life In m
own way they would not suffer 80.
love them with all my heart, aud fee
that ! am their worthy daughter,
With iove, with happiness, aud wit
sorrow, but with courage, 4 am truly
Mrs. Matte STRICKLAND.
Whitewater. Wis.