The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-24
HER GIRLHOOD DAYS
Incidents in the Early Career Of
the Late Lucy Stone.
Showed ScOrn for 'Old Fogy" Rules and
Precepts, Giving an Inkling of
What She Was to Become.
Boston Transcript.

Boston Transcript
Lucy Stone was bubbling over with equal
rights ideas from her early youth. AS a
girl she joined the Orthodox Congregation
al Church in West Brookfield. Soon after
Deacon Henshaw was brought to trial be-
fore the church for having entertained
anti-slavery speakers at his house and 9TH
erwise aided and abetted the abolition
movement. When the first vote was taken
Lucy Stone, who did not know that women
could not vote in church meetings. held up
her hand with the rest. The minister, q
tall. dark man, pointed over to her and
said to the man who was counting the
votes. Don't you count her" The man
said, why, isn't she a member" YES"
answered the minister, "she is member,
but she is not a voting member" His ac-
cent OF scorn stirred her Indignation. Six
votes were taken at that meeting and she
held up her hand every time To-day the
Methodist and other churches are wrest-
ling with the question of admitting women,
not to vote in church matters-that is con-
ceded-but to the highest dignities in the
church. Times have changed since the day
when that one uncounted hand, held up in
a church meeting, was the only open pro-
test in favor OF equal rights fer women in
the church.
In 1887 a meeting of the Association Of
Congregational Ministers was held at
North Brookfeld, where she was teaching
school. There had been a great hubbub
about the public speaking of Abby Kelley
and the Grimke sisters, and e pastoral t;S
TO enjoin it upon women 20 keep silence.
It was the letter which Whittier called the
Brookfield Bull" and of which he wrote:
$50 this is all-the utmos. reach
OF priestly power the mind to fetter!
When laymen think-when women preach
war of words-a Pastoral letter."
Lucy Stone went to the meeting, with her
with ministers, and the gallery was filled
with ladies and laymen. While the famous
letter was being read, Lucy Stone listened
In great Indignation, and at each aggravat-
ing sentence she nudged her cousin, who
said afterward that her side was black and
blue. Il was young enough then so that
my Indignation blazed," said Mrs. Stone.
and told my cousin that If / ever had
anything to say in public should say II.
letter. '''' ''''' 0O ''-'' iN-''
Lucy Stone was studying at Mount Hol-
yoke Seminary about ISIS, and instead of
were In vogue among the students there
she kept one of the little yellow collection
boxes of the Anti-Slavery Society, with a
picture of a kneeling slave on it. holding
up manacled hands, with the motto, Am
L not man and brother? She used TO
put Garrison'S paper, the Liberator, into
the reading-room. For some time they
could not find. out who did it; but when
Iley asked ner, Sne acknowledged IL IT
once. Even the sanity Mary Lyon was
doubtful about the wisdom of allowing it.
She said, warningly, to Lucy Stone, THE
slavery question is a very grave question,
and d question upon which the best people
are divided"
AT OBERLIN COLLEGE.
Later, when Lucy was at Oberlin, she
used to have severe sick headaches on Sun
day afternoons from sitting with her bon
net on through the long Sunday-morning
sermon; so she took ner bonnet off, She
was summoned before the ladies' board "a
sort Of advisory board, composed of the
professors wives, who supervised the
young women of the college). and she was
notified that this could not be allowed.
St. Paul said it a shame for a woman
to have her head uncovered in church, and
SIZE must Keep her bonnet on Then how
shall account to God on the day of judg-
ment for my wasted Sunday afternoons? pc
she asked. The ladies' board considered
the case, and 1t was finally decided that she
might sit in the back pew of all, under the
gallery: and keep her bonnet off during
Lucy Stone, Antoinette Brown and a few
otner young women at Oberlin wished to
practice themselves in discussion and
society which existed among the young
men of the college. but the faculty would
h hoy consent dh Then i the girls determined to
Tnere was an old colored woman in the
village whose master had manumitted her
IL
small house. Lucy Stone had taught her
to read. The girls asked her If they might
nave the use of her parlor occasionally Tor
debating club. AT first she was doubt
full, fearing that the club might be a cover
for filtration; bat when she found it was
to consist exclusively OF young women
her consent So, on the appointed after
Moons, the girls would assemble coming
by different routes, and in ones and twos
at q time, that the faculty might suspect
nothing; and then, shut up in the little
parlor, they reasoned high all sorts
Of weighty subjects. Sometimes they held
their meetings in the woods. Oberlin at
that time was the only college that ad-
mitted women, and this was probably the
first debating club ever formed among
college girls.
Lucy Stones first public speech was made
during her college course. The colOred peo-
pie of Oberlin celebrated the anniversary Of
West Indian emancipation and asked her to
be one of the speakers. The president OF
the college and some of the professors
were also invited. She made her little
speech among the rest. The next day she
was called before the ladies' board They
represented to her that it was unwomanly
and unscriptural for her to speak in public.
The presidents wife said: did you not
feel very uncomfortable up there on the
platform among all those men? Were you
not embarrassed and frightened" why,
no, Mrs. Mahan," she answered. simply.
Those men were President Mahan and my
professors, whom 1 meet every day in the
class room. / was not afraid of them at
mopition. Indeed, though she was repeated
ly summoned before the ladies' board for
some deviation from the customs of the
time, she almost always came off with fly
ing colors. William Lloyd Garrison wrote
from Oberlin to his wife Aug. 81 1S47:
among others with whom 1 have become
acquainted is Miss Lucy Stone, who has
just graduated, and yesterday left for her
home in Brookfield, Mass. She is a very
superior young woman, and has soul as
free the air, and is preparing to go
forth as lecturer, particularly in v;ndica-
ton of the rights of women. Her course
here has been very firm and independent.
and she has caused no small uneasiness to
the spirit of sectarianism in the institu-
ton" Yet. in spite of all the uneasiness
her progressive ideas caused them, she was
a favorite with both faculty and students.
AS of the professors said her, years
after, 'Xou know We always liked you,
Lucy"
DaUD un