The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-28
TWO FAMOUS WOMEN.
A ATALk.WITH ELIZABETH cAoY STAN
TON AND SuSAN q. ANTHONY.

times. These two ladies were Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and Miss Susan B. An
thony.
"How long have you and Miss Anthony
been friendsf" asked the reporter who was
present.
"Wo first rct in May, 1851, didn't we,
Susan?" said Mrs. Stanton. "Yes, there
was an antislavcry convention in Syra-
cuse, and Miss Anthony came. George
Thompson and William Lloyd Garrison
were my guests. We were going home to
dinner when we met Miss Anthony on the
street. Who was with you, Susans"
"Why, Mira. Bloomer. Don't you rc-
member / was her guest?" replied Miss
Anthony, with as keen q recollection of
the circumstance as il it had all happen
ed yesterday. "You know, Mrs. Bloomer
introduced new fashion i'm dress skirts, I"
she said, turning to the reporter with q
quizzical smile.
"Did you adopt the costume Of your
hostcsss"
"Oh, no, she didn't" said Mrs. Stanton.
"I remember exactly how,she was dressed
Susan, get volume of The History OF
Woman's Suffrage and show how you
looked. She had on a gray silk dress and
gray hat, and wore pale blue ribbons She
was the perfection Of neatness and sobri-
ety."
BY this time Miss Anthony had found
her picture In volume /, and showed the
reporter steel engraving OF young wo-
man with nne, clear features and soft
hair, brushed, as now, down over the ears.
It was face both sweet and strong, but
not more SO than the one which scanned
Ii through the glasses which the clear eyes
Of 30 years ago had not needed
"They used to ridicule mo so much"
said Miss Anthony, looking at the engrav-
ing with a sort Of curious interest.
SHOW did you two happen to take up
the crusade in behalf Of woman's suf-
fragef" -
"Well, Mrs. Stanton began it long be-
fore did, SO let her tell first" said Miss
Anthony.
"What first influenced me-" began Mrs.
Stanton, "was my fathers habit OF saying
to me. when was hut child, ono of flvo
sisters, oh, IL you were cnly boyr
$50, TO TO 40 much like boy al possi-
bic, / studied Greek and, whnt was much
harder, learned 70 ride my pony. even
scaled the oupola Of tho house because
boys scaled cupolos and such things, aud
of course must do a. they did. But ov-
cry time acct to my father in triumph
over some achievement, expecting to- be at
last informed that was just like boy
all heard was, If only you were boyp
'All this made mo feel very strongly
about the subject OF the standing of wom-
en-, and there were other things that help
ed. My father was Judge Cady, and his
Office was in the house. Whenever there
was any mischief or turmoil going on
was supposed to be the guilty party, and
was sent into my fathers Office by way of
punishment. Consequently it happened
that / spent good dea. of my time there.
fused TO hear the women come in with
their complaints, and would listen with
such sympathy and ask my father why
he didn't make things different, so that
women wouldn't have 80 much trouble.
And then he'd tell me that the law was
so and SO and would take down the books
and show it to me. 1t wasn't long, / rs
sure you, before had all those hateful
laws marked.
''At last an old woman, who used to
bring Us chickens and maple sugar and
such things, came in one day and told my
father all about her troubles, and when
she went out followed her.
"'Now, Flora, ! said, don't you worry
any more about this. I've been thinking
things over, and ] know what I'm going
to do. Tomorrow is Sunday. Now, 1
shan't go TO church tomorrow. / shall
stay Mt home, and after they are gone I'll
come in and cut all those bad laws out of
tho books, and then it will be all right
"Elora of course told my father about
my intentions, and that night ho called
me in and explained it all to me; told me
that even if all his books wcrc burned
there were hundreds Of lawyers oil through
the state with Libraries like his.
"'Whnt you must DO, he said, 'is to
wait till you arc older, and then go up to
tho legislature and ask them TO change
these laws. SO from that timc on lived,
as am still living, with that purpose in
view. Now, Susan, tell your storyp'
"Well," said Miss Anthony, lit was
entirely different with me. guess was
like Topsy and Jest growcd to believe in
women and their rights. You see, my fa-
thcr was Quaker and trained US to think
that girls were just rs goo.. rs boys and
had rs good right 10 earn money and to
be paid Gs we'll think my first sense of
injustice was when began to teach school
when was IS years old. At first taught
for 81 week and my board. But when
Il utu duNtuCtu W tlO ~ inOutn i saw
that farmers sons, who were no better
teachers than i, received $50 month.
That interested me in the right of women
TO their wages, and began to work for
the women's property law. Still, had
never thought Of voting.
"m ls4S my sister Mary, who was then
a young girl. and my father and mother
went TO an antislavery convention ut
Rochester, and when they came homo
heard nothing but Mrs. Stanton and Mrs.
Mott. How lovely they were, and how
brilliantl Well, just laughed az them
and at the idea of women voting. But in
1850 there was convention in Worcester,
Mass, and Horace Greeley sent reporter,
80 that ! read the reports ot the speeches,
something had never had ar opportunity
10 do before In 1851, at Syracuse, met
Mrs. Stanton on the corner, on her way
home to dinner, you know. She didn't
Invite me homo with her, but Mrs. Bloom
er and ! went over and called in the aft
crnoon, and I've been woman suiiragist
ever since"
"And fave you and Mrs. Stanton work
cd together for 40 years without falling