Page:Letter from Anne Warren Weston to Caroline Weston; Monday, August 7, 1837.djvu/1

 August 7th 1837 Monday morning Dear Caroline,

I designed writing to you several days since, but have waited from day to day first to see the end of one play and then of another. Sarah & Angelina arrived on Wed(nesday) night and we had a most interesting time talking over matters & things, reading letters from the brethren &c. but I will not enlarge, for I wrote all this to Maria, & as Debora will be with you by the time you get this, she can tell you everything I wrote. Thursday, I kindly copied a letter for Angelina & finished off a petticoat for Sarah and had much pleasant conversation with both. I felt some what pleased when the hour for meeting arrived for the "Strife of tongues in Groton had been such, and the hearts of so many seemed failing them for fear, that I longed to have the matter over. The day before the came, I went up to see Mrs Rugg, for the purpose of strengthening her. To this end I explained away all St Paul's verses that are "hard to be understood" and charged Mrs R now to hold on to her ground. I told her these were the "perilous times" and now she must stand to her arms. She behaved very boldly and, indeed, I think very well of her courage for probably no one in the female Society dared to take the ground of defending womens' preaching save herself.

Mrs George Farley was too shocked to go. Mr Phelps (the Groton minister) declined being in the pulpit with them or opening the meeting. But as arrived in the course of Thursday he agreed to open the meeting accordingly off we all started on Thursday evening to the church the Grimké's, Mrs Grey, Henry Stanton & I driven by Sullivan, the Dr's man; the Dr & Mary followed in the chaise. The house was thronged, fuller than it even been at any Abolition meeting known before. They and Stanton walked directly into the pulpit and after a few minutes, Stanton made one of the most excellent & to the purpose prayers that I ever heard. Angelina spoke on the topic that the South never has been ready or willing for Emancipation; that circumstances have never been tending that way at all, and that consequently the Abolitionists

( text)

The Grimkés are the pleasantest of people in conversation, the Dr. is perfectly charmed with them both. He has had a pretty faithful exposition touching women’s rights. Mr. Winslow’s sermon has appeared in the Religion Magazine accompanied with another article in which the testimony that insanity is hereditary in the Grimké family is printed from a Southern correspondent. This Angelina has replied(?) to & is going to send her article to Dr(?). Write & tell me all the news.