TO MY WIFE.
PREFACE.
As Mrs. Bloomer was one of the pioneers in what is sometimes called the “Woman’s Movement,” it seems right that a record of her work should be placed in durable form. Such a record I have endeavored to set forth in the following pages. While giving a brief narrative of her life, I have also included, as being most satisfactory, quite extended extracts from her writings; and one of her lectures is printed in full. I will add for the information of the curious that a complete bound copy in one volume of the Lily, as printed and issued by Mrs. Bloomer for six years, is deposited in the State Library, in Albany, N. Y., and is probably the only copy of that work in existence.
D. C. Bloomer.
September, 1895.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| Preface | [v] |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| HER EARLY LIFE—HER MARRIAGE—TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO!—A WRITER FORNEWSPAPERS—WASHINGTONIANISM—JOINS THE CHURCH | [7] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN—REFORM BEGINS—WOMEN TO THE FRONT—MRS. BLOOMER THINKSABOUT IT | [28] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| SHE WRITES ABOUT IT—BIRTH OF THE LILY—NEW WORK FOR HER—FIRST IN THEFIELD—MRS. STANTON APPEARS—MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED—BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER—THE LILY ON HER HANDS—VISITS NEW YORK CITY—MISS ANTHONY IS INTRODUCED—MRS. BLOOMER ON THE TENNESSEELEGISLATURE—FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE—LETTER TO AKRON CONVENTION—“RULING A WIFE” | [38] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| THE REFORM DRESS—WOMAN’S ATTIRE—FASHION IN DRESS | [65] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| THE LILY PROSPEROUS—WOMAN’S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY—MRS. BLOOMER ONDIVORCE—CONVENTION INFLUENCE—THE WOMEN REJECTED AT SYRACUSE—CONVENTION IN ALBANY—ALECTURER—IN NEW YORK CITY—AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE—AT METROPOLITAN HALL—MRS. BLOOMER’SSPEECH—IN BUFFALO—AT HOME—HATING THE MEN—GOOD TEMPLARS—IN THE PULPIT—IN ROCHESTER AGAIN;A CHANGE—A LECTURE TOUR; FOURTH OF JULY—RESTING—NEW LECTURES—A CLUB OF TALKERS | [82] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| AT THE WORLD’S CONVENTION—A WESTERN TRIP—CONTINUES HER JOURNEY—AN ANNOUNCEMENT;A REMOVAL—A TESTIMONIAL—DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT TO MR. AND MRS. BLOOMER | [133] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| AN ASSISTANT EDITOR—PROSPERITY OF THE LILY—ENFRANCHISEMENT OFWOMAN—WOMAN’S RIGHT—WOMAN’S CLAIM—DESTROYING LIQUOR—GOLDEN RULES FOR WIVES—THE CLERGY—MALEBLOOMERS—WOMEN MECHANICS—WOMAN’S DRESS—WOMEN DRUNKARDS—PROGRESS—SEWING MACHINES—GOVERNORSEYMOUR’S VETO—FIGHTING HER WAY—ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM—AT THE OHIO STATE CONVENTION—AWOMAN TYPESETTER—A STRIKE FOLLOWED—LUCY STONE APPEARS—A VISIT TO NEW YORK STATE—AT THENEW YORK STATE CONVENTION—GOOD TEMPLARS IN OHIO—THE LILY SOLD—SHE IS SORRY | [149] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| ON HER TRAVELS—STARTS FOR IOWA—EARLY DAYS IN THE WEST—DELAYED IN ST.LOUIS—THE MISSOURI RIVER’S RAVAGES—CONSENTS TO DELIVER A LECTURE—ODD METHOD OF ADVERTISING—OFFIN A STAGECOACH—BEFRIENDS A STRANGER—ARRIVES AT GLENWOOD—EARLY HARDSHIPS—SUFFER FROM DROUTH—FURNITURE WAS SCARCE—DAYS OF HOSPITALITY—EARLY OMAHA—PLASTERED HOUSES WERE SCARCE—WORSHIPPEDIN LOG CHURCHES—EARLY CHURCH WORK—DEFENDS WOMAN’S RIGHTS—THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE INTERESTED—DANGERSMET IN CROSSING THE MISSOURI—BUFFETS THE ICE IN A SKIFF—WOMAN’S EQUALITY IN LAW—DESCRIBES COUNCILBLUFFS—DESCRIBES HER NEW HOME—LIFE IN COUNCIL BLUFFS—AGAINST STRONG DRINK—HER EXPERIENCES—FORWOMAN’S ENFRANCHISEMENT—VOTING AND FIGHTING—PROGRESS—STATE SUFFRAGE SOCIETY—HISTORY OF IOWASUFFRAGE WORK—ESSAYS BY MRS. BLOOMER—“WIFELY DUTIES”—“NAMES OF MARRIED WOMEN”—“IS IT RIGHT FORWOMEN TO LECTURE?”—“WOMAN’S RIGHT TO PREACH”—“PETTICOAT PRESENTATION”—“OBJECTIONS TO WOMANSUFFRAGE ANSWERED”—“ON HOUSEKEEPING; WOMAN’S BURDENS”—THE CIVIL WAR—MRS. BLOOMER’S ADDRESS—LETTERTO CONVENTION OF LOYAL WOMEN—VISITS WASHINGTON—IN NEW YORK CITY—VISITS COLORADO—A LETTER—ADOPTEDCHILDREN—CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WORK—HER CHARACTER ANALYZED—“ABOUT THE FIRST SINNER”—GOLDENANNIVERSARY—CLOSING YEARS—END OF AN EARNEST LIFE—PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY—GREAT LOSS TO COUNCILBLUFFS—HER LIFE A BUSY ONE—HER CHRISTIAN CHARACTER—LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS—MEMORIAL DISCOURSE | [190] |
| APPENDIX. | |
| WOMAN’S RIGHT TO THE BALLOT | [335] |
| A REPLY | [355] |
| MRS. STANTON ON MRS. BLOOMER | [375] |
| MEMORIAL SERMON | [376] |