Of one of her lecturing tours, Mrs. Bloomer gives the following report:
“We left home on Saturday the second instant for Harford, where we were engaged as orator for the celebration on the Fourth. The weather was fine and the trip up the lake a delightful one, made doubly so by meeting some old acquaintances and the forming of some new ones on the boat. Arrived at Ithaca we found friends awaiting from Harford, and were soon on our way to that place, where we arrived after a pleasant carriage ride of sixteen miles at about ten o’clock in the evening. The glorious Fourth was ushered in by a salute at daybreak and another at sunrise. At an early hour people began to arrive from the country, and the streets soon presented a lively appearance. At ten o’clock the procession was formed in front of the Union Church and, the Good Templars and Sons of Temperance in the regalia of their orders first, led by a band of music and followed by the people, proceeded to a grove where seats and a stand handsomely decorated had been prepared for the occasion. We were escorted by a committee of ladies all in short dresses to the stand, where after the usual exercises came the address; but of the merits of this it becometh us not to speak. Suffice it to say that the large audience of fifteen hundred or two thousand persons listened to us throughout with the most earnest attention, and judging from their countenances the novelty of hearing a woman was lost in the interest excited by the subject.”
Mrs. Bloomer’s toast at the dinner was as follows:
“By Mrs. Bloomer: ‘The Women of the Revolution. Although they toiled along with the men of the Revolution for independence and freedom yet they failed, when the struggle was over, to secure an equality in those rights and duties which are the common birthright of all. May their daughters of the present generation be more fortunate in their struggle for rights so long withheld!’”
After several sentences laudatory of her hosts, Mrs. Bloomer continues:
“On our return home we were escorted as far as Homer by our friends from Harford. Homer is our native village, and as we had not been there since the days of our childhood we took advantage of our stay to stroll through the place in quest of our old home around which clustered many fond recollections. We had no one to guide us in the search, but the impressions left on our mind at six years of age were so strong that we could not be mistaken. The place was soon found and, though much altered, it still retained enough of its former likeness to enable us to identify it after an absence of twenty-nine years. Emotions both pleasurable and painful were awakened as we gazed upon the spot where we first drew breath and where we spent the early years of our life. Scenes long since forgotten arose in memory as clearly as though but yesterday enacted. Not to the old home only has change come, to us and ours Time has brought much of change and somewhat of sorrow; yet upon us personally has his hand rested lightly, to us he has imparted kindness and blessing far more liberally than sorrow. With saddened feelings we returned to the hotel where we left our friends. Here we were soon surrounded by those who had known us in childhood and were intimate friends of our parents. Somehow, they had gotten notice of our being there and came forward to offer congratulations and welcome us back to our early home. Intercessions were made for us to remain with them for the night and give them a lecture, which we decided to do. After bidding adieu to our kind friends from Harford, who now turned their steps homeward, we were escorted to the mansion of William Sherman who with his estimable wife and family contributed largely to the pleasures of our visit to Homer.
“The Presbyterian church was at once opened to us, and notice of the meeting circulated as fully as possible in the brief time that remained before the evening. The house though large was densely filled with an attentive and intelligent audience. On the earnest invitation of a committee of gentlemen we remained over another day and spoke in the same church on the following evening, when the body of the house and the large gallery were again as full as could be comfortably seated. Though we interspersed our lecture pretty freely with woman’s rights, or rather we might say with woman’s wrongs, no one seemed at all alarmed; but, if we may believe the assertions of the people, new trains of thought were awakened and a most favorable impression made on the minds of the community.”
Mrs. Bloomer then proceeded by stage to Glen Haven where she received a most cordial welcome from Dr. Jackson, and at his request:
“We addressed the patients and other inmates of the house in a large sitting room on Thursday evening, and at his solicitation concluded to accept the invitation of Judge Osborn, of Scott, to return to that place and speak on Friday evening, instead of returning home as we had intended to do. Accordingly on Friday evening we rode over to Scott, a distance of three or four miles. The church in which the meeting was held was densely filled, and we could but wonder where all the people came from in so small a place. Many warm though strange friends gathered around us here, and bade us a hearty God-speed in our mission. They would have kept us for another night, but home after a week’s absence was doubly endeared to us and we could be detained no longer; so we again took the stage for the Glen on Saturday morning, and from thence on steamboat and cars returned home on Saturday evening. Altogether the excursion was a delightful one and we have no cause to regret that we were induced to accept the invitation of our Harford friends to join with them in celebrating the 77th anniversary of the birthday of our National Independence.”