Among those who soon became writers for the Lily was Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a resident of Seneca Falls. One day during the summer of 1849, she came into the post office where the editor of the Lily was busily engaged and introduced herself to Mrs. Bloomer, and proposed to write for the columns of her paper. The offer was gladly accepted, and very soon articles began to appear in the columns of the Lily over the signature of “Sunflower.” They were forcibly written and displayed not a little wit and many sharp hits at some of the prevailing “fads” of the day. At first they were on Temperance and literary subjects, and the duties of parents in bringing up their children. The various theories of education were also vigorously analyzed and some new ideas put forth. By and by, as months went by, her readers were apprised as to her views on Woman’s Rights, so called. They learned something from her of the unjust laws relating to married women, and saw that the writer was about right in asking that they should be changed and made better. And then the paragraphs moved further along and intimated that women should vote also for her rulers and legislators. Mrs. Bloomer herself became a convert to these views. How this came around, she herself tells in the two following paragraphs:
MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED.
“When a child of fifteen years, my feelings were deeply stirred by learning that an old lady, a dear friend of mine, was to be turned from her home and the bulk of her property taken from her. Her husband died suddenly, leaving no will. The law would allow her but a life interest in one-third of the estate, which had been accumulated by the joint earnings and savings of herself and husband through many years. They had no children and the nearest relative of the husband was a second or third cousin, and to him the law gave two-thirds of her property, though he had never contributed a dollar towards its accumulation, and was to them a stranger. Later, other similar cases coming to my knowledge made me familiar with the cruelty of the law towards women; and when the Woman’s Rights Convention put forth its declaration of sentiments, I was ready to join with that party in demanding for women such change in the laws as would give her a right to her earnings, and her children a right to wider fields of employment and a better education, and also a right to protect her interests at the ballot-box.”
BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER.
“In the spring of 1849, my husband was appointed postmaster at Seneca Falls, N. Y. He proposed that I should act as his deputy. I accepted the position, as I had determined to give a practical demonstration of woman’s right to fill any place for which she had capacity. I was sworn in as his deputy, and filled the position for four years, during the administration of Taylor and Fillmore. It was a novel step for me to take in those days, and no doubt many thought I was out of woman’s sphere; but the venture was very successful and proved to me conclusively that woman might, even then, engage in any respectable business and deal with all sorts of men, and yet be treated with the utmost respect and consideration.”
THE LILY ON HER HANDS.
During the first year of its existence, the Lily bore at its head the words “published by a committee of ladies”; but the truth was that no person, save Mrs. Bloomer herself, had any responsible share in its management or control. Therefore, at the beginning of the new year 1850 that fiction was dropped, and her name alone appeared as publisher and editor, and at its head stood the legend “devoted to the interests of woman.” Says Mrs. Bloomer:
“I never liked the name of the paper, but the society thought it pretty and accepted it from the president. It started with that name, and became known far and wide. It had been baptized with tears and sent forth with anxious doubts and fears. It was not easy to change, and so it remained The Lily to the end, pure in motive and purpose as in name. * * * It was never the organ of any society, party or clique, or of any individual but myself. That it was always loyal to temperance is evidenced by the fact that its files are sought after by writers of temperance history. That subject was never lost sight of in a single number, as its files will show. Mrs. Stanton became a contributor to the Lily near the close of its first year. Her subjects were temperance and woman’s rights. Her writings added interest to the paper and she was welcome to its columns, as were Frances D. Gage, Mary C. Vaughan, and many others who came to my aid. She occupied the same position as any other contributor, and she never attempted to control the paper in any way.”
The year 1850 was a quiet one for Mrs. Bloomer. Early in the spring, her husband purchased a modest cottage. This had to be fitted up and occupied, and took up a good deal of her attention. Then several hours each day were spent in the post office in the work of receiving and delivering letters. Once a month the Lily continued to make its appearance, filled with good, substantial temperance arguments and pleadings, and occasional articles pointing strongly in the direction of the new doctrines of woman’s rights then coming more and more into prominence. Her editorials were written plainly but with a good deal of spirit, and whoever attacked her position on either of these subjects was sure to receive a sharp rejoinder from her pen. Several weeks during the summer were spent at a sanatorium in Rochester, from which she returned greatly improved in health. Sometime during the year a great anti-slavery meeting was held in the town, attended by the celebrated English orator, George Thompson, and many prominent abolitionists of the state. Among others came Susan B. Anthony, who was the guest of Mrs. Bloomer and whom she introduced to Mrs. Stanton, and then commenced that life-long intimacy of these two celebrated women.