At the same time she
received a gift of money from Sarah Pugh, in an envelope marked, "For
thine own dear self." In her acknowledgment she says:

The tears started when I read your sweet letter. Were it not for
the loving sympathy and confidence of the little handful of
ever-faithful such as you, my spirit, I fear, would have fainted
long ago. There are yourself, dear Lucretia and her equally dear
sister, Martha, who never fail to know just the moment when my
purse is drained to the bottom and to drop the needed dollar into
it. It is really wonderful how I have been carried through all
these years financially. I often feel that Elijah's being fed by
the ravens was no more miraculous than my being furnished with the
means to do the great work which has been for the past twenty years
continuously presenting itself--yes, presenting itself, for it has
always come to me. My thought has been to escape the hardships but
they come ever and always, and so I try to accept the situation and
work my way through as best I can.

[Autograph:

My love and good wishes are
always flowing toward thyself and
dear Mrs Stanton--

Thine truly
Amy Post]

She was soon off again, lecturing in various cities and towns, going as
far west as Nebraska. Early in April, while waiting at a little
railroad station in Illinois, a gentleman came in and handed her a copy
of Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly containing this double-leaded
announcement:

The undersigned citizens of the United States, responding to the
invitation of the National Woman Suffrage Association, propose to
hold a convention at Steinway Hall, in the city of New York, the
9th and 10th of May. We believe the time has come for the formation
of a new political party whose principles shall meet the issues of
the hour and represent equal rights for all. As women of the
country are to take part for the first time in political action, we
propose that the initiative steps in the convention shall be taken
by them.... This convention will declare the platform of the
People's party, and consider the nomination of candidates for
President and Vice-President of the United States, who shall be the
best possible exponents of political and industrial reform....

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, SUSAN E. ANTHONY,
ISABELLA B. HOOKER, MATILDA JOSLYN GAGE.

It was followed by