le time or
energy left to spend in any other direction. I am not complaining
or despairing, but facts are stern realities. The twain become one
flesh, the woman, "we"; henceforth she has no separate work, and
how soon the last standing monuments (yourself and myself, Lydia),
will lay down the individual "shovel and de hoe" and with proper
zeal and spirit grasp those of some masculine hand, the mercies and
the spirits only know. I declare to you that I distrust the power
of any woman, even of myself, to withstand the mighty matrimonial
maelstrom!

But how did I get into this dissertation? If to you it seems
morbid, pardon the pen-wandering. In the depths of my soul there is
a continual denial of the self-annihilating spiritual or legal
union of two human beings. Such union, in the very nature of
things, must bring an end to the free action of one or the other,
and it matters not to the individual whose freedom has thus
departed whether it be the gentle rule of love or the iron hand of
law which blotted out from the immortal being the individual
soul-stamp of the Good Father. How I do wish those who know
something of the real social needs of our age would rescue this
greatest, deepest, highest question from the present
unphilosophical, unspiritual discussers.

As might be expected, the legacy of $5,000 brought not only a flood of
requests from all parts of the country, but some division of opinion
among those who had it in control. Miss Anthony would use all of it in
the work of propaganda, lectures, conventions, tracts and newspaper
articles. Lucy Stone wished to use part in suits to prove the
unconstitutionality of the law which taxes women and refuses them
representation. Antoinette Blackwell wanted a portion to establish a
church where she could spread the doctrine of woman's rights along with
the gospel. Most of the women lecturers and some of the men wished to
be engaged immediately at a fixed salary. Miss Anthony writes for
advice to Phillips, who replies: "Go ahead with your New York plan as
sketched to me. I am willing to risk spending $1,000 on it. Never
apologize as if you troubled me; it is my business as much as yours,
and I am only sorry to be of so little help." Brief records in the
little diary say:

Sister Mary and I passed New Year's Day, 1859, most quietly and
happily in the dear farm-home. Mother is in the E