Capron, Rebecca M C. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Capron, Rebecca M C. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Capron, Rebecca M C

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1850-04-19

Description

Handwritten letter from Rebecca M C Capron to Amy Kirby Post, April 19, 1850.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

836

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                           Auburn N.Y. April 19^th 1850,
Dear Friends Amy & Sarah,
                                   Allow ^me^ this early to express my sincere grat
-itude for your kind words of encouragement, both for my hum
-ble effort and for our common cause It came to me unexpec
-tedly _ but with so much kindly feeling, and so well timed
just as I was fearing what my friends what my friends would
say or think of my first effort on a subject of so much impor
-tance to us and to those who may follow us on the stage
of material acting. I am organised so that I have so little
confidence in my own capabilities, that I have been ready
to weep over the thought that my friends were missjudging [sic]
me in thinking (for some unknown reason to me) that I was
not doing all I was able,. Did you ever when children
think of doing some little act of kindness, performing an
allotted task for your mother perhaps, without her know
-ledge, then to await with feelings of hope and fear for
her approval or disapproval, their to be warmed and encou
-raged by her approving smile received with confidence
[illegible] ability to judge, scarce knowing which would relieve
most, to laugh or cry, if so you know how I received and
- read that generously offerd [sic] and gratefully accepted letter,
you took me as I intended to to [sic] taken, You looked upon
the intention as good, at the ideas and hints, only, not
with a crittics [sic] eye to judge how they were clothed or embel

(Page 2)

-lished, I was chosen by the Society of which I have been
a member since its organization, ^in^ turn with others of its
members _ to address them at their monthly meeting,
I accepted, not unwilling to add my strength to encour-
age and keep up our infant and consequently weak Socie-
ty. I then proceeded to carry out a long settled determinat
-ion, that of showing without fear to the good people
of Auburn what my ideas were of the position and habit
of most of their women _ That is, if I was forced to say
anything in public on any subject. Without the most rem
ote idea of its ever going out of Auburn or beyond the
hearing of those to whom it was addressed _ It was written
expressly for that occasion for those whom I knew would
hear it and for no other _ which may account for my
commonplace remarks intended for those who deserved them_
contrary to my expectations the very ones who I supp-
osed would denounce my ideas the most severly [sic] were the ones
who first suggested the idea of offering it for publication
I only marked those signs as mile_stones showing how
far our cause had progressed _ I have expected to be assailed
here_ I have not been yet. But if I am your letter will
counteract a dozen of them_ Not that I am afraid of assail
ants or opposition when I know that I am right, but the
fear that I had not supported my subject well with the
feeble assistance I had given it,   How are you progressing
in Rochester_ We have heard nothing direct from there
for a long time, I hope our good friends there are not

(Page 3)

unmindful of the interest we always take in whateve [sic] occurs
of interest to them.   We are now contemplating going west
the first of next month, probably to Michigan. We go hoping
to find what we have not lately had, that is business
to make us feel that we were doing right by ourselves and
others. The thought is rather painful to me than otherwise
of taking up my residence in the Western country. I would
much prefer staying in New York or going east. I am now
enjoying uninterrupted good health and I very much fear
I cannot say what six months from now. But pilgrims
in this would without a foothold cannot do as they would.
I only look forward with hope to the time when we
shall exist without a care for the sustenance of the
material body. I sicken at the thought oft times of being
obliged to give so much time to the want of the outward
man. But it is so pleasant to think we are passing upward
from this. Where are George and Ann. In my soul I pity
them with their little ones for their misfortunes_
Give my “good old fashioned love” to all the friends, say
that altho’ our intercourse is limited I remember them with
as much warmth of feeling as ever_ I hope to see you all
on my way West _
                           Affectionately yours
                                                           Rebecca M, C, Capron

(Page 4)

Please remember me to J. E. Robinson, tell him I do
so like to read his articls [sic]. They are reasonable poetical
and logical. Not marked with prejudice or combativeness.
I hope he will wield the pen whenever he thinks it will
tell _   R. M. C. C.

Tags

Personal; Women's Rights

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Capron, Rebecca M C, “Capron, Rebecca M C. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 21, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3127.

Transcribe This Item