Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1857-03-05

Description

Handwritten letter from Lucy Newhall Danforth Colman to Amy Kirby Post, March 5, 1857.

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

1150

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)
[Text in left margin, written upward]
Jacob Powell sends regards, we are at his house
[Continues into top margin]
how is
Isaac, he
has had a
long rest
from my
extravaga_
ncies_tell
him_I,ll
make up
when I come
much
love to
him and
all the
family
I have'nt [sic]
room
to specify
I'm well
but getting
ragged only
a carpet bag
you know
   Lucy

[Text normal]
My dear Amy, as true as you live, your
letter has reached me, I am so glad to see the
hand writing of loved ones_ Oh dear! must
you give your time to Milo's rantings?
Is that duty? of course you must decide for
yourself _ I'm sorry Aurelia feels injured,
of course, I cannot decide whether she had
cause, One thing I can decide _ you meant no
wrong _ but poor girl, so much of sorrow &
vexation, and trouble have come to her, all
thro, her life, that she is perhaps excusable
even tho' she seem at times unreasonable,
unamiable, and even unjust _
Do you know that I have received an app
ointment from the American Society? 'Tis even
so_ to whom think you am I indebted, for
the same? why! to A T Foss Has'nt [sic] he returned
good for evil? I told him, I tho't he was in
the wrong position at Livonia, and that
I had said so_ "I like you none the less that
you are true to yourself and to me", said he

(Page 2)

he [sic] has had an experience in spiritualism
which will last him thro' life, and will I
think, be of service_ well, I should ^think^ the Burtis
would be worn out with their nonsense, If I
wanted to practice "free love", Iwould do it on
my own responsiblity, and not be so unjust
as to put the responsibility on the Spirits
of Heaven, or Helll For my own part I shall
set upon my own individuality, now and
forever _    Well this lecturing is a strange
life_ One sees so much, of "human nature",
sometimes we enjoy much, and then we
suffer more than much; read what Abby
Foster says of the Lecturer in the last Liber
ator_ she expresses it exactly_ I often
wish so much that you could be with
me you like to travel, and this scenery
is so strange, I wish you could see it_
I am not in love, with any thing in
Ill, but the Sunsets, these beggar description
Oh! if the Spirits home, can boast of beauty
such as this, no wonder, its inhabitants
refuse to return to earth life_ here these

(Page 2)

scenes, are transient, fleeting_ There we
trust they are perpetual _ but then it
is only trust_ we cannot, we do not know,
Let us live in the present, for after all
'tis only the present which we, ever enjoy,
To-morrow, becomes to-day, before we have
any thing to do with it_ and the "Spirit life"
must be our life, e'er you, or I can know
its joys or duties_   What did Stephen Foster
do in our State? We had a letter from
My May complaining very much of him
I'm afraid Stephen is somewhat bigoted,
and sectarian _ You will see an account
of our meetings, and know what we are
doing, by the Liberator, sometimes we
have sent long communications, recently_
In one of them I see William C Nell, has
paid me a very pretty compliment, quite
obliged say to him when you write_
Oh! how I want to see you all, I have so

(Page 4)

much to say _ I shall not of course stay
in Michigan, if Aurelia goes home_ I had only
this object in remaining, or at least that was
the principle one_ to make room for her at
Rochester_ they are greatly disappointed at
the school but I hope not offended _ Friend
Foss thinks there is not a shadow of doubt
that I shall ^receive^ fail of an appointment another
fall, and I'm sure I'd rather lecture than
to be in school_ Mr Foss has been so long
before the public, that he knows every phase of
our subject_I always feel that I'm receiving
an education, while listening to him, that
will be of great use to me, on the platform_
one gets no idea of Mr Foss. by hearing him at
a convention, where there are other speakers;
you should listen to him, out here, when
a Democrat calls in question his measures,
or a Minister undertakes to apologize for
the Church _ or when, are gathered together, in
some out of the way School house, a score
or two of people, wondering what is to be
said upon the subject, which they have as
yet hardly given a thought unto _ I tell you
then, he speaks with power_, Then he grows
eloquent_ not eloquent like our "Philips" but
eloquent like Luther when he defied the Pope of
Rome_ his denunciations of wrong are of the
Parker Pills bury order, so terrible, that the
thought of them, makes you quake, and

Tags

Abolitionism; Education; Personal; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth, “Colman, Lucy Newhall Danforth. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 21, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3440.

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