e of Manlius, where she
lived some time after her marriage, she was the sole representative of
this unpopular reform. When walking the street she would often hear
some boy, shielded by a dry-goods box or a fence, cry out "woman's
rights."

On one occasion, at a large evening party at Mr. Van Schaick's, the
host read aloud a poem called Rufus Chubb, a burlesque on
"strong-minded" women, ridiculing careers and conventions, and the
many claims being made for larger freedom. Mrs. Gage, then quite
young, was surprised and embarrassed. Every eye was fixed on her, as
evidently the type of womanhood the author was portraying. As soon as
the reader's voice died away, Mrs. Gage, with marked coolness and
grace, approached him, and with an imaginary wreath crowned him the
poet-laureate of the occasion, and introduced him to the company as
"the immortal Rufus Chubb." The expressive gesture and the few brief
words conferring the honor, turned the laugh on Mr. Van Schaick so
completely, that he was the target for all the merriment of the
evening.

Mrs. Gage was the only daughter of Dr. Hezekiah Joslyn, a man of
learning and philanthropic tendencies. He gave much attention to the
direction of his daughter's thought and reading. She always had a
knack of rummaging through old libraries, bringing more startling
facts to light than any woman I ever knew.[84]

In the winter of 1861, just after the election of Lincoln, the
Abolitionists decided to hold a series of Conventions in the chief
cities of the North. All their available speakers were pledged for
active service. The Republican party, having absorbed the political
Abolitionists within its ranks by its declared hostility to the
extension of slavery, had come into power with overwhelming
majorities; hence the Garrisonian Abolitionists, opposed to all
compromises, felt this was the opportune moment to rouse the people to
the necessity of holding that party to its declared principles, and
pushing it, if possible, a step or two forward.

I was invited to accompany Miss Anthony and Beriah Green to a few
points in Central New York. But we soon found, by the concerted action
of Republicans all over the country, the Conventions were broken up at
every point. This furnished one occasion on which Republicans and
Democrats could work harmoniously together, and they made common cause
against the Abolitionists. The John Brown raid the year before had
intimidated Northern politicians as much