The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Grimke Sisters, by Catherine H. Birney

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Title: The Grimke Sisters
Sarah and Angelina Grimke: The First American Women Advocates of
Abolition and Woman's Rights

Author: Catherine H. Birney

Release Date: April 15, 2004 [EBook #12044]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE GRIMKE SISTERS

SARAH AND ANGELINA GRIMKE

_THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMEN ADVOCATES
OF ABOLITION AND WOMAN'S RIGHTS_

By CATHERINE H. BIRNEY

"The glory of all glories is the glory of self-sacrifice."

1885

PREFACE.

It was with great diffidence, from inexperience in literary work of
such length, that I engaged to write the biography which I now present
to the public. But the diaries and letters placed in my hands lightened
the work of composition, and it has been a labor of affection as well
as of duty to pay what tribute I might to the memory of two of the
noblest women of the country, whom I learned to love and venerate
during a residence of nearly two years under the same roof, and who,
to the end of their lives, honored me with their friendship.

C.H.B.

Washington City, Sept., 1885.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Childhood of Sarah, 7. Practical teachings, 9. Teaching slaves, 11.
Sarah a godmother, 13. Their mother, 15.

CHAPTER II.

Thirst for knowledge, 17. Religious impressions, 19. Providence
interposes, 21. Their father's death-bed, 23. Sarah and slavery, 25.
Salvation by works, 27. The Friends, 29. Sarah resists the call, 31.
Sarah leaves Charleston, 33.

CHAPTER III.

Sarah a Quaker, 35. Visit to Charleston, 37. Angelina, 39. Angelina's
slave, 41. Angelina converted, 43. Sarah's heart trial, 45.

CHAPTER IV.

Contrasts, 47. Spiritual change, 49. Novels and finery, 51. Plain
dress, 53.

CHAPTER V.

Angelina's progress, 55. Abandons Presbyterianism, 57. Adopts
Quakerism, 59. A Quaker quarrel, 61. Angelina goes north, 63. Trimming
a cap, 65.

CHAPTER VI.

Christian frugality, 67. Christian reproofs, 69. Faithful tes