others from the Chicago Woman’s Club, from the Toledo and Ohio Woman’s Suffrage Society, from the son of the Rev. Dr. William Ellery Channing, and a telegram and letter from citizens and societies of Seneca Falls, New York, accompanied with flowers and many handsome pieces of silver from the different societies.  There were also letters from Hon. Oscar S. Strauss, ex-minister to Turkey, Miss Ellen Terry, and scores of others.  An address was received from the Women’s Association of Utah, accompanied by a beautiful onyx and silver ballot box; and from the Shaker women of Mount Lebanon came an ode; a solid silver loving cup from the New York City Suffrage League, presented on the platform with a few appropriate words by its President, Mrs. Devereux Blake.

“Hundreds of organizations and societies, both in this country and abroad, wished to have their names placed on record as in sympathy with the movement.  Many organizations were present in a body, and one was reminded, by the variety and beauty of the decorations of their boxes, of the Venetian Carnival, as the occupants gazed down from amid the silken banners and the flowers, upon the throng below.  The whole occasion was indeed a unique festival, unique in its presentation, as well as in its purpose, plan, character, and spirit.  No woman present could fail to be impressed with what we owe to the women of the past, and especially to this one woman who was the honored guest of the occasion.  And no young woman could desire to forget the picture of this aged form as, leaning upon her staff, Mrs. Stanton spoke to the great audience of over six thousand, as she had spoken hundreds of times before in legislative halls, and whenever her word could influence the popular sentiment in favor of justice for all mankind.”

My birthday celebration, with all the testimonials of love and friendship I received, was an occasion of such serious thought and deep feeling as I had never before experienced.  Having been accustomed for half a century to blame rather than praise, I was surprised with such a manifestation of approval; I could endure any amount of severe criticism with complacency, but such an outpouring of homage and affection stirred me profoundly.  To calm myself during that week of excitement, I thought many times of Michelet’s wise motto, “Let the weal and woe of humanity be everything to you, their praise and blame of no effect; be not puffed up with the one nor cast down with the other.”

Naturally at such a time I reviewed my life, its march and battle on the highways of experience, and counted its defeats and victories.  I remembered when a few women called the first convention to discuss their disabilities, that our conservative friends said:  “You have made a great mistake, you will be laughed at from Maine to Texas and beyond the sea; God has set the bounds of woman’s sphere and she should be satisfied with her position.”  Their prophecy was more than realized; we were unsparingly