“You would have to furnish a desk for yourself, you see there is but one in this room, and there is no other place for you.  You could not conduct a paper and stay at home, but must spend a good deal of time here!”

Then I suddenly saw the appalling prospect thus politely presented.  I had never heard of any woman save Mary Kingston working in an office.  Her father, a prominent lawyer, had employed her as his clerk, when his office was in their dwelling, and the situation was remarkable and very painful; and here was I, looking not more than twenty, proposing to come into the office of the handsome stranger who sat bending over his desk that he might not see me blush for the unwomanly intent.

Mr. Riddle was esteemed one of the most elegant and polished gentlemen in the city, with fine physique and fascinating manners.  He was a man of the world, and his prominence had caused his name to become the target for many an evil report in the bitter personal conflicts of political life.  I looked the facts squarely in the face and thought: 

“I have been publicly asserting the right of woman to earn a living as book-keepers, clerks, sales-women, and now shall I shrink for fear of a danger any one must meet in doing as I advised?  This is my Red Sea.  It can be no more terrible than the one which confronted Israel.  Duty lies on the other side, and I am going over!  ’Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.’  The crimson waves of scandal, the white foam of gossip, shall part before me and heap themselves up as walls on either hand.”

So rapidly did this reflection pass through my mind, or so absorbed was I with it, that there had been no awkward pause when I replied: 

“I will get a desk, shall be sorry to be in your way, but there is plenty of room and I can be quiet.”

He seemed greatly relieved, and said cheerfully: 

“Oh yes, there is plenty of room, I can have my desk moved forward and take down the shutters, when there will be plenty of light.  Heretofore you have been Jove thundering from a cloud, but if you will come down to dwell with mortals we must make a place for you.”

Taking down the shutters meant exposing the whole interior of the room to view, from a very public street; and after he had exhausted every plea for time to get ready, he engaged to have the first copy of the Visiter printed on the day I had set.  He objected to my way of spelling the word, but finding I had Johnson for authority, would arrange the heading to suit.  I was in a state of exaltation all forenoon, and when I met my husband at dinner, the reaction had set in, and I proposed to countermand the order, when he said emphatically: 

“You will do no such thing.  The campaign is coming, you have said you will start a paper, and now if you do not, I will.”