She received the following characteristic letter from Rev. Thomas K. Beecher when she asked for the use of his church in Elmira:  “I will answer for myself and afterwards append the decision of the trustees.  Anybody with good moral character and clean feet is welcome to use our meeting house, if they like, but were I you I should prefer Holden’s Hall.  But, lastly, I should shrink from holding such a meeting.  I fear that you will come to pain of disappointment when your enthusiasm is chilled and bruised against the stone walls of Elmira apathy.  More people will attend at Holden’s Hall than at church.  So speaks in brief, yours with hearty respect.”

Mrs. Blackwell writes her teasingly about what she calls her obtuseness, going straight ahead with her work, never knowing when she was snubbed or defeated, giving the undiluted doctrine to people without ever perceiving their frantic efforts to escape, and ignoring all the humorous features of the campaigns.  Miss Anthony retorts:  “You might give some of the funny things at your own expense, but tell just as many as you please at mine.  You see I have always gone with such a blind rush that I never had time to see the ridiculous, and blessed for me and my work and my happiness that I did not.”  Another invariable habit was never to notice complaints written to her.  She always answered the business points but entirely ignored complainings, charges against other people and all extraneous matters.

She relates a significant incident which occurred during this summer campaign when she and Antoinette Blackwell spent a Sunday at Gerrit Smith’s.  He had established at Peterboro and was maintaining at his own expense a Free church.  Mrs. Blackwell, under the influence of Theodore Parker, Chapin and other liberal thinkers, had become very broad in her doctrines, and was greatly pleased at an opportunity to preach for Mr. Smith, thinking to find perfect appreciation and sympathy.  After church Miss Anthony went to her room and found her weeping bitterly, but she begged to be left to herself.  When more composed she sent for her and told how in the midst of her sermon, when she felt herself surpassing anything she ever had done, she heard a gentle snore, and looking down beheld Mr. Smith sound asleep!  She was terribly disappointed and now had made up her mind there was but one thing for the human soul, and that was to live absolutely within itself.  There is no friend, no relative, who can enter into the depths of another individuality.  A husband and wife may be very happy together; in all the little occurrences which really make up the sum of everyday life, they may be perfectly congenial; but there will be times when each will feel the other separated by an immeasurable distance.  Henceforth she would enjoy what solace there was in her religious faith for herself but would expect no other soul to share it with her.  “This was to me a wonderful revelation,” said Miss Anthony, “and I realized, as never before, that in our most sacred hours we dwell indeed in a world of solitude.”