In response to her husband’s earnest and persuasive appeals to ‘lend a hand,’ she modestly and even reluctantly contributed articles to the paper. With repeated protestations, she complied with other demands. She did not desire to reveal her identity as her contributions became subject to favorable comment and wide quotation. She hid herself under a round of names, now masculine, now feminine, in order to avoid publicity. But behind them there was a personality that could not be hidden long. A keen and powerful mind, and brimming sentiments of a woman’s heart, intense and moving, came to the surface. The flashing of a bright pen, tempered and pointed as a Damascus blade, was probing its way to the forefront of discussion, and into the vitals of opposing argument, and lo! a woman stepped forth into the arena, a champion of woman’s side in the conflicting controversy! With her lifeboat thus pushed out into the current of this mental activity, and thrown upon her own resources, latent powers came to her support. These were reabsorbed, again developed, and carried on to renewed struggles. It is surprising to note how resolutely and with what eminent capability she met the varied demands of true sentiment, sound judgment and business tact. She had great regard for the principles she advocated; for her self-respect as an advocate; and for her pledged or promised word. Thinking that woman was capable of originating an enterprise, that she had capacity for conducting it, her ruling passion was to show to the world that woman could do as woman, be accountable to self, and had the right potential to do what she could. That she esteemed woman a responsible creature is indicated in the manner in which her paper _The Lily_ was launched upon society. A woman’s temperance club had planned the paper, the president of the society had named it; another was appointed editress, Mrs. Bloomer to be associate; the first issue to appear January 1, 1849. A woman’s convention which had assembled in 1848 in the village, and the first on record, may have stimulated the project. But as the time approached to undertake the issue faintheartedness dashed the scheme. Not even prospectuses and money received could stay the retreat. Mrs. Bloomer was left alone. Her own words are: ‘My position was a most embarrassing one. * * * * I could not so lightly throw off responsibility. There was no alternative but to follow the example of the others and let the enterprise prove a miserable failure as had been predicted it would, or to throw myself into the work, bare my head to the storm of censure and criticism that would follow, and thereby make good our promises to the public and save the reputation of the society. It was a sad, a trying hour, for one all inexperienced in such work, and at a time when public action in woman was almost unknown. So unprepared was