I felt a new inspiration in life and was enthused with new ideas of individual rights and the basic principles of government, for the anti-slavery platform was the best school the American people ever had on which to learn republican principles and ethics.

These conventions and the discussions at my cousin's fireside I count among the great blessings of my life.
One morning, as we came out from breakfast, Mr.Stanton joined me on the piazza, where I was walking up and down enjoying the balmy air and the beauty of the foliage.

"As we have no conventions," said he, "on hand, what do you say to a ride on horseback this morning ?" I readily accepted the suggestion, ordered the horses, put on my habit, and away we went.
The roads were fine and we took a long ride.

As we were returning home we stopped often to admire the scenery and, perchance, each other.

When walking slowly through a beautiful grove, he laid his hand on the horn of the saddle and, to my surprise, made one of those charming revelations of human feeling which brave knights have always found eloquent words to utter, and to which fair ladies have always listened with mingled emotions of pleasure and astonishment.
One outcome of those glorious days of October, 1839, was a marriage, in Johnstown, the 10th day of May, 1840, and a voyage to the Old World.
Six weeks of that charming autumn, ending in the Indian summer with its peculiarly hazy atmosphere, I lingered in Peterboro.