IN the spring of 1847 we moved to Seneca Falls. Here we spent sixteen years of our married life， and here our other children杢wo sons and two daughters杦ere born.
Just as we were ready to leave Boston， Mr. and Mrs. Eaton and their two children arrived from Europe， and we decided to go together to Johnstown， Mr. Eaton being obliged to hurry to New York on business， and Mr. Stanton to remain still in Boston a few months. At the last moment my nurse decided she could not leave her friends and go so far away. Accordingly my sister and I started， by rail， with five children and seventeen trunks， for Albany， where we rested over night and part of the next day. We had a very fatiguing journey， looking after so many trunks and children， for my sister's children persisted in standing on the platform at every opportunity， and the younger ones would follow their example. This kept us constantly on the watch.
We were thankful when safely landed once more in the old homestead in Johnstown， where we arrived at midnight. As our beloved parents had received no warning of our coming， the whole household was aroused to dispose of us. But now in safe harbor， 'mid familiar scenes and pleasant memories， our slumbers were indeed refreshing. How rapidly one throws off all care and anxiety under the parental roof， and how at sea one feels， no matter what the age may be， when the loved ones are gone forever and the home of childhood is but a dream of the past.
After a few days of rest I started， alone， for my new home， quite happy with the responsibility of repairing a house and putting all things in order. I was already acquainted with many of the people and the surroundings in Seneca Falls， as my sister， Mrs. Bayard， had lived there several years， and I had frequently made her long visits. We had quite a magnetic circle of reformers， too， in central New York. At Rochester were William Henry Channing， Frederick Douglass， the Anthonys， Posts， Hallowells， Stebbins，杝ome grand old Quaker families at Farmington，杢he Sedgwicks， Mays， Mills， and Matilda Joslyn Gage at Syracuse； Gerrit Smith at Peterboro， and Beriah Green at Whitesboro.
The house we were to occupy had been closed for some years and needed many repairs， and the grounds， comprising five acres， were overgrown with weeds. My father gave me a check and said， with a smile， "You believe in woman's capacity to do and dare； now go ahead and put your place in order."
After a minute survey of the premises and due consultation with one or two sons of Adam， I set the carpenters， painters， paperhangers， and gardeners at work， built a new kitchen and woodhouse， and in one month took possession.
Having left my children with my mother， there were no impediments to a full display of my executive ability. In the purchase of brick， timber， paint， etc.， and in making bargains with workmen， I was in frequent consultation with Judge Sackett and Mr. Bascom The latter was a member of the Constitutional Convention， then in session in Albany， and as he used to walk down whenever he was at home， to see how my work progressed， we had long talks， sitting on boxes in the midst of tools and shavings， on the status of women. I urged him to propose an amendment to Article II， Section 3， of the State Constitution， striking out the word "male，" which limits the suffrage to men. But， while he fully agreed with all I had to say on the political equality of women， he had not the courage to make himself the laughing-stock of the convention.
Whenever I cornered him on this point， manlike he turned the conversation to the painters and carpenters. However， these conversations had the effect of bringing him into the first woman's convention， where he did us good service.
In Seneca Falls my life was comparatively solitary， and the change from Boston was somewhat depressing. There， all my immediate friends were reformers， I had near neighbors， a new home with all the modern conveniences， and well-trained servants. Here our residence was on the outskirts of the town， roads very often muddy and no sidewalks most of the way， Mr. Stanton was frequently from home， I had poor servants， and an increasing number of children. To keep a house and grounds in good order， purchase every article for daily use， keep the wardrobes of half a dozen human beings in proper trim， take the children to dentists， shoemakers， and different schools， or find teachers at home， altogether made sufficient work to keep one brain busy， as well as all the hands I could impress into the service. Then， too， the novelty of housekeeping had passed away， and much that was once attractive in domestic life was now irksome. I had so many cares that the company I needed for intellectual stimulus was a trial rather than a pleasure.
There was quite an Irish settlement at a short distance， and continual complaints were coming to me that my boys threw stones at their pigs， cows， and the roofs of their houses. This involved constant diplomatic relations in the settlement of various difficulties， in which I was so successful that， at length， they constituted me a kind of umpire in all their own quarrels. If a drunken husband was pounding his wife， the children would run for me. Hastening to the scene of action， I would take Patrick by the collar， and， much to his surprise and shame， make him sit down and promise to behave himself. I never had one of them offer the least resistance， and in time they all came to regard me as one having authority. I strengthened my influence by cultivating good feeling. I lent the men papers to read， and invited their children into our grounds； giving them fruit， of which we had abundance， and my children's old clothes， books， and toys. I was their physician， also杦ith my box of homeopathic medicines I took charge of the men， women， and children in sickness. Thus the most amicable relations were established， and， in any emergency， these poor neighbors were good friends and always ready to serve me.
