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"But you are not insane! why do they put you there?"

"No, I am not insane, but my husband is trying to put this brand upon me, to destroy my moral influence."

"But why does he wish to destroy your influence?"

"Because I have defended some opinions in a Bible-class where he is the minister, which he cannot overthrow by argument, and now he tells me he is going to make the world believe that I am insane, so that my opinions need not be believed, for he says he must protect the cause of Christ."

"Don't he think it his duty to protect his wife?"

"He thinks it his duty to protect her from injuring the cause of Christ, by locking her up in a prison!"

"I heard you speak of your children; how many have you?"

"Six-five boys and one girl."

"Six children! and he, their father, taking from them their mother, simply because you differ from him in opinion! O, 'tis too bad! How I pity you!"

At this point, she burst into tears, and resting her head -upon the back of my seat, she cried and sobbed, until she had completely drenched her pocket-handkerchief, when I handed her one of my own, and she drenched that also.

"O," she said, "you must not go! You are too good a woman to be locked up in an Insane Asylum."

I tried to console her, by telling her I felt it would all come out right at last -- that all I had to do was, to be patient and do right.

She then put her arm around my neck and kissed me, saying:

"How I wish I could help you! I will do all I can for you."

She then left her seat and brought back another lady, whom she introduced as one who wished to talk with me.

From her I learned that the sympathy of the passengers was with me -- that some had thought of volunteering in my defence, and this feeling was now gaining strength by the influence of my first friend's conversation among them. I saw groups of gentlemen evidently talking together about me -- some conversed with me, and I had my hopes somewhat raised that something would be done to restore me to my children, and by the time the cars reached Tolona, I felt that I was amongst friends, instead of strangers.

Mr. Packard could not but see that the tide was against him, for he sat by my side and listened most attentively to every word, and when opportunity presented, he aimed by self-vindication to counteract every hopeful influence from taking possession of my mind, by such remarks as these:

"You say, wife, that the Lord prospers those whose ways please him; now, judging by this test, who is prospered in their plans, you or I? You see I succeed in all I undertake, while all your efforts are defeated. Now, isn't the Lord on my side?"

"The time hasn't come to decide that question by this test; this is only the beginning not the end of this sad drama. You may be prospered by having your way for a time; only to make your defeat all the more signal. I do not think it is certain the Lord is not on my side, simply because I am not now delivered out of your power. God has a plan to be accomplished, which requires all this to take place in order to its ultimate success. But I can't see what that plan is, nor why my sufferings are necessary to its accomplishment. But God does, and that faith or trust in the rectitude of his plans, keeps my mind in peace even now. Neither do I think it is certain the Lord is on your side, because you have been permitted to have your own way in getting me imprisoned. The end will settle this question."

Another attempt at self-vindication appeared in the following conversation. Said he:

"You think a great deal of your father, and that what he does is right; now, I want to show you that he upholds me in doing as I now am, and approves of the course I am now pursuing, and here is a letter from your own dear father confirming all I have said."

As he said this, he handed me an open letter in my father's own hand-writing, saying:

"Read for yourself, and see what your father says about it."

"No," said I, shaking my head, "I do not wish to read such a letter from my father, for it would be a libel upon his revered memory. I know, too, that if he has written such a letter as you represent, he has had a false view of the case presented to him. My father would never approve of the course you are pursuing, if he knew what the truth is respecting it. You have told him lies about me, or you never would have had his approval in putting me into an asylum."

Still he persistently urged me to read the letter, so I could judge for myself. But I would not. This was the only kind of consolation he attempted to offer me.

We dined at Tolona, where I had the good fortune to be seated by the side of a very intelligent gentleman, at the head of the table, whom I afterwards found to be the general freight agent, who boarded there at that time. He sat at the end of the table, I sat next him on the side, and Mr. Packard next to me. This gentleman, in a polite, gentlemanly manner, drew me into a free and easy conversation with himself, wherein I freely avowed some of my obnoxious views and my progressive reform principles, respecting the law of health, physical development, etc.