Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

62 LETTERS.
TO MISS AUGUSTA KING.
NEW YORK, September 19, 1843.
A day or two after Parker left, A. and L. called
to see me. I asked, "What brings you to New
York?"'6 I don't know," said Mr. A.; " it seems a
miracle that we are here." But whatever the miracle
might be, I believe it restored no blind to sight. Mr.
C. and J. H. went to hear a discussion between them
and WV. H. C. It was held in a very small room, the
air was stifling, and both camne home with a headache. I asked Mr. C. what they talked about? " I
don't know." " But can't you tell anything they
said? " For some tinme he insisted that he could not,
but being unmercifully urged, he at last said, "L.
divided man into three states; the disconscious, the
conscious, and the unconscious. The disconscious is
the state of a pig; the conscious is the baptism by
water; and the unconscious is the baptism by fire."
I laughed, and said, " Well, how did the whole discussion affect your mind?" "W hy, after I had
heard them talk a few minutes," replied he, " I'11 be
cursed if I knew whether I had any mind at all! "
J. stayed rather longer, though he left in the midst.
"How have you been pleased? " said I. "They've
put my mind and body in a devil of a muss," replied
he; " and I wish they had stayed at home." "' What
did they talk about? " " They did n't know themselves -how then should I?" Being mischievous, I
insisted that he should give some account. Being
thus urged, he said they talked about mind and body.' TlWhat did they say?" " Why, W. H. C. seemed
to think there was some connection between mind
and body; but those Boston folks, so far as I could