My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's: Designed as a Beacon Light to Guide Women to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, but which may be Read by Members of the Sterner Sect without Injury to Themselves or the Book
. . . a voice kept a sayin' inside of me, "Josiah Allen's wife, write a book givin' your views on the great subject of Wimmen's Rites." But I hung back in spirit from the idea and says I, to myself, I never went to school much and don't know nothin' about grammer, and I never could spell worth a cent. . . . "I don't know no underground dungeons, I haint acquainted with no haunted houses, I never see a hero suspended over a abyss by his gallusses, I never beheld a heroine swoon away, I never see a Injun tommy hawked, nor a ghost; I never had any of these advantages; I cant write a book." But still it kept a sayin' inside of my mind, "Josiah Allen's wife write a book about your life, as it passes in front of you and Josiah, daily, and your views on Wimmen's Rite's. The great publick wheel is a rollin' on slowly, drawin' the Femail Race into liberty; Josiah Allen's wife, put your shoulder blades to the wheel." (Summary from the preface) NOTE: This book is the product of its time and contains racial terms not acceptable today. Any songs sung are from the original tunes mentioned, and are in the public domain.