Mischievous Creatures Quotes

“It is a pleasant reflexion that friends who are too far separated for personal intercourse, have the means of communicating thoughts & feelings by pen and paper.' --ELIZABETH CARRINGTON MORRIS, Letter to Ann Haines, June 3, 1840.”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

“Nothing smooths the path to old age, so much as to retain the affection and contribute to the wellbeing of the young & happy.' -- ELIZABETH CARRINGTON MORRIS (1860s)”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

“When I am grieved in spirit, or vexed in temper, by the unavoidable cares of my little world, I go out and -work- in my garden; and in the healthful exercise of body, and the beautiful soul-subduing quiet that pervades the place, and steals like a healing balm over my mind, I soon forget my troubles.' -- ELIZABETH CARRINGTON MORRIS, Article for -American Agriculturalist-, April 1846.”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

“Whatever God has thought worthy of his creation and care is a fit study for us, their fellow creatures.' -- MARGARETTA HARE MORRIS, Article for -American Agriculturalist-, July, 1845.”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

“...it was over the course of the nineteenth century that the definition of the word 'amateur' transformed. It had originally been an elevated rank, suggesting that someone was doing the work because they loved it, not because it would earn them money. It implied a certain purity of intention. However, by the middle of the nineteenth century and onward, it gradually took on a negative connotation and meant someone who was unskilled and unqualified, the opposite of an expert. Given how murky the process of professionalization was, the line between amateurs and experts was blurred, and those without formal training continued to participate in organizations and activities. Still, the more derogatory the term became, the more it was tied to the activities of women who faced more obstacles gaining access to the kinds of training and employment that would have classified them as professionals or experts.”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

“So much of this story is about power and how it shapes our knowledge of the environment. By not trusting someone because of their gender, race, age, or class, we lose crucial information. We erase their contributions and discount their observations. Margaretta's and Elizabeth's respective lives and work illuminate the frustrating hurdles they faced as women, despite the privileges afforded to them by their wealth and race. The [Morris] sisters developed strategies and methods to counter the distrust, the exclusion, even the attacks. Despite all of that, they have been erased from the historical narrative. They have been forgotten.”
― Catherine McNeur, Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science