ile woman must not
commit the slightest degree of "impropriety," as it is termed.
Why, even to cut her skirts shorter than the fashion, is
considered a moral delinquency, and stigmatized as such by more
than one pulpit, directly or indirectly.

You ask me who made this sentiment; and my friend yonder, says
woman. She is but the echo of man. Man utters the sentiment, and
woman echoes it. As I said before--for I have seen and felt it
deeply--she even appears to be quite flattered with her cruel
tyrant, for such he has been made to be--she is quite flattered
with the destroyer of woman's character--aye, worse than that,
the destroyer of woman's self-respect and peace of mind--and when
she meets him, she is flattered with his attentions. Why should
she not be? He is admitted into Legislative halls, and to all
places where men "most do congregate;" why, then, should she not
admit him to her parlor? The woman is admitted into no such
places; the Church casts her out; and a stigma is cast upon her,
for what is called the slightest "impropriety." Prescribed by no
true moral law, but by superstition and prejudice, she is cast
out not only from public places, but from private homes. And if
any woman would take her sister to her heart, and warm her there
again by sympathy and kindness, if she would endeavor once more
to infuse into her the spark of life and virtue, of morality and
peace, she often dare not so far encounter public prejudice as to
do it. It requires a courage beyond what woman can now possess,
to take the part of the woman against the villain. There are few
such among us, and though few, they have stood forward nobly and
gloriously. I will not mention names, though it is often a
practice to do so; I must, however, mention our sister, Lucretia
Mott, who has stood up and taken her fallen sister by the hand,
and warmed her at her own heart. But we can not expect every
woman to possess that degree of courage.

ABBY KELLY FOSTER: I want to say here that I believe the law is
but the writing out of public sentiment, and back of that public
sentiment, I contend lies the responsibility. Where shall we find
it? "'Tis education forms the common mind." It is allowed that we
are what we are educated to be. Now if we can ascertain who has
had the