selves, that no woman is approached in that way who does
not give some encouragement. But no statement could be more utterly
false--unless they determine to construe ordinary politeness and
friendliness into a covert advance. The cunning of the "father of lies"
is brought to bear to entrap artless and inexperienced women into
situations whence they are assured there is no escape without disgrace.

"During my first year of widowhood my feelings were several times
outraged in this way; and at first I was so humiliated, and had such a
sense of guilt, that it made me sick and unfit for my work. The guilty
feeling came, I now know, from the consciousness I had of the popular
opinion I have referred to, that there must be something wrong in my
deportment. But by calling to mind all the circumstances connected with
these incidents, and studying my own behavior and the feelings that
impelled me, I taught myself at last not to care so very much about it,
after the first emotions of anger had passed away. Still I thought I
could perceive that I was not quite the same person: you
understand?--the 'bloom' was being brushed away."

"What an outrage! What a shame, that a woman in your situation could not
be left to be herself, with her own pure thoughts and tender sorrows!
Was there no one to whom you could go for advice and sympathy?--none
among all those who came to the country with you who could have helped
you?"

"The people who came out with me were mostly scattered through the
farming country; and would have been of very little use to me if they
had not been. In fact, they would, probably, have been first to condemn
me, being chiefly of an uneducated class, and governed more by
traditions than by the wisdom of experience. There were two or three
families whose acquaintance I had made after arriving in Portland, who
were kindly disposed towards me, and treated me with great
neighborliness; especially the family that was in the same tenement with
me. To them I sometimes mentioned my troubles; but while they were
willing to do anything for me in the way of a common friendly service,
like the loaning of an article of household convenience, or sitting with
me when Benton was sick--as he very often was--they could not understand
other needs, or minister to the sickness of the mind. If I received any
counsel, it was to the effect that a woman was in every way better off
to be married. I used to wonder why God had not made us married