confess that since
that day I have been prone to examine into the claims of men to be
forgiven, or the moral right of women to forgive them certain offenses."

"When you examine into the motives of women," said Mrs. Greyfield, "I
think you will find there is a large measure of sordid self-interest in
their mercy, as in the case you have just quoted. While some women are
so weak, and so foolishly fond of the men to whom they became early
attached, as to be willing to overlook everything rather than part with
them; a far greater number yield an unwilling submission to wrongs
imposed upon them, simply because they do not know how to do without the
pecuniary support afforded them by their husbands. The bread-and-butter
question is demoralizing to women as well as to men, the difference
being that men have a wider field to be demoralized in; and that the
demoralization of women is greatly consequent upon their circumscribed
field of action."

"Do you think that the enlargement of woman's sphere of work would have
a tendency to elevate her moral influence?"

"The way the subject presents itself to me is, that it is degrading to
have sex determine everything for us: our employments, our position in
society, the obedience we owe to others, the influence we are permitted
to exercise, all and everything to be dependent upon the delicate matter
of a merely physical function. It affects me so unpleasantly to hear
such frequent reference to a physiological fact, that I have often
wished the word _female_ stricken from our literature. And when you
reflect, that we are born and bred to this narrow view of ourselves, as
altogether the creatures of sex, you cannot but recognize its
belittleing, not to say depraving effect, or fail to see the temptation;
we have to seize any base advantage it may give us."

When we had canvassed this, to us interesting, topic a little further, I
begged Mrs. Greyfield to go on with the relation of her history.

"I find I must be less particular," she said, "to give so many and
frequent explanations of my feelings. By this time you can pretty well
imagine them, and my story is likely to be too long, unless I
abbreviate.

"I had been living in the way I have described, for two years, and had
learned to do a good many things in my own defence, very disagreeable to
me, but nevertheless very useful. I had gotten a little money together
by asking some of my boarders for pay before pay-day came, or by mak