Page:An address delivered by the Hon. Mrs. Welby to the married women of Newton on the first Thursday in Lent, 1872.djvu/8

4 about which no man—not even your Minister—could speak out plainly to you. You will know what I mean—the subject of Christian Purity.

Now I know well what some of you will think to yourselves as you hear this. You will think, it is all very well for Mrs. Welby to talk about this, or to wish things bettered; but she does not know what the difficulties are of those who lead hard-working lives, and have but small cottages, many of them, to live in. She can bring up her children out of sight and sound of temptation and evil of every kind; but we cannot, it is of no use trying—the girls must just take their chance.

My Friends, I have two answers to this. One is, that because I feel God has in His goodness given me the means of shielding my little daughter from all knowledge of evil which all here have not, therefore I am earnestly anxious to help as I may the mothers of this parish to bring up their little girls pure in heart, pure in word, and pure in deed.

The other reason is, that in large towns it is