Note 45 — Chapter IV · Methods by which Sexual Morality may be Promoted

Whilst travelling in Italy I met a very intelligent Austrian gentleman, who, as a citizen of the United States, had brought up his family in New York. Conversing on the various customs of society, he said to me: ‘I have always endeavoured to respect women, and to live an upright, moral life, but I have never met with any appreciation of this fact by the families of my acquaintance. On the contrary, no mother that I have known has banished a man of position from her society, no matter how notoriously immoral his life may be. I have known respectable mothers, moving in what is called the best society, allowing a man of wealth to continue visiting the family after gross impropriety of behaviour to a daughter. My own little Rosa there (and he pointed to a charming little creature of sixteen who was travelling with the party) will not give the slightest discouragement to a clever or amusing man, although I may warn her against the notorious character of the man. I go to Paris, and observe the night assemblies after the theatres close. I find brilliant salons filled with young girls as lovely as my own daughter, often gentle in manner, elegant in dress, refined, accomplished; I should not know from observation merely that they were fallen women. “What does it all mean?” I ask myself again and again. Surely women in society have much to do in this matter.’