If Lucy Stone, with all her power of eloquence, her loveliness of character, who wins all that hear the sound of her voice, can not bear the martyrdom of the dress, who can?
Mrs.Stanton's parting words were, "Let the hem out of your dress to-day, before to-morrow night's meeting." I have not obeyed her but have been in the streets and printing offices all day long, had rude, vulgar men stare me out of countenance and heard them say as I opened the door, "There comes my Bloomer!" O, hated name! I have been compelled to attend to all the business here, as at Rochester.

There every one knew me, knew my father and brother, and treated me accordingly, but here I am known only as one of the women who ape men--coarse brutal men! Oh, I can not, can not bear it any longer.
To this Lucy Stone replied: I am sure you are all worn out or you would not feel so intensely about the dress.

I never shed a tear over it in my life or came within a thousand ages of martyrdom on account of it; and to be compelled to travel in rain and snow, mud and dirt, in a long dress would cost me more in every respect than the short dress ever did.
I don't think I can abandon it, but I will have two skirts.

I have this feeling: Women are in bondage; their clothes are a great hindrance to their engaging in any business which will make them pecuniarily independent, and since the soul of womanhood never can be queenly and noble so long as it must beg bread for its body, is it not better, even at the expense of a vast deal of annoyance, that they whose lives deserve respect and are greater than their garments should give an example by which woman may more easily work out her own emancipation ?...

It is a part of the "mint, anise and cumin," and the weightier matters of justice and truth occupy my thoughts more.
She did abandon the costume, however, before the year was ended, as did most of the others.