ABSTRACT
‘Since writing my last, conversation with an unprejudiced friend – though she is not your equal in any way, Lesbie – has led me to consider the other side of the question. As regards Mrs Grundy’s prudery, may it not be a matter of self-defence? I mean defence of female dignity. If all men could be trusted to be reverent toward nude beauty, if even men in general could be trusted not to be vulgar and vile, – not to make scurrilous obscene jests upon it, well and good. But you know that is not the case, and therefore the only way for women to act is to frown down all exhibition of the kind to common and coarse-minded people. The objection can be removed, no doubt, but only by training the youths of the rising generation to be something very different in their demeanour from what their forefathers were. Let them be licentious as they will upon one condition – asceticism is no virtue in men; but let them be so with reverence toward all women. If they can make their passions into a heart religion, let there be no restraint upon them, short of injuring others. But so long as they cannot, or do not, the women of society are right in keeping a straight-waistcoat upon them in the matter.
