“For many years I have been inquiring the way to Zion, and now I know not but I shall have to surrender all or many long-cherished points of religion, and come back to the one simple direction:  ’Follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’”

All her letters show how much happier she was under her new experiences.  Angelina thus writes of her:—­

“Sister Sarah enjoys more real comfort of mind than I ever saw her enjoy before, and it is delightful to be thus yoked with her in this work.”

But with Sarah’s wider, fuller sympathies came bitter regrets over the spiritual bondage which had kept her idle and useless so long.  And yet, in spite of all, her heart still clung to the Society of Friends, and the struggle to give them up, to resign the long-cherished hope of being permitted to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ, was very great.  But conscientious and true to her convictions even here, as her own eyes had been mercifully opened to the faults of this system of religion, she must do what she could to help others.  Under a solemn sense of responsibility, she wrote and printed a pamphlet exposing the errors of the Quaker Church, and showing the withering influence it exerted over all moral and religious progress.  For this, she doubted not, she would be at once disowned; but Friends seem to have been very loth to part with the two rebellious subjects, who had certainly given them much trouble, but in whom they could not help feeling a certain pride of ownership.  They showed their willingness to be patient yet a little while longer.

All through the summer and early fall, the meetings were continued with slightly decreasing opposition, and continued abuse from press and pulpit and “good society.”  Sarah still bore her share of the labors, frequently speaking an hour at a time, and taking charge chiefly of the legal side of the question of slavery, while the moral and religious sides were left for Angelina.  At Amesbury, Angelina writes:—­

“We met the mother, aunt, and sister of brother Whittier.  They received us at their sweet little cottage with sincere pleasure, I believe, they being as thoroughgoing as their dear J.G.W., whom they seem to know how to value.  He was absent, serving the good cause in New York.”

At an evening meeting they held at Amesbury, a letter was handed Angelina, which stated that some gentlemen were present, who had just returned from the South, and had formed very different opinions from those of the lecturers, and would like to state them to the meeting.

Sarah read the letter aloud, and requested the gentlemen to proceed with their remarks.  Two arose, and soon showed how little they really knew, and how close an affinity they felt with slave-holders.  A discussion ensued, which lasted an hour, when Angelina went on with her lecture on the “Dangers of Slavery.”  When it was over, the two gentlemen of Southern sympathies requested that another opportunity be granted for a free discussion of the subject.  This was agreed to, and the 19th of the month, August, settled upon.