While Angelina was writing these letters, Sarah was publishing her letters on the “Province of Woman” in the Spectator.  This was a heavier dose than Boston could stand at one time; harsh and bitter things were said about the sisters, notices of their meetings were torn down or effaced, and abolitionism came to be so mixed up in the public mind with Woman’s Rights, that anti-slavery leaders generally began to feel anxious lest their cause should suffer by being identified with one to which the large majority of abolitionists was decidedly opposed.  Even among them, however, there was a difference of opinion, Garrison, H.C.  Wright and others, non-resistants, encouraging the agitation of Woman’s Rights.  A few lines from one of Angelina’s letters will best define the position taken by herself and Sarah.

“Sister and I,” she writes, “feel quite ready for the discussion about women, but brothers Whittier and Weld entreat us to let it alone for the present, because it will involve topics of such vast importance,—­a paid ministry, clerical domination, etc.,—­and will, they fear, divert our attention and that of the community from the anti-slavery cause; and that the wrongs of the slave are so much greater than the wrongs of woman, they ought not to be confounded.  In their letters, received last week, they regret exceedingly that the letters in the Spectator had been written.  They think just as we do, but believe that, for the time being, a persevering, practical assertion of woman’s right to speak to mixed audiences is the best one we can make, and that we had better keep out of controversies, as our hands are full.  On the other hand, we fear that the leaven of the Pharisees will be so assiduously worked into the minds of the people, that if they come to hear us, they will be constantly thinking it is a shame for us to speak in the churches, and that we shall lose that influence which we should otherwise have.  We know that our views on this subject are quite new to the mass of the people of this State, and I think it best to throw them open for their consideration, just letting them have both sides of the argument to look at, at the same time.  Indeed some wanted to have a meeting in Boston for us to speak on this subject now, and we went into town on purpose to hold a conference about it at Maria Chapman’s.  She, Mary Parker, and sister were against it for the present, fearing lest it would bring down such a storm upon our heads, that we could not work in the country, and so Henrietta Sargent and I yielded, and I suppose this is the wisest plan, though, as brother Stanton says, I am ready for the battle now.  I am still glad of sister’s letters, and believe they are doing great good.  Some noble-minded women cheer her on, and she feels encouraged to persevere, the brethren notwithstanding.  I tell them that this is a part of the great doctrine of Human Rights, and can no more be separated