common-sense judgment upon herself:--

I was enabled coming along to crave help; in the first place, to be
made willing either to do or to suffer whatever was the Divine will
concerning me. I also desired that I might not be so occupied with
the present state of my mind as to its religious duties, as in any
degree to omit close attention to all daily duties, my beloved
husband, children, servants, poor, etc. But, if I should be
permitted the humiliating path that has appeared to be opening
before me, to look well at home, and not discredit the cause I
desire to advocate.

Wise counsels these, to herself! No woman whose judgment is
well-balanced, and whose womanly-nature is finely strung, but will
regard the path to the rostrum with shrinking and dismay. Either the
desire to save and help her fellow-creatures, "plucking them out of the
fire," if need be, is so strong upon her as to overmaster all fear of
man; or else the necessities and claims of near and dear ones lay
compulsion upon her to win support for them. Therefore, while every
woman can be a law unto herself, no woman can be a law unto her sisters
in this matter. As proof of her singleness of heart, another passage may
be quoted from Mrs. Fry's journal. It runs thus, and will be by no
means out of place here, seeing that it bears particularly upon the new
form of ministry then being taken up by her:--

May my being led out of my own family by what appears to me
_duties_, never be permitted to hinder my doing my duty fully
towards it, or so occupy my attention as to make me in any degree
forget or neglect home duties. I believe it matters not where we
are, or what we are about, so long as we keep our eye fixed on