Chapman declared this a golden opportunity. He had felt for some time
like getting up something that would drive the devil and all the
Dutchmen out of Nyack and into the Tappan Zee, and establish an entire
new order of things.

It was agreed between Chapman and his good wife that the church should
be put on its legs without delay; that the work of reforming Nyack and
the rest of the world should begin at once. As funds were necessary to
all great enterprises, and Chapman was inclined at all times to husband
his own, the good woman got up a regular season of religious
tea-parties, exclusively "for ladies." Mrs. Chapman was intent on
popularizing the enterprise, and to that end had inserted on her cards
of invitation, "exclusively for ladies." There was nothing like tea when
you wanted to make a great reform movement popular. Chapman had more
than once said that woman, under the inspiration of tea, made a mighty
engine in moving the world. Under its influence they gave enlargement
and development to progressive ideas. It had been charged that great
generals won their most celebrated battles under the influence of strong
drink. He had known great generals to win great battles under the
inspiration of tea alone. Tea and women were prodigious in their way.

The tea parties were not only got on their legs, but soon became very
popular. There were women enough in Nyack to give them, and neither rain
nor hail would keep them home of a Thursday evening. The great value of
progressive ideas was thoroughly discussed over these cups; and the fact
that their husbands were to be brought into a line of subjugation not
before anticipated had an inspiring effect. In short, female Nyack began
to carry a high head, and to make male Nyack feel that he was no longer
master in its own house. Dolly Chapman presided at these tea-parties