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Every act of a moral agent influences the entire moral universe.

Each upright act adds to the strength of goodness or righteousness, and every evil act gives additional power to the principle of evil. It is like throwing a stone into a lake, the utmost bounds of which feels the influence of the ripple occasioned by its fall.

As the ocean is made up of drops, so the moral universe is composed of individual moral acts. Good and evil seem now to commingle in this great ocean life promiscuously, and the current of both seem now to alternate with almost equal force.

What is needed is a condensation of the good influences of the universe into one vast gulf stream, sweeping irresistibly through the great ocean of moral life, bearing down all obstacles which evil interposes to its progress. When this gulf stream is once formed and set in motion, its progress will be irresistible throughout the moral universe. God is now at work separating these elements, and the good is to accumulate and condense into one great engine of power for the world's benefit.

CHAPTER XXIV.
Passage of the Personal Liberty Bill in the Illinois Legislature.

Feeling confident that public sentiment was prepared for the passage of a bill for the protection of the Personal Liberty of married women, I left Massachusetts in the winter of 1866, and came to Chicago to organize an effort for this purpose.

With the aid of Judge Bradwell and other legal advisers, I drew up a petition for this object, and spent one week in circulating it among the most prominent and influential men in this city, who kindly allowed me a patient hearing, while demonstrating the absolute necessity of some legislation that would effectually shield the married women of this State against the liability of their suffering from the injustice of the present law as I had done.

And strange as it may seem, I found but one man, among the thirty-six men who signed the petition, who knew that we had so infamous a law on their statute book to be repealed.

The petition was headed by I. N. Arnold, a Congressman, and followed by the Mayor, Aldermen, Judges, Lawyers, Editors, and some members of the Board of Trade, and the Chamber of Commerce, and some of the heaviest merchants and business men of Chicago. These names represented the intelligent, popular element of this city, and were so regarded by the Legislature.

Thanks are here due both to the Tribune and the Times, for a voluntary editorial which each gave in favor of the object of the petition.

The petitioners expressed the kindest wishes in behalf of the cause, and some advised me to go with it to Governor Ogelsby and get his advice as to the best mode of bringing it before the Legislature, adding with emphasis:

"Governor Ogelsby will aid you in this matter; if he don't, he isn't the man we think he is."

In accordance with this advice, on arriving in Springfield, I sought the Governor at his residence, and met him in the hall, on his way to his dining-room with his invited guests. Of course, under these circumstances, I could not detain him, and therefore, merely inquired when it would be convenient to give me one half hour for conversation and advice.

He inquired: "What is your business?"

"In relation to bringing a certain bill before the Legislature."

"What is the object of the bill?"

"Governor Ogelsby, I cannot explain my business in less time than half an hour: can I be allowed that time or not? "

"But I wish to know what your bill is about."

"'Tis about the Asylum at Jacksonville, but I cannot explain without taking you too long from your party."

"Oh, I think that is doing well enough, I am acquainted with Dr. McFarland, and esteem him very highly as my personal friend."

"But, Governor, all I wish now to know is, can I have an interview of half an hour at any future time you may appoint?"

And while repeating this inquiry the third time, I drew from my pocket my petition, and asked him to please just look at the names appended, and added:

"These men approve of the bill, and desire its passage, and moreover, advised me to lay the subject before the Governor, adding: 'Governor Oglesby will approve of the bill, and aid you in getting it passed, or he isn't the man we think he is.'"

As he glanced over the names and found among them the leaders of his political party, on whose influence and vote depended, perhaps, his seat in Congress, his tone and manner changed at once, and in a most civil and manly style he unhesitatingly offered to give me the whole hour, between eleven and twelve o'clock the next day, at his office, in the State-House.

Accordingly I met him there, and in the most patient and courteous manner he listened, and not only indorsed my argument in defense of the bill, but also volunteered his advice and assistance to help me in every possible way.

He ordered his Secretary what to write, and gave it to his porter to take with me to the door of the Representatives Hall where I remained, while he delivered the message to Mr. Baldwin, who soon appeared at the door, saying, as he looked at me: