Sam monologue (Act 6) — Betsey Bobbett: A Drama

Wall, Mrs. Betsey Slimpsey, there hain’t no more beautiful sight on earth than to see two human souls out of pure love to each other gently approaching each other as if they must; and, at last, all their hopes and thoughts and affections running together like two drops of water in a morning glory blow, and to see them nestling there, not caring for nobody outside the blow, bound up in each other till the sun evaporates ’em as it were, and draws ’em together up into the heavens, not separating ’em even up there. Why such a marriage as that is a sight that does men and angels good to look at. But when a woman sells herself, swops her purity, her self-respect, her truth and her soul, for any kind of barter, such as a home, a few thousand dollars, the name of being married, a horse and buggy, some jewelry, etc.; and not only sells herself, but worse than the Turk wimmen, goes ’round herself hunting up a buyer: crazy, wild-eyed, afraid she won’t find none. Suppose she does have a minister for a salesman—my contempt for such a female is inmitigable.