It is an absolute fact that with all the books we read and all the varied knowledge we picked up, much as chickens pick up crumbs, we had not the least idea of what I must express by that unpleasant word "sex." People did wrong or right, stayed at home or left their people, because they were good or bad, and not for any other reasons whatever. We knew the celebrated Laura Bell by sight quite well: she was afterwards married, became religious and died in the odour of sanctity as a respectable member of society; but her sin in our eyes consisted of leaving her childhood's home to live in London by herself and "enjoy herself," poor wretch; and we had not the smallest conception in what her real sin consisted. We only knew that she and, later on, the equally notorious "Skittles," were not to be spoken of; but simply because they were not good, and as such were unworthy to be named ...

Mrs. J.E. Panton [on her 1850s childhood in] Leaves from a Life, 1908