relations between women in 19th century america

"i wanted so to put my arms round my girl of all the girls in the world and tell her... i love her as wives do love their husbands, as friends who have taken each other for life - and believe in her as i believe in my god... if i didn't love you do you suppose i'd care about anything or have ridiculous notions and panics and behave like an old fool who ought to know better. i'm going to hang on to your skirts.... you can't get away from [my] love."- Molly Hallock Foote