Read the excerpt from Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences, 1815-1897. [Rev. Simon Hosack] entered fully into the feeling of suffering and sorrow which took possession of me when I discovered that a girl weighed less in the scale of being than a boy, and he praised my determination to prove the contrary.

Which best describes society’s view of boys’ and girls’ abilities during the period in which Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived?

The abilities of boys are equal to those of girls.
The abilities of boys are lesser than those of girls.
The abilities of boys are better than those of girls.
The abilities of boys have no relationship to those of girls.

The author’s main purpose in this excerpt is to

describe a form of code writing using an example.
explain the mistakes of General Howe during the war.
entertain the reader with a humorous story of miscommunication.
argue that using a mask is the best method for sending secret messages.