This is a brave and fresh statement and quote - for women then as well as now - and Cassie's role in Jane's continual and successful writing as well as the role she plays in preserving the world's knowledge not only of Jane but of her work clearly supports that idea. Surviving comfortably and being accepted in society was not an easy task for the Austen women after their father's death, yet survive they did, thanks much to Cassie's efforts in many ways. It was she who found them clean, spacious, quiet housing in the part of the country they wished to live; it was she who took on roles in the household looking after Mother Austen which allowed Jane to continue her writing, and in the end, it was Cassie - much older and alone now - who fulfilled the task she set for herself above all else: preserving the reputation of the Austen family, and of Jane and her work so that it may be enjoyed well into the future if not forever. Cassie remained active and useful even as she aged, and she attempted to be of help to Isabella and Dinah as well.
Today single women are continually fashioning lives of their own. While those who have written above say it is still a man's world, I believe changes are coming more rapidly and successfully than we may perceive. The number of women who elect to parent alone, those who are venturing into careers that have been traditionally male such as medicine, law, architecture, engineering, and politics, - as well as all of the trades - and the numbers of women who elect not to marry are all examples of progress that women are making in society. It is no longer necessary to marry to be useful, and more than ever single women are proving their capability and usefulness in multiple ways, on diverse fronts.