Stephen was as different from his father and brother as night is to day. Stephen became involved in the English Socialist movement. Not only did he read all the great Socialist literature of the time, such as Das Kapital, he also participated in protests against the poor conditions of London's working class. In the process, he was beaten severely and spent, all told, a year in prison. In his involvement with the Socialist movement, Stephen's met his wife, Tabitha MacMahon, a militant suffragette.