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Scourges, their spirit more deeply agon- frequently first awakened, and very often ized still by that last refinement of the strengthened and elevated, by the lofty prætor's cruelty, exposure in the public flight of thought, in its bold and searchstreet to the mocking indignities of the ing inquiries. The mind of woman difpopulace-thus did this holiest army of fers from that of man, chiefly in its being martyrs lift up their spotless sacrifice to more imbued with feeling, and thus more God, and then it was that the misprised delicately knit together, more harmoname of woman was redeemed once and niously adjusted, and more keenly viviforever from the desecration of the past, fied, while man's mind is fitted for a and she stood forth before the world an more daring and a more abstract, a wider immortal creature, made to serve and and a cooler range. It is a common reglorify God, a spiritual being, with spir-mark; that woman excels in tact. Yet itual faculties, for spiritual ends. From what is tact but the judgment of feeling that time she has been morally free-free controlling outward action. We hear, in the line, and to the extent, that her too, that the opinions of woman are rathown regenerated will required and sanc-er intuitions than logical conclusions-tioned; free to aspire

Unto the calms and magnanimities,
The lofty uses, and the noble ends,
The sanctified devotion and full work,
To which she is elect forever more.

Assured then, by Christianity, of her solemn responsibilities and high destinies, it is not only the privilege, but the duty of woman, to secure the just and full development of her own proper nature, and thus fit herself most complete ly for her own appropriate sphere. The process of effecting this is nothing more or less than Female education.

Now, it is very easy, in considering the different phases of nature in man and woman, to say, as Milton did of Adam

and Eve

Yet what are her intuitions, but the instantaneous impressions made upon her entire nature, sympathetic as well as sen

tient.

It is this difference in the higher nain the one, and feeling in the other-and ture of the sexes-thought predominating the natural affinity of thought and feeling

their tendency toward a living intercommunion, that gave so much force and truth to the old philosophical idea, that each sex finds in the other the psychological complement of its own being and

character, and that it is the attraction between the two which gives the charm to all social intercourse, and their permanent and perfect union, through the assimilating power of love, that makes man and wife ONE-Something more than For contemplation he, and valor formed; a harmony, a completed unity. It wo'ld For softness she, and sweet attractive grace. not become me, perhaps, to be very abFor it is very easy to see that the reflect- solute on this subject, but I can not help ive faculties generally predominate in marking the perfect accordance of this man, and the affective in woman, and that Platonic idea with that acconnt of the energy marks the one, and sensibility the spiritual structure of our humanity, given other. This answers well enough in its in the first chapter of Genesis:-"So way for a running distinction, but it will God created man in His own image, in be very apt to deceive us if we forget the the image of God created He him; male essential unity of the human soul, and and female created He them," the idea of take the reigning element as an exclusive quality here being entirely merged in possession and power. Woman, to be that of unity. It is a truth too often forwoman, must reflect as well as feel; and gotten, that what is called the subordiman, to be man, must feel as well as re-nation of one sex to the other was a reflect. Thought and feeling stand recip-sult, not of their original creation, but of rocally in need of each other, in the work their subsequent fall. It had its rise in of developing character. As thought the curse pronounced upon the woman, gains new life and animation from the "Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and rich feeling, with its quick, tender and he shall rule over thee." But the fall, profound movements of the soul, deriving though it corrupted the will, and darkentherefrom its vital nourishment and sus-ed and confused our whole nature, did tenance, even so the feelings are not un-not destroy any of the primal elements of

our being, and the ideal type of the race freshness which naturally pervades her
yet remains.
feelings, imparting such peculiar buoyan-
cy and glow to her faith, her hope, and
her love; and whose culture improves
her taste, enlarges her sense of the beau-
tiful, and enriches her imagination, and
vet does not enervate her sensibilities, or
impair in any degree the more serviceable
stamina of the soul.

These truths being justly apprehended,
the term Education as applied to woman
at once assumes its full significance. She
is not, any more than man, a thing to be
made up for a certain end-not to be
fitted out simply for marriage, any more
than he is to be fitted out simply for a
profession. In an old Latin treatise of The first and last object of all true ed-
St. Barnard is the following admirable ucation, either in man or woman, is the
passage: "There are those who wish to harmonious fulness of being. The law is
know, for the mere sake of knowing; incumbent upon every one, in every con-
this is a low curiosity. There are those dition and sphere, to become all that he
who wish to know that they may be was created capable of being; to be alive
known; and this is a low vanity. There with his whole being, consciously happi-
are also those who wish to know, that ly alive, and for benificent results. To
they may sell their knowledge, so to prescribe the exact means and exact man-
speak, for moneys, for honors [had the ner by which this is to be effected is im-
old saint lived now-a-days, and looked at possible. All right education proceeds
accomplishments as understood and cul- on the principle of cherishing and cor-
tivated in some of our boarding schools, recting nature, not of rooting it out and
would he not have added for marriage?] supplying its place with something bet-
and this is low venality. But there are ter. It must allow scope for the exercise
those, also, who wish to know that they of free will, and take account of the va-
may upbuild, and this is charity; and rieties of original structure. Nature is
likewise those who wish to know that infinite in her combinations, and woman
they may be upbuilt, and this is wisdom. no more than man was made to be shaped
Of those, the last two only do not pervert into one common mold. A true and
the real end of knowledge, which is to be healthful training no more destroys va-
good, and to do good." Education, then, riety among men and among
in both sexes, is a sacred duty, life-long than a true and healthful growth destroys
and ever progressive. Its result in both variety among the trees of the forest.-
cases is to develop and harmonize the There is as much diversity among the
native capacities and qualities; in both good as among the bad, among the flow-
sexes producing strength aud beauty, ers as among the weeds. It is true, that
nobleness and loveliness; but, in accor- there are certain qualities which are in-
dance with the original constitution of dispensable to every good character, as
their respective natures, the strength and petals are to flowers. But it is not the
nobleness predominant in the one, the mere presence, or the mere number of
beauty and loveliness in the other; and the petals, that gives the charm to the
in their outward efficacy both working flower. It is their native coloring and
by action and by influence, but in the their native fragrance. And as these dif-
one sex chiefly by action, in the other fer, not only in degree but in kind, so
chiefly by influence.
character differs in all its finer essences
Education is development, discipline, and issues. Nature will take care of
culture; and that education is right for this. She will indeed let you, by your
woman whose development unfolds all wise and patient skill, turn and train even
the stronger faculties of the soul, and many of the evil roots she has fixed in
which does not yet crowd upon or over- the very core of our being, so that they
shadow the least of her sweet instincts or shall grow up; not into briers, but into
sunny sympathies-whose discipline re- roses in the field of our life; and will
presses evil propensity, and attempers lend all her best influences to your work,
the soul to firmness and consistency, to and manifest herself most distinctly and
self-control and self-reliance, and yet graciously in the result, if you will deal
does no violence to that delicacy which genially by her, and not thrust her aside
naturally marks her perceptions, and that or crush her down. If this were better

Women

1

heeded, we should soon hear less of the Above aught else, then, in every syscomplaint, that there is so little in even tem of female education, these should cultivated society that is truly sponta- have their true and perfect growth. If neous, and so much that is purely artifi- checked, or in any degree perverted, the feminine character inevitably suffers; it

cial.

If right education must have regard to loses in loveliness and influence. And differences in individual nature, it must yet how often are they checked or perhave much more regard to differences in verted! For modesty, let ball-room sexual nature. Now there are three qual-dances and ball-room dresses answer;— ities which are the natural elements of for tenderness, let tabernacle diatribes, womanhood-they are MODESTY, TENDER- and tea-table scandal answer; for grace, NESS and GRACE. These are a credit to a pick your way around the stiffnesses, the man, but to woman they are something angularities, and the points of some of more than a credit, they are an absolute our literary coteries, look at the startings necessity. They are set, by the kind and the jerkings, listen to the fizzings hand of Nature, in her very inmost being, and the cracklings, of the kind of females and it is very difficult, in most cases ac- there, who seem to you never to have tually impossible, to pluck them out ut- been young, and who, you are very sure, terly. When this is done, she is unsexed will never know how to grow old, and get and becomes a monster. These three

her shrink and withdraw herself from

your answer.

qualities are intimately related to each An effort is often, perhaps usually, other, and yet each is distinct in its man-made to repair artificially any detriment ifestation and its effect. Modesty is wo-done to the vitality and form of these man's natural safeguard that quick and natural qualities, but it is never very suc delicate feeling in the soul which makes cessful. The counterfeit, by a discerning For the ingenevery thing that has danger in it-that eye, is detected at once. uousness of modesty, we have boldness; innate sensibility which warns her to for its coyness, prudery. For the delicashun the first appearance of every thing cy of tenderness, we have daintiness; for which is hurtful, and ever tends to keep its warmth, sentimentality. For the her within her own bright and pure self-poise of grace, we have effort; for its womanly sphere. Tenderness is what self--direction, mannerism. Woman, makes her susceptible to all gentle and doubtless, should have many acquiregenerous impulses of soul and sensements; but let her beware of reckoning which gives quickness to her sympathies, among these acquired modesty, acquired softness to her judgments, devotedness tenderness, and acquired grace. These to her love, and pity to her disdain; may be beautified and enriched; but acwhich ever inclines her to charity rather quired, when once lost, never. They than to rigor; to mercy rather than to are the true vital essence of womanhood, justice. Grace is that native, indefinable giving it all its bloom and perfume, makquality of her soul which inspires a ing its mere efluence an irresistible inbeautiful propriety in every word and fluence, interfusing all the other qualities movement-that sense of the becoming and all the faculties, and blending them which unconsciously imparts something together into one perfect, homogeneous, of symmetry to all that she says and indivisible whole. Being instinctive, they does, suggestive of delicacy, fineness, un-are not actual virtues in themselves, but constraint, instinctive aptitude. These they are necessary to the beauty and three qualities, or rather instincts-mo- the perfection of virtue. They set the desty, tenderness and grace-exist, I say laws of conscience, as it were, to a music, more or less in the original constitution in harmony with every good chord of of every woman. The most simple and woman's being.

complete child of nature Shakspeare ever They make reverence no longer a selfbodied forth, Miranda, reared by her interested fear, but the glad, confiding, father alone on an isle secluded from all though yet trembling, uprising of her the world, was merely the bright, con-heart toward the majesty of goodness.summate, untainted flower of these germs They make stern duty genial, so that it which Nature has placed in every femi-shall work upon others, not through con

nine soil.

straint, but through love, and upon her- loves, a "strong-minded female." We self, not through rigorous self-exaction, hear of the sad power of but through generous self-sacrifice. The

-abstruse research to steal

masculine nature, too, has these inherent From man's own nature all the natural man. qualities, but not in such large propor- The stealth of the natural woman is a tion. It is this predominance in the fem- thousand times more melancholy, inine soul that furnishes some ground,

perhaps, for the assertion that woman is naturally more religious than man. At all events, I think I may safely say, that she, with her fair, calm spirit, has but to look around, where he, in his native vehemence, has to look up-that it is her privilege to utter, almost intuitively, of

Duty

Flowers langh before thee on their beds, And fragrance in thy footing treads. while his well-deliberated words are

Thou dost preserve the Stars from wrong, And the most ancient Heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong.

I have said that the imagination must be cultivated. It is a noble faculty.Bonaparte said that imagination rules the world. The sense of beauty resides there -that which colors, exalts, etherealizes -that which furnishes faith and hope and love with their inspiring ideal-that which lends enthusiasm its celestial wings -that which quickens and vivifies the great law of association, brings the soul into communion with the spirit of nature, invests the most common things of life with a poetry,

Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,

Sermons in stones, and good in everything. I have now spoken of certain qualities Woman which every woman has by nature, which Cultivate, then, imagination. needs it no less than man, and it is even ompose the very essence of her true womanhood, and which it is supremely ne- more congenial with both her duties and her nature. It will make the happiness cessary for her to cherish in all their perfection. But these, indispensable as they already possessed all the more happy, are, do not constitute the stamina of her and open a thousand new sources of decharacter as a probationary being, with light unknown before. And yet, if this high responsibilities and hard trials to faculty be not wisely cultivated, if it bemeet here on earth. For this we must come over-excited, and acquire a growth look to the faculties which she shares disproportionate to that of the reflective with man, her fellow-probationer-to her and moral faculties, it produces a most intellect, her imagination, her will.-baneful effect upon the whole being. It These must be expanded, strengthened, cannot be allowed to luxuriate, without disciplined, regulated. She has a con- inducing the consequences of all luxury, science, too, and that must be enlightened enervation and enfeeblement-without and armed with all its rightful power.-unfitting for all the sober realities and All these faculties of her being ought to practical duties of life, and turning life be educated; yes, if you will, educated itself into an idle revery. up to the highest degree, but educated in harmony with each other, and, chief of all, educated in harmony with her

native attributes.

The will, which is less a faculty than, like instinct, a working, living principle, must be strengthened and regulated, for it is the executive power of the whole Expand and furnish the intellect, so being. I mean by it that energy of soul that she will understand the actual scope which gives self-mastery. This in woand relations of things, form correct judgman, as in man, is indispensable to the ments, think deeply and discerningly, and formation of positive noble character. talk intelligently and aptly; but no such unnatural stimulus should be applied to the intellectual part of her being, as to It was said of the whole race. She who make that the central seat of her life, has not acquired this power, who is wont draw away and lock up here the subtle to resign herself passively to natural imcurrents of her womanly nature, and con- pulse, or agreeable feeling, however good stitute that peculiar production which natured that impulse or feeling may be, every body has heard of and nobody has not, any more than the bird of the

Unless above himself he cam

Erect himself, how mean a thing is man.

air, the dignity of a moral being. It may of femenine nature. If this be done, be said, that it is not imparted but self- those elements will only receive additioneducation which gives this power. This, al fullness and luster. Her modesty will undeniably, to a large extent is true. Yet be dignified by her discerning intellect that outward discipline may perform a and her self-directing will; her grace will very efficient part in this process, no one be glorified by her vivifying imagination; who bethinks himself of the Spartan sys- and her tenderness will be dignified and tem and its results, can doubt. But, glorified, and sanctified, by her enlighthowever desirable and necessary strengthening and hallowing conscience. And of will may be, when it acquires such thus, simply by the wise development of strenuousness as to find a positive pleas- her own proper nature, with the promure in unconditional volition, that is to ised grace of God, we have a "spirit, yet say; when it becomes willfulness, and a woman too"rules for the mere sake of ruling, it beA perfect woman, nobly planned, comes a gross deformity. Its work is To warn, to comfort, and command, not self-control, but self-sufficiency-a And yet a spirit still, and bright, self-sufficiency forbidding all dependence,, With something of an angel light. and repelling all sympathy. There is, I have written of woman's capability.— then, a necessity that will should be I have something to add of her responsi trained with reference to all the sensibil-bility. If not outwardly so arduous and ities and capabilities of woman's nature. imposing as that of man, it is yet intrinAnd so, too, of conscience. Conscience sically more sacred and sublime. I will is the voice of moral law, and all law is not discuss woman's appropriate sphere. strict and exacting in its very nature.―The praters upon this subject dishonor The conscience cannot be too fully bro't her. She fixes her sphere for herself, or out, if brought out in harmony with the rather her own true nature fixes it for other portions of our being, nor can its her. She dwells not in the suburbs of dictates be too implicitly obeyed. But, man's good pleasure here, but in her own supreme in its own sphere, as it is, it was high instincts finds her own "true fixed never meant to maintain constant dieta- and resting quality." Woman's predomtion. It has authority, but it is too roy-inating sensibility holds her chiefly to al to be jealous of the loving instincts of domestic duties, as man's predominating the soul. It imposes a law upon a child energy holds him chiefly to public duto obey its parents, but it is well pleased ties. I speak of the main bent and the that the child should obey his parents natural province. Of course, man has a spontaneously, in answer to the prompt-share in domestic life, and woman, thro' ings of his own loving nature. They society, a share in public life, and thro' wrong conscience greatly, who make her authorship, too, if she feels impelled to a despot instead of a guardian, and can resort to it--though I have the authority find praise for no act that she herself of that most excellent judge of woman. does not exclusively direct. The very Mrs. Jamieson, for saying, that it is most perfection, too, of all right doing, is doing certain that of the women who have venright, not only conscientiously, but lov-tured into the public path of literature, ingly-not only obediently, but freely, three-fourths have done it because placed impulsively, gladly. "If ye love me, in a painful or needy position in respect keep my commandments,' It is the to domestic life.

chief glory of woman that, excelling, as The responsibility of Woman, then, at she does in the sympathetic part of her home, is her primary responsibility, and nature, she is so peculiarly capable of I fearlessly say that there is no responsithis. Any system of moral education bility on earth like it. I say it, because which impairs this, or leaves it out of ac- she has the chief custody and control of count, does her a most unnatural wrong. that period of human life in which, more I repeat, then, that all these faculties than any other, the character is formed, -intellect, imagination, will and con- not only for this world, but for an unscience-must be educated harmoniously speakably blessed or an awfully cursed with each other, and above all, harmo- immortality. Responsibility! niously with the three special elements now, in the arena of public life, from cen

Where,

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