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 THE UN fV LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO 
 
 LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

 
 ud take for granted, -nor to Cind. taHc aud aisi: 
 
 S.H.COLESWORTHY,
 
 YOUNG LADY'S AID, 
 
 TO 
 * * 
 
 USEFULNESS AND HAPPINESS. 
 
 BY JASON WHITMAN, 
 
 AUTHOR OF THE YOUNG HAN'S ASSISTANT, 
 
 SECOND EDITION, 
 
 IMPROVED AND ENLARGED. 
 
 PORTLAND: 
 
 S. H. COLES WORTHY. 
 1839.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, 
 
 BY 8. H. COLE8WORTHY, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Maine. 
 
 HUFU8 TUKEY, PRINTER, 
 NO. 23, EXCHANGE STREET.
 
 TO 
 
 THE YOUNG LADIES 
 
 or 
 
 THE PARK-STREET PARISH, 
 
 PORTLAND, MAINE, 
 
 THIS LITTLE VOLUME, 
 
 ORIGINALLY PREPARED FOR THEIR GOOD, 
 AND IN THE FORM OF 
 
 LECTURES, 
 
 DELIVERED IN THEIR PRESENCE I 
 AFFECTIONATELY 
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 BY THEIR 
 
 FRIEND AND PASTOR.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 1 am aware, that it may seem to be the very 
 height of presumption, to bring forward a work 
 addressed to young ladies, after the excellent vol- 
 umes of Mrs. Sigourney and Mrs. Farrar. But 
 I have ever felt that the multiplication of books of 
 this character is productive of good rather than of 
 evil. My reasons are these. Every writer has 
 his own way of stating things, his peculiar mode 
 of address, his individual style of writing. Then, 
 too, the tastes of readers differ widely. What is 
 dull to one, may be interesting to another. There 
 is hope, therefore, that if books aie multiplied, 
 and the subjects are presented in different modes 
 and styles, a greater variety of tastes will be suit- 
 ed, and a greater number of readers will be inter- 
 ested. Then, too, it is often the case, that a book 
 is read with interest, on account of the acquain- 
 tance, which the reader may have with the writer. 
 Every one has his circle of friends and acquain- 
 tances, within which, what he may say will be 
 eagerly read and particularly regarded. I would 
 cherish the hope, therefore, that this little volume
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 may find readers, and may exert an influence 
 among the friends and acquaintances of the writer, 
 and with those whose tastes may be suited, by his 
 particular mode of address, notwithstanding there 
 may be other and better books of a similar char- 
 acter already before the public. 
 
 This volume was originally prepared, as has 
 been already hinted, in the form of lectures. 
 The occasion of preparing them was simply this- 
 In the regular discharge of my professional duties, 
 I addressed a course of lectures to the young men 
 of my parish. It was hinted by a respected fe- 
 male friend, that, a similar course, addressed to 
 young ladies, would be acceptable and might be 
 the means of some good. The suggestion was 
 accepted and acted upon. The lectures were giv- 
 en on the afternoons of six successive Sabbaths. 
 Tbey were very fully attended, by young ladies 
 from most of the religious societies in the city and 
 were listened to with great apparent interest. It 
 has been suggested to me that by publishing them 
 they might be instrumental of more extended 
 good. 
 
 In regard to the matter and the style of these 
 letters, 1 simply say, that I have touched upon 
 those topics, which have presented themselves 
 most forcibly to my own mind, as the topics upon 
 which counsel and advice were most needed, and 
 that I have written straight on, just as thoughts,
 
 PREFACE. Vll 
 
 examples and illustrations have occurred, labor- 
 ing only to be understood and felt, and not think- 
 ing whether I should subject myself to censure or 
 secure to myself praise. 
 
 I now commend this little book to the public, to 
 whose good opinion I am not indifferent, and in 
 whose approbation of my efforts I should rejoice. 
 I commend it especially to that interesting and 
 most important class of the community, to whom 
 it is more particularly addressed the young la- 
 dies with the hope that it may be to them truly 
 and in reality what it is nominally, an aid to use- 
 fulness and happiness. But above all would I 
 commend this effort to our heavenly Father, with 
 the prayer, that he would accept and bless what- 
 ever in it may be in accordance with his will, and 
 forgive what in it may not meet with his approval. 
 JASON WHITMAN.
 
 THE 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY UPON THE 
 CONDITION OF FEMALES. 
 
 Introductory remarks the condition of females in savage 
 lands in those semi-civilized in Christian lands 
 reasons for instituting this comparison Counsels and 
 advice should be adapted to the condition in which wo- 
 men are to be placed; Christianity regards woman as an 
 individual spiritual being before God dependent up- 
 on and accountable to him This the essential distinc- 
 tion and the essential relation This thought will fill 
 woman with self-respect It will lead her to such 
 courses of conduct and such pursuits of study as will 
 render her worthy of the respect of others. 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIENDS: 
 
 The peculiar situations in which I have 
 been placed in life, as a teacher, with young
 
 JO YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 ladies under my instruction, and, then, as a 
 minister of the gospel, have afforded me op- 
 portunities for observing the peculiar dangers 
 to which you are exposed; and have excited 
 within me deep feelings of interest in your wel- 
 fare. I have, for a long time wished to see 
 you aiming more constantly at usefulness, in 
 the highest and best sense of that term, as the 
 direct road to happiness. And I have felt de- 
 sirous of doing what little might be in my pow- 
 er, to aid you in your endeavors to become 
 useful and happy. I have, therefore, determin- 
 ed to address you in a series of letters. I shall 
 not speak as an admirer of female beauty and 
 female charms, and fill my letters with fulsome 
 flattery. The deep and heartfelt respect 
 which I entertain for you, forbids it. Nor shall 
 1 speak to you, simply as a Christian minis- 
 ter, in the measured stiffness of official dignity, 
 authority or reserve. No my friends, I de- 
 sire to lay aside every thing which may pre- 
 vent my speaking to you with the same free- 
 dom, directness and particularity, with which 
 1 should address an own and much loved 
 sister. And I wish you to regard the sugges-
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 11 
 
 tions, which I may offer, not merely as the 
 cold dictates of official duty, but as the warmer 
 promptings of fraternal affection. I would ap- 
 proach you as a brother I would speak to you 
 as to sisters. But, while I would lay aside my 
 official character, I cannot forget my Christian 
 solicitudes. While I would speak to you as a 
 brother, I beg you to bear it in mind, that it 
 is as a Christian brother that I speak; for, if 
 Christianity be regarded as the living and eter- 
 nal truth of God, and be allowed to reach the 
 heart, it will affect our feelings, most deeply 
 and distinctly, in regard to those who are near 
 and dear to us. Does the Christian pray for 
 the salvation of heathen nations? And does 
 he not pray, with tenfold more earnestness for 
 the salvation of those near and dear to him 
 of parents, brothers, sisters, wife, children? 
 You will not, then, think it strange that, in 
 speaking to you as a brother, I may suffer my- 
 self to be controlled by my Christian solicitude 
 for your spiritual good. 
 
 I have thus, my young friends, introduced 
 myself to your acquaintance, and explained to 
 you the feelings, desires and intentions, with
 
 12 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 which I commenced this series of letters ; and 
 now, I would ask you to pause and look at 
 yourselves, to consider carefully the peculiar- 
 ities of the situation in which you are placed, 
 to inquire for the causes which have produced 
 these peculiarities, and for the duties which 
 spring from them. And you will be the bet- 
 ter enabled to do this, if you will first inquire 
 into the situation of females in other times and 
 other lands. As you pursue this inquiry, you 
 will find, that, in many nations, woman has 
 been regarded as the slave or the play thing 
 of man; you will find too, that in some na- 
 tions, she is even now so regarded. Among 
 savage nations, woman is in reality only a slave. 
 She must bear burdens, and endure fatigues 
 in obedience to her lord and master, the hus- 
 band. The husband will pass his days in sport 
 or idleness, while the wife is employed in hard 
 and wearing labor. Among such nations, man 
 seems to look upon woman as created for him, 
 for his use and pleasure. Such is the condition 
 of woman among savage nations. 
 
 There are other nations, more nearly civi- 
 lized, where the condition of woman is differ-.
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 13 
 
 ent, where she is suffered to live in compara- 
 tive idleness, where she is gaily decked out 
 and fondly caressed. But among these she is 
 regarded as a mere toy or play thing. Like 
 the child's doll, she may be carefully preser- 
 ved and beautifully adorned, but still preser- 
 ved and adorned, only as a doll, only as a gild- 
 ed play thing, which may serve as a source 
 of temporary pleasure. Such is the condition 
 of woman in some lands? she lives, and adorns 
 her person, and cultivates her charms that so 
 she may be the more acceptable as a toy, or 
 may the more readily excite the passions she 
 must gratify. Then there are other lands, like 
 our own, which are civilized and christianized, 
 and what is the condition of woman in these? 
 Here, she is regarded, not as the slave, not as 
 the play thing, but as the equal and companion 
 of man. Man looks to her, not merely for 
 service, not solely for pleasure. He looks to 
 her for sympathy and counsel. He does not 
 command her as a superior but speaks to her 
 as to an equal. Is the husband in indigent 
 circumstances? He does, indeed, expect 
 the wife to struggle with him against the evils 
 
 2
 
 14 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 of poverty. And he hopes to be himself ani- 
 mated to still more resolute exertions, by the 
 cheerfulness and resolution with which she 
 may struggle. Is the husband rich? He ex- 
 pects to find, in the wife, one who will coun- 
 sel and advise, in regard to the best mode of 
 employing the riches which God has bestow- 
 ed; one, who will aid him in doing good accor- 
 ding to the extent of his means. Is man placed 
 on a bed of sickness? The attentions of none 
 are so soothing as those of woman, those of a 
 mother, a daughter, a sister, or a wife. At 
 such times man locks to woman not merely 
 as an equal, but as a superior. He is almost 
 inclined to regard her as an 'angel of mercy,' 
 at least as a 'sister of charity,' and superior to 
 himself in her capacity for charitable deeds. 
 But why, you may ask, is it necessary or 
 important to bring these different conditions 
 of woman into view by way of contrast? I an- 
 swer, that counsel and advice, in order to be 
 appropriate and useful, should be adapted to 
 the condition of those to whom it is addressed. 
 If woman is to be the slave of man, to perform 
 labors and bear burdens at his command, then
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 15 
 
 she should prepare herself, while young, for 
 lier future labors by such a course of exercise 
 and effort, as will produce physical develop- 
 ment and bodily strength. Under such cir- 
 cumstances and with such prospects the coun- 
 sels and advice given should have principal re- 
 ference to this point. So, too, if woman is to 
 be the mere toy and play thing of man, living 
 only to afford him pleasure, or to gratify 
 his passions, then should she qualify herself 
 for this condition by seeking in early years an 
 acquaintance with those arts and personal em- 
 bellishments, which are calculated to make 
 her a more accomplished and acceptable toy. 
 Under such circumstances and with such 
 prospects, the counsels given should have ref- 
 erence to this kind of preparation. But if wo- 
 man is to be the equal, the companion, the 
 counsellor of man, then should her early edu- 
 cation and training have reference to these pe- 
 culiarities in her condition. And, where man 
 is enlightened and refined, there must womwi 
 also be enlightened and refined, that she may 
 be truly equal and capable of companionship. 
 You will perceive, at once, that, in the latter
 
 16 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 case, the education necessary will be more 
 various, extensive and difficult, than in the 
 former. In the former cases, man seeks the 
 company of woman only at particular times, 
 when he wishes for her labor and service, or 
 when he would amuse himself with her as a 
 toy. But, in the latter case, there is no state 
 of mind, in which man does not seek the so- 
 ciety of woman. Does lie rejoice? He would 
 share his joys with some beloved female. 
 Does he weep? His tears are wiped away 
 by the delicate hand of a mother, or a daugh- 
 ter, a sister or a wife. Is the husband in 
 doubt, in perplexity, in distress? Does he 
 not go to the wife of his bosom for advice, for 
 counsel, for sympathy, lor encouragement? 
 Consequently, woman should be prepared to 
 meet all these various calls. The mind, then, 
 should be informed and the judgment matur- 
 ed, that she may be qualified to give counsel. 
 The sympathies should be awakened, the feel- 
 iqgs cultivated and the affections trained, that 
 so she may enter into the feelings, draw forth 
 the sympathies, and enlist the affections ot 
 those she would counsel; that so she may
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 17 
 
 corne to man, not as a superior being to reprove 
 or instruct merely, but as an equal, to share 
 with him his various fortunes. And then, too, 
 the energies should be aroused and develop- 
 ed, that so she may be herself enabled to bear 
 up cheerfully and to cheer and encourage her 
 companion under trial and difficulty. Such, 
 I say, should be the early training of one, who 
 is to be the companion and counsellor of edu- 
 cated and enlightened man. How various, 
 how extensive, how difficult the task. I have 
 alluded, then, to these differences in the con- 
 dition of woman, in order that you may under- 
 stand the reason and the object of my counsels. 
 For it will be my endeavor to give such, as are 
 calculated to prepare you for the peculiar cir- 
 cumstances of your future condition; such as 
 are calculated to prepare you to be in reality 
 and truly the companions and counsellors of 
 man. I have alluded to these differences in 
 the condition of woman for another reason; I 
 wish you to understand the principle involved 
 in this difference, to know, not merely that 
 there is a difference, but why this difference 
 exists; the causes which have produced it. And
 
 18 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 on this point, I would observe, that, upon 
 examination, you will find that there is a mar- 
 ked and striking difference between the condi- 
 tion of woman in Christian and unchristian lands. 
 There may be, end there undoubtedly are, 
 great differences in the condition of woman in 
 lands not Christian, and in some they may be 
 more' elevated than in others. So too there 
 may be, and there undoubtedly is a great di- 
 versity in the condition of woman in different 
 Christian lands. Jn some they may be more 
 degraded than in others. But these are only 
 differences in modes and degrees; they are 
 not differences in principle. Between Chris- 
 tian lands and those not Christian the differ- 
 ence is one of principle. And what is this 
 difference of principle? It is this. Inlands 
 not Christian woman is regarded only as an ap- 
 pendage of man, as created for his use and 
 pleasure. The estimation in which she is 
 held, and the condition in which she is plac- 
 ed, depend only upon the different opinions, 
 which may prevail in regard to her appropri- 
 ate sphere, either as a servant of labor or as a 
 minister of pleasure. She is not regarded as
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITV. 19 
 
 an independent individual creation, of intrin- 
 sic worth in herself; but simply as an' appen- 
 dage of man, living, laboring, studying the arts 
 of pleasing with a view to the service, or to* 
 the gratification of man. Such is the peculiar- 
 ity of the prevalent opinions in regard to wo- 
 man in lands not Christian. There may be 
 slight differences in the mode in which she is 
 treated. The savage rnny make woman but a 
 substitute for a beast of burden. The Turk, 
 with his seraglio, may regard her as a toy, val- 
 uable indeed, but still a toy. But the princi- 
 ple with both is the same. They both re- 
 gard woman as the appendage of man. In 
 Christian lands the case is far different. 
 Christianity addresses woman as an individual, 
 a spiritual being, possessing powers, and ca- 
 pacities, involved in responsibilities, capable 
 of happiness; a being of real, intrinsic and eter- 
 nal worth, in herself, and without dependence 
 upon man. Christianity connects woman di- 
 rectly with the throne of God, and teaches 
 that she is no more to be regarded as an ap- 
 pendage of man than man is to be regarded as 
 an appendage of woman. Christianity does
 
 ~U YOUNG LADY S AID. 
 
 indeed recognize the relations, in which wo- 
 man is placed. It regards her as sustaining 
 to man the relation of daughter, sister, wife 
 and mother; and enforces, with sanctions the 
 most solemn, the obligations and duties of 
 these relations. But she places man and wo- 
 man on an equality before God. If she says to 
 wives 'submit yourselves to your own hus- 
 bands,' she is only pointing out a duty, which 
 springs from a peculiar relation. She does 
 not say woman submit to man. She only 
 says. having entered a peculiar relation in which 
 it is necessary that there should be one and 
 only one head, you must yield all proper sub- 
 mission to this head. This then is the prin- 
 ciple, the peculiarity of the view, with which 
 woman is regarded and addressed by Christi- 
 anity. She is addressed as an individual im- 
 mortal spirit, looking not to man, but to God, 
 as the being with whom she is directly con- 
 nected, and for whose service and glory she 
 was created. 
 
 Indeed Christianity looks upon us all, in 
 one and the same light, as individual spirits be- 
 fore God, dependent upon, and accountable to
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 21 
 
 him. But, at the same time, it regards us as 
 spirits, sustaining towards each other certain 
 relations, out of which grow certain duties, by 
 the faithful performance of which our mutual 
 improvement may be promoted and our mutu- 
 al happiness secured. It speaks to us all, I 
 repeat, as individual spirits before God, de- 
 pendent upon, and accountable lo him. This 
 is the one unchangeable view, which Christian- 
 ity takes of us, and it teaches us that this is 
 the one unchangeable view which we should 
 take of ourselves. The relations of life may 
 vary, the circumstances and condition of our 
 being may vary, but this peculiarity, that we 
 are spiritual be.ings, and this relation to God, 
 as dependent and accountable beings, must al- 
 ways remain. 
 
 And this is the view, my young friends, 
 which Christianity takes of you. It regards 
 you as individual, immortal spirits before God, 
 his children, dependent upon, and accountable 
 to him. It has seen you children, it now sees 
 you young ladies, it may hereafter see you 
 wives and mothers, it follows you through all 
 these relations, as immortal spirits. With every
 
 *2~2 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 variation in your relations, your duties wilt 
 vary. But you will retain through them all 
 your essential characteristic, as immortal spir- 
 its, your essential relation as dependent upon 
 an:l accountable to God. And so too, Christi- 
 anity may follow you through the various chang- 
 es of life. It may see you in circumstances 
 of wealth, or in those of poverty, in the en- 
 joyment of bodily health, or visited by bodily 
 disease; as the mistress of your mansion, or as 
 domestics in the same. But in all these vari- 
 ations of condition and circumstance, it looks 
 upon you as still immortal spirits, and regards 
 all these variations as the means appointed by 
 God for the growth, development and im- 
 provement of the spirit. And now my young 
 friends I wish you would look upon yourselves 
 in this light. Ever regard yourselves as im- 
 Diortal spirits before God, capable of spiritu- 
 al improvement and spiritual happiness, as 
 dependent upon and accountable to him. 
 Ever regard all the relations, all the circum- 
 stances, all the duties, and all the trials of life, 
 but as so many temporary arrangements, ap- 
 pointed by God lor your spiritual improve-
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 23 
 
 ment. Fix your thoughts then not upon these 
 temporary arrangements, but upon your essen- 
 tial characteristic, your essential relation. 
 I have thus pointed out what I regard as the 
 foundation of the peculiar condition of woman 
 in Christian lands. The more fully these views 
 are brought home to the feelings, the more 
 will woman be elevated and refined; the more 
 will she be respected and esteemed; the more 
 fully will she become the companion and the 
 counsellor of man. But why so, you will ask? 
 I answer, that woman will learn, from this 
 view to respect and value herself, and to base 
 her self-respect upon right grounds. She will 
 respect herself for what she is, as created by 
 God, for her intellectual, moral and spiritual 
 capacities. She will respect herself, on ac- 
 count of the relation which she sustains to the 
 all perfect Jehovah, as his child. She will 
 respect herself on account of the glorious des- 
 tiny which is before her, an eternal and spir- 
 itual life beyond the grave. She will look, 
 with deep and heartfelt reverence upon that 
 nature, which comes from the hands of God , 
 which is capable of loving and serving and
 
 24 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 holding communion with God, and which, if 
 through the power of Christian truth and the 
 influences of God's spirit it be developed 
 aright, is to enjoy eternal blessedness in the 
 presence of God and the Savior, in company 
 with holy angels and the spirits of the just 
 made perfect. And this her self-respect, bas- 
 ed as it will be upon these grounds, will exert 
 an influence upon all her tastes, upon all her 
 pursuits, upon her whole character. Will she, 
 who feels that she is a spiritual being, depen- 
 dent upon, accountable to God, destined to 
 an eternal, spiritual life beyond the grave, will 
 such a one, I ask, have a taste for vanity and 
 frivolity? And will such a one spend her time 
 in studying and arranging the various forms of 
 dress, the various rules and laws of fashion, to 
 the neglect of her spiritual cultivation, to the 
 forgetfulness of her eternal destiny? Will she 
 not, on the contrary, be carried by her very 
 self-respect, and by the tastes naturally spring- 
 ing from that self-respect, to pursuits more 
 solid and substantial? Will such a one strive 
 solely to please man, will she not strive prin- 
 cipally to please God. Most surely she will.
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 25 
 
 And, under the influence of these views, her 
 very tastes will lead her to those pursuits and 
 studies, which are solid and substantial and 
 which give stability to character and secure 
 respect. Thus you perceive, that, if woman 
 looks upon herself, through the medium of 
 Christianity, she will be almost necessarily and 
 unavoidably led to seek for such acquisitions 
 and to pursue such courses of conduct, as will 
 render her worthy of respect. But, still fur- 
 ther, man will regard woman with greater res- 
 pect and will treat her with greater reverence, 
 when he looks upon her through the Christian 
 medium. He will see in her, not a mere play 
 thing, not a mere slave, but an immortal soul, 
 capable of indefinite progress in spiritual im- 
 provement. He will reverence her for what she 
 is, and is capable of becoming. His reverence 
 for her spiritual nature will exert a powerful 
 influence upon his manner of treating her. 
 Will one, who regards woman as an immortal 
 spirit, subject her to all the labors and endur- 
 ances of a beast of burden? Oh, no. Will 
 he consent that she should be a mere slave? 
 Most surely not. Will he treat her only as a 
 
 3
 
 26 YOUNG LADY'S ATD. 
 
 toy, for occasional trifling and amusement, or 
 regard her only as the means of gratifying pas- 
 sions? It cannot be. His reverence for her 
 essential characteristic and her essential rela- 
 tion will forbid it. He may see woman deba- 
 sed, degraded, and, in the greatest degree, 
 loathsome in her appearance, or he may see 
 her the most light and trifling of creation, deck- 
 ed out in all the gaudy display of worthless 
 finery. But his feelings will, in both cases, 
 and in all similar cases, be only those of pity. 
 He may mourn over her perversion of her high 
 capacities. But he will still be filled with the 
 deepest respect for the tendencies of her na- 
 ture. He will strive to reclaim her, to save 
 her, to bring her back from her degradation 
 and folly to a correct view of her immortal 
 relations. You perceive, therefore, that the 
 li^ht, in which Christianity presents woman, is 
 well calculated, not only to fill woman herself 
 with self-respect, and to lead her to acquisi- 
 tions and pursuits which will secure the re- 
 spect of others, but that it is well calculated 
 o cause man to look upon her with deep and 
 heartfelt reverence, for the native tendencies
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 27 
 
 of her soul. You see then, my young friends, 
 how it is and why it is, that in Christian lands 
 the condition of woman is so far elevated 
 above what it is in lands where the sun of 
 righteousness has never dawned. 
 
 You have now seen, young ladies, what 
 Christianity has done for you. It has set you 
 free from the degrading idea that you are the 
 mere appendages of man, created for his ser- 
 vice and bound to make it the object of your 
 life to please him. It has placed you on a level 
 with every other human being, as immortal 
 spirits, bound most closely to the throne of 
 the everlasting Jehovah, standing side by side 
 with your fellow beings, not subjected to them, 
 but on an equality with them, sustaining to 
 them certain relations, out of which grow cer- 
 tain duties. It has raised you from the con- 
 dition of slaves or play things to that of friends, 
 counsellors and supporters of your fellow be- 
 ings. It may be that, your father or guar- 
 dian may make no pretensions to personal re- 
 ligion. Still, I say, that it is to Christianity 
 that you are indebted for most of your pecu- 
 liar privileges. Your father or your guardian,
 
 ^O \OUNG' LADY S AID. 
 
 if not devoted personal Christians themselves, 
 live in a Christian land, in Christian society and 
 under the splendors of the noonday rays of the 
 sun of righteousness. He cannot divest him- 
 self of the influences by which he is ever 
 surrounded, and which press upon hirn from 
 all sides, like the pressure of the atmosphere 
 upon his hody. He cannot go counter to the 
 practices which every where prevail, and 
 which, with most, are all powerful. If, then, 
 your father or your guardian be not himself a 
 devoted personal Christian, still he gives you 
 a Christian education, he treats you with Chris- 
 tian kindness. And so of all around you. 
 They treat you with Christian respect. For 
 they are subjected to the general influences of 
 Christianity, which are every where around. 
 You perceive then, I repeat, what Christian- 
 ity has done for you. It has revealed you to 
 yourselves and excited within you feelings of 
 self-respect. It has shed a light upon your 
 natures, which lias caused you to be respected 
 and reverenced by others. I do not mean 
 that Christianity has actually done all this, in 
 every instance. But 1 do mean that, \vher-
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 29 
 
 ever its full power is felt and its true spirit 
 has been imbibed, it has done this. I do mean 
 that, the more fully you may yourselves feel 
 the power of Christianity upon your hearts, 
 the more will you respect and reverence your- 
 selves; the more careful will you be, in all 
 your pursuits, to select those which are solid, 
 substantial and improving; and consequently 
 the more worthy will you become of the re- 
 spect and esteem of others. I do mean, still 
 further, that the more fully the power of Chris- 
 tian truth is felt in the community, and the 
 more entirely the spirit of Christianity prevails, 
 the greater will be the respect and kindness, 
 with which woman will be treated. You see 
 then, I repeat still again, what Christianity 
 has done for you. Nay more, you can, at 
 the same time, perceive what she is capable 
 of doing for you, if you will but yield to her 
 claims, and her influences.
 
 L E T T E R II. 
 
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY AT THE 
 HAND OF FEMALE-. 
 
 Recapitulation of the topics of the preceding letter 
 The general subject of this and the succeeding letters 
 stated Christianity makes two requests that we 
 should become ourselves truly Christian and strive 
 to make others truly Christian She asks, particularly 
 that all should give her their hearts This request in 
 accordance with our natures If the affections are not 
 fixed upon some worthy object, they will fasten them- 
 selves upon what is unworthy if they are not di- 
 rected to some engrossing object, the individual may 
 become listless and unhappy The difference between 
 ladies and gentlemen in this respect Christianity asks 
 in the second place, that her votaries should engage 
 in a course of moral and religious self-cultivation 
 This illustrated the cultivation of amiability of dis- 
 position The cultivation of contentedness of feeling 
 The mistake that the various qualities of a religious 
 character are the result of natural disposition or of 
 special influence corrected The mistake that we 
 should wait to be irresistibly moved to become reli- 
 gious, corrected The importance of beginning im- 
 mediately and of cherishing the slightest serious im- 
 pressions urged conclusion.
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 31 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIENDS: 
 
 In my last letter, I endeavored to awaken 
 you to a full view of what Christianity had done 
 for you. And especially, I endeavored to 
 point out to you the light, in which she has 
 revealed you to yourselves; as marked by the 
 essential characteristic of immortal spirits, as 
 sustaining the essential relation of dependence 
 upon and accountability to God. I endeavor- 
 ed also to point out to you the influence, which 
 this view might be expected to have, and which 
 it ought to have upon your own feelings and 
 pursuits, and upon the esteem in which you 
 might be held by man and the treatment which 
 you might receive at his hands. 
 
 In this letter I shall speak directly and par- 
 ticularly of what Christianity requires of you. 
 And my first remark is, that Christianity makes 
 two distinct general requests of each one of 
 you. ' In the first place, she asks that you 
 would, each one of you, fashion your own char- 
 acters upon her model, and would strive to bring 
 yourselves, in all respects, into a conformity 
 with her principles and her spirit. In the se- 
 cond place, she asks that you would each of
 
 32 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 you, in your own appropriate spheres, and in 
 the way most becoming and proper, exert your 
 influence to promote the increased power, and 
 the wider spread of these same principles, the 
 more universal prevalence of this spirit. Do 
 you ask how you can best meet and comply 
 with these requisitions? how you can yourselves 
 become truly Christian, and how you can exert 
 an influence to make others truly Christian? 
 1 answer, that it will be my object, in this se- 
 ries of letters, to point out more particularly 
 the way in which you can comply with these 
 two general requisitions of Christianity. 
 
 And, first, I remark that Christianity asks, 
 more particularly, lhat you should give her your 
 hearts. She regards you, as possessing the pur- 
 est and most ardent affections. But she sees 
 you in danger of ruin, social, intellectual and 
 moral ruin, through the instrumentality of these 
 very affections, for she sees them in danger of 
 being perverted, of becoming depraved. She 
 is unwilling that they should be fastened su- 
 premely upon any thing, other than the high- 
 est, purest and holiest objects. She is unwil- 
 ling that you should set your affections supreme-
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 33 
 
 ly upon social enjoyment, upon intellectual cul- 
 tivation, or even upon mere moral improvement. 
 She would not have you disregard these things. 
 But she would have you regard spiritual or re- 
 ligious improvement, as the one great object of 
 life? she would have you set your affections up- 
 on the spiritual enjoyments of another -world, 
 as the supreme object of desire, the great end 
 to be sought. Having directed the attention 
 to these, religious improvement in this life, and 
 to religious enjoyment in the world to come, 
 and fixed the affections upon them, as the end 
 of desire and of effort, she teaches that social, 
 intellectual and moral improvement and enjoy- 
 ment are to be sought, as subsidiary to and in- 
 strumental of spiritual progress. Religious or 
 spiritual improvement, then, should be the one 
 grand, all-absorbing object of desire and effort. 
 All else is to be viewed as subsidiary to this, all 
 else is to be estimated by the character of its 
 influence upon this; upon religious or spiritual 
 improvement, upon a right preparation for the 
 enjoyment of religious or spiritual happiness be- 
 yond the grave. Christianity permits you to 
 love all things which are pure and innocent,
 
 34 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 in different degrees, according to their different 
 degrees of real worth. But she asks that you 
 should love her and the objects which she pre- 
 sents to your notice, with all the strength of 
 your most ardent affections. She asks that you 
 would give her your hearts, that you would 
 give her yourselves, yield yourselves up to be 
 moulded and fashioned in all your habits of 
 thought, feeling and desire, in all your words 
 and actions", by her instructions. She asks that 
 you would love her supremely and serve her 
 devotedly. Such, my young friends, is the first 
 request of Christianity, at your hands. She will 
 accept of no partial devotion, of no divided af- 
 fections. To become, in all respects, what 
 Christianity requires you to be, must be, with 
 each one of you, the supreme object of desire 
 and of effort. 
 
 And this request is reasonable. It is in ac- 
 cordance with the demands of your own na- 
 tures. For, unless the affections become en- 
 grossingly fixed upon some worthy object, there 
 is great danger that they will either attach them- 
 selves to some inferior and unworthy object, 
 perhaps even to what is absurd and ridiculous,
 
 BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. 35 
 
 or will wither away, leaving the individual to 
 become entirely and disgustingly selfish. Have 
 there not been, I ask, ladies, who, to all human 
 appearances, have become entirely absorbed in 
 their devotion to a lap dog, manifesting an al- 
 most maternal anxiety for its comfort, spending 
 much of that most precious of all earthly pos- 
 sessions, time, in childishly watching and tend- 
 ing the animal? And yet these claimed to be 
 Ladies, possessed of immortal spirits, of heaven 
 born affections! Ladies, possessed of reason 
 and conscience! Must not every one exclaim , 
 at the sight, at the very thought of such a per- 
 son, oh how perverted, how debased her affec- 
 tions! I have taken an extreme case. But it 
 shows the tendency of the affections of the hu- 
 man heart, if not directed to elevated and wor- 
 thy objects, to descend and fasten themselves 
 upon those which are low and unworthy. 
 
 Nor am I certain that there are not many 
 corresponding cases in female society. Is it 
 not often the case, that ladies, and young ladies 
 in particular, permit their affections to become 
 fixed upon the vanities of dress and fashion? Is 
 it not sometimes the case that they are rendered
 
 36 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 miserably unhappy, if their dress be not as gay, 
 or as rich or as fashionable as the dresses of 
 their companions? Is it not the case that young 
 ladies sometimes permit their thoughts to be en- 
 grossed and their affections absorbed in the cer- 
 emonies of a party or the attentions of the beaux, 
 so much so, that they can scarcely speak, think, 
 or dream of any thing else? And to what is 
 this owing, but to the absence of some higher 
 and holier object of affection. Christianity does 
 not ask, my young friends, that you should be 
 utterly indifferent to dress, etiquette or atten- 
 tion. It asks only that you should assign them 
 their proper places, and give them that degree of 
 regard and consideration only, which they really 
 deserve. And wherever she is received into the 
 heart and embraced with a living faith, she pro- 
 duces the characters she wishes to see. For, I 
 ask can it be possible that the young lady whose 
 heart has been touched with gospel influences, 
 who has imbibed the smallest portion of the gos- 
 pel spirit, can it be possible, I ask, that such 
 a young lady can suffer her thoughts to be en- 
 grossed, or her soul to be disturbed by these 
 comparatively trifling objects of regard? Most
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 37 
 
 certainly not. The claims of Christianity, then, 
 are in accordance with the demands of your 
 own nature. 
 
 Still further, where the affections are not fixed 
 upon some worthy object of pursuit and, the 
 mind is not employed in the attainment of that 
 object, there will be much unhappiness. I have: 
 my young friends, witnessed much of uahappi- 
 ness, among those with whom I am associated, 
 and I have sought earnestly for the causes of 
 it. These are various. There is poverty, 
 there are afflictions. There are disappoint- 
 ments. There are anxious and disturbing im- 
 aginations. These, and many others a-re caus- 
 es of unhappienss. But 31 r.ave been led to 
 the conclusion; from what I have myself seen, 
 that there is no one canse, which is every day 
 producing so much unhappiness, with so many 
 individuals as the want of soms worthy object 
 of affection and pursuit. I have seen I think, 
 more real unhappiness produced by having 
 nothing to do, or nothing which engrosses the 
 thoughts and affections, and which from its 
 very worth, gives a sweet and calm self-sat- 
 isfaction to those engaged in its pursuit, than 
 
 4
 
 38 YOUNO LADY'S AID. 
 
 by any other cause. I have indeed, seen pa- 
 rents in great anxiety as to the comforts of life 
 for themselves and their children. But the 
 efforts, they were compelled to make, served 
 to allay their anxiety, and the unexpected sup- 
 plies, which they have at times received, have 
 filled them with great and resigned trust in the 
 wisdom and goodness of God's overruling prov- 
 idence. But, on the other hand, I have wit- 
 nessed tenfold unhappiness in those, who were 
 free from want or the danger of want, but 
 whose affections were not fixed upon some 
 worthy object of pursuit. When the ques- 
 tion has been asked me, in regard to such, 
 'what can allay their unhappiness?' I have 
 answered, that, to human eyes, it appeared 
 that nothing but actual calamity, or their be- 
 coming truly religious can ever accomplish 
 the object. I feel perfectly safe, then, in 
 saying, that^where you will find one unhappy, 
 from the various causes to which I have allu- 
 ded, you will find ten rendered miserably un- 
 happy, from the want of some worthy and 
 engrossing object ojf thought, affection and 
 pursuit. Here, too, the requirements of
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF eHRISTIAWITT. 39 
 
 Christianity are in accordance with your na- 
 tures. She presents to your notice the high- 
 est and holiest objects of affection and pur- 
 suits, and ask that you should devote your- 
 self supremely to them. And thus she asks 
 you to pursue the course, which your own 
 natures demand, the course, without which, 
 your affections are in danger of becoming fixed 
 upon unworthy objects, or your soul rendered 
 unhappy from the want of some worthy and 
 engrossing object of pursuit. 
 
 But why, you may ask, are these remarks 
 addressed particularly to ladies? Because, I 
 nnswer, there is a difference between your 
 situation and that of gentlemen in this respect. 
 Gentlemen, almost unavoidably, become in- 
 terested in some outward but engrossing ob- 
 ject of thought, affection and pursuit. There 
 are the public affairs of the nation. There are 
 the engrossing cares of business. Indeed, 
 there are a variety of engrossing objects of 
 pursuit around them, which demand their at- 
 tention and secure their affections. But la- 
 dies are differently situated in this respect. 
 They do not become devoted to the same de-
 
 40 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 gree, in these objects of outward interest. 
 Their engrossing objects of thought and af- 
 fection must be within, must have their seat 
 in the heart, must- be self-cherished and in- 
 wardly cherished. 
 
 1 do not say that all men are devoted to 
 outward objects of engrossing interest, but 
 that such is generally the case, that such is the 
 natural influence of their peculiar circumstan- 
 ces. There are exceptions. There are men 
 whose thoughts and affections arc not fastened 
 upon high and worthy objects, nor upon en- 
 grossing objects of any kind. And the re- 
 sult with them is the same as with ladies. 
 They become exquisits in dress, and spend 
 their time, it may be, in dancing attendance 
 upon the most light and frivolous of the fe- 
 male community. Their most worthy efforts 
 are directed to the arranging of a boquet. 
 Their highest mental efforts consist in select- 
 ing and presenting flattering compliments, or 
 in penning sonnets to the personal charms ot 
 some lady weak enough to be flattered by 
 their attentions. They are regarded with 
 contempt by the reasonable and reflecting
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 41 
 
 
 
 among yourselves. You perceive, therefore, 
 that the law, which I have pointed out, ap- 
 plies with equal force to man as to woman, 
 the law, that where the attention and the af- 
 fections are not directed to high and worthy, 
 or at least to interesting and engrossing objects 
 of pursuit, they soon fasten themselves upon 
 those which are unworthy; and that, conse- 
 quently, all true, rational, elevating happiness 
 is lost. I do not say that the circumstances 
 in which man is placed, are more favorable 
 than those, in which woman is placed, to the 
 right direction, and proper development pf the 
 affections. I only say that such is the fact, 
 that they are differently situated. The at- 
 tention and the affections of the one, are al- 
 most invariably interested in some outward, 
 and engrossing object of pursuit. The pb- 
 ject of pursuit and affection with the other, 
 must be something within, which has relation 
 to the internal and spiritual. 
 
 You see, then, my young friends, what 
 Christianity asks of you, and why she asks it, 
 and what in all probability, will be your char- 
 acters, and your condition, unless you comply 
 4*
 
 12 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 with her requests. She would make you 
 worthy of yourselves, worthy of that image 
 of God in which the human soul was origin- 
 ally created, sadly debased and depraved 
 ihotigh it now be. She would make you 
 worthy of the station you occupy among 
 God's creatures. Nay more, she would make 
 you worthy the presence, the society and the 
 happiness of heaven. She is desirous of 
 presenting you, without spot and blameless, 
 at the throne of God's mercy. And, that she 
 may , do this, that she may transform your 
 very souls into the heavenly image, she asks 
 that you would give her your hearts. And 
 will you, rny young friends, will you refuse 
 to do this ? Just look forward for a few 
 years and inquire what may then be your 
 situations and your characters. Shall it he 
 that any one of you will hereafter become 
 the object of contempt or of pity among your 
 acquaintances, on account of the trifling, friv- 
 olous, and unworthy nature of the objects of 
 your thought, afiection and pursuit? Shall it 
 be, that any one of you will hereafter live only 
 for the pleasures of dress, etiquette, and cer-
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 43 
 
 emony ? Shall it be, that any one of you 
 will hereafter be the slave of foolish and need- 
 less anxieties, ever tormenting yourselves, 
 and ever annoying all around you ? God 
 forbid. That it may not be so, depends upon 
 yourselves under God. That it may not be 
 so, I would, most earnestly, entreat every 
 young lady, who may read these pages, to 
 resolve, with a firm reliance upon the bless- 
 ing of God, and with fervent prayer for his 
 aid, to resolve that she will give her heart to 
 her God and her Savior, that she will at once 
 embrace the religion of Jqsus, and seek for 
 that true and living faith, which works by 
 love and purifies the heart where it dwells. 
 
 In the second place, Christianity asks of 
 you, that you would engage, resolutely, and 
 with a determination to persevere, in a course 
 of moral and religious self-cultivation. This 
 may seem to you to be but a common topic 
 of remark. And yet, the thoughts which I 
 wish in this connection to present to you, are 
 not, I believe, common. Were I to we the 
 
 ' J o 
 
 importance of self-cultivation, in regard to the 
 various powers of the mind, in regard to the
 
 44 YOUNG LADY'. AID. 
 
 memory, the judgment, the taste, you would 
 perceive at once, the propriety of my attempt. 
 But in regard to moral and religious improve- 
 ment, your feelings, I fear, are very different. 
 You feel that the various qualities, which go 
 to make up a correct moral and religious 
 character, must be the result of natural tem- 
 perament or of special influences. But such 
 is not, I am satisfied, the feeling inspired by 
 a correct view of the claims of Christianity. 
 She would first, secure your hearts; she would 
 have your affections fixed, supremely, upon 
 the objects which she presents, God, the 
 Saviour, holiness and heaven. Then, under 
 the influence of this absorbing devotion to 
 herself, she would have you go on in the work 
 of moral and religious self-cultivation. That 
 you may perceive more fully what she requires 
 of you in this respect, let us dwell for a mo- 
 ment upon some traits of moral and religious 
 character. 
 
 1st. I would speak of amiableness of dis- 
 position and of character. When it is said 
 that such ars one is an amiable young lady, 
 the feeling is, that such is her natural temper-
 
 REQEUIRMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 45 
 
 ament. But there is the feeling also, that 
 others differ from her in this natural temper- 
 ament, and therefore cannot be expected to 
 resemble her in this characteristic. And yet 
 Christianity requires that every one should be 
 amiable. I know of no such character as an 
 unamiable Christian. I have, indeed, as, I 
 have no doubt, you all have, seen those who 
 make high pretentious to religious character, 
 who were yet extremely unamiable. But 
 this only shews that, how much soever the 
 other parts of their character may have been 
 influenced by religion, its power has not yet 
 reached this characteristic. Religion requires 
 that all should be amiable, and yet religion 
 is addressed to persons of different tempera- 
 ment. The amiableness then, which religion 
 requires, must be the result, not cf natural 
 temperament, but of moral effort. And what 
 she asks you to become, she will, if taken to 
 your hearts, help you to be. She teaches 
 you that every one around is your brother or 
 your sister worthy, in their native tenden- 
 cies and capacities, of your love. She teaches 
 that, if the characters and manners of those
 
 46 TOVNC LADY'S A.ID. 
 
 around you are not such es to enlist your 
 affections, yet that they have souls, which 
 God loves, which the Saviour loves, and 
 which are worthy of your love. Nay more. 
 She fills your heart with love for them. And 
 is it not true, as a general rule, that we are 
 amiable in our deportment towards those we 
 love, and that the stronger be our love to 
 them, even though it may take the form of 
 pity, the more kind and amiable will be our 
 deportment towards them. 
 
 Again, religion teaches you that those petty 
 crosses and vexations, which disturb your 
 equanimity, render you fretful, peevish, and 
 unamiable, are ordered or permitted by God , 
 and are to be regarded as the means, if rightly 
 improved, of your spiritual good; that they 
 are ordered in spirit and in love, to try, 
 strengthen, and improve your moral and reli- 
 gious character. When you think of this, 
 when you consider, that a calm, quiet and 
 amiable deportment, under these provocations, 
 will secure your religious improvement, when 
 you consider, that God is looking upon you 
 to see how you meet them, and stands ready
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHiUSTIANIxr. 47 
 
 to grant you aid to overcome; you will not, I 
 trust, suffer them to render you unamiable in 
 your deportment. Religion then stands ready, 
 with her instructions, her promises and her 
 influences, to make you what she asks you to 
 become. There is indeed a natural difference 
 of temperament; some have greater effort to 
 make, in order to become what religion re- 
 quires, in this respect, than others. But those, 
 whose efforts are the greatest, and whose strug- 
 gles are the most severe here, may not be call- 
 ed upon to struggle so severely in regard to 
 other parts of the character. And you will 
 permit me to recommend this trait of amiable- 
 ness, to your particular attention, as leing pe- 
 culiarly important to ladies. Men are so situ- 
 ated as to be exposed to great and prostrating 
 trials, but woman is exposed to a thousand 
 little, every day petty crosses and vexations, 
 which are extremely annoying, which often 
 come upon her at unawares, and which too of- 
 ten render her fretful and peavish and unamia- 
 ble. It is therefore peculiarly important to 
 you that you cultivate a resolute and deter- 
 mined amiablencss of character.
 
 48 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 2. Again, there is contentedness of dispo- 
 sition and character. This is a trait, which we 
 usually regard as the result of natural temper- 
 ament. And yet, Paul says, that he had 
 learned to be contented. The spirit of Chris- 
 tianity, if not its direct injunctions, requires 
 that we should cherish and cultivate a cheer- 
 ful acquiesence in the allotments of Providence. 
 There may be then, there is a contentment, 
 which is a moral quality. It is not the result 
 of natural promptings, but of moral effort, a 
 determined contcr.trr.tnt. This state of mind, 
 religion requires each one to seek. And in 
 this respect too, she enables men to be- 
 come what she requires them to be. She teach- 
 es that the allotments cf Providence are not 
 the blind results of chance, nor the stern de- 
 cisions of inexorable fate, but the kind and 
 judicious adjustments of infinite love and in- 
 finite wisdom. She teaches that every event 
 of life, how unpropitious soever it may seem, 
 in itself, in its circumstances and immediate 
 consequences, may, if improved by us aright, 
 be regarded as a blessing, in reference to our 
 higher and spiritual improvement. And what
 
 UEQUIUKMF.NTS OK CHRISTIANITY. 49 
 
 is more, she fixes the affections upon things 
 high and holy, upon objects which are far 
 above the pleasures and possessions of this 
 life, our hopes of obtaining which, are not de- 
 stroyed by any changes or disappointments in 
 these. In this way, religion shows us why 
 \ve should be contented, and directs our at- 
 tention to objects, which are of infinite and 
 eternal value, the pursuit of which naturally 
 tends to make us comparatively indifferent to 
 changes and disappointment in things of only 
 temporary duration and importance. We 
 are then, my young friends, to cherish and 
 cultivate contentment. We are not to ex- 
 pect that our contentment is to spring only 
 from natural temperament, nor yet that it is 
 to be given to us by special influences, nor 
 that it is to exist only in the most prosperous 
 and favorable circumstances of our lives, when 
 there is no cause in operation, which could 
 possibly make us discontented. Our content- 
 ment is to be a moral quality, cherished with 
 much care, resting on our confidence in the 
 wisdom and goodness of God's overruling 
 Providence, and resulting from our engaged-* 
 
 5
 
 50 Yorr.T. LADY'S AID. 
 
 ness in the pursuit of things heavenly and 
 eternal. It should be a determined content- 
 ment, manifesting its influence in all its vaiious 
 circumstances of the life. 
 
 I have said, my young friends, that religion 
 asks you. i:i the second place, to engage in a 
 course ol moral self-cultivation. And I have 
 illustrated what 1 mean, by a reference to 
 ivvo qualities of character, amiableness and 
 contentment. I have not selected these 
 because thry are more important than ethers, 
 but because they are more often, than others, 
 attributed to natural temperament. 1 have 
 wished, thus gently, to correct an important, 
 because it is a dangerous, mistake. The 
 mistake, that the various qualities, which go 
 to make up a perfect moral and religious 
 character, are the result of natural tempera- 
 ment, or of special influences. I have wished 
 to establish the conviction in your minds, that 
 whatever may be your naiuial temperament, 
 your character is to be fashioned after the 
 Christian model, and that all the various parts 
 of your character are to Le the results of your 
 own efforts, in reliance upcn these influences,
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 51 
 
 which God is ever ready to grant, influen- 
 ces granted, not to supercede the necessity of 
 effort, but to strengthen and second the efforts 
 put forth. Whenever, then, you see in oth- 
 ers, or picture to yourselves, a single charac- 
 teristic or quality, which goes to make up a 
 perfect Christian character, consider, I beseech 
 you, that such characteristic is a proper object 
 of effort, and, that, with the divine blessing, 
 which will never be withheld when desired, 
 you have the power to acquire that character- 
 istic. You can be amiable; you can be con- 
 tented, you can regulate your affections. 
 You can cultivate tenderness of conscience 
 and cherish feelings of devotion. God help- 
 ing you, you can do these things. 
 
 But I have wished in this letter to correct 
 another prevalent and dangerous mistake. 1 
 believe that many, who would gladly be reli- 
 gious, are waiting for a chance, which shall 
 render more self-cultivation necessary. Sup- 
 pose some young lady should be moved by 
 what I have now written, and should come to 
 me for counsel in regard to her efforts, and 
 I should point out to her some one fault in her
 
 52 YOUNG LADV'S AID. 
 
 moral character, and urge her to commence 
 the Christian course by attempting, in reliance 
 upon the blessing of God, the reformation of 
 this one fault. That young lady would have 
 no doubt about her ability or duty in this par- 
 ticular. But she would feel that this was not 
 religion, that this was mere moral effort. 
 Whether it would be a part of religion or not, 
 would depend upon the motives and feelings, 
 which might prompt the effort. The infidel, 
 the atheist even may en^a^e in the same mo- 
 
 J O D 
 
 ral self-cultivation, in vvjiich the chrislian en- 
 gages. But then he would be actuated by 
 different motives, and would be guided by 
 different rules. The Christian would be actu- 
 ated by a regard to his own spiritual improve- 
 ment, by desires of heavenly happiness, by a 
 constant thought of the presence of God ami 
 of his own accountability to him, and the rule 
 by which he would guide his efforts would bo 
 the revealed will of God. But the influen- 
 ces of religion do not render unnecessary this 
 self-cultivation, on the contrary, they press it 
 home upon the heart and conscience with ten- 
 fold more power. You see again my young
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 53 
 
 friends, what "Christianity asks r of you, in order 
 that she may do all for you which she is capa- 
 ble of doing. She asks that you should give 
 her your hearts, in other words, that you should 
 set your affections upon religious*''"improve- 
 ment, as the one grand and all absorbing ob 
 ject of your efforts. And then, she asks that 
 you should, under her guidance, press forward 
 in the right formation of your own moral char- 
 acters, that you should resolutely engage in 
 the work of fashioning your own moral char- 
 acter, in all its parts, of feelings, desires, af- 
 fections, conversation and conduct, upon the 
 model which she presents. 
 
 But when, you ask, and how, shall we com- 
 mence our compliance with the requirements 
 of Christianity? These questions suggest anoth- 
 er important* and dangerous mistake. Many 
 are waiting for more powerful religious im- 
 pressions, impressions which shall change all 
 their feelings, and entirely banish from the 
 mind and heart, at once and forever, all feel- 
 ings and affections hostile to religion. Or, 
 they are unwilling to begin with the reforma- 
 tion of a single prominent fault; tbpy hope, 
 
 5*
 
 54 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 ere long, to have the subject so brought to 
 their minds, and to have their feelings so 
 moved, and to commence the reformation of 
 the whole character at once. And, while 
 thus waiting, they are neglecting the calls 
 addressed to them, and the influence granted. 
 This, I have said, is a mistake. And in an- 
 swer to the questions when and how shall we 
 commence a' compliance with the requirements 
 of Christianity, I would say, begin this day. 
 Begin with the religious impressions now up- 
 on your mind. Begin by reforming the fault 
 which first presents itself to your notice.- Is 
 there one young lady, who has read what I 
 have thus far written, who feels the slightest 
 desire to please God, to enjoy eternal happi- 
 ness in his presence, to form and sustain a re- 
 ligious character, and who at this moment, 
 remembers that she has not practiced the dai- 
 ly reading of the scriptures, and daily approach 
 to the throne of grace in prayer, let her un- 
 der the influence of the feelings of which she 
 is now conscious, and the impressions that are 
 now upon her, commence, this day, these ne- 
 glected practices. If any young lady is con-
 
 REQUIREMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 55 
 
 scious of having, in times past, indulged in 
 thoughtless and frivolous conversation, let her 
 begin, this day, the correction of this fault. 
 If any young lady is conscious of having, in 
 times past, confined her thoughts to the vani- 
 ties of dress and fashion and amusement, and 
 of having spent her time in preparations for, 
 or conversations about these, to the neglect of 
 the more important concerns of her soul, and 
 the service of her God, and is now experi- 
 encing compunctions of conscience, faint 
 though they be, let her, under the influence of 
 these compunctions, seek unto God, through 
 Christ, for pardon. Let her, this day, and 
 without waiting for stronger feelings, com- 
 mence the reformation of these faults. And 
 in general, I would repeat the direction already 
 given in answer to the questions when and 
 how shall we commence a compliance with 
 the requisitions of Christianity. Begin this 
 day. Begin under the religious impressions 
 now upon your mind. Begin] with reforming 
 whatever fault first presents itself to your no- 
 tice. But to these directions I would now 
 add another. It is this. Be^in with the feel-
 
 56 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 ing that it is on God that you depend for suc- 
 cess, and with fervent prayer that he would 
 deepen your religious impressions, that he 
 would strengthen your faith in, and devotion 
 to, the Christian religion, your faith in, and de- 
 votion to, your spiritual natures and capacities, 
 that he would enlighten your minds in regard 
 to truth and duty, that he would lay open to 
 you all the hidden iniquities of your hearts, all 
 the various faults in your character, and that 
 he would crown your efforts, in religious self- 
 cultivation, with success. If you will com- 
 mence this day, in this way, you may be cheer- 
 ed by the well founded hope, the confident 
 expectation, that although the struggle is, at 
 first, severe, and the progress at first, but slow, 
 yet that, in the end, you will reach the mark, 
 for the prize of the high calling of God in 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 And, now my friends, you have learned the 
 requisitions, which Christianity makes of every 
 one of you. Will you regard these requisi- 
 tions? It is for you, in the exercise of your 
 own free will, to say. No miracle will ever 
 be wrought to compel you to regard them.
 
 REQUIREME-NTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 57 
 
 Will you regard the claim and the require- 
 ments of Christianity? Will you give your 
 hearts to religion, and make religious improve- 
 ment the great object of your affections, de- 
 sires and efforts? Will you commence a course 
 of moral and religious self-cultivation? And 
 will you commence that course this day, under 
 the religious impressions which you may now 
 experience, and with the fault in your charac- 
 ters, which first presents itself to your notice? 
 These are questions for you to answer. Upon 
 the manner in which you may answer them, 
 depends, in a great degree, your future char- 
 acter, and your future happiness. Fix them 
 in your minds, carry them with you, as you 
 close the hook. Make them the subject of 
 your thoughts, of your conversation and of 
 your prayers.
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 
 
 Recapitulation of former letters a dangerous habit pre- 
 vailing among young ladies the habit of living for 
 pleasure rather than for duty Instances in proof 
 from wealthier circles from the middling classes 
 from those in indigent circumstance three steps in the 
 formation of this habit noticed 1st. Education made 
 mere amusement. 2d. The reading provided for 
 young ladies of the most frivolous kind; exciting only 
 the desire for pleasure rather than for improvement. 
 3d. Our young ladies are not accustomed gradually 
 and as they are able to the labors of the household. 
 The effects of this habit, the source of great unhappi- 
 ness, frivolity and extravagance it unfits young ladies 
 for all the exigencies and emergencies of future life 
 it exerts a pieventive or a deleterious influence up- 
 on religious improvement and Christian character 
 Appeals against this habit to the higher classes to 
 those in more moderate circumstances to mother* 
 to young ladies themselves. 
 
 It may not be amiss, my young friends, to 
 rem ind you, that, in my first letter, I endeav- 
 ored to awaken vou to a full view of what
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 59 
 
 Christianity had done for you, to the truths, 
 that she had revealed you to yourselves as 
 immortal spirits, dependent upon and account- 
 able to God, that she had set you free from 
 the degrading thought, that you were but 
 the appendages of man, and had filled you 
 with the ennobling idea, that you are emana- 
 tions from the infinite and all perfect spirit; 
 that she has thus filled you with deep rever- 
 ence for yourselves, for your own natures, 
 tendencies, capacities, and possible spiritual 
 elevation; that she had inspired in men deep 
 respect for you, as intellectual and spiritual 
 beings, and filled their hearts with kindness to 
 you; and that she had, in this way elevated 
 your rank and ameliorated your condition. 
 And why did I say this ? Because, my young 
 friends, I wished, if possible, to turn your 
 attention away from the vanity and the frivol- 
 ity, which are every where around you, 
 threatening to absorb all your thoughts, to 
 paralyse all your energies, to bring your 
 immortal spirits down from angel flights, and 
 confine them to the mere baby house pleas- 
 ures, and the doll-dressing employments of
 
 60 Yor.vr; LADY'S AID. 
 
 infant intellects. Nay more, I wished, if 
 possible, and, through the blessing of God 
 upon my efforts, to awaken you to the 
 thought that, if God had seen fit to create 
 you immortal spirits, and to place you in the 
 near relationship of dependence upon and 
 accountability to himself ; still further, that 
 if God, from his infinite love for your spirit- 
 ual natures, had seen fit to send his only 
 begotten and dearly beloved Son, to save 
 you from the love, the power, the conse- 
 quences of sin; and yet further still, that, if 
 Christ had looked upon your spiritual natures, 
 debased and depraved though they were, with 
 a love stronger than bis love of life, with a 
 love which made him willing to sacrifice 
 himself upon the cross for their rescue from 
 the thraldom and the present and future con- 
 sequences of sin; I wished, I say, if possible, 
 to aw r akenyou to the thought in all its power, 
 that, if God the almighty, and Jesus the Sa- 
 vior, had felt such love for your spiritual 
 natures, and had made such efforts to free 
 these spiritual natures from the bondage and 
 the inevitable consequences of sin, and tq
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 61 
 
 elevate them to the happiness of holiness 
 and of heaven; then these spiritual natures 
 were worthy of your own most serious 
 thoughts, most diligent and careful watch and 
 cultivation. And, my friends, just dwell for 
 a moment upon the thought. Has God 
 created you in his own image, has he called 
 you his children, has he bestowed upon you 
 spiritual capacities and made you capable of 
 loving, serving and enjoying him, has he sent 
 his only begotten, his dearly beloved Son to 
 save you from a debasiDg and degrading sla- 
 very, and has Jesus, the Savior, subjected 
 himself to the ignominious death of the cross, 
 that he might rescue your souls from wretch- 
 edness and ruin, and train, them up for the 
 holiness of heaven, and are not these spiritual 
 natures worthy of your deepest reverence, of 
 your most heartfelt devotion, of your highest 
 efforts in their right training and proper de- 
 velopment, in their cultivation and improve- 
 ment ? Oh, it cannot, I have said to myself, 
 it cannot be possible, that -any young lady, 
 with these thoughts upon her mind, can re- 
 main indifferent to the high and holy purposes 
 
 G
 
 62 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 for which she was created, can any longer, 
 live for mere frivolity and vanity, or for a 
 mere formal, outward and heartless morality, 
 to the neglect of her immortal and spiritual 
 interests, her soul's salvation. Under the 
 influence of these feelings, I wished to com- 
 mence mv letters to you bv awakening, an 
 
 > */ / O 
 
 earnest longing after spiritual improvement 
 and heavenly happiness. 
 
 In my last letter, I endeavored to- urge 
 home upon your attention, the claims of re- 
 ligion upon you, in>regard to your moral and 
 religious character; to show, that she first 
 demands your heart, nothing less than the 
 purest and holiest and most ardent affections 
 of your soul; and that she then asks, that you 
 would 1 engage, at once, with resolute deter- 
 mination, and' under her guidance, in a course 
 of moral and religious self-cultivation. And 
 after hinting at the way in which you are to 
 pursue this moral and religious self-cultiva- 
 tion, I closed by urging you to commence 
 your compliance with the requirements of 
 Christianity, at once, with the impressions 
 then upon your mind?, with the reformation
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 
 
 "of tlie fault in your -character, whatever it 
 may he, which should first present itself to 
 your notice, with an humble feeling of depen- 
 dence upon God, and with fervent prayer to 
 him for guidance and assistance. And why 
 did I say this ? Because, I answer, I wished 
 to aid you to begin your religious course 
 aright. Some there are, who commence, 
 what they regard as their religious course, 
 without eivin'f their hearts to God -and his 
 
 o o 
 
 service, but in reliance upon their own ener- 
 gies, and in efforts at mere moral improve- 
 ment. Such make no regular and valuable 
 religious progress. Indeed, they make no 
 religious progress at all. They are ever 
 halting. All their efforts are feeble or fitful, 
 one moment vigorous, and the next moment 
 relaxed. Forsaking the -unfailing support of 
 God's ever ready and promised assistance, 
 and relying solely upon their own resolutions 
 and energies, they soon find .that they have 
 been leaning upon a broken staff. They 
 endeavor to remove the inward and dee ; p 
 seated disorder ol their souls, by applications 
 *to its particular outward manifestations, while
 
 04 YOUNG LADY S AID. 
 
 they overlook, or entirely neglect, the seat 
 of the disorder itself. 
 
 Then, there are others, whose religious 
 course commences in an entire change of 
 feelings. But here they stop, they rest satis- 
 fied with this change of feelings. They do 
 not go resolutely forward, under the influence 
 of their renewed feelings, in a course of mor- 
 al and religious self-cultivation, in efforts to 
 strengthen and render more influential their 
 principles, to purify and elevate their affec- 
 tions, to render more tender and snsceptible 
 their consciences, to imbibe more fully and 
 breath more constantly the Christian spirit. 
 And the consequence is, that you often dis- 
 cover, in the characters of such, conduct 
 which is highly unchristian, in close connec- 
 tion with religious fervor. The tongue, that 
 is one moment employed in the praise of 
 God, is, the very next moment, perhaps, 
 employed in circulating scandal in regard to 
 man. The conscience that would be pained 
 at the omission of an iota of the creed, looks 
 quietly on, while a neighbor is deprived of 
 his dues. These are the ways, in which
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. '<K> 
 
 many make a wrong beginning in their reli- 
 gious course. I have wished, if possible, to 
 point out to you the right way of beginning. 
 I would have you begin, by seeking an entire 
 a thorough, a radical change of heart, that so 
 
 .your affections may be set supremely upon 
 God and his service, upon Jesus and the 
 salvation which is by him. And then, in 
 immediate -connection with this devotion' of 
 heart to- God, yea, as the very manifestation 
 of its power, and as the means by which it is 
 carried forward to perfection. I -would have 
 
 ,you commence a course of religious and moral 
 self-cultivation. For I have hoped that, by 
 beginning in this way, the more carefully you 
 might cherish your love to God, the more 
 constant -and faithful you might be in your 
 religious exercises, the more diligent and 
 conscientious you would become in the right 
 discharge of all your various duties. While, 
 on the other hand, 7. have hoped that, the 
 more diligent and conscientious you might be 
 in your efforts for moral and religious im- 
 provement, the more carefully would you 
 cherish your love to God, and the more en- 
 
 G*
 
 66 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 tirely and devotedly would yon give your 
 hearts to Christ and his religion, and that 
 thus, these two, which are often separated, 
 the devotion of the heart to the service of 
 religion, and the exertion of the energies for 
 moral and religious improvement, would be 
 united, in well adjusted harmony, to produce 
 the perfect exemplification of the Christian 
 character, devotion of heart, giving inward 
 purity and steady zeal, and outward obedience, 
 producing uprightness in dealings, knidness 
 in social intercourse, yea, holiness of life, in 
 all the varying scenes through which you may 
 be called to pass. 
 
 I should have closed my remarks, my 
 young friends, upon moral and religious char- 
 acter, with the suggestions of my last letter, 
 had I not believed, that there is one circum- 
 stance in the present training and prevailing 
 habits of many of our young ladies, which is 
 so specious in its appearance, that it does not 
 excite the fears, either of those who are its 
 victims or of their friends, while, at the same 
 time, it is so deleterious in its influences as 
 to weaken, if not entirely efface every im-
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 67 
 
 pression that may be made, and paralize or 
 prevent every effort that may be put forth. 
 Yes, my young friends, I speak, with deep 
 conviction of the truth of what I say, and 
 with feelings deeply saddened at the thought 
 that it is true, when I say, that there exists 
 and prevails among many of you, a habit of 
 life which'mustbe broken through,which must 
 be done away, defore you will be permanent- 
 ly happy in yourselves, or extensively useful 
 to others; before we can hope that you will 
 perform well the duties of your respective 
 relations on earth, or make proper prepara- 
 tion for the enjoyments of heaven. 
 
 Do you ask what this habit of life is, which 
 prevails so extensively among young ladies, 
 which is so specious in its appearances, and 
 yet so deleterious in its consequences? I 
 answer; it is the habit of living for pleasure 
 rather than for duty; for the mere enjoyment 
 of the hour, rather than for the higher pur- 
 pose of being useful, of doing good, of se- 
 curing personal improvement and promoting 
 domestic and social enjoyment. This habit 
 I say, prevails among many young ladlee.
 
 68 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 Do you ask for the proof? Go visit the 
 more wealthy circles of society. And what, 
 I ask, do you find to be the employment of 
 many of the, young ladies there? They spend 
 much time upon dress, in conversing about it. 
 in studying its changes, in arranging its forn/s, 
 and all for what? Is it, that, by understand- 
 ing these things, they may themselves be pre- 
 pared for usefulness to others, or for indepen- 
 dent self-support, should a change come over 
 the circumstances of their parents? Well 
 would it be, were these their objects. But 
 it is only that they may gratify their vanity, or 
 perhaps, in the hope that they may set off 
 their charms to greater advantage, and render 
 themselves more agreeable to friends and vis- 
 itors. Then there comes a little light reading, 
 the last new novel, the most splendid and 
 fashionable annual, or some monthly publi- 
 cation, designed, as it is announced on the ti- 
 tle-page, expressly for ladies, and filled with 
 its plates of fashions and its succession of 
 idle and love-sick tales. All is mere froth, 
 nothing solid, nothing substantial, nothing to 
 inform the mind, or warm the heart, or
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 69 
 
 strengthen the principles, or improve the 
 character, nothing to render the young lady 
 herself more happy in resources of her own, 
 or more capable of promoting the improve- 
 ment and happiness of those with whom she 
 may associate. Then comes a little needle- 
 work, for it would be ungenteel or vulgar to 
 engage in that, which is more course and 
 useful, in making or repairing the garments of 
 the family. Then it may be a little shop- 
 ping, not for purchases, but for pleasure, fol- 
 lowed by visiting and receiving visits, not 
 visits of friendship, where the heart is warm- 
 ed, and the mind excited by an interchange 
 of thought and an exercise of the affections, 
 but mere calls of ceremony, to comply with 
 the rules of fashion, indulge in idle gossip, 
 and, it may be, to gather food for scandal. 
 Such I say is the manner, in which day after 
 day is too often spent by many young ladies 
 among the more wealthy and fashionable cir- 
 cles of society. Do you say that I am speak- 
 ing in regard to what I do not know. I an- 
 swer, I speak only of what I have seen and 
 of what my heart has been pained to behold.
 
 70 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 Do you say that I have looked at these things 
 only through a colored medium and with jaun- 
 diced eyes. I cannot believe that I have 
 done so, when I find my own opinions con- 
 firmed, by so accurate an observer of man- 
 ners, and one who has enjoyed so good an 
 opportunity of knowing the habits and prac- 
 tices of females in the wealthier circles of so- 
 ciety, as Miss Sedgwick, the author of sev- 
 eral interesting works with which you are ac- 
 quainted. And Miss Sedgwick, in a late work, 
 says, 'How many lives are consumed in utter 
 frivolity. A little light reading, a little shop- 
 .ping, visiting, dressing and undressing, and 
 so day after day passes away.' Such is the 
 language of a lady, who has been favored witli 
 opportunities of knowing, and who is well 
 qualified to, judge, in regard -to what she writes, 
 I cannot, then, but feel that there is too much 
 of truth in the description I have given, of 
 the way in which many young ladies, in the 
 wealthier circles of society, spend their time 
 and employ their thoughts. 
 
 But the habit, of which I speak, is not con- 
 fined to the wealthier circles of society. I
 
 DUTY BEFORE PHEAbURE. Tt 
 
 have myself seen the family, where- the father 
 was a hard laboring mechanic, a man of 
 worth- and respectability of character, and 
 the mother an industrious and prudent house- 
 wife, spending the day in the faithful discharge 
 of her domestic duties, while yet, the daugh- 
 ters were, to use the language of the lady al- 
 ready quoted, the daughters were 'the mere 
 ornamental furniture of their father's house.' 
 Their rninds were not interested in promot- 
 ing the good of the family, their time was 
 not employed in securing personal improve- 
 ment. They were- aping the manners of those 
 more wealthy than themselves, and, that they 
 might avoid vulgar attention to pressing du- 
 ties, and useful Inbor and might appear more, 
 truly genteel, they spend their time also in 
 light reading, shopping, visiting and dressing. 
 This have I seen nay more, I have mingled 
 enough in this class of society to know that 
 this is not an isolated or a singular case. I 
 verily believe, that too many are the cases, 
 among what may be regarded as composing 
 the middle interest in society, where the fath- 
 er and the mother are toiling on, day after day
 
 72 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 with ardent affection and unwearied diligence, 
 but with mistaken kindness, in order to pro- 
 cure the means of supporting the daughters 
 as young ladies, in a life of idleness, frivolity 
 and vanity. 
 
 The habit of which I am speaking, extends 
 itself even into families, which are in com- 
 paratively indigent circumstances, and where 
 every effort and every energy of every mem- 
 ber of the family, should be put in requisition 
 to secure an honest and independent support. 
 There are fathers and there are mothers, who 
 are filled with that foolish pride, which makes 
 them unwilling that their daughters should 
 make themselves acquainted with any of those 
 arts, which are appropriate to women, or 
 seek, among the more wealthy, that employ- 
 ment which will afford the means of support. 
 Consequently, the daughters are trained up 
 in idleness, or in mere frivolous and useless 
 occupations, accustomed to spend their time 
 only in the pursuit of pleasure, and are sent 
 forth into society to become useless and 
 wretched incumbrances. There is among 
 some the feeling that there is disgrace attach-
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 73 
 
 ed to poverty, and, consequently, every effort 
 is made to avoid the appearance and the 
 acknowledgment of poverty. There is, too, 
 the feeling, that there is disgrace in the cir- 
 cumstances that a female is laboring for a 
 support, and, especially, that there is deep 
 disgrace attached to some kinds of employ- 
 ment. What mistaken notions are these! 
 Disgrace attaches itself to conduct and not to 
 condition. Respectability, in either male or 
 female, is the attribute of character and not 
 of employment. There is uo disgrace in hon- 
 est poverty, and where meekness and indus- 
 try adorn the condition, they are well calcula- 
 ted to secure respect, sympathy and allevia- 
 tion. But, if in the midst of poverty there 
 is idleness, pride, with feelings above work, 
 and vanity and extravagance, these qualities 
 of character, and not the circumstances of 
 condition, excite general contempt or pity. 
 There is nothing tingenteel or vulgar, in a 
 young lady's engaging in labor for the support 
 of herself and the assistance of her friends. 
 The disgrace, where there is disgrace, is at- 
 tached to idleness, pride, vanity, and that
 
 74 TOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 mental imbecility, that vacuity of mind, that 
 utter heartlessness, and needless dependence, 
 which are the natural consequences of these. 
 To quote, still again, the language of the la- 
 dy already twice referred to, 'there is no oc- 
 cupation so vulgar as indolence and vanity.' 
 A moment's reflection, one would suppose, 
 must teach this. Here, for example, is a 
 young lady, whose parents are in indigent 
 circumstances. She has made herself acquain- 
 ted with some employment, by means of which 
 she can secure constant occupation. In this 
 way she supports- herself, becomes indepen- 
 dent of parental exertions, and is able to do 
 something for the alleviation of parental wants. 
 In time her aged parents need still greater as- 
 sistance. This she is able to render them. 
 She who in infancy was the object of so much 
 parental anxiety, and care and effort, is now 
 able to render some humble return for what 
 she has received Now I ask if every true 
 heart, every sound mind, every one, in short, 
 whose respect is worth enjoying, does not 
 feel deep, and heartfelt respect for such a char- 
 acter. But suppose she had thought it un-
 
 BEFORE PLEASURE. 75 
 
 genteel, or vulgar, or derogatory to the rank 
 and condition once sustained by parents or 
 ancestors, and had spent her time in idleness, 
 in vainly striving to ape the more wealthy, in 
 dress, visiting and fashion, suppose she had 
 cast herself in helpless dependence upon rich 
 relatives, would she not soon have become a 
 burden to friends, and an object of contempt 
 or pity to all? But I trust I have said enough 
 on this point, to establish the truth of my po- 
 sition, or at least enough to bring to your 
 minds instances which have fallen within your 
 own observation, of those, who live for pleas- 
 ure rather than for duty, for the mere enjoy- 
 ment of the passing hour, rather than for use- 
 fulness or improvement. 
 
 But perhaps you may ask for a more par- 
 ticular description of what I mean by living 
 for pleasure rather than for duty. I can best 
 answer this inquiry, by describing the process 
 of training, by which young ladies are brought 
 to this condition, and under which they form 
 this habit. And first, there is an error in the 
 very process of education. . At the present 
 day it is the position of many, that all educa-
 
 76 YOUNG LADY'S ATJ>. 
 
 lion, and especially the earliest steps in edu- 
 cation, must be made so interesting as to be- 
 come mere play> that so the child may be 
 drawn along by her mere love for the amuse- 
 ment which the process of education affords. 
 If a particular school does not please, it must 
 be deserted. If any particular branch of 
 study does not interest, it must be exchanged 
 for one that does. All close and faithful and 
 persevering application to prescribe lessons 
 is decried, intheearfier stages of education, 
 and the whole work must be accomplished by 
 the conversations of the teacher, and these 
 conversations roust be made to interest. But 
 what is the plain truth in regard to till this? 
 Children lo?e to be amused, and, if the teach- 
 er can tell stories in regard to the various 
 branches of study, they will pay the deepest 
 attention, And what is the effect? Instan- 
 ces with which I have been made acquainted, 
 prove that children, thus trained in their earli- 
 est efforts, soon acquire an habitual loathing 
 of all close and continued mental application. 
 If you will tell them a story, they are all at- 
 tention, if you assign them a lesson to be stud-
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 77 
 
 ied, there is fretting, murmuring, and a ne- 
 glect of the lesson. Nay, worse. There is 
 formed the habit of asking in regard to all 
 studies, not, whether the lesson has been as- 
 signed; not, whether the faithful study of the 
 lesson be a duty; not whether it may be used 
 in after life, but whether it is interesting and 
 pleasing. And thus the whole process of 
 education becomes an inquiry for pleasure. 
 A-nd die school girl, even w4ule acquiring iier 
 education, is living not for an unreserved de- 
 votion to duty, but for pleasure. And tken 
 this habit of mind soon exerts a condoling 
 influence over the character. Are the com- 
 mands and acquirements of parents pleasing? 
 They are obeyed with {.lacrity. But if they 
 are otherwise, they are either entirely disre- 
 garded, or obeyed with reluctance and mur- 
 muring. This error in education extends, 
 in some instances, even to the Sabbath school 
 and to religious instruction. If the child is 
 not pleased to attend, because she does not 
 find that her teacher possesses the power of 
 amusing, she is permitted to stay away; if the 
 prescribed lesson require patient study, and 
 7*
 
 7B FOUXG LADY'S AID 
 
 close application, it is omitted, and tlie cry is, 
 that all must be done by the oral instruction 
 of the teacher. I was once called, in the 
 absence of a friend, to take charge of a class 
 in a Sabbath school. The children came, all 
 bright and happy, but with no lessons. They 
 came to be amused by the stories of the teach- 
 er. And what must be the consequences of 
 this view? It is to connect even with the 
 subject of religion the same search for pleas- 
 tire* 
 
 Now, in view of the future character, and 
 of what God requires of us, this seems to me 
 to be in a great degree wrong. I speak not 
 now in regard to intellectual improvement, 
 although, it must be evident to every one, 
 that a lesson, the knowledge of which is ac- 
 quired by one's own persevering efforts, is, 
 in an intellectual point of view, worth ten 
 times the amount of knowledge passively 
 received from the lips of another. But I 
 speak more particularly of the influence of 
 these views upon moral character. I would, 
 indeed, have every study made as interesting 
 as it can be made, by clearness of statement,
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 79 
 
 and simplicity of illustration. Hut, then I 
 would have the child accustomed to go regu- 
 larly and quietly through, whatever is pre- 
 scrihed, hecause such a course is the course 
 of duty, without ever asking the question, 
 whether it be interesting or not. If this 
 habit be once firmly fixed, it will be of more 
 value, in regard to the future character, than 
 all the knowledge that can possibly be acquir- 
 ed. 
 
 [ have said, that the first step in the forma- 
 tion of the evil habit, of which I am speaking, 
 is in wrong notions of education. The sec- 
 ond step, is to be found in the reading which 
 is provided for the young, and especially that, 
 to which the attention of young ladies is prin- 
 cipally directed. The object of whatever is 
 thus prepared, is to interest, to amuse. And 
 most of those books, which do not succeed 
 in this, are soon thrown aside. Is their at- 
 tention directed to history? Oh, that is dull. 
 The same scenes and characters and events 
 must, with much embellishment, be wove into 
 a highly wrought work of fiction, in order to 
 secure readers. Is a didactic work upon
 
 80 TOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 mo/als put into the hands of young ladies? 
 In seven cases out of ten, it is thrown aside as 
 absolutely insufferable. If the same moral 
 instructions are conveyed in a fictitious nar- 
 rative, it will secure readers. Though, in 
 seven cases out often, it is more than proba- 
 ble, that the story is only remembered, 
 without even a guess as to the moral instruc- 
 tion intended to be conveyed. To this sub- 
 ject of reading, I shall refer again, when, in a 
 future letter I speak of intellectual improve- 
 ment. What I now wish you to notice, is, 
 that the great object of reading is not improve- 
 ment but amusement', not profit, intellectual 
 and moral profit, but the mere enjoyment of 
 pleasure. And, thus, the reading of the day- 
 tends to strengthen and confirm the habit, 
 commenced in early education, and of seeking 
 only pleasure in all the circumstances of life, 
 of living for pleasure rather than for duty. 
 This then, the character of the reading of our 
 young ladies, is the second step in the forma- 
 tion of this evil habit. 
 
 The third step is, that our young misses are 
 not accustomed, gradually, and as they are
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. Oi 
 
 able, to the labors of the household. They 
 are taught to look to domestics for the perfor- 
 mance of a thousand little duties, which they 
 are able to perform for themselves, and which 
 it would be much^better for them to perform 
 for themselves. I am aware that the excuse 
 often is, they are now at school, when they 
 have completed their education, as it is tech- 
 nically called, then they can attend to this. 
 But I am myself fully satisfied, that if put to 
 household duties early, according to their 
 strength, and accustomed, even while at 
 school, to the faithful performance of a portion 
 of these duties, their health would be improv- 
 ed, their mental vigor increased, arid their 
 education itself rendered more solid and valua- 
 ble. And my opinion is formed from facts, 
 that have fallen under my own observation. 
 I have observed, almost universally, that those 
 manifested more mental vigor, and were less 
 superficial, andjnore thorough scholars, who 
 were compelled to spend some portion of 
 every day, in ihe faithful discharge of house- 
 hold duties. But I am looking at this, you 
 will remember, in a moral point of view, and
 
 82 YOUNG LADf's AID. 
 
 in reference to future character, and here, I 
 am satisfied^ that the course pursued is most 
 deleterious. They are accustomed to be 
 waited upon by others, while they themselves 
 are thinking only of their own pleasure. They 
 thus form a habit, which it is difficult, in after 
 life, to break through. And, you all know, 
 that those labors to which the individual is 
 early and constantly accustomed, are, in ordi- 
 nary cases, performed with more ease and 
 propriety, than when the attention is direct- 
 ed to them only in after life. Still further, 
 this view of first acquiring an education, and 
 then attending to those labors, gives rise to 
 false notions. The term education, is suppos- 
 ed not to denote the gradual formation and 
 development of character, by means of du- 
 ties, as well as studies. It is supposed to 
 denote a positive amount of knowledge and 
 accomplishments, to be acquired for future 
 use or display. And, when this idea is once 
 fixed in the mind, the labors of the house- 
 hold fall under its influnce. They are 
 thought to be a part of education, the last 
 branch perhaps, in regard to which, the ob-
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 83 
 
 jectis to acquire a positive amount of knowl- 
 edge for future use or display. But to me it 
 seems that God has established that holiest 
 of all institutions, the family circle, for wise 
 purposes. And one of these purposes, I 
 believe to be, the right development and pro- 
 per improvement of the characters of its vari- 
 ou members, by enlisting the interest of each 
 in the welfare of all, by subjecting all to mu- 
 tual trials,and calling upon all for the discharge 
 of reciprocal duties. 1 believe that, where 
 the daughter cherishes an interest for the 
 welfare of the family, feels a responsibility in 
 regard to it, and makes sacrifices of self indul- 
 gences, and puts forth vigorous efforts in 
 household labors and duties, the heart and the 
 mind and the character will be improved. 
 But when the daughter is only a boarder in 
 her father's house, feeling no responsibility 
 in regard to the household affairs, and conse- 
 quently, taking no deep interest in them, 
 performing, regularly and systematically, no 
 part of the labors, she loses the benefit which 
 God has designed for her in this holy rela- 
 tion. She might as well be aboarder in some
 
 84 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 public house, there to be waited upon by 
 others, there to live in idleness, or in those 
 merely frivolous employments, which require 
 no effort and call for no self-sacrifices. I 
 have often been surprised to witness the differ- 
 ent effects upon the heart and the character, 
 resulting from the different courses I have al- 
 luded to. If you learn the characters of 
 young ladies, who have been merely board- 
 ers in their father's houses, feeling no respon- 
 sibility, taking no interest, performing no 
 labors, making no sacrifices, you will be sur- 
 prised to find how vain, frivolous and selfish, 
 they are. They seem not to have acquired 
 the power of reflection. They seem to be 
 utterly indifferent to each other's happiness. 
 But, on the contrary, if you become acquain- 
 ted with the characters of young ladies, who 
 have struggled with the other members of 
 their families, making sacrifices, performing 
 labors, and thus cherishing feelings of interest 
 and responsibility, you will be surprised to 
 find how much their powers of thought and 
 reflection have been strengthened and devel- 
 oped, and how pure and ardent and self' sac-. 
 
 9
 
 DUTY BEFORE PI.EASTRK.. 85 
 
 rificing are their affections for those, for whom 
 they have made sacrifices, and with whom 
 they have labored and struggled. 
 
 You will perceive, from these remarks, that 
 I would have every young lady, while under 
 her father's roof, and before being called to 
 other and different scenes and duties, regard 
 the household labors of the family as a part 
 of her appropriate and continued duty, not 
 merely as a branch of education, to be attend- 
 ed to for a season and then neglected, but as 
 her regular appropriate duties, assigned by 
 God, in the very constitution of the family 
 circle,as the best means to develope and form 
 female character. In this view, they will 
 not be neglected during the years devoted to 
 books, and while acquiring the knowledge, 
 which is to prepare the mind for future self- 
 improvement. But, as this plan, of leaving 
 all attention to these, until school education 
 is completed, is so specious, it may be well 
 to ask how it is in fact. Suppose, then, that 
 the young lady has neglected these, while at- 
 tending school. And now she returns from 
 school, with a confirmed habit of neglect, and
 
 80 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 an acquired reluctance of feelings, in regard 
 to all this class of duties. She has formed 
 the habit, it may be, of seeking only her own 
 pleasure, instead of living for duty. Will 
 not these habits and this reluctance, do much 
 to prevent her engaging heartily and with 
 .interest in these labors? But, still further, 
 she has now, among her school mates, a large 
 circle of acquaintances. And to keep up 
 these acquaintances, there must-bo a contin- 
 ual round of morning calls and afternoon 
 visits and evening parties, to take up the 
 time and attention. And, it may be, that the 
 young lady has a circle of acquaintances 
 among the young gentlemen, for whose calls 
 she must ever be in full dress, as it would be 
 highly improper to have them suppose that 
 she employed herself in hard and useful labor 
 at times, and dressed according to her occupa- 
 tion. Taking these circumstances into ac- 
 count, I ask, if there is any probability that 
 there will be a hearty interest taken in house- 
 hold labors, and a hearty devotion to them, as 
 the appointed and appropriate duties of life ? 
 I cannot believe there is. This, then, is the
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 87 
 
 last step, I can, at this time, notice, in the 
 formation of the evil habit, of which 1 have 
 been speaking. And, you learn from what I 
 have said, what I mean by living for pleasure 
 rather than for duty. I do not confine my 
 remarks to those, who live in the extreme of 
 lolly and fashion. No; I would extend them" 
 to all who are seeking for pleasure instead oi 
 asking what is duty. 
 
 And now I will point out the effect of this 
 habit. And fust, it is die source of great un- 
 happiness, frivolity and extravagance. It is 
 the source of great uuhap'piness. God has 
 created us for duty, for virtue, and not for 
 mere enjoyment. He has indeed attached 
 happiness to the performance of duty. But 
 the question, which he would have us ask in 
 regard to any course of conduct, is simply the 
 question, 'Is it duty?' When we have once 
 satisfied ourselves that any course of conduct 
 is our duty, he would have us to press reso- 
 lutely forward in its performance. Are there 
 obstacles to overcome? He would have us, 
 not shrink before them, but call forth stronger 
 resolutions and put forth more vigorous efforts.
 
 88 YOUNC LADY'S AID. 
 
 Is the course unpleasant? Still it is duty, 
 and he would have us press forward, regard- 
 less of its unpleasant circumstances, with the 
 feeling that, all we have to do is, to ascertain 
 and perform duty, without once asking wheth- 
 er the course before us be pleasant or not. 
 And he has so constituted us, that the inward 
 satisfaction of having performed even unpleas- 
 ant duties, will give peace and happiness. But 
 if, on the contrary, we ask only what will be 
 pleasant, and seek, in our various courses, only 
 for enjoyment, we shall find ourselves disap- 
 pointed in our expectations, while the thought 
 of having neglected duty in our search for 
 pleasure, will give to our disappointment ten- 
 fold poignancy. This living for pleasure rath- 
 er than for duty is the source of great unhap- 
 piness. It is the source of frivolity and ex- 
 travagance. What is it, I ask, but this, that 
 leads young ladies to the novel, to a blind 
 subserviency to fashion, to seek for display in 
 dress and furniture? Is it not, that they are 
 seeking for pleasure from these? And, as 
 they have left the path pointed out by God, 
 is it strange that they should fall into a thous-
 
 DUTY BRFOHE PLEAST'RE. O\) 
 
 and vain and extravagant notions? Certainly 
 siot. This living (or pleasure rather than for 
 duty is the source of unhappiness, of frivolity 
 and of extravagance. Nay more, it opens a 
 wide door to temptation and sin. if yon will 
 look over the'dark catalogue of female de- 
 pravity^ and will question the individuals there 
 named as to the course they have pursued 
 and the cause of their ruin, they must answer, 
 if they answer truly, that they early formed 
 the habit of living for pleasure, that they soon 
 become vain and frivolous in rnhd, weak in 
 principle and extravagant in their desires. And 
 that to gratify their vanity, their love of finery 
 and display, they yielded to the temptations, 
 which assailed them, and fell the victims of sin 
 and of moral ruin. Such, in nine cases out 
 of ten must be the answer. 
 
 ]>ut again, this habit of living for pleasure 
 rather than for duty utterly unfks our young 
 ladies for all the exigencies and emergencies 
 of future life. Suppose your parents are now 
 wealthy. Are there not constantly recurring 
 events, in this kind, of a character to teach 
 the uncertainly of wealth, the frequency of
 
 90 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 change? IIo\v often do we see those wl.o are 
 on the very pinnacle of wealth, one day, hurl- 
 ed, on the next, to the deepest poverty ! And 
 most surely, with so many constantly recurring 
 instances around you, you cannot feel safe, 
 you cannot feel that the riches of your parents 
 are certain. Suppose then, that a change 
 should come over the circumstances of your 
 parents, what would be your condition. With 
 no means, art or power, for your self-support, 
 with no mental vigor orstrength of moral prin- 
 ciple, with an extravagant love of finery and 
 show and parade, a slavish subserviency to 
 the opinions of others and the whims of fashion, 
 having been accustomed to seek for pleasure 
 rather than to live for duty, would you not be 
 most wretched, and would not the sight of 
 your wretchedness add tenfold to the anguish 
 of the father and mother, who, in mistaken 
 kindness, have made you a pet and trained 
 you to vanity and extravagance. 
 
 Again, suppose you are left to wend your 
 way through the world alone, either with or 
 without property. Will not this habit render 
 you wretched in yourself, and the cause of
 
 PUTT BEFORE PLEASURE. 91 
 
 unhappiness to all around you? Seeking only 
 for pleasure, you are continually disappointed 
 and continually unhappy. Having been ac- 
 customed to the services and attentions of 
 others, you will be continually vexed at their 
 indifference to your wishes. You will soon 
 become a burden, and all the service and at- 
 tention you can command, will be, not the 
 service of friendship, rendered cheerfully and 
 affectionately, but the mere mercenary atten- 
 tions of the hireling, rendered in cold indiff- 
 erence, and only for pay. Not having been 
 accustomed to seek out ways of making your- 
 self useful to all around you, your society 
 will be avoided, or, at best, only endured. 
 Your friendship will be dreaded. Not being 
 accustomed to depend upon yourselves, you 
 will be compelled to feel that you must de- 
 pend upon those, who have no affectionate 
 regard for you, while you live, and who, you 
 are satisfied, will rejoice when you are dead. 
 But, still further: suppose that, in the pro- 
 vidence of God, you assume the relation of 
 wife. How will you ba prepared for the 
 solemn responsibilities, nnd important duties,
 
 92 YOUNG I.AKY'S AID. 
 
 and peculiar trial? of that relation.? You hr.ve 
 formed the habit of living only for pleasure, 
 and not for duty. You have accustomed 
 yourself to a round of frivolity, vanity nnd 
 fashion. You have become utterly dependent 
 upon the services of others, for the most com- 
 mon attentions of Jife; you have not accus- 
 tomed yourselves to the duties of the house- 
 hold, ond have acquired a reluctance for its 
 labors. If you enter the marriage relation 
 with these habits and these feelings, you must 
 either begin at once entirely anew, breaking 
 up all your old habits and feelings and associ- 
 ations, and commencing the formation of habits 
 and the cultivation of feelings of an entirely 
 different character, based on different princi- 
 ples, and aiming at. different objects. You 
 must do this, I say, or you will be utterly 
 wretched in yourselfand the source of wretch- 
 edness in your husband. He will soon learn 
 that he has not found a companion, that he 
 has obtained only a toy, an expensive toy 
 too, for it must be gaily dressed, and carefully 
 served by two or three hired domestics. Is 
 he in doubt? He cannot ask counsel, for you
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. 93 
 
 have not been accustomed to think and reflect 
 and cannot therefore give counsel. Is he in 
 trouble? He dreads to communicate his dif- 
 ficulties to the wife of his bosom, lest, instead 
 of summoning up energy and coming [to his 
 relief, by your retrenchment and reform, you 
 will be only like a spoiled child, rendered dis- 
 consolate at the loss of your accustomed in- 
 dulgences. You see then, my young friends, 
 that this habit is not only the source of un- 
 bappiness, frivolity and vanity, but that it 
 tends to destroy all energy and nerve of char- 
 acter, and utterly unfit you for the stations, 
 duties and emergencies of future life. 
 
 Still further, this habit of living for pleas- 
 ure rather than for duty, exerts a preventive, 
 or a deleterious influence upon religious im- 
 provement and Christian character. The hab- 
 it, you will bear it in mind, is that of seeking 
 for pleasure. Does a young lady attend the 
 house of worship, under the influence of this 
 habit? You might, almost as well, hope to 
 make an impression, by speaking to the winds, 
 ns addressing her. And why? Because let 
 her be as deeply interested as she may, it is
 
 94 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 only her own pleasure, which she seeks, her 
 own enjoyment of which she speaks. Could 
 } ou, with the power of Almighty truth, and 
 the eloquence of angelic tongues, speak so as 
 to move the very stones about you, still she is 
 the same, seeking only pleasure, and speaking 
 only of her enjoyment of the powerful thrill 
 sent through her frame. Nay^ more, seeking 
 only pleasure, she has no reverence for the 
 place, the services, or the being worshiped. 
 And even in the most solemn parts of the ser- 
 vice, if an amusing sight presents itself, or an 
 amusing thought is suggested, you see her at 
 once indulging in laughter, speaking to others 
 and disturbing many. What hope is there 
 from the most earnest, faithful and serious dis- 
 course, addressed to such aone? ThankGod 
 there is hope, but not in the power of man, 
 it is only in the influences of God's spirit, 1 
 say then, that this habit exerts a preventive 
 influence upon religious improvement. 
 
 But suppose one, who is under the influ- 
 ence of this habit, becomes interested in reli- 
 gion, this same feeling of selfishly seeking 
 pleasure, pervades her religious character. Is
 
 DUTY EKFOIli: PLKASL'KI-:. 9-3 
 
 any outward effort to be m-ide, or any noble 
 project started? You- will find her all zeal 
 and ardor. But, vvben difficulties arise, when 
 obstacles oppose, then this zeal and ardor 
 evaporate. - Is there any religious exercise, 
 in which she feels deeply interested, and from 
 which she-hopes for much pleasure, she will 
 make every effort to attend. But is she dis- 
 appointed, she Is rendered uncomfortable and 
 unhappy, shewing, that still, though under the 
 form of religious exercises, she is selfishly 
 seeking her own enjoyment, that she is still 
 living for pleasure, not for duty : that her in- 
 terest in- religious exercises, is only a love for 
 self gratification, that she has not learned the 
 very .first principle in practical godliness^ 
 which is an unreserved and self-sacrificing de- 
 votion to duty, to the will of God. Thus you 
 perceive that this habit exerts a powerfully 
 deleterious influence upon the Christian char- 
 acter, generating self-deception, preventing or 
 cripling Christian efforts, and quenching the 
 influences of God's spirit. 
 
 I have thus, my young friends pointed out 
 a prevailing habit, which as I sincerely be-
 
 06 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 lieve, stands in the way of your social, intel- 
 lectual and moral improvement, a habit, which 
 as I have said, must be broken through, be- 
 fore we can hope that you will be prepared 
 for future happiness, for future duties, or fcr 
 Christian improvement; the habit of living for 
 pleasure rather than for duty. I have endeav- 
 ored to prove the existence of this habit, to 
 point out its origin, and to describe its evil 
 effects. 
 
 It remains only, that in a few closing remarks 
 I suggest the remedies. Are there those 
 among the readers of these pages, who be- 
 long to the wealthier circles of society, to 
 them I would say, great responsibility, upon 
 this subject, rests with you. It is for you to 
 set the example of living for duty rather than 
 for pleasure. It has been with those of your 
 circle, that this evil of regarding the perfor- 
 mance of ordinary labor and the conscientious 
 devotion to every day duties as ungenteel and 
 vulgar. Indeed it is with some of your cir- 
 cle that the evil has commenced, if we go 
 still further back, in establishing gentility and 
 not duty as the standard. And say, my 
 8
 
 DTL'Y BKKORK PLEASURE. 97 
 
 friends, shall not the remedy of the evil com- 
 mence with you? God grant that it may. 
 
 Are there those among the readers of these 
 pages, who belong to the middling classes in 
 society, or those who are in more indigent cir- 
 cumstances, to them I would appeal, I would 
 exhort them to act in independence of the 
 foolish notions which may prevail around them. 
 Dare to despise that which is of no worth. 
 Dare to appear as you are, and to serve your 
 God by a right performance of the duties of 
 your situations, unmoved by the sneers or the 
 practices of others. Dwell in thought upon 
 your relation to God, and you will be strength- 
 ened to withstand the sneers of men, especial- 
 ly when you consider that these sneers come 
 only from the light minded and frivolous, 
 whose respect is not worth possessing. 
 
 Are there those among the readers of these 
 pages, who sustain the solemn and responsi- 
 ble relation of mothers. To them I would 
 appeal. Look, my friends upon those, your 
 fair daughters. God committed them to your 
 trust and training. In that trust you are ac- 
 countable. The results of that training must
 
 98 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 be exhibited before God. He committed 
 them to your reasonable, social immortal be- 
 ings. And now, I say, will you return them 
 to him, with feelings made selfish, with minds 
 rendered powerless, and with hearts filled 
 with frivolity and vanity, with desires con- 
 fined to parade and dress and fashion, shall 
 such be the character of these precious trusts, 
 as you return them to him, who gave them? 
 Oh, no; God forbid. I call upon you, then, 
 to exert all the energies of your souls, to 
 turn the attention of fern* le mind away from 
 the never ending search for pleasure, and to 
 direct it to an unreserved, self-sacrificing de- 
 votion to duty. The evil begins while your 
 daughters are under your dictation and influ- 
 ence. To you then, I appeal in their behalf. 
 Oh, sacrifice not, I beseech you, on the altars 
 of vanity and fashion, those immortal spirits 
 committed to your trust. Consider that it is 
 your highest duty, and that it will be your 
 highest honor, that you have trained them up 
 to live for duty, and consequently for happi- 
 ness and for heaven.
 
 DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE. y9 
 
 But, young ladies, the greatest responsibil- 
 ity, after all, rests upon yourselves. For, 
 whatever may be the opinions and the practi- 
 ces around you, and whatever may have been 
 your early training, when you are .capable of 
 reflection, you are called upon to act for your- 
 selves, upon your own responsibility, and 
 with the thought that you are yourselves, to 
 bear the consequences of your conduct. 
 To you then young ladies, 1 appeal. And 
 shall I appeal to you in vain, when I appeal 
 in behalf of yourselves, and of your highest 
 happiness and greatest improvement. It can- 
 not be. Consider then, I beseech you, the 
 high powers which are bestowed upon you, 
 the elevation and usefulness of whichyou are 
 capable, and say, shall all this be forfeited in 
 your silly chase for pleasure? Consider that 
 you have immortal spirits, committed to you, 
 that you may train and fit them for heavenly 
 joys. Consider what God and' Christ has 
 done for you. And shall all this have been 
 done in vain? Oh, no. Is there one young 
 lady who may read these pages, who, as she 
 looks onward to the emergencies of future
 
 100 YOUNG LADY'S AID, 
 
 years, to future character, and still further ou 
 ward to the spiritual world, is there a young 
 lady, I would ask, who will not, as these 
 thoughts are suggested, resolve that she will 
 no longer live for pleasure, but for duty.
 
 LETTER IV. . 
 
 INTELLECTUAL, IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 Reasons for introducing tha subject first, wrong no- 
 tions upon the subject ofeducation prevalent second 
 but few perceive the connection there is between intel- 
 lactual education and moral and spiritual improve 
 ment Wrong notions Education supposed to denote 
 not the development of mind but the acquisition of a 
 positive amount of knowledge Education means to 
 draw the powers out into active exercise the studies 
 of school to be regarded as means the mental strength 
 and development secured the object aimed at This 
 object secured by the actual exercise of the mind 
 without much regatd to the objects about which it is 
 exercised; Those who enjoy ad vantages should remem- 
 ber that their being well educated depends not so 
 much upon the advantages enjoyed, as upon the man- 
 ner in which they are improved, those not favored 
 with advantages may, by the right' exercise of their 
 minds upon their duties and trials, secure tho result 
 aimed at in the pursuit of studies mental develop- 
 ment and strength Intellectual development has n 
 most important connection with moral and spiritual 
 improvement Thw proved and illustrated All edu- 
 cation is for eternity VV-hat are usually regarded as 
 results are, in this view, to be regarded as means of 
 further advancement and progress This thought cal- 
 culated to "exert a poweiful influence npoti the feel- 
 ings and the dibits. 
 
 9*
 
 102 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIENDS: 
 
 I have, already, as you will remember, 
 urged upon you the claims of Christianity to 
 your affections, to that faith which is of the 
 heart, and which is, consequently, a faith 
 unto righteousness, and unto salvation. And 
 then I have urged upon you the importance of 
 adding to your faith virtue, the importance of 
 commencing, under the influence and the guid- 
 ance of religion, a course of moral and reli- 
 gious self-cultivatian. I have also endeavored 
 to remove the obstacles in the way of your 
 progress, by cautioning you again:t the danger 
 to which you are all exposed, of forming the 
 habit ef living for pleasure rather than for 
 dut}'. The way is now open for urging upon 
 you the importance of adding to your virtue, 
 knowledge, of connecting with your efforts 
 for moral and religious self-cultivation, cor- 
 responding efforts for intellectual improve- 
 ment. I am about to address you therefore, 
 my young friends, upon the subject of intel- 
 lectual improvement. It is a subject upon 
 which I conceive it to be of the utmost impor- 
 tance to speak in this connection, and that
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPOVEMENT. 103 
 
 for two reasons. In the first place, there are 
 prevalent among young ladies, many wrong 
 notions upon the subject of education, notions 
 too, which prevail, perhaps, to as great an 
 extent among those who are conscientiously 
 seeking for moral and religious improvement, 
 as among others. And in the second place, 
 but few have so reflected upon the subject as 
 to perceive the connection there is between 
 intellectual cultivation and moral improvement 
 and the importance of both intellectual and 
 moral cultivation as aids to spiritual progress. 
 And first, I have said there are wrong no- 
 tions prevalent upon the subject of education. 
 We often hear it said of a young lady, that she 
 has completed her education. Does not this 
 expression imply that education is regarded 
 as the acquisition of a certain amount, a posi- 
 tive and definite amount of knowledge and 
 accomplishments? A young lady has com- 
 pleted her education! And why? Because 
 she has acquired the amount of knowledge 
 usually acquired^by young ladies of her stan- 
 ding, and is as accomplished as others of her 
 age and station; or because she has acquired
 
 104 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 as much knowledge, attended to t!e study of 
 as many different branches, as \vou!d be con- 
 venient in her circumstances and with her 
 time. Therefore her education is to her 
 completed. I am confirmed in the opinion 
 that such are the ideas attached to the term 
 education, from another expression we often 
 hear. We often hear it said that such a 
 young lady has acquired a good education, 
 and that the education of another lady is de- 
 fective. And why so? Because the one has 
 acquired a greater amount of knowledge, has 
 attended to more branches of study and is fa- 
 miliar with a greater number of what are corn- 
 rnonly regarded as accomplishments, than the 
 other. And does not this mode of speaking 
 iniply, that the term education is regarded as 
 denoting a definite and positive amount, either 
 greater or less, of knowledge? This, it seems 
 to me, is a wrong notion, but what, you will 
 ask, are we to understand by the term edu- 
 cation? In answer, I would say, that the 
 original word from which the term education 
 is derived, means to lead forth or draw out. 
 The term education then, properly means the
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 105 
 
 drawing out of the various capacities of our 
 nature into full and free exercise. And it is 
 applied more especially to the various studies 
 and exercises of childhood, because these are 
 regarded as the instruments of drawing forth 
 and exercising the various powers of body 
 and mind, and thus developing and strength- 
 ening them. You have often heard the im- 
 portance of physical education spoken of. 
 Some years ago gymnastics were recommend- 
 ed to young gentlemen, and calisthenics to 
 young ladies as useful means of physical edu- 
 cation. But why so? Not because it was of 
 any great practical importance, to know how 
 to perform the various movements and ex- 
 ercises, to which the attention was direct- 
 ed, or even to be skilled in their perform- 
 ance. But because thesn exercises were 
 thought to be instrumental in drawing forth 
 the bodily strength, in exercising the bodily 
 powers, in developing and strengthening the 
 bodily system. I point out this distinction, 
 between bodily exercise as the means and 
 bodily health and strength, as the end to be 
 obtained, in order to guard against a mistake,
 
 106 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 into which men fall in regard to this, as in re- 
 gard to almost every other subject, the mistake 
 of regarding means as the essential thing, to 
 the neglect of the end to be obtained by the 
 use of these means. 
 
 There were some, for example, who would 
 conclude at once, that the lady who had ne- 
 glected calisthenics, or the prescribed walks 
 and rides attended to by others, had entirely 
 neglected all physical education. And yet it 
 maybe true, that a young lady, by a diligent 
 and faithful performance of household duties, 
 has actually been pursuing a most profitable 
 course of physical education, and has actual- 
 ly acquired, by these labors, bodily health and 
 strength. 
 
 So in regard to intellectual education. The 
 various studies, to which the attention is di- 
 rected, are regarded as the means of educa- 
 tion, because they are supposed to aid in 
 drawing out the iitellectual powers into free 
 and full exercise, and so developing and 
 strengthening them. You will notice here 
 that the various studies of childhood are the 
 means to be employed, intellectual strength
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 107 
 
 and development are the objects to be attain- 
 ed. It is frequently the case, that you see 
 a person, who has enjoyed but few opportuni- 
 ties for an acquaintance with books and with 
 the studies of childhood. And such a one is 
 often spoken of as a person of little or no ed- 
 ucation. And yet, if you look at the intellec- 
 tual character, you will find that the mental 
 powers are in full and free exercise, and have 
 acquired great strength and development. 
 The result, aimed at in all studies, has actu- 
 ally been obtained, although the mode of ob- 
 taining it has been different Irom that usually, 
 prescribed. And how, it is asked, is this? I 
 answer, the result is, in all cases, obtained by 
 the exercise of the mind. It does not de- 
 pend upon the particular subject, about which 
 the mind is exercised. For example, one 
 young lady is a pupil in a high school, and 
 her attention is directed to the study of Gram- 
 mar, Rhetoric, Logic, Mathematics, and, it 
 may be, to ancient and modern languages. 
 But why is her attention directed to these? 
 One reason is, that the knowledge acquired 
 by these studies is itself important. The
 
 108 rouNO LADY'S AID. 
 
 knowledge of Grammar and Rhetoric will en- 
 able her to understand more fully, and to ap- 
 preciate more justly the beauties of what she 
 may afterwards read. And so all the various 
 branches are valuable in reference to future 
 improvement. But, still, the principal reason 
 is, that, while engaged in these studies, she is 
 exercising, strengthening and developing the 
 mental powers. In the pursuit of these stu- 
 dies, the judgment is exercised, discrimina- 
 tion, nice and careful discrimination is called 
 for the individual is accustomed to think, 
 to weigh, to examine, to judge. And then, 
 too, the taste is refined and purified; in this 
 \vay valuable results are secured. But anoth- 
 er young lady is deprived of these high priv- 
 ileges and cannot attend to these important 
 studies. She is comparatively in indigent 
 circumstances. She is called upon to plan 
 and contrive, in order to make a little go as 
 far as it can, to make the best appearance 
 which can be made with limited means, to ex- 
 ercise her own taste in regard to her dress. 
 The consequence is, that she thinks, exam- 
 ines, weighs, judges; her discrimination, her 
 7
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPOVEMENT. 109 
 
 forethought are called into exercise. Her 
 sense of propriety, her tastes are exercised. 
 She is accustomed to self-reliance, to put forth 
 and to depend upon her own individual ener- 
 gy. In this way, it often happens, that the 
 most valuable results are obtained, the essen- 
 tial object, a well developed and well balanc- 
 ed mind, is secured, although she has not been 
 permitted to attend to the various branches 
 of school study. Nay, more, I have often 
 noticed, that some ladies, who have not en- 
 joyed the advantages of a school and a book 
 education, have, in the duties and actual em" 
 ergencies of after life, manifested a more ap^ 
 propriate developement of mind, a greater 
 strength of judgement, and discrimination, and 
 self-reliance, and self-guidance than many oth^ 
 ers, who have enjoyed the best advantages,, 
 and pursued the greatest number of studies. 
 And why so ? Because their minds had been 
 exercised in early life upon its trials and dutiea 
 in precisely the same way in which they wero 
 railed to exert themselves in after life. But 
 those with whom they have been compared, 
 although they have attended to many studies,, 
 10
 
 110 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 have not attended to them in the most profit- 
 able manner, they have relied too much upon 
 authority and exercised their own discrimina- 
 tion and self-reliance too little. Thus, you 
 perceive that in its true and proper sense ed- 
 ucation means the drawing out into free and 
 full exercise, the developing in a proper de- 
 gree, and in just proportions the various pow- 
 ers and capacities of our natures, and that if 
 this be actually dbne, it is not essential by 
 what studies and exercises it be accomplish- 
 ed, whether by the studies of school or by the 
 various trials and duties and efforts of actual 
 life. 
 
 But why, you may ask, do I say all this ? 
 Am I decrying an education at school and 
 by means of books? By no means. I have 
 made the remarks, which I have thus far of- 
 fered, for two reasons. First, while I would 
 have every young lady avail herself of all the 
 advantages which may be within her reach, 
 in the way of schools and books, I would have 
 her understand that her improvement does 
 not depend solely upon these books and 
 schools and teachers, but upon the manner
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. Ill 
 
 in which she exercises her own mind in re- 
 gard to them. A young lady may have the 
 advantage of the best schools in the land, and 
 may pass over a great variety of the most val- 
 uable and important studies, and yet be but 
 poorly educated at last. Because she may 
 depend too much upon authority, may take 
 things upon trust, and exercise only her mem- 
 ory. She may not think for herself, or form 
 habits of reflection. She may not discrimi- 
 nate nicely and judge carefully. Thus, you 
 perceive, that such a one may not only pass 
 over a great variety of important studies, but 
 so far as mere recitations and examinations 
 are concerned, she may be distinguished 
 may, by her parrot-like rehersal from memory 
 and by rote, actually excel, and yet be at last 
 but poorly educated. My first reason for the 
 remarks, which I have offered, I repeat, is to 
 impress upon the minds of those young ladies 
 who are now favored with high privileges, the 
 importance of a right manner of improving 
 them. It depends, young ladies, on your- 
 selves and not on the reputation of the school 
 you may attend, on the manner in which you
 
 112 YOUNG 
 
 pursue your studies, rather than on the par- 
 ticular studies themselves which you may pur- 
 sue, whether you shall be well educated or 
 not. Do you study English Grammar ? You 
 should remember that this is only a key to un- 
 lock all the philosophy of language, and, that 
 the philosophy of language is only an outward 
 manifestation of the philosophy of mind. If 
 then you study English Grammar, as it should 
 be studied, and look from the technical forms 
 of Grammar into all the peculiarities of lan- 
 guage, and from these into the various opera- 
 lions of the mind, which are thus manifested, 
 you will be studying in reality the philosophy 
 of the human mind. You will be taught, as 
 you do this, to turn your thoughts inward and 
 watch the operations of your own minds, as 
 indicated by the language you use, and to ex- 
 ercise the habit of observation in regard to 
 the mental processes of others as you listen 
 to their conversation. 
 
 In this mode of studying English Grammar, 
 you perceive you will be exercising and de- 
 veloping your own mind. But there is a dif- 
 ferent way of pursuing this study. I have
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 1 13 
 
 seen those, who professed to be skilled in 
 this department, and who yet never appeared 
 to have thought of the philosophy of either 
 language or mind. They look upon the rules 
 of Grammar, not as the simple expression of 
 the principles involved in the very philoso- 
 phy of mind and of language, but as the arbi- 
 trary creations of man; and the application of 
 these principL-s they regarded as the clipping 
 and paring down and shaping of language to a 
 correspondence with these arbitrary creations. 
 I have alluded to a single and a common 
 branch of study to illustrate my position. 
 And here again I would ask you, my young 
 friends, to remember, and to practice upon 
 the remembrance, that it depends upon your- 
 selves and not on others, on the manner in 
 which you pursue your studies, rather than 
 on the studies pursued whether your school 
 education shall be to you valuable or- not. 
 And this, I repeat, is the first reason for the 
 remarks which I have offered. My second 
 reason is, to encourage those who are not fa- 
 vored with opportunities for long attendance 
 at school. lam aware, my young friends, 
 
 10*
 
 114 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 that there are many such in the community. 
 Young ladies of fine minds, of ardent desires, 
 and these desires directed to intellectual im- 
 provement, but who are compelled, from cir- 
 cumstances, to neglect schools and books. 
 Such, in the despair of their souls, are ready 
 to give up all efforts at self-improvement. To 
 all such I would speak a word of encourage- 
 ment. Remember, young ladies, that the re- 
 sults and not the means of education are the 
 essential things, that the great and most im- 
 portant question to be asked, has regard to 
 the actual development of the mind, and not 
 so much to the particular branches of study 
 employed in this development. Are you 
 called to the continual and careful exercise of 
 your mind for your own support, in the va- 
 rious adjustment of efforts to ends, in all the 
 nicer minutiae of household duties? Sustain 
 yourselves by the thought, that the mental ex- 
 ercise, called forth by these particular duties 
 and trials, is an important and valuable pro- 
 cess of education, that, if, in all cases you 
 endeavor to discriminate nicely, and to exam- 
 ine carefully, and to judge properly, you are
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 115 
 
 exercising and developing your mind in a 
 profitable and proper manner. And, to take 
 the illustration already employed, the study of 
 English Grammar suppose you have had no 
 time nor opportunity to attend to its techni- 
 calities, yet, by reflecting upon what you 
 read, comparing one passage with another, by 
 watching the peculiarities and beauties of 
 style, and of thought, you may become most 
 intimately acquainted with the philosophy of 
 language and of thought. You may have 
 your thoughts turned in upon your own men- 
 tal operations, and the results, obtained by the 
 study of English Grammar, may be yours. 
 You have reached them, it is true, by a dif- 
 ferent process, and may not be able to ex- 
 press yourself, in regard to them, in technical 
 language. Yet the results, the knowledge of 
 the philosophy of language and of mind, the 
 exercise and development of your own men- 
 tal powers, may be yours. Let no young la- 
 dy then, be discouraged because she cannot 
 pursue the same courses of study with many 
 of her mates. She has a mind, the improve- 
 ment of which, although it may be advanced.
 
 116 YOUNG LADY'S AIO. 
 
 yet does not wholly depend upon a particular 
 course of studies. That mind she carries 
 with her wherever she goes, and she can ex- 
 ercise it upon whatever may present itself to 
 her notice. And by so exercising her mind, 
 she can strengthen, develope and train it up 
 for usefulness and happiness. Be not then, I 
 repeat, discouraged. Avail yourselves of the 
 privileges that may be within your reach, im- 
 prove carefully the opportunities with which 
 you may be favored, and ever employ your 
 minds upon the various subjects presented, 
 whether they be studies, duties, or trials, with 
 much care, and an earnest desire for improve- 
 ment. In this way, although circumstances 
 may seem adverse, you will be daily improv- 
 ing in those things which are the objects of 
 education. But I hasten to my next topic. 
 
 To jne it seems that intellectual develop- 
 ment has a most intimate and important con- 
 nection with moral and spiritual progress. This 
 connection I will now endeavor to poin t out. 
 And \\hat is moral improvement, on what is 
 it based, and how is it promoted? Moral 
 improvement is improvement in the right
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 117 
 
 understanding of moral duties, in the due ap- 
 preciations of the motives which may move 
 us to the right performance of these duties, 
 and in such an entire devotion to them, as 
 will result in the skilful performance of them. 
 But on what are moral duties based? Do 
 they not grow out of the natures we have re- 
 ceived at the hands of God and of the relations 
 which we sustain to our fellow men? On 
 what, for example, is the duty to be temper- 
 ate in all things based? The duty of govern- 
 ing and restraining our appetites and passions? 
 Do not these duties grow out of the circum- 
 stance that we are created moral and spiritual 
 beings? Experience and observation prove 
 that indulgence in the appetites, not only be- 
 numbs our intellectual powers, but blunts 
 and deadens our moral sensibilities. Such 
 indulgence, then, is wrong, is sinful. For it 
 is wrong to unfit ourselves by the indulgence 
 of our appetities, for the high moral efforts 
 and moral purposes for which we were creat- 
 ed. Again, experience and observation prove 
 that the indulgence of our appetites, deadens 
 our spiritual capacities and affections. Can
 
 118 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 you, I ask, go at once from a surfeiting feast, 
 to your closet of prayer, with any well groun- 
 ded hope that you will be enabled to engage 
 in that exercise with true fervor and heartfelt 
 devotion. Most surely not. God has creat- 
 ed us with animal appetites. These are giv- 
 en us as the means of guiding us to those 
 things which will promote the health of our 
 bodies. He has created us with intellectual 
 capacities, these were given us that we may 
 study out and understand our natures, our 
 rflations, the work? and ways, the character 
 and purposes'of God. He has created us 
 with social affections. These were given us 
 *hat we may enjoy and impart both happiness 
 and improvement in our intercourse with 
 friends. He has created us with moral sen- 
 sibilities. These were given us to guide us 
 into the path, and to urge us on to the faith- 
 ful performance of duties. He has created 
 us with spiritual capacities. These were giv- 
 en us that we may hold communion with the 
 father of our spirits. In the perfect character 
 these are all developed in their due and pro- 
 per proportions, and preserve towards each
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 119 
 
 other their proper relations and consequent- 
 ly the improvement of each tends to the more 
 appropriate and rapid improvement of all the 
 others. The animal appetites, if rightly and 
 properly indulged, promote health of body, 
 and thereby strengthen us for greater social 
 enjoyment, and for higher intellectual efforts. 
 The social enjoyments and intellectual efforts, 
 when indulged in and put forth in a proper 
 degree, being under the guidance of moral 
 principles and susceptibilities, afford to these 
 appropriate exercise, and consequently serve 
 to develope and strengthen them. And where 
 the tenderness of moral susceptibilities is cul- 
 tivated, and the strength of moral principles 
 is increased, and purity of moral character is 
 secured, there the spiritual and devout and 
 holy affections rise up into a more close and 
 intimate communion with the Father of spir- 
 its. You perceive, therefore, that where 
 the appetites are indulged to excess, the 
 individual is unfitted for the higher and holier 
 exercises of his spiritual nature. The young 
 lady who employs her intellectual powers 
 upon vain and frivolous pursuits, unfits her-
 
 120 YOUNG LADY'S MD. 
 
 self for the higher enjoyment of spiritual com- 
 munion with God. Where social enjoyment, 
 or mere intellectual improvement, are made 
 the great objects of life, moral improvement 
 and spiritual progress will be retarded. But 
 how are these principles of human nature and 
 their mutual relation known? Is it not by a 
 process of intellectual improvement? Most 
 surely it is! And now what is the effect of 
 this intellectual improvement? Here is a 
 devout and conscientious, but exceedingly ig- 
 norant Christian. She may be faithful in the 
 discharge of duty, because she fenrs,vvith slav- 
 ish dread, that positive punishment may be 
 indicted. Suppose her to be enlightened by 
 a process of intellectual education. Suppose 
 her to understand the constitution of the hu- 
 man soul, and Jo see clearly in what way the 
 faithful performance of duty promotes spiritu- 
 al improvement, and that misery is not an 
 arbitrary infliction of an angry sovereign, but 
 the result of a wise and merciful adjustment 
 of the constitution of our natures. Will she 
 not see, in all, the work of infinite love, and 
 seeing this, will not her obedience be more
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 121 
 
 free from restraint, from slavish dread? Will 
 she not be now drawn to the faithful perform- 
 ance of duty, by the cords of love? And is 
 not this a more powerful, as well as a more 
 pleasant motive, than slavish fear? Tiius you 
 perceive, that the simple branch of school 
 studies, English Grammar, leading, as it does, 
 if pursued aright, to a knowledge of the phi- 
 losophy of mind, aad leading, still further, as, 
 by reflection and personal examination it may 
 do, to a knowledge of the operations of your 
 own mind, may be instrumental in producing 
 a greater reverence for your own spiritual ca- 
 pacities, a better understanding of the grounds 
 of personal duty, and in presenting new and 
 more powerful motives to faithfulness and 
 obedience, may thus be instrumental in pro- 
 moting your moral improvement and your 
 spiritual progress. 
 
 Take another class of duties, belonging to 
 the same connection, the duties of love and 
 charity to others, and especially to those, who 
 may differ from you in religious opinions. 
 The ignorant Christian, who is conscientious- 
 ly obedient to her Master's instructions, will 
 11
 
 122 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 undoubtedly strive, and that most strenuously, 
 to perform these duties. But they will he 
 performed out of regard to what is considered 
 a positive and an arbitrary command. But if 
 the same person should make valuable intel- 
 lectual acquirements, she will see the reason- 
 ableness of this commanded duty. She will 
 understand how it is, that from the differences 
 in the construction of different minds, from 
 early education and prejudice, from viewing 
 the same subject, as many are com pelled to 
 
 view it, from different directions minds equal- 
 
 > fec 
 ly desirous of understanding arid obeying the 
 
 truth, equally honest, sincere and devout, in 
 all their inquiries, may, and often do, arrive 
 at different conclusions. Still further, she 
 will find some who have embraced what she 
 regards the true views of Christian duty, 
 holding this truth in unrighteousness. And 
 she will find that many, whose views of 
 Christian truth are apparently extremely defec- 
 tive, are led by what little of truth they do 
 embrace, to maintain pure and holy lives. 
 Now, with this knowledge, will she not per- 
 ceive the rensonableness of the duty? Mill
 
 INTELLECTUAL, IMPROVEMENT. 123 
 
 not her motives be much stronger than before? 
 Thus you per^ye that those branches of 
 knowledge, which relate to the nature, oper- 
 ations and philosophy of the human mind, 
 may be instrumental of moral improvement 
 and spiritual progress. 
 
 And now turn your thoughts to natural sci- 
 ence. Suppose two young ladies walk out, 
 and as they walk, their attention is directed 
 to the glorious luminary of day, or to the 
 fair queen of night, with her starry hosts. 
 The one is ignorant. She only gazes upon 
 these wonderful objects with a wild stare of 
 amazement wiih feelings of superstitious 
 dread, or "in utter indifference , as at some- 
 thing common, every day occurrence, and 
 not worthy of particular attention. The oth- 
 er young lady has acquired some good degree 
 of acquaintance with the science of astrono- 
 my, and to her, every change in the appear- 
 ance of the sun or moon, every twinkliugstar, 
 is instinct with life, light and intelligence. She 
 looks upon them all as the handy works of 
 God, and she understands something of the 
 wonderful manifestation there is in them, of
 
 124 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 wisdom, power and goodness. It lias been 
 said by the Royal Psalmist of Israel, that 'ihe 
 heavens declare the glory of God.' To 
 which mind, I ask, to the ignorant or to the 
 instructed mind, do these works most fully de- 
 clare this glory? Can there be any doubt? 
 While the ignorant young lady is staring in 
 amazement, or tinning away in indifference) 
 the mind that is instructed, is filled with the 
 thoughts of God, her affections are carried up 
 to the former, and sustainer and governor of 
 all worlds, and she is ready, under the prompt- 
 ing impulses of her own devout feelings, to 
 exclaim with the poet, 'An undevout astrono- 
 mer is mad.' 
 
 Again, suppose our heavens to be spanned, 
 as they sometimes have been, by the beautiful 
 arches, or the earth bathed in the beautiful 
 hues of the Aurora Borealis, with what widely 
 different feelings are these phenomena view- 
 ed by the ignorant and the instructed. The 
 ignorant gaze with mute indifference or su- 
 perstitious dread. To minds nninstructed, 
 these things may appear only as indications of 
 divine wrath and portentious omens of fulure
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 125 
 
 calamity. But the mind that is instructed, 
 sees in these same phenomena, only a beauti- 
 ful and heart stirring testimony of divine love. 
 Instead of shrinking away in superstitious 
 dread, the heart leaps for joy goes forth to 
 meet in holy meditation the God in whose 
 hands are the lightnings of heaven, who ri- 
 deth upon the whirlwind and governeth the 
 storms. But, if the science of astronomy 
 thus gives to the mind instructed in its truths, 
 such clear, forcible and vivid views of God, 
 as the ruler of all worlds, and calls forth lively 
 feelings of gratitude it must, of course, pro- 
 mote moral improvement and spiritual pro- 
 gress. For our strongest motives to the per- 
 formance of moral duties are those, which 
 are based upon love and gratitude to God. It 
 must promote spiritual progress, for it calls 
 Into lively and active exercise the very feeling 
 which constitute a part of our spiritual exer- 
 cises. And the sair.e may be said of all the 
 natural sciences. To her who is acquainted 
 with entomology, or the history, characters 
 and habits of insects every fly that buzzes, 
 every insect that crawls, every spider that
 
 120 YOUNG LADY S AID. 
 
 spins its web, is an object of deep interest, 
 an object of careful observation, an object 
 which conveys to the mind much instruction. 
 To her who is acquainted with the science of 
 botany, every flower she may rear, every plant 
 she may tend, nay mere, every worthless 
 weed, as it is called by others, is an object of 
 deep interest, and of heavenly instruction. 
 Those beautiful plants, which in summer 
 adorn your yards, and in winter your parlors, 
 may not only contribute to the gratification, 
 of a pure and healthy taste, they may even 
 become living mementos for God, living min- 
 isters of good, ever presenting to you new 
 and more beautiful proofs and manifestations 
 of God's continued presence, agency and 
 goodness. Thus you perceive that knowl- 
 edge may promote moral improvement and 
 spiritual progress. I do not say that knovv 1- 
 edge, simply in itself considered, will neces- 
 sarily or naturally do this. What I say, is that 
 when viewed through a Christian medium, it 
 will do this. And you will remember, that I 
 do not bring forward the cultivation of knowl- 
 edge as a preliminary and commencing step,
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 127 
 
 hut as what should he added to the essentials, 
 faith and virtue, as what is to be cultivated as 
 next in importance to giving the heart to God, 
 and devoting the energies to moral and relig- 
 ious self cultivation. In this subordinate 
 place, I do conceive that it may be instru- 
 mental in promoting our moral improvement 
 and our spiritual progress. I do most sin- 
 cerely and heartily believe that the more our 
 knowledge is increased, the deeper and strong- 
 er and more influential will be our faith, our 
 trust, our devotion, and the more unreserved, 
 free and cheerful, will be our obedience. 
 And this for a very plain and obvious reason. 
 The whole universe will furnish ministers to 
 our religious improvement. Every insect 
 that crawls, every bird that flies, every beast 
 that moves, every fish that swims, every flow- 
 er that blooms, every plant that grows, every 
 pebble beneath our feet, the ocean that rolls, 
 the wind that blows, the clouds that fly and 
 drop their fatness r.s they pass, the sun, the 
 moon, the stars that shine, all, all these come 
 fraught with a message from God to the soul 
 of man. But ignorance, on the other hand,
 
 128 YOUNG LADV's AID. 
 
 closes all these streams at once, and shuts 
 out from the ear the still small but powerful 
 voice of natural objects and mental truths. 
 
 I have thus, my friends, endeavored to cor- 
 rect some wrong impressions upon the sub- 
 ject of education, and to point ont the con- 
 nection between intellectual improvement and 
 moral and spiritual progress. It remains 
 that I direct your attention to one thought 
 more, before I close, a thought, which might 
 have been connected with my first position, 
 but which I preferred to reserve for this sep- 
 arate consideration, that so I might give it, if 
 possible, a more distinct representation, and 
 cause it to make a deeper and more vivid im- 
 pression. The thougkt is this, that all edu- 
 cation is for eternity, and that consequently 
 there is no limit to the period of acquiring 
 an education on earth, but the limit of life. 
 No one has completed her education until 
 she has closed her life. This thought is 
 highly important in one particular aspect. It 
 shews that what are usually regarded even as 
 the results of education, are to be looked upon 
 only as the means and instruments of still fur-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPHOVEMENT. 129 
 
 thcr advances eilhor intellectual, or moral and 
 spiritual. Are you, my young friend about 
 to leave school with the thought that your ed- 
 ucation is completed ? Let me show you 
 your mistake, and, that, instead of being com- 
 pleted, it is but just commenced. What have 
 you done at school ? You have acquired a 
 knowledge of language. And what is lan- 
 guage, but the manifestation of thought? 
 Words without thoughts are unmeaning sym- 
 bals. We value words because, by some 
 strange property of the mind, we can, as we 
 look upon the printed page, learn what were 
 the thoughts that passed through another mind 
 in past ages or in distant lands. Language 
 then is the instrument, by which we are to 
 make ourselves acquainted with the thoughts 
 of those who lived before us and who are ab- 
 sent from us. But, in studying and under- 
 standing language at school, a young lady has 
 only learned how to use the instrument. Sup- 
 pose, for example, that a young lady has made 
 herself acquainted will) the French language 
 at school. The great advantages of that sc- 
 nuisition are two. 8ho has exercised her
 
 130 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 mind in a peculiar way and acquired a peculiar 
 menial habit, and then she has learned the use 
 of a key, which may unlock to her the wealth 
 of the whole French literature and science, the 
 wealth of minds rich in thought and skilled in 
 science. Now, here is what is usually regard- 
 ed as one result of study. The result is that 
 the young lady is acquainted with the French 
 language. But this result, you perceive, is 
 to be regarded only as the means of still far- 
 ther advances, only as the means of an ac- 
 quaintance with the wide range of French lit- 
 erature and science. But here you may say 
 is the end of the process the ultimate and fi- 
 nal result. By no means. Of what value is 
 a knowledge of French literature ? Is it not 
 that, in that knowledge we find food for our 
 own thoughts and inquiries ? By our own 
 thoughts, inquiries and reflections we find our 
 minds strengthened and developed. We may 
 correct, in our own conclusions, errors which 
 we discover in theirs. We may follow out 
 trains of thought, suggested hy them. We 
 may advance beyond their farthest limits in 
 our own discoveries, being aic'ed by what v\e
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 131 
 
 Inve learned of their discoveries. In this 
 way, you perceive that a knowledge of French 
 science and literature, which by many would 
 be regarded as a result, is in reality to be look- 
 ed upon only as a means for further progress 
 and higher advances. But, to carry this same 
 branch still farther, how will the mental im- 
 provement, which we have been enabled to 
 make by our knowledge of French literature, 
 serve ns a means, of still farther advance- 
 ment ? I answer thai the individual, who 
 has rna.le this improvement, has learned much 
 ol the nature and operations of the human 
 mind, and of the relations which are sustained 
 towards the infinite and eternal spirit. Con- 
 sequently, she can see more clearly the vari- 
 ous reasons of the duties required, and can 
 feel and understand the force of the obliga- 
 tions which are upon her. She has more 
 comprehensive and influential views of God's 
 wisdom and goodness. She sees and feels 
 more deeply the affinity of spirit with spirit, 
 the connection of the finite with the infinite. 
 In this way, all her own mental actions and 
 intellectual improvement may be the means
 
 132 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 of higher moral advances and greater spiiit- 
 ual progress. But perhaps you may say, 
 young ladies, that you will never have oppor- 
 tunities for following out a particular branch 
 of study to so great an extent.. Perhaps not. 
 Let us take then an illustration of a different 
 character. Suppose you have enjoyed very 
 few advantages for intellectual improvement, 
 have been obliged to confine your attention to 
 household duties or to dirf-i it to some ap- 
 propriate art for your support ? Have you 
 confined your attention to household duties 
 and become skilled in ll c:r performance ? 
 You have probably, in doing this, learned to 
 regard these as duties, n:;<! have formed the 
 habit of performing well all duties. Here 
 then, in the very outset, you have acquired 
 the means of further improvement. For, 
 should your circumstances change as they un- 
 doubtedly would, and your "duties undergo a 
 corresponding change, the habit which you 
 have formed while about your household du- 
 ties, will go with you through these changes 
 and will be the means of your making great 
 and rapid improvement from the various chan-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 133 
 
 
 
 ges, in scenes and duties, through which you 
 may pass. Still further, your correct and ap- 
 propriate performance of household duties, 
 gives you the power of conferring pleasure up- 
 on others and of contributing to their happi- 
 ness and improvement. It may, therefore, be 
 put forth as a manifestation of your own kind- 
 ness of heart, and by exercising, may strength- 
 en your own benevolent feelings and affec- 
 tions. In addition to this, there is in the dis- 
 charge of even household duties, to one who 
 strives to perform them in the best possible 
 manner, a good and healthy exercise of the 
 mind, of examination, forethought, reflection 
 and judgement. Thus you see that knowl- 
 edge and skill in regard to household duties, 
 may be instrumental of intellectual, moral .and 
 spiritual advancement. And from these il- 
 lustrations I trust that you will perceive that 
 every branch and every step of education, 
 while it may be regarded as the result of the 
 steps which precede, should also be regarded 
 as the means of reaching the steps which are 
 before, and instrumental of still further and still 
 higher advances, and still greater progress. 
 12
 
 134 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 In this respect, the thought which I have 
 last suggested, is truly important, that all ed- 
 ucation is for eternity; that no education is 
 complete until this life is swallowed up of 
 death. And I might with propriety add, that 
 in the view of Christian character and eternal 
 happiness, there is a suhordination in the dif- 
 ferent parts of education. The true Chris- 
 tian will desire, and strive earnestly for intel- 
 lectual improvement. But she will ever val- 
 ue intellectual improvement, not so much on 
 its own account, as because it may he the 
 means of moral improvement. She will strive 
 strenously for the improvement of her moral 
 character. But it will be principally because 
 she is satisfied that the more pure her moral 
 character msy become, the higher will her 
 devout affections and spiritual aspirations rise; 
 and the greater will be her religious progress. 
 
 Yes, my friends, ihe thought that all edu- 
 cation is for eternity, is one of vast impor- 
 tance, and it gives to all the parts and branch- 
 es and modes of pursuing education, a vast 
 importance, an importance, which may be 
 felt, but which cannot be described. You
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 135 
 
 have all read of the accession to the throne 
 of England of Princess Victoria, and of the 
 care with which her mother educated her, in 
 view of her possible elevation to that rank. 
 Now, would you not all feel, that the cir- 
 cumstance, that a young lady is to be placed 
 in so important a station, gave to all the parts 
 and branches and modes of pursuing her ed- 
 ucation a vast importance? Would you not 
 feel that whatever others who were preparing 
 only for the ordinary walks of life might do, 
 it would be of the utmost importance for her 
 to be educated in the most perfect manner 
 possible? But what is the throne of England, 
 with all its elevation, and splendor and influ- 
 ence, so far as the individual is concerned, 
 compared with the eternal interests of an in- 
 dividual's own soul? Is it not, then, much 
 more important that she, who is educating her 
 soul for eternity, should endeavor to train it 
 up in the most perfect manner? This, young 
 ladies, is a view which may be brought home 
 to your own cases. When you think only of 
 the future duties of life, you may say in re- 
 gard to any branch or any mode of pursuing
 
 136 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 your education, this is of no great importance, 
 it lias reference only to the unimportant scenes 
 and duties of ordinary life. With this feeling 
 you will be in danger of neglecting your in- 
 tellectual improvement, or of pursuing it in 
 an improper and unprofitable manner. But 
 when you consider that carelessness in the 
 studies of intellectual education, may induce 
 liabits of carelessness in regard to moral char- 
 acter, and that carelessness in regard to moral 
 character, may utterly prevent all spiritual im- 
 provement, and that the want of spiritual im- 
 provement will unfit for the enjoyment of 
 heavenly happiness, then will you feel that it 
 is of infinite importance to avoid this careless- 
 ness in the studies of intellectual education. 
 Oh, then, dwell upon the thought which I 
 have presented, that all education is for eter- 
 nity. For, if you dwell upon this thought, 
 you cannot, you will not waste the precious 
 season with which you are favored. You will 
 ever and in all circumstances of life, be seek- 
 ing intellectual, moral and spiritual improve- 
 ment. And are any of you, my friends, so 
 circumstanced that the study of books must be
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 137 
 
 neglected? Consider I beseech you, that in 
 every struggle with trial and difficulty and temp- 
 tation, your intellectual power is increased, 
 while at the same time and by the same effort, 
 your moral principles are strengthened and 
 your heavenward aspirations rendered more 
 fervent. So if, in the face of opposition un- 
 der temptation^ or indeed in any circumstances 
 you persevere in the performance of duty, you 
 will find your mental poweis, your moral sen- 
 sibilities strengthened. You will be contin- 
 ually making perceptible progress and at each 
 step you wiJ|l gain strength for still further and 
 more vigorous efforts. Thus your intellectual, 
 moral and spiritual education will be continual- 
 ly making progress. They will go on hand 
 in hand in mutual hacmony, and with mutual 
 
 12*
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 Recapitulation of the last letter the importance of 
 acquiring a taste for reading Improvement by read- 
 ing depends not so much upon the amount read as 
 upon the manner of reading Important to read 
 slowly with much thought and reflection, and self- 
 application Improvement in reading depends not 
 so much upon the amount as upon the character of 
 what is read Five specific objections against novel 
 reading Works of imagination sometimes impor- 
 tant to verify general conclusions, or to illustrate 
 abstract truths Reviews and other light reading of 
 the kind should be taken up only occasionally The 
 principle reading should be of a solid character 
 The reading of the Bible urged Some hints in re- 
 gard to the manner of reading the sacred volume 
 Importance of the habit of observation Suggestions 
 on amusements and their influence upon intellectual 
 and moral improvement Conclusion. 
 
 My YOUNG FRIENDS: 
 
 In my last letter, I endeavored to point 
 out what I conceived to be important princi-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 139 
 
 pies upon the subject of intellectual improve- 
 ment, and to shew the connection between 
 intellectual development and moral and spir- 
 itual progress. The particular suggestions 
 of my letter were these three. First, that 
 the great object of education is to draw out, 
 exercise and develope the various faculties of 
 our nature, that books and studies are the 
 means of accomplishing this object, but that, 
 as the strength and development of -the men- 
 tal powers depend upon the actual exercise of 
 the mind itself, rather than upon the particu- 
 lar studies and subjects about which the mind 
 is exercised, it sometimes happens, that those 
 who are deprived of books and of study, do, 
 by a similar exercise of their minds upon the 
 actual duties and trials of life, obtain the same 
 or similar valuable results with others, and, 
 consequently, that those young ladies who en- 
 joy great advantages should remember, that 
 the value of their education will depend upon 
 their own faithfulness in the right exercise of 
 their minds, rather than upon the high char- 
 acter of the advantages which they enjoy, 
 while those, who are deprived of these priv-
 
 |4Q XOCNC LADY'S AID 
 
 ileges, may be encouraged to seek for the 
 same results, in rightly meeting the trials and 
 rightly discharging the duties of life. This I 
 say, was the first suggestion. 
 
 My second was, that all knowledge, and all 
 intellectual improvement, if looked upon in 
 the light of Christianity, aiad applied under 
 the. influence of Christian principle, may be- 
 come the instrument of aioral improvement' 
 and spiritual- progress, by making known to us 
 the gBou-ndiS of duly, and setting before us 
 stronger motives for its performance. Such was 
 my second suggestion. 
 
 My third was, that all education is educa- 
 tion for eternity, and that, consequently, the 
 intellectual development and the> intellectual 
 acquirements, which are usually regarded as 
 the results of education, are to be regarded, 
 in view of eternity, but as the means and in- 
 struments of still further progress in intellectu- 
 al, moral and spiritual improvement, and that 
 there is no limit en. earth to the period of ac- 
 quiring an education, but the close of life itself. 
 
 I propose, in this letter, to speak of the 
 means of securing intellectual improvement,
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 141 
 
 and of some of the hindrances, which are to 
 be encountered in (he attempt. And I would 
 first offer some remarks upon the suhject of 
 reading in its influence upon intellectual im- 
 provement. I feel that I ought to urge upon 
 your attention the importance of acquiring a 
 taste for useful reading, as one of the greatest 
 safe-guards to your future character, one of 
 the most fruitful sources of happiness and im- 
 provement. I have seen young ladies, who 
 had heen so accustomed to live upon outward 
 excitement, that they were most miserably 
 wretched, when left to themselves. They 
 were in possession of no inward resources of 
 happiness. They had been accustomed to 
 look without for all their enjoyment, and con- 
 sequently, all within was an empty void. In 
 society they are perhaps the liveliest of the 
 lively. All with mem, at such times, is noisy 
 rnirth and boisterous merriment. They are 
 not only full of life and animation themselves, 
 but they breathe life and animation into all 
 around them, they are the life of the whole 
 circle where they are. Such they are, when 
 placed amid outward circumstances calculated
 
 142 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 to excite them. But when by themselves, 
 when left alone, all this life and animation 
 gives place to uneasiness, to murmuring and 
 fretting, or settled gloom. They seem not to 
 know that there may be happiness in quiet 
 cheerfulness, that it is possible for one to find 
 sources of happiness iu her own reflections 
 and meditation and reading. And, having 
 secured no resources of happiness within 
 themselves, they are ever wandering abroad 
 in its pursuit. Gadding, calling, visiting, or 
 receiving visits, any thing is welcomed as a 
 relief from the tedium of mental vacuity. 
 Such young ladies I have seen. And when I 
 have seen them, I have felt the importance 
 of securing resources of happiness within one's 
 self. I would, then, urge the importance of 
 acquiring a taste for useful reading with this 
 view, as a resource of happiness within your- 
 selves. If you acquire this taste for useful 
 reading, you need not often be alone. Your 
 companions of your own age, your ordinary 
 associates may be far away. But still, you 
 may ha*e vrith you the writings of the distin- 
 guished of past ages. Sages and philosophers,
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 143 
 
 wise men and devout men, may thus be your 
 companions, your associates in these solitary 
 hours, as they are usually called. With their 
 minds you may hold communion. You may 
 listen to their communications and meditate 
 upon their instructions. You need not be 
 alone. You never need lack for resources of 
 happiness within yourselves. Then, too, use- 
 ful reading furnishes pure and profitable 
 thoughts to the mind, and excites amiable, 
 and pleasant, if not holy affections in the heart, 
 and thus furnishes you with an ever ready 
 source of enjoyment and improvement. A 
 striking thought, for example, may be sugges- 
 ted, which will give rise to a long train of re- 
 flections, and thus, hours may be pleasantly 
 and profitably spent in company with the good 
 thoughts of others. So a pure emotion may 
 be excited, which is connected with a long 
 train of pure and holy affections, and thus time 
 may be passed pleasantly and profitably, in 
 comrnunings of soul and heart, with the wise 
 and pure of p;ist ages, when you are prevent- 
 ed from enjoying the society of companions 
 of your own. I would then urge upon every
 
 144 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 young lady, who may read these pages, the 
 importance of acquiring a taste for useful read- 
 ing, as a resource of happiness, independent, 
 in some degree, of outward associates. You 
 cannot expect always to be placed amid out- 
 ward excitement. There must be times, 
 when you will be by yourselves, and when, if 
 you have no resources of happiness within 
 yourselves, you must be most miserably 
 wretched, And then, too, if you could hope 
 to live always amid outward excitement, it 
 would lose its power over you. Should you 
 be spared to old age, you must then be wretch- 
 ed. If then, my young friends, you would 
 have resources of happiness within yourselves 
 so as to be independent, in some degree, of 
 outward circumstances if you would lay up 
 a fund upon which you may draw in seasons 
 when you are left solitary and especially 
 when the period of old age, with all its de- 
 crepitude and helplessness, shall arrive ac- 
 quire, I beseech you, a taste for useful reading. 
 I might say more upon the importance of this 
 but I hope to set forth that importance in a 
 more discriminating manner, in the further
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPUOVE3IEXT. 145 
 
 and more definite remarks I propose to ofTer, 
 upon the most profitable modes of reading. 
 
 I would remark then, that the real improve- 
 ment, to be derived from reading, does not 
 depend so much upon the amount which you 
 read, as upon the manner in which you read. 
 There is a taste for reading and a habit of 
 reading, which are of no great value eithur as 
 the means of improvement or as a resource of 
 happiness. A person may have acquired such 
 a taste for reading as to devour greedily and 
 rapidly every hook that may fall in her way. 
 And consequently she may be able to tell, at 
 the close of the year, of the vast amount of 
 her reading. She may be deeply interested 
 while she reads, and may even remember, 
 with a good degree of accuracy, what she has 
 read. And yet, if this be all, she may derive 
 no great profit from her reading. Its cfTect 
 may be that of mere passive excitement, ai.d 
 the impression made, tray he only upon ihc 
 memory. Indeed, I have sometimes thouplir. 
 that improvement is as often prevailed by 
 reading too much, ashy reading too little. It 
 was once said, by a distinguished legal gcn- 
 13
 
 140 YOUN LAC*'* in>. 
 
 tleman, in giving hints to a student, that he 
 had not himself read one tenth part as much 
 law as an inferior lawyer to whom he referred, 
 and that if he had read as much, he should iri 
 all probability have been no more distinguish- 
 ed than the gentleman to whom he alluded. 
 Whether the gentleman ever made the remark 
 or not there is much of truth and sound wis- 
 dom in the remark itself. And why so ? - 
 Because, I answer, the profit derived from 
 books, the real substantial profit, results, not 
 from the act of reading, not from the pleasure 
 with which we read, not even from the accu- 
 racy with \\hichwe remember what we have 
 read, but from our own reflections upon the 
 subjects and thoughts presented in reading. 
 Let me illustrate. Here are two young ladies 
 engaged in reading the memoirs of some one 
 of distinguished worth, of their own sex. 
 This memoir,supposeit to be those Miss Han- 
 nah More, or of Mrs. Hemans, this memoir 
 consists of a narration of the circumstances and 
 events of her life, of the various changes 
 hi feeling and character through which she 
 psed, end of the various scenes in which she
 
 1NTKLLKCTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 147 
 
 mingled, and of the various influences to 
 which she was subjected. The simple narra- 
 tion, whether it be in the words of the com- 
 piler or in the correspondence of the lady her- 
 self, is interesting to both, perhaps to both 
 alike. But one of these young ladies is satis- 
 fied with this interest, which has been excited 
 < with the mere passive pleasure, which she 
 has enjoyed. Or, if she goes farther than 
 this, she is satisfied with being able to remem- 
 ber and relate what she has read. She reads 
 rapidly and is soon ready to lay aside the book 
 and pass with equal zest to another and a dif- 
 ferent one. The other reads slowly, she will 
 wish to keep the book weeks instead of days. 
 She is pleased as she reads, but then she 
 wishes to pause, from time to time, and reflect 
 upon what she reads. She makes the sub- 
 stance of her reading the subject of much and 
 frequent thought after she has closed her book. 
 jshe scans in her own mind the various parts 
 of the character. She traces actions back to 
 motives, and notices the manner, in which cir- 
 cumstances and motives peculiarly effect the 
 subject of jthe memoir, in consequence of |iej;
 
 145 YOUNG LADY'S AJD. 
 
 peculiar natural temperment, or early educa- 
 tion, or acquiretl prejudicies. She compares 
 the character, of which she is reading, with 
 others of which she has before read, or with 
 those, with which she has been acquainted. 
 And finally, she applies what she reads to her- 
 self, to her own circumstances, temperment 
 and duties. As she has done this, she has 
 taken up the book, and again and again turned 
 to passages, to see if her recollection of them 
 be accurate and her inferences from them just. 
 She does all this, not by a regular process of 
 daily devotion to reading for hours at a time, 
 but, while about her ordinary household du- 
 ties. It may be, that, after the morning la- 
 bors, she finds a few moments to read, that, 
 as she sits plying her needle of an afternoon, 
 she occasionally turns to the book by her side 
 to re-examine a passage, upon which she is 
 thinking, or that, just before she retires she 
 spends a few moments with her book. In 
 this way, although she may read slowly, may 
 seem to be making scarcely perceptible pro- 
 gress, and although her companion may have 
 read many volumes during the time, yet she
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 149 
 
 has derived great profit from what she has 
 read. And why so ? Because, I answer, 
 she has made what she has read the subject of 
 careful thought, long continued meditation, 
 and deep reflection after she has closed the 
 book- Thus, my friends, you perceive that 
 the real, substantial profit to be derived from 
 reading depends, not so much upon the amount 
 of what you read, as upon the manner in 
 which you read, in other words, it depends 
 not so much upon reading many hooks, as it 
 does upon your making the substance of what 
 you read the subject of your thoughts after the 
 book is closed. I have dwelt the more care- 
 fully upon this point, because I am address- 
 ing those, who in all probability, will not have 
 time and opportunity for reading many books, 
 and who are sometimes in danger on that ac- 
 
 o 
 
 count of neglecting to make the best possible 
 improvement of the few books which they can 
 read, and because I wished to give instruction 
 adapted to your future circumstances. Situ- 
 ated as most of you probably will be, so that 
 you cannot read much, with minds often dis-. 
 tracted by household cares, and with, b.o,dies
 
 150 TOUN.O LADY'S AJD 
 
 fatigued by household labors, still, if you are 
 faithful to yourselves, you can read a small 
 portion each day, and by making the sub- 
 stance of what you read the subject of muf-h 
 thought and reflection-, you may be every clay 
 securing much real and substantial profit from 
 what little you do read. 
 
 I must here, however, guard against a mis- 
 take, into which my remarks may. lead you. 
 The mistake is, that of reading a little in a 
 great variety of books. You may under the 
 influence of this mistake, read a little in one 
 book, in the morning, a little in a different 
 book in the afternoon, and a little in a third 
 book in the ev.ening. And these different 
 books, it may be, will treat of entirely dif- 
 ferent subjects. If this be the course pur- 
 sued, your reading will distract your thoughts, 
 and you will be prevented from that long and 
 close and serious reflection upon what you 
 read, which will make your reading profitable. 
 Suppose, for example, that you are reading 
 either of the memoirs to which I have allu- 
 ded, let it be the principal subject of your 
 reading, and thought and reflection until you
 
 IKTILJLECTU^i. UtPIiOVliMBHT, 151 
 
 have finished the book, and by reflection have 
 inwardly digested what you have read, until 
 you have, in your own minds, some clear and 
 connected views of the character, in all its 
 peculiarities and principles, until you have 
 discovered some mode of applying the instruc- 
 tion you have gathered up, to the improve- 
 ment of your own character. So, if you are 
 reading a work upon morals, upon practical 
 religion, or doctrinal theology, confine your 
 attention and your thoughts principally to that 
 for the time being. You may read but little 
 each day, but by thinking and reflecting upon 
 what you read, your reading will, from day 
 to day, be connected, and by having well di- 
 gested what you have read upon one day, you 
 will be prepared for reading more profitably 
 on the next. Thus much would I say in re- 
 gard to the manner of reading and of making 
 the most improvement of what you read. 
 
 I remark, in the second place, that the in- 
 tellectual and moral improvement, to be de- 
 rived from reading, depends, not so much up- 
 on the amount of your reading, as upon the 
 character of what you read. And here I
 
 153 YOUNO LADY'S AID 
 
 would enter my most solemn protest against 
 that most foolish and dangerous practice, into 
 which young ladies often fall, the indiscrimi- 
 nate reading of novels. This class of books 
 is so rapidly enlarged, and our circulating li- 
 braries are to so great an extent filled with 
 them for circulating libraries must be filled 
 with what the public taste demands that they 
 crowd themselves upon the attention, always 
 presenting something new, and for the most 
 part, something fascinating, and many fall vic- 
 tims to their evil influences. But what, you 
 may ask, are the specific objections to novel 
 reading ? I answer, 
 
 1st. That the representations, which they 
 give are too highly wrought. Their scenes of 
 distress are entirely different, in degree at 
 least, from any thing, which you see in real 
 life. The virtues, which they depict, are dis- 
 tinguished, signal, striking virtues, such as 
 you do not meet with, in the common, every 
 day scenes of life. And, consequently, the 
 knowledge which you get, or suppose you are 
 getting of mankind and of human nature, is 
 only a knowledge of the pictures of the wri-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 153 
 
 ter's imagination, it is not a knowledge of 
 mankind, and of human nature, as it appears 
 around you, in the common and every day 
 walks of life. The effect of this is, that it 
 lends your mind off upon a wrong tract, in a 
 a wrong direction, excites unfounded expec- 
 tations in regard to human nature, and, thus 
 shuts up the mind against a simple and profit- 
 able observation of men as they appear around 
 you. This, then, is my first objection to ihe 
 indiscriminate reading of novels. 
 
 2d. My second objection is, that they 'are 
 the most difficult books to read profitably. I 
 have pointed out what I conceive to be the 
 most profitable way of reading, that is, to read 
 slowly and pause often, and reflect long upon 
 what you read. And now, I appeal to those 
 of you who are familiar with novel reading, 
 and ask if your own experience does not tes- 
 tify that novels are the most difficult of all 
 books to be read in this way ? Does not 
 your highly excited interest in the plot, your 
 anxiety to know the issue do not these, I 
 ask, carry you forward with great rapidity ? 
 Is it not often the case, that your reading is
 
 154 rouxo LADY'S AID. 
 
 only skipping along from place lo place, read- 
 ing just enough to catch the story? And, 
 when you have closed the book, what is fixed 
 in your memory, the simple outlines of the 
 story merely, or the peculiarities and princi- 
 ples of character ? Do these books excite 
 and aid you to form habits of reflection ? I 
 am well satisfied that any young lady who 
 really wishes to read, in the way which I have 
 pointed out, with much thought and reflection 
 will find it more difficult to effect this, in read- 
 ing novels than in reading any other books. 
 She will find it somewhat difficult to form this 
 habit under any circumstances and with all 
 the helps she may obtain. But she will find, 
 lhat the indiscriminate and excessive reading 
 of novels, will not only afford her no assistance, 
 but will exert a powerful influence in opposi- 
 tion to this habit, And this is my second ob- 
 jection to this kind of reading, 
 
 3d. My third objection is, that they e^- 
 ciie a distaste for reading of a more seriona 
 and profitable character, and unfit the mind far 
 a right improvement of serious reading nnd 
 conversation. How often is it the case, that
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 153 
 
 Ihe novel reader lays down, in disgust, or only 
 yawns over the most serious and valuable 
 books than can be put into her hands, books 
 rich in thought and beautiful in style, books 
 calculated to excite thought and afford food 
 for meditation. Nothing but what will pro* 
 duce an almost feverish excitement, and carry 
 her with railroad rapidity, over the course, 
 has any charms for her. And should she, by 
 dint of perseverance, read a serious book, 
 there will be no habits of reflection, no trains 
 of association, that are in accordance with 
 what she reads. And consequently, she will 
 derive but little profit from her reading. And 
 this is my third objection, that it produces a 
 distaste lor more serious and profitable read- 
 ing. Perhaps the difficulty here lies deeper 
 and extends wider than even the distaste for 
 serious reading. It may be, that the habit is 
 formed of seeking for pleasure rather than for 
 irnprovememt in reading, a habit, which, if 
 once fixed, will in all probability extend its 
 withering influences over the whole character, 
 exciting the search for pleasure rather than 
 inducing devotion to duty.
 
 156 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 4th. My fourth objection is that the indis- 
 criminate and excessive readinf of novels, 
 
 t O 
 
 blunts aud deadens the finer sensibilities of 
 our nature. I will illustrate by a reference to 
 our benevolent feelings. In novels, scenes of 
 distress are described, highly wrought, deeply 
 affecting. The heart of the reader is moved, 
 and with many, tears even flow readily as 
 they read. But they are not moved by their 
 feelings to action; It all evaporates in mere 
 feeling. And these persons, who will weep 
 profusely over the pages of a novel, will look 
 with utter indifference upon the real distresses 
 of actual life, of a .friend or a neighbor. Now 
 it is a fact in the philosophy of the human 
 mind, that wherever the better feelings of our 
 nature are excited upon any subject, and are 
 suffered to evaporate in mere feeling, to pass 
 away without producing action, the feelings 
 themselves are either blunted and deadened, 
 or are cherished only for the passive luxury of 
 the mere indulgence of feeling. If a preach- 
 er, for example, is in the habit of attempting to 
 move his hearers by terror, although he may 
 succeed for a time, vet &oon his terrific Ian-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPOrSMENT. 157 
 
 guage loses its power over his hearers and 
 they will listen to it with perfect indifference. 
 They undoubtedly felt, and felt deeply at first 
 but they did not act in accordance with their 
 feelings. Consequent! v, they now either do 
 not feel or their feelings have lost all power 
 over their conduct. So it is with the readers 
 of novels. Their feelings are at first excited, 
 hut there is no opportunity for them to act in 
 accordance with their feelings. Consequent- 
 ly, they either cease to feel or their feelings 
 are entirely seperated from their conduct and 
 have- lost all control aver it. In this way the 
 indiscriminate and excessive reading of novels 
 blunts and deadens the finer sensibilities of 
 our nature. 
 
 5ih. My fifth objection to novel reading 
 and the last which I shall now notice, is that 
 they tend to magnify and render too promi- 
 nent the- passion. of love, and to teach the 
 most absurd and dangerous notions in regard 
 to it. If ever you have become acquainted 
 with one who is under the influence of the nov- 
 el reading mania, you must have observed that 
 the passion of love, its symptoms, its peculiar 
 14
 
 1 59 TOCKG LADY'I AJD. 
 
 feelings and pleasures, have become il:e en- 
 grossing topic ofher conversation, the theme 
 of her daily thoughts, and the suhject of her 
 midnight dreams. And then too, she gathers 
 foolish and absurd and dangerous notions from 
 reading, in regard to the nature and proper 
 influence of this passion. It is connected in 
 her mind, not principally with the truly esti- 
 mable and lovely qualities of the mind and 
 the heart, but with bright eyes, and elegant 
 proportions, and fair looks, and soft flattering 
 speeches. It is regarded, not, like any of the 
 other passions of our nature, as what must be 
 watched and governed by reason and religious 
 principle, for whose influenceover us \ve must 
 give accouiit. No, it is regarded as omnipo- 
 tent, and uncontrolable. Tha idea of asking, 
 in regard to the object of attachment, whether 
 he be worthy or not, whether our attachment 
 itself be proper or not, when one has fallen in 
 Jove, would be regarded, by a novel reading 
 young lady, as the very height of absurdity. 
 In this way, reasonable, sensible, religious 
 people sometimes, under the evil influence of 
 this evil practice, become thorough fatalists
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 153 
 
 in the articlo of love. And that most holy 
 of all earthly unions, that close and intimate 
 relation, which more nearly and more per- 
 manently affects happiness and character than 
 any other, is often formed without the least 
 exfrcise of reason, judgement, or principle, 
 but in blind subserviency to. the passion of 
 love. 
 
 I have thus enumerated some of the more 
 prominent objections against novel reading, 
 indiscriminate and excessive novel reading. 
 They are that the representations, with 
 which the mind is familiarized, are too 
 highly colored, that they usually so hurry the 
 mind along and so excite the feelings as to 
 prevent thought and reflection upon what is 
 read, that they excite a distaste for reading of 
 a more serious and profitable character, that 
 they blunt and deaden the finer sensibilities of 
 our natures, and that they magnify into undue 
 importance the passion of love and teach ab- 
 surd and dangerous notions of its nature and 
 influence and proper place among the princi- 
 ples of our nature. 
 
 But, here you will ask, if I intend to object
 
 160 TOUNQ LADY'S AID. 
 
 to the reading of all fictitious writings ? By 
 no means. The expressions I have used, 
 have been the indiscriminate and excessive 
 reading of novels. But I would, if possible, 
 point out a distinction between fictitious wri- 
 tings, which are profitable and those which 
 are not so. And here I go back to the para- 
 bles of our Savior for the distinction which I 
 would notice. Our Savior spake in parables. 
 What were these parables ? They were 
 scenes and stoiies, pictured forth in the im- 
 agination, for the purpose of illustrating moral 
 truth. But the purpose is kept distinctly in 
 view. You see that the moral truth, which 
 he would illustrate, is the object upon which 
 his mind's eye is fixed. Nay more, you per- 
 ceive that the object, for which he is laboring 
 is to present that moral truth more vividly to 
 the minds of his hearers. The parables, 
 therefore, are not true as stories, but the in- 
 struction conveyed by them, is truth, real, 
 valuable truth. As illustrations, they do rep- 
 resent the truth more clearly and vividly, than 
 it could otherwise have been done. Now 
 there may be, and there are, fictitious wri-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 161 
 
 tings, corresponding in some humble degree, 
 with these parables. In reading even these, 
 you may indeed be interested in the mere 
 story. And you may so read as only to re- 
 member the story. But, if you exercise one 
 moment's thought, you must see that the 
 minds of the writers are fixed upon moral 
 truth, and that the great object for which they 
 are laboring, is to set that truth distinctly and 
 vividly before the minds of the readers. 
 
 For this kind of fictitious writing there is a 
 strong call, a deep foundation in our very na- 
 ture. For instance, I wish to make you see 
 and feel the value of Christian faith. Suppose 
 I tell you in set, formal, abstract terms, what 
 it is and what are its effects. You may be- 
 lieve, what I say, but you do not see it, and 
 feel it. But, if I say here is a neighbor who 
 is under the influence of this faith, and it has 
 made him more upright in his dealings, more 
 kind in his family, more devoted to all that 
 is pure and good, that, in seasons of tempta- 
 tion it nerves him to withstand, that, when 
 friends are taken in death he is calm and cheer- 
 ful ; suppose, I say, that I describe all this in 
 14*
 
 163 YOtrjro LADY'S AJD. 
 
 true colors, then you would not only believe, 
 you would see, and feel and desire to possess 
 it. Nay more, suppose that I state an ab- 
 stract conclusion and state it in general terms, 
 what process do you go through in order to 
 verify the truth of my statement ? Do you 
 not by the power of imagination, bring up to 
 your mind's eye the individual cases, from 
 which the general rule was drawn, and go 
 through all the steps and follow the process by 
 which the conclusion is verified. That is in 
 order to make the truth your own you must 
 go through the process which, he who states 
 the truth, has gone through. He has become 
 acquainted with a certain class of facts, and, 
 from these, he draws a general conclusion. 
 To verify that conclusion, and make it your 
 own, you rmist, by the power of imagination, 
 summon up a similar class of facts and trace 
 the steps by means of which the conclusion 
 \vas formed. There is then a call in nature 
 for the exercise of the imagination in suppo- 
 sing cases for the illustration of abstract 
 truths. 
 
 But I consider this elass of fictitious wri-
 
 liVTELLEOTUAL IJIPROYEMKXT. 103 
 
 tings as entirely and widely separated from 
 another ami a much larger class. A class 
 where the imagination of the writer is suffer- 
 ed to run wild, where the great object is to 
 excite deep, thrilling interest in the plot, 
 while there is manifest no distinct and visible 
 moral truth as the object to be set forth and 
 illustrated. While the former class may be 
 read with profit, if read with care and reflec- 
 tion, the latter unfits the mind for all serious 
 thought, all self sacrificing devotion to duty. 
 
 And finally, I would say, when you read 
 fictitious writings, even of the better class, 
 watch carefully their influence upon your own 
 mind. Ifthey aw;, ken a more earnest desire 
 for improvement, and you lenve them with a 
 more earnest devotion to a right performance 
 of all the duties of life, then may you hope 
 they have been useful and profitable. But 
 when they excite only thrilling emotions, 
 which render the detads of duty dry and dull, 
 then may you doubt as to their influence, then 
 may you pause and hesitate in your devotion 
 to them. Thus much upon novel reading. 
 I have spoken plainly and more at length than
 
 VOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 I should have done, had I not known how fas- 
 cinating are these woiks, and how prone young 
 ladies are to seek in them only for the passive 
 luxury of excited feelings. I would then 
 most earnestly warn you, m.y young friends, 
 against these enticing but dangerous hinderan- 
 ces to your intellectual and moral improve- 
 ment. 
 
 But, you will remember the general princi- 
 ple upon which I am speaking, that your prof- 
 it from reading will depend not upon die 
 amount of what you read but upon the charac- 
 ter of what you read. Besides novels, there 
 is a vast amount of other light reading against 
 which you should ever he on your guard. In 
 reviews, and especially in those periodicals 
 designed expressly for ladies, there is much 
 of this light reading, which, though pleasant 
 for the time, unfit the mind for serious studies, 
 and for grappling successfully with the duties 
 and trials of life. These may be occasionally 
 read for recreation. But the great body of 
 your reading should be of a serious and a sol- 
 id character, works which may excite thought 
 and awaken reflection. 1 have not here time
 
 U. IMPBOTKMKNT. 165 
 
 to point out the books which may be most 
 profitably read, nor would this be well. P'or 
 minds are differently constituted,so that books, 
 which may be more profitable to one would 
 be less profitable to another. 
 
 But I cannot refrain from naming one book, 
 which, if read aright, must be read with pro- 
 fit by all. I refer to the sacred Scriptures. 
 Tiiis book contains a great variety history, 
 poetry and perceptive instructions. It re- 
 lates to high and holy subjects. It teaches 
 us concerning God, a holy and improving ob- 
 ject of thought, concerning our Savior, a per- 
 fect example of what all should strive to be- 
 come. It lays open to us our own natures, 
 teaches us what we are, what we are capable 
 of becoming, and what we are required to be. 
 How vast the subjects of thought and reflec- 
 tion laid open to view in this Holy volume; 
 how extensive and various the range, and how 
 well adapted to all the changing circumstances 
 of our condition. Are you in prosperity? 
 Here are subjects of thought adapted to this 
 state. Are you in affliction? Here are hopes 
 and promises, which are adapted, if made the
 
 16G TOUNO LADY'S AID. 
 
 subjects of thought and reflection, to soothe 
 the afflicted soul. And so of every circum- 
 stance, condition and relation in life. 
 
 But the rule I have laid down in regard to 
 profitable reading, is peculiarly applicable to 
 this most sacred of books, it should be read 
 with much thought and reflection, with much 
 self-examination and self application. You 
 read the expression, 'God is love.' It is but 
 a short and simple sentence. But what un- 
 told depths of meaning are hidden under these 
 few words, God is love. A condensed de- 
 scription of his whole character and his whole 
 government. You may read it hastily and 
 not be profited. You may make it the theme 
 of thought and reflection for years, and con- 
 nect with it all your observations of God's 
 dealings in the works and laws of nature, and 
 in the events of his providence, and the more 
 }ou think, reflect and enquire, the more will 
 the meaning of this simple sentence be un- 
 fulded to your minds. And there will be con- 
 tinually rising up some new view to enrich 
 your hearts, to enlarge your minds, and to fill; 
 your souls with all that is great and ennobling.
 
 INTELEdVAI. IMPKOVEMENT. 167 
 
 Would you then secure intellectual improve- 
 ment, would you render your judgment cor- 
 rect and sober, would you gain clear and cor- 
 rect notions of man, of yourselves, of human 
 nature and human duties and human destiny? 
 Make the Bible the volume of your daily pe- 
 rusal. I have been surprised to find, as 1 
 have conversed with others, with those who 
 have enjoyed but few privileges for intellec- 
 tual improvement, and have read but little, 
 I have been surprised to find how well devel- 
 oped were their minds, how much strength- 
 ened and improved their mental powers, how 
 well regulated their imaginations, how sober 
 their views, and how natural and correct their 
 judgments. I have asked for the reasons. 
 I have found them to be readers of the Bible, 
 persons, who read slowly indeed, but reflect 
 much upon what they read. If then you have 
 no fondness for the reading of the Bible, you 
 have no reason to suspect the purity and cor- 
 rectness of your taste, you have reason to 
 fear, either that your heart, your affections or 
 your moral feelings are not what they should 
 be. And should you find that novels and
 
 168 YOUNG LADY'S 
 
 light readiua are taking off your affections 
 from the Bible, and destroying your interest 
 in its perusal, you have reason to (ear from 1 
 their influence upon your tastes, atnl upon in- 
 tellectual improvement and moral good. 
 Young ladies, to say nothing of moral and 
 spiritual improvement, I would say, would you 
 improve your minds by reading, read the Bi- 
 ble, read it daily, road it carefully. Think, 
 reflect much upon what you read. Read it 
 with prayer. Read it with much application 
 of its principles and instructions to your own 
 hearts and lives. If you will read the Bible, 
 and read it in this v/ay, I am confident that 
 3'our intellectual improvement will be much 
 promoted, that your Imagination will be prop- 
 erly regulated, your menial powers much in- 
 vigorated, your judgment rendered sober, 
 and your views of man and his relations, du- 
 ties and interests rendered just, correct end 
 improving. Indeed, could 1 hope that in all 
 the various suggestions contained in the series 
 of letters, I am now addressing to you, this 
 single one would be practically observed by 
 the young ladies who may read tviiat I write,
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPUOVKMENT. 1C9 
 
 1 should leel that I had done much to pro- 
 mote your intellectual improvement, and to 
 render that intellectual improvement the in- 
 strument of moral and spiritual progress. - 
 Could I hope that those young ladies, who 
 may read these letters, would, from this time 
 forward, make the reading of the Bible a daily 
 practice, 1 should have good reason to hope 
 that I had done much to remove from female 
 society, frivolity, vanity, devotion to dress, 
 pleasure and mere amusement, and to aid 
 them in becoming worthy of themselves, and 
 of their own intellectual and spiritual natures, 
 worthy of God's approbation. I repeat then 
 my suggestions, and, where I upon my death 
 bed, just about to enter the presence of try 
 God and my Saviour, and surrounded by a 
 family of daughters, or a circle of sisters, and 
 with the thought upon my mind, that the so- 
 lemnity of the scene would give to what I 
 might then say a lasting influence upon the 
 characters and happiness of those around me, 
 were I, undc j r such circumstances, and whh 
 such thoughts upon my mind, asked to give 
 the single direction, which might be more 
 15
 
 170 YOUNG KADT'S AID. 
 
 important than all others, I would say, daugh- 
 ters, sisters, read the Bible read it with much 
 care, with much thought and reflection, with 
 fervent prayer daughters, sisteis, read the 
 Bible. 
 
 Is there one among the readers of these 
 pages, who will say, I feel no interest in the 
 Bible. It is to me a dull book, a sealed book. 
 When I read it, it is from a sense of duty and 
 not from the prompting of interest? If there 
 be such a one, to her I would offer a few sug- 
 gestions, by way of aiding her to acquire a 
 deeper interest in this best of all books. It 
 may be, my friend, that your want of interest 
 arises from your having used the scriptures in 
 your childhood, as a school book. It was 
 then a task, assigned you, to read a certain 
 portion. You read it, not for the purpose of 
 learning its instructions. You read it, siwipiy 
 for the purpose of pronouncing aright and 
 with the proper accents, emphasis and pauses 
 the words of the book. You blundered over 
 your lesson, you were corrected upon it, you 
 cast your book aside, in careless indifference, 
 as a class book nearly on a rank with, and to
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPUOVEMENT. 171 
 
 be used the same as any other class hook. 
 In all ihis you lost your reverence "for the 
 book, you acquired a disrelish for it. And 
 now, when you take it up, something of the 
 same feelings come over you. At least your 
 indifference has become so settled and con- 
 firmed, that it is almost impossible to break it 
 up. Whether the supposition, which I have 
 made be applicable to yourselves or not, I 
 cannot tell. But of this I am fully satisfied, 
 that the reading of the scriptures in school, as 
 a class book, for the simple purpose of learn- 
 ing to read, has been productive of incalcu- 
 lable evils, in the indifference to the sacred 
 contents of the book, which is so often in af- 
 ter life lamented. Do you ask if I would 
 have the book banished from our schools? 
 By no means. I would give it a prominent 
 place in them. I would not lay it side by side 
 wiih other books. I would elevate it above 
 them. I would have it used in our schools 
 as a peculiar book and used for a peculiar 
 purpose. At the opening and the close of 
 of the school, I would have all other books 
 laid aside, and \\ie school should be hushed
 
 179 TOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 and silent. Then let the Bible be taken out. 
 Let the teacher say a few words upon the 
 character of the book, as containing the re- 
 cords of a communication from God. Let a 
 passage be read either by the teacher or by 
 some of the pupils. And then let a few 
 words more be added, explaining, and apply- 
 ing the instruction of the passage read. And 
 let all this be accompanied by acts of devo- 
 tion, by a prayer on the part of the teacher, or 
 by the repetition in concert of the Lord's 
 prayer by the whole school. Tn some such 
 way as this, I would have the Bible used in 
 our schools. And then should I hope that 
 the effect would be, to excite rather than de- 
 stroy interest in the book. You will pardon 
 me for this digression, which seemed neces- 
 sary to prevent a misunderstanding of my 
 previous remarks. 
 
 It may be, I have said, that your want of 
 interest in the Bible, is the result of your hav- 
 ing used it as a class book in school : or it 
 may be, that your want of interest arises from 
 other circumstances. The Bible is often read 
 as a single book, composed at one time, and
 
 INTJBLLKCTUAL IJdPROr JEMEM 1 . 173 
 
 all for one purpose. And being read in this 
 way, it is often read without interest. The 
 circumstances under which each portion was 
 written, and the object for which they were 
 severally prepared, are often unknown to the 
 reader. And then the division into chapters 
 and ver.-es, although convenient for reference, 
 does much to break up and render obscure 
 the sense and general tenor of the whole. It 
 may be, that your want of interest, like that of 
 many others, may have arisen from some one 
 or from all of these causes. 
 
 But, from whatever causes it may have 
 arisen, the great question is, how shall this in- 
 difference be broken up ? And on this ques- 
 tion I would remark, first, that it is a general 
 law of the human mind that interest will be 
 excited in almost any subject to which we pay 
 strict and devoted and continued attention. 
 Have you no interest, for example, in paint- 
 ings ? Go visit daily a gallery, where are ex- 
 hibited the works of the best masters, attend 
 carefully to the paintings before you, exam- 
 ine all their peculiarities, study out all their 
 beauties, compare them with one another. 
 15*
 
 174 TOUNO I,ADY*g AID, 
 
 As you do this, you will find an interest in 
 these paintings gradually growing upon you ? 
 Have you no interest in sacred music. Go 
 vjsit those places where you may listen to the 
 purest and best exhibitions of skill and taste in 
 the department. Attend carefully to what 
 you hear, watch the peculiarities of each part, 
 voice, or piece, and compare one with anoth- 
 er. In this way, although you may never be* 
 come a skilful critic in the technicals of sa- 
 cred music, yet you will find a glowing inter- 
 est in these performances creeping over you. 
 You will soon take pleasure in them. You 
 perceive that, by devoted and continued at- 
 tention to a subject, you may acquire an inter- 
 est in that subject. This same law of human 
 nature will apply to the sacred scriptures, 
 By devoted and continued attention to them, 
 you may acquire an interest in them. 
 
 But how, you ask, shall you proceed in 
 your attention to them ? I would not advise 
 you to undertake to read the Bible through in 
 course as a matter of duty, But I would say 
 take each book by itself, as a separate vol- 
 ume, just as though it were not bound in the
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 175 
 
 
 
 came volume with die other books. Read 
 each separate book through, just as you would 
 any similar volume. In doing this, it will be 
 of some assistance, if you can avail yourself 
 of some short introduction to the several 
 books, such as the Bible Companion, a work 
 puplished a year or two since in Philadelphia. 
 Here you will learn something of the circum- 
 stances under which the several books were 
 written, together with the objects for which 
 they were written. Here too you will find 
 some little analysis of the contents of each 
 book, which may aid you in mapping out 
 these contents, if 1 may so speak, in your own 
 mind, so as to be able to remember the places 
 of important and interesting topics. And this 
 I think very important. You should try to 
 have, in your mind, some clear views of the 
 different places in the sacred books, where 
 these important topics may be found. In this 
 way, by reading the Bible in order to under- 
 stand, you will be prepared for the more prof- 
 itable, devotional and practical reading of the 
 book. Do you wish to refresh your mind at 
 uny time, upon some point of duty, you will
 
 176 TODNO LADT'S AID. 
 
 know where to turn for the instruction which 
 you desire. Do you wish to find language to 
 express your penitence, your humility, or your 
 thanksgiving v you will know where to turn for 
 such language. Are you on a bed of sick- 
 ness, you can, with this knowledge of the 
 scriptures, direct your friend to such passages 
 as may best comport with your feelings, and 
 best adapted to your wants. 
 
 Then too, I would advise the reading of the 
 Bible in this way, by selections of passages 
 appropriate to your peculiar wants and feel- 
 ings. I need not dwell, I trust, upon the im- 
 portance of making yourself acquainted, as 
 far as you may be able, with the manners and 
 customs, with the peculiarities of thought and 
 speech, and with the natural history of the 
 times and regions spoken of or alluded to in 
 the Bible, The importance of this you will 
 at once perceive. Nor need I urge you to 
 compare scripture with scripture. The very 
 process which 1 have recommended, of map- 
 ping out the .scripture in your own minds, will 
 be the most effectual method of doing this. I 
 would simply repeat, then, what I have al
 
 IWTKI.LECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 1?7 
 
 ready said. Read the Bible, daily, carefully, 
 with much thought, with ferven: prayer, and 
 you will, I trust, soon find yourself becoming 
 deeply interested in its contents. 
 
 But here, it may be, that another and a dif- 
 ferent objection will arise. Some young lady, 
 as she reads what I have just now written, 
 may say, I arn wholly indifferent to serious 
 things. Why then should I read the Bible ? 
 Does not thedilligent reading of the Bible im- 
 ply an interest in serious things, and ought I 
 not, therefore to wait until I feel this inter- 
 est ? To such a one, I would say, the read- 
 ing of the Bible, in the way in which I have 
 suggested, is the very way to become interes- 
 ted i.i serious things. It is a knowledge of 
 the truth which excites emotions and feeling. 
 Were it my desire to interest you in the causa 
 of the slave, I must set before you the truth 
 upon the subject, before I could reasonably 
 expect that you would become interested. 
 Do I wish to awaken in you an interest in the 
 subject of temperance ? I must set before 
 you the truth upon the subject. And the 
 truth, when onca clearly perceived will excita
 
 178 YOUNG LADl'i AID, 
 
 emotion. So, if you will devotedly, perse- 
 veringly read the Bible, you will then be mncle 
 acquainted with those truths, in regard to God 
 and the Saviour, in regard to the evils of sia 
 and the way* of salvation, in regard to the du- 
 ties and the destiny of man, which, when ful- 
 ly perceived, can hardly fail of exciting emo- 
 tion and interest, of leading you to seek and 
 pray for the quickening and renewing influen- 
 ces of God's spirit. Would you then become 
 religious ? Read the Bible. 
 
 1 have spoken of reading as a means of in- 
 tellectual improvement and have offered such 
 suggestions as seemed to me important upon 
 the subject. As another means of intellectu- 
 al improvement I would mention the impoc' 
 tance of a habit of observation. The means 
 pf exciting thought and reflection; resources for 
 intellectual nourishment are not confined to 
 books. Nor is intellectual progress confined 
 to the study of books. The whole world, 
 both of nature and of man, is full of instruct- 
 ion, and, if studied, it will not only fill the 
 mind with knowledge, but will afford that in- 
 tellectual exercise, which will promote intellec-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 1 
 
 tual development. If then you have formed 
 the habit of observation, you will never be at 
 a loss for employment for your thoughts. 
 Every person you meet, will, in the peculiar* 
 ities of character presented, afford food for 
 thought every event of providence, and ev^ 
 ery object of nature, will thus be the means of 
 intellectual development. But what is the 
 habit of observation ? tt is not merely the 
 habit of looking at things* B ut ihe habit of 
 thinking and reflecting upon what you see. 
 The man of observation is not the man 
 who has actually seen the greatest number 
 and greatest variety of objects ; he is the man 
 who has reflected the most carefully upon 
 what he has seen, and, in this way, derived 
 the most valuable instruction from them. 
 What I would have you seek, is the habit of 
 inquiry and thought and reflection, in regard 
 to every object which may be presented to 
 your notice, seeking the peculiarities, inquir- 
 ing for the causes, learning the effects and 
 tracing the relations and connections of one 
 circumstance, event or object with another 
 In this way, you will be constantly making 
 improvement your intellectual powers will
 
 VOINO LADY'S AID. 180 
 
 be constantly acquiring new strength and 
 greater freedom and more full developement. 
 Form, then, the habit of close, accurate obser- 
 vation, and you will be possessed of a power- 
 ful instrument for intellectual improvement. 
 
 Nay more, this habit will have a further 
 and more extensive influence. If you can 
 em | loy your minds in thinking about the ob- 
 jects you have seen, you can also, under the 
 influence of the same habit, employ them in 
 thinking about the lectures arid discourses 
 which you have heard. And who is it that 
 derives the greatest profit from what she 
 hears? Not she who hears the most, not she 
 who hears with the deepest interest at the 
 time. But she who thinks most carefully 
 upon what she has heard, after she has done 
 hearing. And here is the point where many 
 fail, and the reason that they do not derive so 
 much improvement as they otherwise mi^ht 
 from the lectures and discourses which they 
 hear. They hear with interest and with 
 pleasure, but, when they have done hearing, 
 they turn their thoughts to other things. 
 What they have heard is soon gone from their
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPRQTEMEX'T. 181 
 
 minds, and no distinct and lasting impression 
 is left. But, if they would think over what 
 they have heard, or talk it over with their 
 companions, or write out an abstract, they 
 would make it mere entirely their own, they 
 would gain much valuable knowledge, which 
 they now let slip, and they would acquire by 
 the rnearts, great intellectual strength and de- 
 velopment. 
 
 There are two other topics, which ought to 
 be noticed in this connection, as relating to 
 subjects which have a bearing upon intellectual 
 and moral improvement, the topics of dress 
 and amusements or recreations. Upon these 
 topics 1 will offer 'a few words. You will not 
 expect me to be minute in my remarks upon 
 dress. I cannot lay down rules, but I will 
 endeavor to point out such suggestions, as 
 have been the result of much observation. 
 And, first, it is a general law of the human 
 mind, that the employment of the mental 
 powers upon trifling and unimportant objects, 
 tends to weaken the mind itself. And the 
 same result is, to a certain degree, witnessed 
 whrn thr trying objects are exalted to fe. 
 16
 
 183 TOVN LA m'i AID. 
 
 rank in our estimation, altogether beyond their 
 intrinsic worth, or their comparative deserts. 
 The operation of this law of the mind, is of- 
 ten distinctly exhibited in the influence upon 
 intellectual character, exerted by too great a 
 devotion to dress. I have seen those, whose 
 whole souls seemed to be absorbed in their 
 devotion to dress. They judged nf others 
 by the dress. They were distressingly 
 and foolishly anxious in regard to their own 
 dress. Hours would be spent, thoughts and 
 anxieties would be wasted, upon this subject 
 to the neglect of other and more important 
 subjects of attention. And then, any little 
 deficiency would be the source of more un- 
 liappiness than a much greater intellectual 
 and moral deficiency. The result of all this 
 has been, that the capacities of the mind seem- 
 ed to have lost their vigor, their power for the 
 comprehensive grasp of an important subject. 
 Mental imbecility has been the consequence. 
 The correctness of this view you will at 
 once perceive, if you take an extreme case. 
 Suppose a young lady, even of a bright and 
 powerful rnind, to be employed to years of 
 maturity, in all the nicities of baby house up- 
 holstery, and doll dressing finery. She may 
 excel in these trifling employments. But
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 183 
 
 would she not lose all the vigor and energy of 
 her mind? Would not her mental powers 
 be rendered dwarfish, and their growth and 
 development be entirely prevented? Such 
 would be the inevitable result. And the same 
 result, exhibited in a less striking degree, 
 may be expected by every young lady, who 
 devotes undue attention to the subject of dress. 
 1 would not inculcate carelessness nor indiff- 
 erence in regard to dress. For this would 
 be injurious in a mental and moral point of 
 view. We are so constituted, that we can- 
 not be careless and indifferent in regard to 
 what we may esteem comparatively trifling, 
 without the danger of becoming careless in 
 regard to more important matters. She who 
 is careless in regard to dress, therefore, will 
 be in great danger of becoming careless in re- 
 gard to her mental and moral habits. So, too, 
 she who exercises no taste in regard to dress, 
 will soon neglect to exercise taste in regard 
 to other matters. 
 
 Dress, then, should receive that attention 
 which its intrinsic merits and its comparative 
 importance demands. The care should be, not
 
 rouxa LADYS AID. 
 
 to exalt it to an undue prominence, not to be- 
 stow upon it exclusive or undue attention. 
 There should be perfect neatness, there 
 should be the exercise of nice taste, and a 
 careful'study of what is becoming. But there 
 should be no mere love of finery and display, 
 there should be no great attention bestowed 
 upon the subject as of importance in itself. 
 What I would impress upon your minds is, 
 that dress should be regarded as subsidiary 
 to mental and moral improvement. And I 
 would have you ever bear it in mind, that 
 in the degree and manner of your attention 
 to this subject, you are forming mental and 
 moral habits, which will exert a powerful in- 
 fluence upon-.character. If this thought is on- 
 ly borne in mind, there will be no need of par- 
 ticular rules and direct'ions upon the subject. 
 Your own good sense, and delicate taste, and 
 nice discernment of propriety will be your 
 best guide. Thus much have I felt bound to 
 say upon the subject of dress, in its influence 
 upon intellectual habits and moral character. 
 In regard to amusements and recreations, 
 iihave sometimes thought that we overlooked
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 185 
 
 or forgot the refreshment which may be de- 
 rived from a mere change of pursuits. Con- 
 sequently, we often fatigue and unfit ourselvei 
 for mental efforts, and destroy, for the time, 
 our moral energies, by the exciting nature of 
 our amusements. A young lady is often so 
 engrossed in the anticipations of a ball or as- 
 sembly, so absorbed in thought r.nd feeling 
 while prepared for it, and so highly excited 
 amidst its scenes, that she is unfitted for any 
 vigorous and profitable intellectual efforts for 
 days after. And, then too, in the fatigue 
 which follows, her moral energies are prostra- 
 ted. Had this young lady simply danced at 
 home, with her brothers and sisters, or with 
 friends and neighbors who might be present, 
 without any previous feverish anticipations, 
 or any fatiguing preparations, it would have 
 been a healthful and refreshing amusement. 
 So if a young lady is fatigued with long con- 
 tinued study, or feels that she is in danger of 
 neglecting to take sufficient exercise for her 
 health, let her leave for a while her studies, 
 and bestir herself in useful household labors, 
 and she will find herself much refreshed. I
 
 YOUNG LADYS AID. 
 
 am aware that some young ladies endeaver to* 
 secure the exercise necessary for health, while 
 at school, by walking.. Walking is indeed good 
 exercise. And then it is in the open air, which 
 is another advantage. But the danger is, 
 that, while taking exercise in this way, she 
 will take it simply as exercise, without having 
 her mind diverted from herself by her interest 
 in some other object, which will diminish its 
 good influence, or else she will contract a habit 
 of gadding, and acquire an uneasiness amid 
 the ordinary round of duties and pleasures at 
 home, and will imperceptibly fall under the in- 
 fluence of a love of outward excitement. 
 Young people are not aware how soon tastes 
 are acquired and habits formed in this respect, 
 nor of the power which such tastes and habits 
 exert over the character.. Let a young lady 
 walk out regularly every afternoon, for the 
 sake of exercise and although she may be 
 strictly conscientious, may takr, her walks simp- 
 ly for the purpose of promoting her health, yet 
 it will be but a very short time, before she will 
 feel uneasy to remain at home of an afternoon. 
 I^et your walks for exercise then, b occasion-
 
 INTELf.ECTUAL IMPROVEMENT 187 
 
 al only, and not regular, and seek for health 
 in the regular discharge of your appropriate 
 duties. The very change from study to house- 
 hold duties, will be refreshing. On this sub- 
 ject, as in regard to dress, what- 1 wish is to. 
 impress upon your minds the thought that, the- 
 degree of attention which you may devote to 
 them and the manner in which you may at- 
 tend to them, are exerting a powerful influ- 
 ence in the formation of mental and moral 
 habits. If you will bear this thought in mind 
 and ever inquire carefully for the influence 
 which your amusements and recreations are 
 exerting upon-you, your own judgment will 
 be your best guide in regard to them. If you. 
 find that they are engrossing your affections,, 
 are unfitting you for sober thought, serious 
 reading, or vigorous effort in the discharge 
 of incumbent duties, you have great reason 
 to fear the result. In regard to recreation 
 and refreshment then, I would; say, seek it 
 often in a mere change from one- useful em- 
 ployment to another of the same character.. 
 And when you engage in scenes of mere 
 amusement, avoid those which ar exciting
 
 188 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 and fatiguing, and seek those which are pure r 
 simple and consequently healthful. 
 
 One word more and I will close. I have 
 in this, and in the proceeding letter, as indeed 1 
 I have all along, addressed you as beings pos- 
 sessed of minds of a high order, minds capa- 
 ble of improvement, in all that is great and 
 good, minds which entitle you- to- deep and 
 heartfelt respect, and which* are worthy of 
 your own most assiduous care in their cultiva- 
 tion. I wish you to feel that you are not 
 mere toys to be played with, decked out, 
 flattered and amused, but that you are capa- 
 ble of great intellectual and moral power. I 
 wish, if possible, to inspire you with a deep 
 feeling of self-respect, a self-respect, which' 
 as it is based upon die capacities God has be* 
 stowed upon you, will make you humble in 
 view of your attainments, and will deter yoir 
 from any course of conduct derogatory to 
 your high capacities, from yielding- to that 
 vanity and frivolity which may retard your 
 highest mental and moral development. Nay 
 more, I wish, if possible, to awaken in you 
 the feeling that all your capacities are treas-
 
 INTELLECTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 19 
 
 tires committed to you upon trust, for the 
 right improvement and cultivation of which 
 you are accountable to God. I wish to do 
 this in the hope that, if these feelings are 
 once awakenqd- within you, they w-iil prompt 
 you to efforts in your own intellectual, moral 
 and religious self-cultivation, proportioned to 
 your respective capacities, and in accordance 
 with your respective peculiarities of circum- 
 stance and condition..
 
 LETTER VK 
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 
 
 The fact stated that every one exerts some influence 
 that we are accountable for the character of the 
 influence which we exert Female influence to be 
 exerted indirectly, by the cheerful and appropriate 
 discharge of private and domestic duties The rea- 
 sons of this opinion what it is right for one to do 
 it is right for all similarly situated to do The ques- 
 tion not whether they have a rign.1 but whether it is 
 right for them if females choose te leave the quiet 
 scenes of private life and enter the arena of con- 
 tention and public effort, they must be willing to 
 abide by the natural consquences of their conduct 
 In all civilized society two classes of duties, the du- 
 ties of the house and the cares and labors of business 
 females cannot conduct the latter pziblic efforts con- 
 nected more directiy with the latter, therefore these 
 are inappropriate to woman Jesus Christ called no 
 temales to I>3 of the number of his appostles Paul's 
 opinion of the sphere of female efforts. Suggestions 
 as to the proper mode of influence The Christian 
 daughter and sister to let religion appear in its good 
 influences upon her own character if she would in- 
 flueace fatlxer or brothers Females cart promote
 
 FEMALE INFLfKNCE 191 
 
 moral reform by elevating their own characters 
 by shewing a marked regard for worth of character- 
 by giving countenance to amusements which are 
 pure and healthful advised to have nothing to do 
 with moral reform societies Suggestions upon the 
 subject of temperance movements upon the subject 
 of slavery, abolition petitions Females may do good 
 by visiting the sick the poor educating the young 
 engaging in Sunday school instruction, Conclusion. 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIENDS: 
 
 In urging upon you the claims of Christi- 
 anity, I stated that she asked two things of 
 each one of you; first, that you would, each of 
 you, strive to form your characters in accor- 
 dance with her instructions and her spirit, and, 
 second, that you would endeavor to exert an 
 influence in promoting the spread of truth and 
 piety, the reign of peace and holiness around 
 you. I have already dwelt, as you know, upon 
 several particulars in regard to your individual 
 moral and intellectual improvement. I am now 
 to urge upon you the claim of Christianity to 
 your influence. 
 
 This claim is in perfect accordance with your 
 natures and your relations. It is said in scrip- 
 lure that 'none of us livelh to himself.' An<l
 
 192 TOUNC LADY'S AIB. 
 
 these words express a most solemn and impor- 
 tant truth. We are created with social affec- 
 tions. We are bound together in society by 
 the strong bonds of mutual dependence, recip- 
 rocal interests and personal attachments. And 
 these bonds bring us, 'to a greater or less de- 
 gree, under each other's influence. There is 
 no man, woman or child living, that is not, to a 
 greater or less degree, under the influence of 
 some other human being. So too, there is no 
 man, woman or child living, who does not ex- 
 ert some influence, for good or for evil, over 
 some other human being. This I am aware is 
 a strong, 'it may seem to you, a startling posi- 
 tion. And yet I am satisfied, that it is as true 
 as it is strong or startling. I repeat the asser- 
 tion, for I wish it to be impressed upon your 
 hearts and indelibly fixed in your memories. 
 There is no man, woman or child, who does 
 not exert^some influence, for good or for evil, 
 over some other human being. Do you doubt 
 the truth of the assertion? Do you ask how it 
 is possible for a child, a mere infant, to exert 
 influence? Come with me. See that father, 
 !>pt, mnthpr, as they look, with sweet cornpla-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 193 
 
 cency, upon their smiling babe. Have not 
 new feelings been excited in their hearts, at 
 the: birth of that child? Have not new resolu- 
 tions been formed, and slumbering energies 
 been aroused? If they are persons of the least 
 reflection, must they not feel that a solemn re- 
 sponsibility now rests upon them, that new 
 dignity is added to their characters, and new 
 importance is attached to all their conduct, in 
 the circumstance that to them is committed 
 the training of an intellectual and moral, a spir- 
 itual and an immortal being? The very pres- 
 ence, then, the very thought of that child, al- 
 though the child itself is not accountable, will 
 not be without its influence upon parental 
 hearts and parental characters. And the char- 
 acter of this influence^ too, will vary with the 
 differing characteristics of the child. If the 
 child be weak and puny, or even idiotic, what 
 an influence of a peculiar character will be felt. 
 Parents, under the trial, will bcome either more 
 patient or more pevish. 
 
 Every child thn, that lives, exerts an influ- 
 ence. And is not this tenfold more the cas, in 
 regard to those who have advanced beyond the 
 17
 
 194 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 years of childhood? Have you not, in some in- 
 stances, seen the characters of young ladies en- 
 tirely changed, either for the better or for the 
 worse, through the influence exei ted over them 
 by the characters of their associates? Have 
 you not seen the characters of your acquaintan- 
 ces gradually growing better or becoming 
 worse, in consequence of the character and in- 
 fluence of those with whom matrimonial con- 
 nections have been formed? I wish, my young 
 friends, you would dwell upon this fact in your 
 condition. Wherever you are, in whatever 
 circumstances you may be placed, you are ex- 
 erting an influence, either for good or for evil. 
 You have each one of you, a sphere around 
 you, it may be of greater or of less extent, in 
 which your influence is all powerful. It is more 
 powerful than you imagine. I know not but 
 I might say more powerful than you can con- 
 ceive. It operates indeed silently, impercep- 
 tibly it may be, but not the less powerfully on 
 that account. Suppose you profess to be in- 
 terested in the subject of religion. This very 
 fact will exert a powerful influence upon the 
 circle of your friends and acquaintances. If
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 195 
 
 they see you becoming really engaged, in the 
 cultivation of your own spiritual nature*, less 
 selfish, more kind and amiable and charitable, 
 more conscientious and devout, they \vijl be fill- 
 ed with respect for the religion, in which you 
 profess to be interested. But, should they see 
 you becoming bitter in your sectarian feeling?, 
 filled with spiritual pride, no more willing to 
 give up your own pleasures for the happiness 
 of others, they will begin to say, within them- 
 selves, if such be the influence of religion, 
 we desire not to be its subjects. Thus you 
 perceive, that, while you have been entirely 
 unconscious of the fact, an influence and a 
 powerful influence has gone forth from your 
 conduct for ood or for evil. Remember then 
 
 O 
 
 that it is not for you to say wether you wilf 
 exert an influence or not. For it is one of the 
 inherent laws of your nature that yon must ex- 
 ert influence of some kind and to some degree 
 upon those around you. The only question 
 which is within your control, relslcs to the 
 character of that influence. And it is this 
 thought which renders the subject so impor- 
 tant, the thought that you are, each o.f you>
 
 196 YOUXC LADY'S AID. 
 
 accountable before God for the character of 
 the influence which you may exert. Every 
 one who has reached such a decree of discre- 
 tion as to know good from evil, right from 
 wrong, is an accountable being accountable 
 for the character of the influence which he 
 or she may exert. That influence is the nat- 
 ural consequence of the conduct pursued. 
 And conduct, so far as its moral character is 
 concerned, is the result of voluntary choice. 
 If you choose to conduct under the circum- 
 stances in which you are placed, in one way 
 rather than in another, you are accountable 
 for all the influences which may flow from the 
 course which you pursue. You cannot es- 
 cape this accountability if you attempt to stand 
 neutral. There is no such thing as moral or 
 social neutrality. But I trust that I have said 
 enough to establish my position. 
 
 Christianity then comes to you just as you 
 are, and puts in claims, which are in perfect 
 accordance with your natures. She sees that 
 from the very constitution of human nature 
 from the very relations in which you are pla- 
 ced, you must exert some influence, that, for
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 197 
 
 the character of that influence, you are ac- 
 countahle before God, and she asks that you 
 will strive to exert that influence in her be- 
 half. She asks that, since you must exert an 
 influence, either for or against her you will en- 
 deavor to put forth that influence under her 
 guidance and for the more rapid and widely 
 extended spread of her spirit and principles. 
 Will you, my young friends, comply with this, 
 the second claim of Christianity? I trust that you 
 will. For there are the most powerful motives 
 to urge you to this. When you consider that 
 this is the course which God requires of you, 
 when you think of what your Saviour has done 
 for you and that this is what he asks in re- 
 turn, when you feel that the course required, 
 is none other than the course demanded by a 
 regard to your own present and future happi- 
 ness, you will, I trust, comply with the requi- 
 sitions of Christianity, and come up resolute- 
 ly and boldly to the work of the Lord. 
 
 But now comes the question as to the man- 
 ger in which you are to comply, the proper 
 mode of putting forth your exertions, the ap- 
 propriate sphere of female influence. An
 
 193 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 here I would remnrk that it is common, at the, 
 present day, to flatter females, with glowing 
 descriptions of the vast amount, and the strik- 
 ing character of the influence and which they 
 are capable of exerting, and which they are 
 therefore called upon to exert. The heads 
 of some females are turned by this flattery 
 Having heard much of the vast amount of fe- 
 male influence, and not beholding the striking 
 and visible results of their own efforts in the 
 ordinary sphere of their duties, they believe 
 themselves called upon to step aside from this 
 sphere and to engage in more open and direct 
 efforts. Consequently we now see, what has 
 seldom been seen before, ladies leaving the 
 quiet of domestic scenes, and wandering 
 forth as public speakers, debaters and lectur- 
 ers the public agitators of the community. 
 Nay more, we see them moving forward in 
 bodies, by mean.? of their petitions, to interfere 
 with the appropriate duties of legislation, to 
 dictate upon subjects deeply affecting the re- 
 lations of these states with each other and 
 with neighboring communities. These things
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 
 
 I say we see. For, strange as it may seem, 
 I allude to well known facts. 
 
 And, since things are so, it is necessary for' 
 me to speak distinctly and plainly of the ap- 
 propriate sphere of female influence. You 
 will have learned, from what I have already 
 said, that I do not differ from others so much 
 in regard to the amount, as in regard to the 
 character of female influence, and the way in 
 which that influence is to he exerted. I do 
 most sincerely believe, that woman can, and 
 that woman does, exert a most powerful in- 
 fluence upon society. But I, as sincerely, 
 believe that the way in which she is to render 
 her influence most salutary, as well as most 
 powerful, is by the cheerful and regular and 
 faithful discharge of the duties of private, do- 
 mestic and social life. Her influence must 
 come upon us, not with a mighty rush, like a 
 tornado not with loud professions and bois- 
 terous appeals, in a striking and visible man- 
 ner. If it does, we shall nerve ourselves to 
 withstand its power. But, if, like the atmos- 
 phere around us, it is silent and unobserved 
 sending its purifying and health-giving influ-
 
 200 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 ences through every nerve and fibre and mus- 
 cle of the social system, while its modes of op- 
 eration are unseen and unfelt, then shall we 
 yield to its power and rejoice in its salutary 
 effects. To be more particular, I would say 
 that, in any village, town or city, the character 
 of female society will exert a most powerful 
 influence upon the general social character of 
 the place. Th more solid and substantial, 
 the more prudent and economical, (he more 
 given to useful reading, improving reflection 
 and industrious habits are the ladies, in any 
 place, the more will the general social char- 
 acter of that place be improved in these re- 
 spects. In short, I siocerly believe that the 
 more there is of sound knowledge, of wise 
 discretion, of pure feeling, of refined affection 
 and of elevated sentiment among the ladies 
 of any particular community, the more of 
 these there will be in the general social char- 
 acter of that community. All this I say I sin- 
 cerely believe. You perceive, therefore, that 
 I am strong in the belief that every lady, as 
 well as every other human being, must exert 
 some influence, either for good or for evil, and 
 17*
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 201 
 
 that I have as exalted an opinion, as any one 
 can have, of the amount of the influence which 
 ladies can and do exert. 
 
 But I believe, most fully, that female influ- 
 ence is most salutary, most powerful and most 
 becoming to female character, when it ope- 
 rates indirectly, silently and without any strik- 
 ing manifestations, when it arises from the 
 cheerful and regular discharge cf private and 
 domestic duties^ rather than from any open 
 and direct and public efforts. But how so, 
 you will ask ? How will a cheerful discharge 
 of duties, which are altogether of a retired and 
 private character, exert a more powerful and 
 salutary influence upon the community, than 
 more open and direct efforts ? I will answer 
 by an illustration. Suppose that three fourths 
 of the ladies of any particular place, are pro- 
 fessors of religion, technically so called, con- 
 nected with some one of the various Christian 
 churches there established. Suppose that 
 many of these have fathers, husbands, broth- 
 ers or sons, who are comparatively indifferent 
 to ihe subject of religion. Suppose, still fur- 
 iher, that facts would warrant the assertioi
 
 202 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 that these three fourths wore by far the most 
 exemplary Indies in the place, the most cheer- 
 ful and happy, the most diligent and indns- 
 Irious, the most prudent and economical, the 
 most discreet in all their language, the most 
 obedient daughters, the most affectionate sis- 
 ters, the most devoted wives, the most faith- 
 ful mothers. Suppose, I say, that such were 
 the marked and known character of the reli- 
 gious portion of the females. Would not la- 
 thers, I ask, and husbands, brothers and sons, 
 be filled, by this circumstance, with deep and 
 heartfelt respect for religion ? Would they 
 not rejoice in its institutions and influence, 
 and contribute liberally and willingly to its 
 support ? Nay more, would they not be pre- 
 pared to examine with candor its claims, and 
 would they not be moved to this examination, 
 when they perceived that it was operating to 
 make better daughters, better wives, better 
 sisters, better mothers ? And would there 
 not be a thousand silent and unseen, but pow- 
 erful streams of influence constantly flowing 
 forth from this general character of the reli- 
 gious portion of the female community, to pu-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 203 
 
 rify and make glad the place of their resi- 
 dence? Upon this supposition, these reli- 
 gious females are exerting a salutary and a 
 powerful influence upon the community. And 
 how are they doing this? Simply by the 
 cheerful and faithful discharge of their private, 
 domestic and social duties. 
 
 Now let us turn to another picture. Sup- 
 pose that these three fourths become deeply 
 anxious for the religious improvement of 
 those near and dear to them, and suffer their 
 anxiety to move them to direct and open ef- 
 forts, in order to produce striking and visible 
 results. Suppose that, on some afternoon of 
 the week you see these ladies, young and old, 
 married and unmarried, assembling from all 
 directions. You inquire the cause. The 
 answer is, these are our Christian ladies. 
 They are assembling to unite in social prayer 
 for their unconverted husbands, fathers, broth- 
 ers, sons. Suppose that when these husbands 
 or fathers return to their homes, harrassed and 
 worn down with the cares and labors of their 
 business, they find the ordinary duties of the 
 house neglected, domestics unfaithful, child*
 
 204 TOUNO LADY'S A.ID. 
 
 ren out of temper, and every thing in confu- 
 sion, and, when they inquire for her, vvhof 
 should guide the house, are told that she is 
 gone to the prayer meeting, where ladies unite 
 in praying for their unconverted friends and 
 relatives. Suppose, siill further, that when 
 these ladies return, it is with hearts overflow- 
 ing with zeal, inflamed by the exercises in 
 which they have just taken part and address 
 themselves at once to those for whom they 
 have been praying iu direct and earnest exhor- 
 tation. What, suppose you, would he the ef- 
 fect of these direct efforts ? Would they be 
 productive of good results? Most surely not. 
 And yet, in all this, the ladies may have been 
 actuated by pure moiives, and may have been 
 aiming at important objects. But, by not 
 pursuing the right course, by stepping aside 
 from their appropriate duties, and attempting 
 open and direct efforts they would fail to ac- 
 complish the good which they otherwise might 
 have accomplished. And you thus see ho\v 
 it is, that I suppose a cheerful discharge of ap- 
 propriate duties will do more for the regener- 
 ation of the community than any open and di- 
 reel efforts.
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 205 
 
 I have pointed out what I regard as the 
 proper sphere of female influence, retired from 
 public view, in cheerful employments of do- 
 mestic and social life. But why, you will ask 
 do I regard private and social life as the pe- 
 culiar and appropriate sphere of woman? To 
 this questron I have two answers to give, for 
 this opinion I have two reasons to assign. 
 But hefore stating these reasons, it is neces- 
 sary to make two or three preliminary remarks. 
 And first, I would remark, that individual ca- 
 ses are to be estimated by a reference to gen- 
 eral principles. What it is right and proper 
 for one lady to do, it is light for .all ladies 
 similarly situated to do. If one lady, under 
 peculiar impressions, may go forth as a public 
 herald, every other lady, under the same im- 
 pressions, may go forth in the same way, 
 unless some peculiarity in their situations 
 should point out a different course of duty. 
 When we read tint Mrs.- -addressed an as- 
 sembly, we learn that she may be a wife. It 
 may be too, that she is a mother. If so, she 
 lias then duties to perform as a wife or a moth- 
 er, these dutiss she must neglect while ad- 
 18
 
 206 PEMALK INFLUENCE 
 
 dressing this public assembly. When we 
 read that Miss addressed a public assem- 
 bly, we know that she is a daughter. It may 
 bethat she is a sister. If so, she has duties 
 as a daughter or a sister, which she must and 
 does neglect while addressing the public as- 
 sembly. If it is right that these individuals 
 should pursue this course, it is right that every 
 other wife, mother, daughter or sister, under 
 the same impressions, and in the same circum- 
 stances, should pursue the same course. Now 
 we may not think it of much importance if a 
 solitary lady, here and there, pursues these 
 courses. But should we not be startled at 
 the thought, that the whole face of society is 
 to be changed, and, that the majority of ladies 
 are to step forward in this way? Would it be 
 fight, would it be proper? Does the lady 
 say she has a special call from God? Let her 
 make it appear. The call is generally an im- 
 pression upon her own mind. It may be a 
 delusion. There is no evidence that it is from 
 God which she can set before others. Every 
 one else, who may fancy she has a call, 
 may go forth. Does the lady say that the
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 207 
 
 duties which she neajects are performed hy 
 some one else? It may be so. But this does 
 not relieve her of her responsibility. It was 
 her duty to perform them or to see to their 
 performance, for they were, upon the suppo- 
 sition, her duties. Does the lady say, as I 
 have heard a mother say, that she can per- 
 form her duties to her children and her family 
 and still have time to devote to other and 
 more distant public matters? I answer, that 
 she is a wonderful woman, that, in my inter- 
 course with society, I have seldom found a 
 mother, who had any thing like a true con- 
 ception of the vast responsibilities connected 
 wiih the charge of a single child, of the solemn 
 nature of the duty of training up a single 
 immortal spirit, as it should be trained, for 
 this world and for the spiritual and eternal 
 world. I fear, therefore, that the person who 
 would make such a remark, has never thought 
 or felt as she should think and feel in regard to 
 the trust committed to her, the responsibili- 
 ties imposed upon her. 
 
 Does the individual say, I feel a responsi- 
 bility in regard to these great and important
 
 203 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 interests ? I would ask if God has imposed 
 that responsibiliiy upon her in particular ? if 
 there are not" other responsibilities nearer 
 home, which she is neglecting and in re- 
 gard to which there can be no doubt that God 
 imposed them upon her in particular ? Does 
 the individual point to female scripture char- 
 acters, as cases where females were called to 
 step forward before the public? I answer 
 that in such cases, there were circumstances 
 in providence which marked out these cases 
 to the community, as exceptions to the gener- 
 al course of female duty. If any of you then, 
 young ladies, feel prompted to step forth be~ 
 fore the public, remember that you are doing; 
 all in your power to introduce such practices 
 into general vogue among the female portico, 
 of the community. 
 
 I would remark, in the second place, that 
 the question is not, what ladies have a right to 
 do, but what it is light for them to do. La- 
 dies have a ri^ht to speak in public. There 
 is no law of the land to prevent them. Bui 
 is it riyhf, proper and expedient, that they
 
 YOUNC LADYS AID. 
 
 should do this and that all should do this ? 
 This is the question. 
 
 I remark, in the third place, that ladies, 
 who take this course, must be willing to abide 
 by its natural consequences. Ladies expect 
 to be treated by gentlemen with polite atten- 
 tions, and a gallant delicacy, differently from 
 the way in which men treat each other. How 
 often is the expression of wonder heard, from 
 the lips of females, that one could so treat a 
 lady. But, if the lady comes forward into the 
 arena of debate, into the noisy bustle and busy 
 stir of public affairs and transac! ions, she 
 must expect to meet with the same treatment, 
 which, under the same circumstances, she 
 would meet with, were she not a lady. It is an 
 old saying, 'ifyou play with boys you must take 
 boys play.' So, if ladies mingle with men in 
 public, they must take the same treatment 
 which men render to each other. They must 
 be willing to forego all polite and delicate at- 
 tentions. They must be willing to abide by 
 the natural consequences of the course they 
 choose to pursue. I have thus stated certain gen- 
 eral principles,which may aid you in determin-
 
 210 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 ing the question as to your duty in this re- 
 spect. 
 
 I will now state my reasons for believing that 
 private and domestic life, is the peculiar and 
 appropriate sphere of female duly and female 
 influence. These reason, I have said, were 
 two ; the one is drawn from the very nature 
 of the case, the other from the instructions 
 of God's word. 
 
 And first, from the nature of the case. In 
 all civilized society, the duties and efforts of 
 the community are divided into two distinct 
 classes. There are the hard labors of life 
 and the anxious cares of business on the one 
 hand, and the regulation of the private, house- 
 hold, domestic concerns on the other Does 
 a family remove to the western wilds, there is 
 the same division. There is the felling of 
 trees and the clearing of land, on the one 
 hand, there is the preparation of food, the ma- 
 king and keeping in order apparrel, the train- 
 ing and watching of children on the other. 
 So, in our cities, there is the same distinction. 
 The anxieties and cares of business on the 
 one hand, the regulation of household duties
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 211 
 
 and domestic labors on the other. It is im- 
 portant that both these classes of duties should 
 be well and intelligibly performed. If either 
 are neglected, society must suffer, If the la- 
 bors abroad and the cares of business are neg- 
 lected, the community will suffer want. li 
 the affairs within, of families and of house- 
 holds be neglected the comfort and happiness 
 of individuals and of families will be much di- 
 minished. Now what division of labors shall 
 there be, to correspond with this distinction, 
 which every where exists? Will females go 
 forth to all the labors and anxieties of busi- 
 ness ? Will they plough our fields, enter our 
 workshops and our counting houses, or sail 
 our vessels? And shall the men remain 
 within, rocking the cradle, tending the sick, 
 or wielding the implements of cookery ? 
 This, you all see, would be absurd. But if 
 the man must engage in, and carry on all 
 these important and wide spread transactions 
 of business, he also must attend to all politi- 
 cal movement, and all law making and law 
 administering wants of the community, and all 
 public efforts of every kind. Because all these
 
 212 Youxe LADY'S AID. 
 
 are connected more directly with the interests 
 of business and not with the domestic cares 
 of social life. The currency question for ex- 
 ample has reference to the business interests 
 of the community and affects social and mor- 
 al interests, through the instrumentality of 
 these business interests. So the annexation of 
 Texas to the Uuion, a subject upon which 
 ladies have petitioned, is a political question, 
 having primary and special reference to the 
 political relations of the country. There 
 would, then, be just as much propriety, in 
 our ladies circulating petitions fo: or against a 
 national bank, as for or against the annexation 
 of Texas. True, it is said that this involves, 
 to a great degree, interest of a moral nature. 
 And what question of public, political action 
 does not involve moral consequences? I say, 
 then, that from the very nature of the case, I 
 draw the conclusion that public labors of leg- 
 islation, business or philanthropy, do not fall 
 within the appropriate sphere of woman. 
 The steps from which the conclusion is drawn, 
 are these. There is, and from the very na- 
 ture of the case, there must be two distinct 
 16*
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 213 
 
 classes of duties. One of these, females can- 
 not, from their very physical constitution, 
 perform, and with this class of duties are in- 
 timately connected all public movements 
 whether of a political, religious or philanthro- 
 pic character, therefore, from the very nature 
 of the case, all public efforts of this character, 
 are inappropriate to woman. Woman, as I 
 have already said, has influence, but she is 
 to exert that influence by remaining within 
 her appropriate sphere. If she steps aside 
 from this, sho forgoes the opportunity of 
 certain usefulness, in the proper discharge of 
 her duties, and enters a field, where it is alto- 
 gether problematical, whether the results of 
 her efforts will be good or evil to the commu- 
 nity, while the effects upon her own charac- 
 ter, upon her retiring modesty and feminine 
 delicacy, which are so becoming in woman, 
 are any thing but good. 
 
 But what, you may ask, does Christianity 
 teach upon this subject ? In seeking an an- 
 swer to this question, let us first look at some 
 fac'.s in the gospel history. When our Saviour 
 was upon earth, there were among the crowds
 
 214 YOUNG LADY'S AID 
 
 who flocked to hear his words, many females. 
 They become interested in him and in his in- 
 structions. He became interested in them. 
 He taught females, as well as others, the doc- 
 trines and principles of his religion, and found 
 them soon becoming wholly absorbed in the 
 contemplation of its truths, and wholly de- 
 voted to its influence. Do you suppose thot 
 among all his followers, he found one more 
 absorbed, more devoted than was Mary the 
 sister of Lazarus? I presume not. But not- 
 withstanding our Saviour was surrounded, as 
 it were, with females, was deeply interested 
 in them, imparted to them religious instruc- 
 tion and found them devoted to his religion 
 notwithstanding,! say all this, he did not choose 
 one female to be of the number of his apostles. 
 Nor was this for the want of mental improve- 
 ment on the part of the females. For they, 
 surely, were as well qualified, in this respect 
 as the humble fisherman, whom he chose. 
 But he did not call one female from the quiet 
 scenes of her home, and send her forth to pro- 
 claim the gospel, either in public assemblies, 
 or from house to house. And may we not
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 215 
 
 fairly conclude, that the reason was, that he 
 did not regard these as coming within the ap- 
 propriate sphere of female efforts. Suppose 
 then, our Saviour were now on earth, the her- 
 ald of any of the specific philanthropic move- 
 ments of the day. He would undoudtedly be 
 surrounded by female?, would be interested in 
 them, would instruct them in his principles and 
 views, and would find them zealous friends 
 of these views. But, if guided by the same 
 principles, which ware manifested in his con- 
 duct, when he was on earth, he would not call 
 one female from the quiet of her home, to 
 send her forth as a herald of these movements 
 either in public or from house to house. Young, 
 ladies, let the fact, which 1 have here brought 
 before you, have its proper influence upon 
 your feelings. Christ is interested in you, 
 his religion has bestowed great favors upon 
 you, and he asks of you an entire devotion of 
 affections of energies and influence to his cause. 
 But he does not ask, he nerer has, asked you 
 to leave your appropriate spheres of duty, and 
 go forth as heralds and apostles of truth and* 
 goodness.
 
 216 YOUNG LADY'* AID 
 
 But here you will tell me that Paul often 
 sends salutations to females, who are his fel- 
 low laborers, his helpers in the gospel. This 
 is true. Paul had his fellow laborers, even 
 among females. But here another question 
 arises. Were they fellow laborers, because 
 they performed the same kind of labor which 
 the apostle was performing, or because, in 
 their appropriate sphere, they were laboring 
 for the same great purposes ? That we may 
 know something of Paul's ideas as to the ap- 
 propriate sphere of female effort, I will quote 
 a few of his injunctions upon this point. In 
 the first Epistle to the Corinthians, 14 : 34,35, 
 we read, 'Let your women keep silence in the 
 churches, for it is not permitted onto them to 
 speak. But they are commanded to be under 
 obediance, as saith the law,' and, if they will 
 learn any thing, let them ask their husbands 
 at home, for it is a shame for a woman to speak 
 in church. 1st Timothy, 2d chap, llth and 
 12th. Let the woman bear in silence, in all 
 subjection, but I suffer not a woman to teach, 
 nor to usurp authority over the man, but to bo 
 insilence. 1st Tim. 8: 13, 14. And withall,
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE 
 
 217 
 
 they learn to be idle, wandering about from 
 house to house, and not only idlers, but tat- 
 tlers also, and busy bodies, speaking things 
 which they ought not. I will, therefore, that 
 the younger women marry guide the house, 
 give none occasion to the adversary to speak 
 reproachfully. Titus 2. 3, 4, 5. The aged 
 women, likewise, that they be in beha- 
 viour as becometh holiness, not false accu- 
 sers, not given to mad wine, teachers of good 
 things, that they may teach the young women 
 to be sober, to love their husbands, to love 
 their children, to be discreet, chaste, Areep- 
 ers at home, good, obedient to their own 
 husbands, that the word of God may not be 
 blasphemed. I have quoted these expres- 
 sions as bearing directly upon the general 
 subject of present inquiry, the proper sphere 
 of female effort and influence. And from 
 these expressions we may learn the apostle's 
 views upon the subject, and may form some 
 estimate of what kind of assistance he re- 
 ceived from his female fellow laborers m 
 (Christ.
 
 218 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 And may we not, from all that has been 
 said, draw the following conclusions, that the 
 proper sphere of female influence is away 
 from the bustle and stir of business, of pub- 
 lic life, and noisy strife; that it is in the re- 
 tired and quiet scenes of domestic life, or in 
 the more extended circle of social effort. And 
 that the way in which her influence can be 
 made most salutary as well as most powerful, 
 is, by a cheerful performance of appropriate 
 duties, rather than by direct and open effort. 
 
 I have thus far endeavored to guard you 
 against some strange notions and practices of 
 modern times, and, in this way, to point out 
 what I deem correct views upon the proper 
 sphere and appropriate manner of female in- 
 fluence. 
 
 I am now to point out somewhat more in 
 detail, the particular ways, in which you may 
 do good, may become fellow laborers with 
 all who are striving for the good of man. 
 Here then, you are a young lady, a daughter, 
 a sister, you are deeply interested in all that 
 is good, and desirous of doing all the good
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE- 219 
 
 in your power. You are interested in reli- 
 gion, and ask in what way you may interest 
 your parents and your brothers? Here, then, 
 is a definite question. I will endeavor to 
 give an intelligible answer. But you will re- 
 member the principle I have laid down, that 
 you are to seek to exert influence by a cheer- 
 ful discharge of appropriate duties, rather 
 than by direct efforts. Let your interest in 
 religion make you a better daughter, and bet- 
 ter sister. And what I mean by this is, let 
 it make you less selfish, and more devoted to 
 the happiness of your parents and brothers. 
 Here is the point where we all fail, we carry 
 our selfishness into our religion. Have you 
 been wild and gay, seeking for enjoyment in 
 balls and assemblies, unwilling to forego the 
 pleasure to be derived from these, that you 
 may promote the happiness of father or bro- 
 ther? And are you now deeply interested 
 in religion, but equally unwilling to forego 
 the pleasures of attending upon religious ex- 
 ercises, that so you may promote the happi- 
 ness of father or mother? If this be the case,
 
 220 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 you cannot expect that your father or brother 
 should respect your change. To them you do 
 not seem to be a new creature, you seem 
 only to have altered in your tastes. You are 
 just as earnest in seeking selfish gratifications 
 as before, only from this alteration in your 
 tastes, you seek it from a different source. 
 But, if your father or your brother, perceives 
 that your religion makes you less selfish, more 
 willing to give up your own enjoyments, in or- 
 der to promote theirs, then will they regard 
 it as a reality. 
 
 You are then, in the first place, to let your 
 religion make you a better daughter, a better 
 sister, less selfish, more willing to give up 
 your enjoyments, even your religious en- 
 joyments, for their good than others. You 
 are not merely to render pleasantly whatever 
 services may be asked for, but you are to 
 cherish a lively interest in every thing which 
 concerns their good and to endeavor to an- 
 ticipate their wants and desires. If your fa- 
 ther or your brother see you thus changed 
 from a selfish devotee of pleasure -to an ear'
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 221 
 
 nest devotion to the good of all within the 
 sphere of your sympathies and influence, ev- 
 ervvilling to give up the gratification of your 
 own wishes, to promote the happiness of oth- 
 ers, ever cherishing a lively sympathy in the 
 welfare of others, and ever doing all in your 
 power to anticipate their wishes, and prevent 
 their sufferings. If, I say, your father and 
 your brother see such a change, then will they 
 respect the religion you love. You see that 
 your first effort to interest your parents and 
 brothers in religion exerts its holiest influ- 
 ences over your own hearts and lives, in mak- 
 ing you better daughters and sisters. Do you 
 ask if this is all that you can do? Most cer- 
 tainly not. You may, yon are in duty bound 
 to pray for these, and your own feelings will 
 prompt you to a faithful and fervent perfor- 
 mance of this duty. But let these be your 
 private prayers, let your anxieties for those 
 who are near and dear to you, be whispered 
 not to the ears of your lellovv creatures, but 
 into the ear of Him who seeth in secret, but 
 who will reward openly. Then, too, you 
 ID*
 
 222 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 should avoid the course which some take, of 
 retiring from the society of those you would 
 influence. Make yourselves more agreeable 
 than before, in all the endearing fondness of 
 your devotion to their happiness. When 
 you speak to them upon the subject of reli- 
 gion, speak with openness, with frankness, 
 but in much kind love. If you wish them 
 to read the books, which have deeply affec- 
 ted your own heart, hand them the book 
 openly and kindly. Their respect for you, 
 for your great change, and manifest improve- 
 ment, will secure you a kind and attentive 
 perusal of these books. But if you place 
 these books in their way, as it were by stealth, 
 your apparent want of confidence will excite 
 improper feelings, and will prevent them from 
 reading, it may fill their hearts with bitterness, 
 and bring upon you severe reproaches. 
 
 Still further, there may be cases in which 
 you wish to caution an acquaintance, and you 
 propose to write an anonymous note to the 
 individual. I would counsel you not to do 
 this. I have seen this done in some instan-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 223 
 
 ces and never with a good result. It often 
 produces great mischief, and causes great 
 trouble in society. If your acquaintance with 
 the individual be sufficiently intimate, to war- 
 rant such an effort, speak openly and directly 
 but at the same time kindly and affectionately 
 upon the subject. Or, if you prefer writing 
 as giving you an opportunity to be more full 
 and explicit, then I say write. But do it 
 openly. Sign your own name. I have been 
 called to duties of this kind frequently, and 
 in no instance has offence been taken. Al- 
 though what you may write, may exert no in- 
 fluence, still respect for your honesty and 
 good wishes, will prevent the individual from 
 taking offence. Be ever open, then, and di- 
 rect and speak in your own name. If your 
 acquaintance with the individual be not suf- 
 ficiently intimate to warrant this, then you 
 are not the person to do it. You must speak 
 to some one else, who is more intimately ac- 
 quainted. 
 
 But still farther, are you desirous, as ev- 
 ery virtuous young lady will be, to exert an
 
 224 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 influence upon society around you, to prevent 
 the prevalence of dissipation and licentious- 
 ness? And do you ask what you are to do 
 to accomplish this? I answer, first elevate 
 your own characters, in all that is pure and 
 noble and worthy, in intellectual improve- 
 ment, and moral refinement. Lot your 
 characters for intelligence, for rational and 
 sober conversation, for moral refinement and 
 purity, be such, that all may find your soci- 
 ety improving, in its influences upon them, 
 that all when they leave your company, may 
 be filled with heartfelt respect for you and 
 may desire again to enjoy your conversation. 
 It is here, I believe, that many young ladies 
 fail. They lay up no store of useful knowl- 
 edge they do not cultivate their moral pow- 
 ers, and our young men are compelled to 
 say, we see but little difference between the 
 intellectual and moral improvement of these, 
 the virtuous, and of those who are abandon- 
 ed. We find as much frivolity and vanity, 
 in the one class, as in the other. In acquir- 
 ing a public education, one has an opportu-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 225 
 
 nity of studying human nature in all the va- 
 rieties of human character, and especially has 
 he an opportunity of learning the feelings 
 which precede action, which lie at the foun- 
 dation of worth and usefulness, or are the 
 seeds of future dissipation and misery. And 
 in these scenes, my own observation has 
 taught me, that one of the strongest safeguards 
 by which a young man can be protected, is 
 that of deep and heartfelt respect and sincere 
 esteem for the worth of female character. 
 With those who have always associated with 
 young ladies of sterling worth, and who have 
 acquired a fondness for the society of such, 
 the thoughts of dissipation and licentiousness 
 fill the soul with horror. On the other hand, 
 one of the first steps toward licentiousness is 
 a contempt for female character. Let a 
 young man of mind, always meet with the 
 vain and the frivolous among young ladies, 
 and he learns to look upon them, not as in- 
 telligent and moral beings, not as equals and 
 companions, whose society may improve him, 
 but as play things. When in their presence
 
 226 YOUNG LIDY'S AID. 
 
 she lays aside all reasonable conversation and 
 adapts himself to what he may consider their 
 capacities and tastes. And it is but a step 
 from regarding them as toys for an hour's 
 amusement, to regard them. as created mere- 
 ly for the gratification of passion. I say, 
 then, that would you exert an influence in 
 promoting the moral improvement and moral 
 reformation of society, improve yourselves, in 
 all that is pure and good. Seek to store 
 your minds with useful knowledge, to exer- 
 cise your mental powers upon the knowledge 
 which you do acquire. Let your standard 
 of intelligence, of moral and social worth be 
 high. Make yourselves worthy of respect 
 and esteem. This, I can assure you, will, of 
 itself, do more for the moral reformation of 
 the community, than all female moral reform 
 societies, than all ferretting out and exposing 
 the peccadilios of your fellow creatures, than 
 all railing and exclusion. 
 
 In the second place, I remark, that in 
 your intercourse with society, you should en- 
 deavor to show that you respect worth of
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 227 
 
 character, and are not carried away by the 
 mere fascination of manners. Let me illus- 
 trate what I mean. I have known respecta- 
 ble and virtuous young ladies occupy them- 
 selves, in a social party, in ridiculing, among 
 themselves a young man of sterling worth, 
 who, from not having been much in society, 
 was somewhat awkward in his manners, while 
 they would be all smiles and all attention to 
 one of known, or strongly suspected dissi- 
 pated habits, whose manners were graceful. 
 And I have sometimes felt that those young 
 men, who, by an intercourse with the out- 
 cast of your own sex, have acquired a sort 
 of don't care ease of manners, were gener- 
 ally received with more favor, than those of 
 the greatest worth, whose manners were 
 awkward. I trust that this is not generally 
 the case, but I know that sometimes it is so. 
 And what is the consequence? The feeling 
 grows up, that in order to acquire those man- 
 ners which are necessary as a passport in fe- 
 male society, one must mingle in that which 
 is vicious. Diffident young men of worth
 
 228 YOUNG LADl's AID. 
 
 are driven from your society, and the profli- 
 gate and abandoned are encouraged in thir 
 course. These things ought not so to be. 
 You ought to show that you respect worth 
 of character, and are not to be carried away 
 by that don't care ease of manners, that 
 modest as it is sometimes called, assurance, 
 1 had almost said, that cool imprudence, with 
 which young ladies are sometimes pleased. 
 I do not say in what way you are to manifest 
 this regard for worth of character. Because 
 I suppose, different persons, according to 
 iheir different temperaments and habits, will 
 manifest this in different ways. But I do 
 not say that in some way, you must make your 
 regard for real worth of character seen and 
 felt. 
 
 Still further, you, young ladies, I had al- 
 most said, preside over the social amusements 
 of the community. If you are willing to 
 stoop to low and silly plays, these will be the 
 order of social amusements. If you are 
 given to balls and amusements of this char- 
 acter, the character of the community will
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 
 
 229 
 
 take its coloring from your feelings. It 
 is for you to say in a great degree, what shall 
 be the character of the amusements of soci- 
 ety. That is, you can control these things, 
 provided you will manifest an interest in 
 some sort of amusements. The young will 
 have amusements, and young men will have 
 recreations. If young ladies withhold their 
 countenance altogether from amusements ot 
 every kind, the only consequence will be, 
 that young men will resort to those which are 
 low and degrading. But if the more intelli- 
 gent portion of the female community will 
 take the lead and manifest an interest in those 
 amusements which are of a pure and heart- 
 felt and elevating character, then will the 
 young men be prevented from low and base 
 indulgences. At least those whose pure 
 feelings and healthy tastes have not been per- 
 verted, may be saved. You can by your 
 free and social intercourse with your broth- 
 er's friends and acquaintances, by your mu- 
 sic, if blest with a musical talent, you can 
 .make their visits to your fathers house pleas- 
 20
 
 YON-G LADY'S AID. 
 
 ant. Perhaps you may in this manner, do 
 something to promote those social and do- 
 mestic habits and feelings which are so im- 
 portant to the safety of the young. I would 
 therefore urge you who are daughters and 
 sisters to lend your influence by doing all in 
 your powef to make your home pleasant to 
 those who may visit there, by doing all in 
 your power to raise the tone of conversation, 
 to give freedom and ease to social inter- 
 course, and to introduce those social and do- 
 mestic pleasures, which may take the place 
 of others which are injurious in their nature 
 and tendency. 
 
 I have thus pointed out some of the ways, 
 in which you may labor for the moral reform 
 of the community, by elevating and improving 
 your own character, by shewing, in some mark- 
 ed manner, that you respect moral and intrin- 
 sic worth of character, and are not captivated 
 by mere gracefulness of manner, when all ;'& 
 hollow beneath, and by doing all in your pow- 
 er to introduce amusements of a pure and 
 healthful character. In these ways you mav
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 231 
 
 do something*, you may do much towards the 
 moral reformation and improvement ofsociety. 
 I do not indeed suppose that, here or any 
 where else, the particular influence of individ- 
 ual females will be visible and striking. But 
 I do believe that a sitent influence will go forth 
 elevating the tone and character of female 
 intercourse, and that this influence, though 
 silent, will be felt throughout the community. 
 But you ask, what shall we do about joining 
 these female moral reform societies ? In an- 
 swer to your question, I would speak distinct- 
 ly, and say have nothingto do with them. But 
 why, you ask, do I object ? I answer, lhat the 
 principles and the modes of operation in these 
 societies, I believe to be unsound. What 
 are these principles ? I will name one, and 
 lhat is, that safety is to be found in nn expos- 
 ure of the vice, a familiarity with all its haunts 
 and avenues and manifestations. This prin- 
 ciple, I believe to be unsound. I believe 
 that a young lady's safety consists in ignorance 
 of these evil ways, when it is accompanied, 
 as it usually and naturally is with that native
 
 232 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 and shrinking delicacy, which causes her to 
 draw back, as if with instinctive horror, from 
 the very appearance of evil, from every word, 
 look or allusion which may seem to partake 
 in the least possible degree of the vice. This 
 is my theoretical conclusion. It is confirm- 
 ed by the statements of an article, which ap- 
 peared, sometime since in the New York 
 Literary and Theological Review, an able 
 Journal. The writer of the article, vtho pro- 
 fessed to have enjoyed opportunities for judg- 
 ing, asserts that this course of publicly expo- 
 sing or advertising these haunts of iniquity, 
 has actually, in the experiment, tended to in- 
 crease and extend the evil in question. And, 
 indeed we need not have gone to these state- 
 ments for this information. For, when I 
 have looked at the papers issued by the New 
 York Female Moral Reform Society, I have 
 felt that the young lady who could take pleas- 
 ure in reading those papers, must have lost 
 much of her native and instinctive delicacy 
 of feeling, while the dissipated young man, 
 who should look into them, might mistake
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 233 
 
 them for the heralds pf licentiousness, serv- 
 ing as a directory in regard to its haunts, and 
 setting forth such pictorial descriptions, as 
 might be supposed to be the excitements to 
 indulgence. I might, my friends, give other 
 reasons. But have I not said enough ? I 
 respect the pure motives, and the holy de- 
 sires of those who engage in these efforts. 
 But I must dissent from their judgment, and 
 dissenting as I do, I must, in faithfulness to 
 my office, counsel my friends to have nothing 
 to do with these Female Moral Reform So- 
 cieties. 
 
 And what shall we do, you ask, in regard 
 to Temperance and Temperance Societies? 
 I answer, that the evils of Intemperance have 
 formerly, and in many cases, originated with 
 females. Mothers and nurses have drugged 
 the helpless infant with alcoholic drinks, until 
 without doubt, the foundation has been laid 
 for future intemperance. Then too, females, 
 young ladies even, have done much in former 
 times by giving their countenance to the 
 drinking of pledges with their friends, to pro- 
 30*
 
 234 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 mote the cause of intemperance. In these 
 and in other ways females have been lending 
 their influence to the advancement of intem- 
 perance. Since such is the case, it is impor- 
 tant that they should make themselves ac- 
 quainted with the subject, and should take 
 an open and active part in this reformation. 
 But here, as in regard to every other effort, 
 let their exertions be, not those of public lec- 
 tures, nor even of active visitants from house 
 to house, but in the appropriate discharge of 
 the duties of their own sphere. Is any one 
 of you, young ladies, about to give a party ? 
 Here, without stepping beyond your proper 
 sphere, you can exert an influence, you can 
 say this my party, and this the entertainment 
 for my friends, shall not be polluted by intox- 
 icating drinks. And, by so doing you will 
 accomplish two things, you will wipe your 
 own hands from all participation in the evil, 
 even should some, whose appetites are crav- 
 ing, go from your party to places of indul- 
 gence. And in the second place, you will 
 do something, in this way, to change the fash-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 235 
 
 ions of society in this respect. And after all, 
 this evil is more the result of fashion than any 
 thing else. A lady who is a friend to temper- 
 ance, brings forward wine, not because she 
 wishes to do it, or wishes to partake herself, 
 but because such is the fashion, her neighbors 
 and acquaintances do so, and she wishes to 
 treat them as well as they treat her. And 
 when wine is brought forward, many drink 
 not because they wish to drink, but because 
 such is the fashion. You can then do some- 
 thing, towards changing the fashions, by dis- 
 carding wine from your own parties. 
 
 But, it may be, that you will say, that you 
 see no impropriety in offering wine, provided 
 other drinks, as water or lemonade, are offered 
 too. I will not contend about what may 
 seem unimportant, I will only say that, with 
 the views which I now entertain, I could not 
 offer wine to a social company. Still every 
 man is master of his own house, and every 
 lady must preside at her own entertainment. 
 It is a question for each individual to settle on 
 his or her own responsibility. And it be-
 
 236 TOUNQ LADY'S AIB. 
 
 comes every individual to be well assured in 
 the course which may be pursued. But I 
 would insist upon it, that the same politeness, 
 which would prompt you, out of regard to 
 past practices and old prejudices, to bring for- 
 ward wine, should, out of regard to the con- 
 scientious scruples and new prejudices of ma- 
 ny, prompt you to bring forward other and 
 safer drinks. 
 
 Then, when you attend the social parties 
 of your friends, you can resolutely decline the 
 proffered glass of wine. And, when among 
 your young companions and acquaintances of 
 the other sex, you can speak decidedly 
 against the practice, and express your strong 
 disapprobation of the evil, in every form,shape 
 or degree. In these, and in a great variety 
 of other similar ways, you may, without over- 
 stepping the modesty of your nature, do much 
 for the promotion of temperance. Do you ask 
 still farther in regard to joining temperance 
 societies ? I answer that these societies in 
 many respects, differ from Moral Reform So- 
 cieties. They refer not to practices which
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 237 
 
 are shut out from respectable society, but to 
 those which are fashionable. Not to the 
 practices of others but to your own. It may 
 be inexpedient and improper for individuals 
 to associate together to reform their neighbors, 
 while at the same time it may be expedient 
 and proper to associate together, for the ref- 
 ormation of their own practices. It may be 
 inexpedient to ferret out and bring to light all 
 the arts and avenues of a species of iniquity 
 of which they know nothing, and the very 
 knowledge of which is dangerous, while at the 
 same time it may be proper to investigate and 
 expose the secret approaches, the debasing 
 nature and the fatal consequences of any prac- 
 tice or habit to which they are themselves 
 subjected, and of the nature and influence o( 
 which they are ignorant. There is, there- 
 fore* as I conceive, no improprieiy in the for- 
 mation offemale temperance societies. And 
 there have been times there may now be 
 places where these are all important in or- 
 der that the ladies may strengthen each oth- 
 er's hands, and encourage each other's hearts
 
 238 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 that by combination and associated ef- 
 fort, the fashions of female society may 
 be changed. But I have learned to look at 
 things, rather than at names and forms, and 
 to feel the importance of correct principles 
 rather than any particular modes of manifest- 
 ing and avowing those principles. For I 
 have found that generally whore correct prin- 
 ciples are embraced, they will manifest them- 
 selves in some way, and generally if accom- 
 panied by good sense and sound discretion, 
 they will manifest themselves in the way best 
 adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the 
 individual. While, therefore, I would earn- 
 estly entreat every young lady who may read 
 these pages, to be open, decided and uncom- 
 promising in her opposition to every form, 
 shape or avenue of intemperance, I would say 
 in regard to joining a temperance society, act 
 just as in the exercise of a sound judgment, 
 you may at the time think best. 
 
 Do you ask what you shall do about sign- 
 ing petitions to the legislative authorities in 
 regard to laws upon the subject ? I answer 
 that I think this a peculiar subject and one
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 239 
 
 very different from others, upon which peti- 
 tions have been presented. You petition in 
 this case for the removal of evils, and the 
 sources of evil which relate directly, to your- 
 selves to your social condition and to your 
 individual happiness. Your fathers, or broth- 
 ers may be intemperate, and may in their in- 
 temperance abuse you. Here are visible, 
 palpable evils and injuries from exposure to 
 which you ask to be relieved. These are 
 eviU and injuries of which the laws take cog- 
 nizance. The sources of these evils are open 
 and known. They are kept open and made 
 known by the power of existing laws. I see 
 then, no impropriety in asking the law mak- 
 ing authorities to relieve you from your evils, 
 from your exposure to these evils, to close the 
 sources of evil, which, with the best inten- 
 tions they have already undertaken to regulate. 
 I say then, there is no impropriety in signing 
 )etitions on this subject. 1 have some doubts 
 regard to the expediency of so doing. This 
 81 subject, upon which the roost powerful 
 gads in the community are awakened, in re-
 
 240 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 gard to which they are thinking and contriving 
 what may be the best to be done. Unless 
 therefore, you can throw new light before 
 such minds, I know not that much good will 
 result from such petitions. Still further, it 
 depends on public opinion whether whatever 
 laws may be enacted upon the subject shall 
 be enforced. But public opinion in this case 
 means the opinions of the male portions of 
 the community, those on whom it falls to car- 
 ry forward and execute the laws of the land. 
 Should there be change of laws in compliance 
 with the petitions of ladies, it might be that 
 public opinion in the sense here used would 
 not sustain the charge. I have therefore 
 doubted whether much good could result from 
 these petitions and have felt that, perhaps it 
 might be better for ladies not to turn their at- 
 tention so much to these, but to direct it more 
 entirely to their own private and social influ- 
 ence in their appropriate circle. 
 
 Do you ask what you shall do in regard ^ n 
 the question of slavery, and abolition soc;er 
 ties? I answer, that I conceive the quest 506
 
 FEMALE 1NFLUKNCK. 241 
 
 of slaver}' to be one of the most important 
 questions of the day, a question, which re- 
 quires great care in the examination, and great 
 caution in drawing conclusions, I conceive it 
 to be important that all young ladies, who 
 have the opportunity, should make them- 
 selves acquainted with this question, and 
 should endeavor to understand it, in its va- 
 rious bearings. This I say is a proper and 
 important subject of reading, thought and in- 
 quiry. Like all other important moral ques- 
 tions, the examination of this, will promote 
 your own intellectual and moral improvement. 
 You will, as you examine, read and reflect, 
 find the various principles of moral duty be- 
 coming more clearly defined to your own 
 minds. You will find, too, that this exercise 
 of your mental powers will increase your 
 strength of mind, and will give you a power 
 to grasp and comprehend difficult and impor- 
 tant subjects of moral duty, while you will be 
 acquiring a power to weigh and balance prob- 
 abilities, a power of nice discrimination in re- 
 gard to things which appear to be alike, but 
 21
 
 242 TOUNO LADT'S AID. 
 
 which are in reality widely different. And, 
 when young ladies have once made up their 
 minds upon this subject, I conceive it to be 
 proper for them, within their appropriate 
 sphere to express their opinions, and to do 
 what may be in their power, to aid others to 
 form a right judgement, while, at the same 
 time, the mind should be kept open to fur- 
 ther light, come from what source it may. 
 Thus far I would have ladies go in regard to 
 this question. Bat I would not have them 
 take an active part in forming aholition Socie- 
 ties and presenting abolition petitions. 
 
 Do you ask me the reason for this opinion? 
 I answer that abolition societies are not like 
 temperance societies, formed for the purpose 
 of correcting evils among yourselves. They 
 relate to the practices of others and those ai 
 a distance from you. Suppose the ladies of 
 the south, should form associations for the 
 p-urpose of embodying and expressing their 
 decided disapprobation of some of your own/ 
 practices. 
 
 Would you expect any good results ? Most
 
 FKMALK INFLUENCE. 243 
 
 surely not. I am aware it is said that the 
 state of opinion and feeling upon this subject, 
 are wrong even at the north. They may be 
 so. But there is a very great difference be- 
 tween the reformation of fashions and the 
 change of opinions. If fashions are to be 
 changed, it requires the combination either 
 tacitly or distinctly formed of sufficient num- 
 bers to give a sanction to new fashions. Bur 
 if opinions are to be changed, there should be 
 calm argument and conclusive reasoning. A 
 lady may with propriety discard alcoholic 
 drinks from her entertainments, because the 
 fashions of society no lonaer require them. 
 because the majority of those with whom she 
 associates, no longer introduce them. But 
 no lady of mind and reflection, will change 
 her opinions upon a question like that of sla- 
 very, unless she is herself convinced that they 
 are wrong. She will not, she ought not to 
 change them, because it is becoming fashiona- 
 ble to be on the other side. She will not, 
 she ought not to change them, if every lady 
 of her acquaintance has changed them, unless
 
 244 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 she is herself convinced. It is for this reas- 
 on that I have said, examine the subject care- 
 fully and calmly, each one of you for your- 
 selves. Make up your own minds deliber- 
 ately, without regard to the opinions of oth- 
 ers but upon your responsibility to your 
 conscience and your God. It is for this 
 reason that I have said, exert your influence 
 in favor of your views, decidedly and consis- 
 tently, in your appropriate sphere. You 
 ought not to wish others to be influenced in 
 any way differently from that in which you 
 have been influenced. You ought not to 
 wish them to change their opinions because 
 you have changed yours, unless their minds 
 are convinced and satisfied, by the reasons 
 which have convinced and satisfied yours. 
 And therefore your proper course should be 
 to converse and reason upon the subject, to 
 write upon it for the public, if you are quali- 
 fied and have time, to present facts and ar- 
 guments. 
 
 It is for the reason above stated, that I 
 would not have you unite in forming societies
 
 FEMALE INFLUENUE. 245 
 
 merely for the purpose of making one opinion 
 more fashionable than another. On the 
 whole then, I should much question the pro- 
 priety of female abolition societies. Ladies 
 have a right to form such societies, but I 
 should question whether it be right and proper 
 for them to do so. I should think they might 
 by pursuing a different course, exert a more 
 powerful and a more salutary influence, even 
 in favor of the very cause which they have 
 espoused. 
 
 And then as to petitions for the abolition of 
 slavery, you do not, in these petitions, throw 
 any new light upon the subject. You only 
 make know your own urgent desires upon the 
 subject. But it is a subject which involves 
 great difficulties. Those who are called to 
 legislate, are bound to examine these diffi- 
 culties. They are in duty bound net to leg- 
 islate, until they can see their way clear to do 
 it without producing more hurt than good, 
 until their are satisfied in their own minds, up- 
 on the subject. Should they, out of regard 
 
 to your petitions, legislate, and so involve the 
 21*
 
 246 YOUNG LADY T S AID. 
 
 country in difficulty, they could not call upon 
 you, upon the ladies, to extricate the country 
 from that difficulty. I place myself, in im- 
 agination, in the situation of an honest and 
 conscientious legislator. I receive petitions 
 from the ladies of the district I represent. 
 These petitions contain no new argtiments,no 
 new light. They only make known to me 
 the opinions and feelings of these ladies, and 
 it may be their feverish anxiety that something 
 should be done. I feel disposed to do all in 
 my power to comply with their petitions. 
 But from the position in which I am placed, 
 I am compelled to look at the subject from 
 a different point of view from what they have. 
 And I can see no way of accomplishing the 
 object without involving the country in great 
 evils. What then, as an honest and consci- 
 entious man, must I do ? You cannot wish 
 me to act contrary to my own convictions. 
 And what good therefore, have your petitions 
 done? I should say then, here as before, 
 exert your influence by endeavoring to spread 
 right views, and excite right feelings upon
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 247 
 
 the subject in those around you. And pray 
 that these right views and feelings may pre- 
 vail. But refrain from these petitions. 
 
 I have thus, my friends, spoken plainly and 
 distinctly in regard to some of the great agi- 
 tating questions of the present day and I 
 would commend my suggestions to your care- 
 ful consideration. 
 
 But there are other opportunities for female 
 influence yet to be noticed There is, per- 
 haps, no one place, where females can do 
 more good, than by their kind attentions to 
 the sick, the poor and the suffering. Every 
 one, who has been prostrated upon a bed of 
 sickness, can tell of the soothing influence of 
 female attendance. There is a softness and 
 a delicacy in their attentions, peculiarly sooth- 
 ing to the pains, and the nervousness of a 
 sick bed, which man, from his rougher hab- 
 its, does not usually acquire. I know (hat some 
 ladies either affect a nervousness which unfits 
 them for these duties, or are really incapaci- 
 tated, from their peculiar temperament, for 
 enduring the sight of suffering. If this is af-
 
 248 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 fected, it should be at once banished, as un- 
 worthy ofa rational and intelligent soul. If 
 it is natural and real, it should be struggled 
 against and overcome. 1 would then urge 
 upon all young ladies to avail themselves of 
 all opportunities, which are not inconsistent 
 with other and more immediate, or more 
 pressing duties, to become ministering angels 
 of mercy to the sick and the suffering. 
 Wherever it can be done, visiting the poor is 
 an appropriate way of female influence Fe- 
 males can, more readily than men, enter into 
 the feelings, and secure the confidence of the 
 poor. The poor will more readily lay open 
 their wants to ladies than gentlemen, and the 
 attentions of ladies are more winning. If 
 time and other circumstances will permit 
 their employing themselves in making gar- 
 ments for the poor, it is highly proper that 
 they should do so. We find that Dorcas is 
 spoken of in the scriptures, in terms of ap- 
 probation, because she had employed her- 
 self in this way. And, the forming of asso- 
 piations for purposes like this, may be well.
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE. 249 
 
 It is not a combination for the removal of 
 public evils, it is an association to promote 
 strength and efficiency, and to secure wisdom 
 and counsel in the alleviation of social evils 
 and domestic wretchedness. And you will 
 remember the social and the domestic are the 
 appropriate spheres of woman's influence. 
 
 Still further, the education of the young, 
 especially in its earliest stages, is, usually, 
 and probably ever will be, committed to fe- 
 males. It is to the care of the mother, that 
 the earliest training of the child is first com- 
 mitted. An elder daughter and sister may 
 qualify herself for the assistance of the moth- 
 er and may do much, by a kind influence, 
 to allay the passions, to form the dispositions 
 to guide the inquiries of younger brothers and 
 sisters. So too, any young lady, who may 
 be residing in the family, where there are 
 children, while she should not counteract or 
 thwart the plans of parents, even if they may 
 seem to her defective, or decline her aid in 
 carrying them forward, may, by falling in with 
 them do much good. And by free conversa-
 
 250 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 tion with parents, when the children are not 
 present, she may do much to enlighten their 
 minds, and improve and elevate their plans, 
 provided she has herself read, and reflected 
 upon the subject. In addition to all these 
 quiet and unobtrusive modes of influence, there 
 are thousands of young ladies wanted to sup- 
 ply the vacancies in our earlier schools. And 
 while these open an honorable way of support, 
 they also present opportunities for the exertion 
 of a powerful influence for good. She who 
 avails herself of them, may be sustained by 
 the thought that she is acting within her ap- 
 propriate sphere. 
 
 Finally, there is the Sunday School. In 
 that, a way is openeo for females to exert a 
 vast amount of influence. Just look at this 
 sphere. Here are your children assembled 
 around you for a time, longer or shorter; each 
 week you have their uninterrupted time, and, 
 if successful, you may secure their undivided 
 attention to what ? to the highest and the no- 
 blest subjects of thought: you converse with 
 them freely about the holiest themes, about
 
 FEMAL* INFLUENCE. 251 
 
 God and the Saviour, and about religion and 
 happiness. You can thus guide their ener- 
 gies, excite and direct aright their childish 
 curiosity. You can impart knowledge, you 
 can impress good principles. Oh, it is a glo- 
 rious field of influence. PS T or is it so limited 
 as you may suppose. Should the number of 
 teachers in our Sunday Schools increase un- 
 til there are not more than one or two schol- 
 ars to a teacher, it would be a happy sight, 
 provided the teachers all possesed the right spir- 
 it. The instruction may be more particular, 
 the conversation more free, the attachment 
 more strong and the influence more connec- 
 ted and powerful. Would that every young 
 lady might find it convenient, and might feel 
 disposed to enter upon this field of influence. 
 But if it is a field of influence, it is also a sta- 
 tion involving responsibility. And while I 
 could wish that every young lady might find 
 it convenient, and might fe'el disposed to en- 
 gage in this work, I would say, lei no young 
 lady engage in it unless she has a love for 
 spiritual things, a desire to do good, a wish lo
 
 252 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 understand, and to walk according to the great 
 truths which she is to teach, unless she is 
 willing to forego some gratifications that she 
 may attend to her duties, that she may be 
 present at the meetings of teachers, and pur- 
 sue the studies of her exercises. For, if she 
 engages without these feelings, the task will 
 be irksome, and her influence upon her class 
 will be deleterious. This is a mode of influ- 
 ence, which is to occupy more than the allot- 
 ted time, of school on the Sabbath, by the 
 reading and study which it requires, by the 
 meetings of teachers for social and mutual im- 
 provement, by the occasional visits to pupils, 
 which are important, it may well engross 
 much thought and occupy much leisure time. 
 And, the time thus spent, is profitably spent, 
 even in reference to one's own personal im- 
 provement. I have thus, young ladies, point- 
 ed out various ways in which you can devote 
 your energies to the advancement of truth and 
 goodness. 
 
 And now, what is the sum of the whole 
 matter ? The proper sphere of female influ-
 
 FEMALE INFLUENCE, 203 
 
 ence is in private, in domestic scenes and so- 
 cial intercourse. The proper way of exert- 
 ing female influence is., by the cheerful and 
 faithful discharge of appropriate duties, 
 rather than by direct efforts in * public 
 movements, aimed to produce visible and 
 striking results. These are the principles 
 which I have laid down, I have endeavored 
 to show their justness, to carry them out and 
 apply them to some of the agitating questions 
 of the day. I have also endeavored to point 
 out ways in which you may do good, in ac- 
 cordance with these principles. I believe, as 
 I have said before, that woman can exert a 
 powerful influence for good, if she will con- 
 fine her efforts to her appropriate sphere. 
 But, i fshe steps aside from this, she outrages 
 the general sense of the community, excites 
 disgust, and loses the influence which sh* 
 might otherwise have exerted,
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 
 No. I. 
 
 Young ladies urged tc prepare while young for future 
 self support This urged on the ground of the lia- 
 bility to a change of pecuniary circumstances ou 
 the ground of the independance which it will give 
 in fact and in feeling and on {he 1 ground of the good 
 moral influence which such an effort will exert upon 
 .the character young ladies are notadviaed to learn 
 trades, but to make themselvss acquainted with the 
 whole round of ordinary domestic female labors 
 to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with all 
 branches of study to which they may attend, and 
 whhu.all<the accomplishments which they may ac- 
 quire so as to be able to teach. 
 
 MY YOUNG .FBIENDS: 
 
 Since the first edition of the Young Lady's 
 Aid was published, I have wished that I had 
 addressed you upon two separate topics, not 
 there distinctly dwelt upon. The printing of 
 a second edition affords me the desired oppor- 
 tunity > of which I gladly avail ^myself. And 
 [first, I wish to urge open you the importance
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 255 
 
 of making distinct and careful preparation, 
 now while you are young, to support your- 
 selves, by your own efforts, should you be 
 compelled, by any emergency in after life, so 
 to do. This,, some will perhaps say, is a 
 
 topic, which it is extremely important should 
 be urged upon the attention of some of those, 
 for example, who are born in poverty, or in 
 moderate circumstances, and who may be 
 compelled, by their very situation, to depend 
 upon their own efforts for a support. But it 
 is a strange topic,, you may think, to urge up- 
 on the attention of the daughters of the wealthy 
 of our land. And yet to me it seems impor- 
 tant that this subject should be urged upon the 
 attention of every young lady, and especially 
 upon the attention of those who are born and 
 reared in the mansions of the rich. For it is 
 by them that it will in all probability be over- 
 looked or neglected, while those in more 
 moderate and straitened circumstances will 
 have the subject urged upon their attention; 
 by their very situation,
 
 TOCNS LADYS AID. 
 
 In this country, there is no stability to 
 property. It is ever fluctuating, like the 
 waves of the troubled sea. Families, that 
 are one day rolling in wealth, are the next 
 plunged to the very depths of poverty. 
 Your father may now be worth his thousands 
 or his hundreds of thousands,and may be able 
 to maintain you in idleness, or in the neglect 
 of all useful employments, and to furnish you 
 with every possible indulgence. But though 
 such may be his condition to-day, yet you 
 know not how soon he may meet with a re- 
 verse of fortune. Others, who were once as 
 rich and who thought themselves as safe as he 
 can be, are now among the poorest of the 
 poor. His mountain stands no firmer than did 
 theirs. His riches may, as theirs have already 
 done, take to themselves wings and fly away. 
 Should this be the case, what will be your 
 condition if destitute of the means of self-sup- 
 port ? You will become a burden upon 
 your friends, and, if possessed of any sensi- 
 bility of heart, you will be most wretched in 
 yourself. Instead o( being able to cheer and
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 257 
 
 relieve your parents by your efforts^ you will' 
 only add tenfold to their misery by the spec- 
 tacle which you present, of one wretched in 
 yourself and useless too, or perhaps a burden 
 upon others. Will not the very thought of 
 this possible contingency, rendered' vivid and 
 controling by your affection for your parents, 
 prompt you to secure, now while you are 
 young, the power and the means of self-sup- 
 port ? Again, should you become connected, 
 in the holy bonds of matrimony, with an intel- 
 ligent and" industrious man of business, who- 
 has already secured a competency, and' who. 
 is pressing resolutely forward to the* at- 
 tainment of wealth, still you know the- risks 
 and hazards of business. How ofteni are our 
 .most active and enterprising men disappoint- 
 ed in their plans, and expectations? How of- 
 ten are they brought into perplexing and temp- 
 ling embarrassments ? Suppose that, under 
 such circumstances, he sees in- you, the wife 
 of his love, one without the power or means 
 of self-support, and' one, who will, of course, 
 train up your daughters in the same helpless 
 22*
 
 358 rouxa LADY'S AID. 
 
 ness. How will this add to his anxiety and 
 embarrassment? It may perhaps drive him 
 to despair, and cause him to resort to the 
 cup of intemperance to drown his cares. It 
 may be, then, that notwithstanding your ardent 
 love for him, your unreserved devotion to 
 him, you will, simply on account of your help- 
 lessness, your destitution of the power and 
 the means of self-support, be the instrument 
 of completing his ruin, or converting his pe- 
 cuniary into moral bankruptcy and of sending 
 him to the drunkard's grave. But if, on the 
 contrary, under the circumstances supposed, 
 your husband sees you capable of aiding and 
 assisting in the struggle, able and willing 
 to labor for your own support, and to con- 
 tribute to the support of the family, how will 
 he be cheered and sustained ? How much 
 more resolutely and perserveringly will he 
 himself struggle, how much will his moral 
 character be improved, and his happiness, in 
 union with your own increased. He may be- 
 come poor. But your love for and devotion 
 |o each other, will be increased as you
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 259 
 
 gle togeiher and assist each other. I would 
 ask any young lady, who may read these pa- 
 ges to contemplate the different pictures I 
 have here presented, and to say if there be not 
 sufficient inducement, in the possible contin- 
 gency suggested, to lead her to seek, now 
 while she is young for the means of self-sup- 
 port. 
 
 But there are other reasons, which it is im- 
 portant should be mentioned in this connec- 
 tion. The consciousness that you are capa- 
 ble of self-support renders you independent 
 in fact and in feeling. Should you be redu- 
 ced to poverty, in regard to outward posses- 
 sions, still you will have a fund of wealth 
 within yourselves, in your own well-trained 
 and well-exercised powers. You will not be 
 reduced to the unpleasant necessity of casting 
 yourselves, as burdens, upon the bounty and 
 charity of friends. Wherever you may be, 
 you will be able to render an equivalent for 
 what you receive. Instead of seeking chari- 
 ty, your services will be sought. You will 
 in fact be independent. And this is an impor-
 
 26*0 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 rant consideration in another point of view". 
 It is often the case that young ladies, who" 
 are dependant upon others, are induced to ac- 
 cept offers of marriage, which they would not 
 under other circumstances, regard with fa- 
 vor. Being without a home, they are will- 
 ing, or at least are strongly tempted, to run 
 risks in regard to the character of him, who> 
 may offer himself, in order to secure a home, 
 which under other circumstances they would 
 avoid. The marriage relation is one, in 
 which, if the parties are well' matched and 
 conduct towards each other upon proper prin- 
 eiples,there may be as much happiness as any 
 earthly relation can he expected to afford. 
 But it is a relation, which is formed for life, 
 for better or for worse, and' a relation too, 
 which, if the parties are not well matched, or 
 do not conduct themselves towards each oth- 
 er in a proper manner, is productive of more 
 misery, than perhaps any other relation on 
 earth. It is important, therefore, that there 
 should be great caution in entering upon such 
 a relation. When a young lady receives an
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 261 
 
 offer, there are many very solemn considera- 
 tions to be carefully taken into account, be- 
 fore it is accepted. What is the character 
 of the young man in regard to energy enter- 
 prise and industry ? Is he one who bids fair 
 to be able to support all the expenses of a 
 family ? What are his habits ? Is he a 
 gambler or inclined to the vice of gambling 
 a vice which not only leads to pecuniary ruin, 
 but which hardens the heart and destroys the 
 most ardent love ? Is he an idler, inclined lo 
 neglect his business, and spend his time in 
 lounging, exposed to temptation and liable to 
 fall a victim to intemperance and other pros- 
 trating vices ? W r hat is his disposition, on 
 which much of the happiness of the wife must 
 ever depend ? What are his principles ? 
 Are they loose and unsettled, or are they 
 fixed and decidedly moral and religious ? 
 These, and a great variey of other similar 
 questions, are to be taken into consideration 
 and carefully weighed before accepting his 
 offer. For, should the young man be defi- 
 cient in these respects, it will be much better
 
 262 
 
 for the young lady to remain, even to the end 
 of life, unmarried, than to be connected with, 
 him, in the close and lasting bonds- of matri- 
 mony. But, that a young lady may be able 
 to take these questions into careful considera- 
 tion, she should be in some degree indepen- 
 dent. If not, if destitute of the means and 
 the power of self-support, and earnestly de- 
 siring a home and a competency, she will be 
 strongly tempted, to say the least, to run 
 great risks. But, if she possesses the 
 means and the power of self-support in her 
 own well-trained and well-developed ener- 
 gies,, she will be- in fact independent of the 
 necessity of throwing herself away, upon any 
 worthless character, that may offer. As then, 
 my young friends, I would see you cautious 
 in forming the marriage relation, that so you 
 may derive from it the happiness, which, un- 
 der the most favorable circumstances, it is 
 calculated to afford, I would urge you now 
 that you are young, to prepare to support 
 yourselves by your own efforts, Then will 
 you. be independent in fact, or as much so. aa
 
 ADBITIONAL LETTERS. 
 
 'we can any of us be in this world. Still fur- 
 ther you will be independent .in feeling. If 
 poor if single you will still feel indepen- 
 dent. You will not feel like cringing and 
 creeping through the world, unable to think 
 or to speak for yourself, ever consulting the 
 whims, -that you may please the fancy and se- 
 cure the assistance of those around you. 
 There is no circumstance which presents a 
 greater obstacle to real Christian devotion to 
 truth and duty, tl>an this feeling of depen- 
 dence, which arises from this inability to sup- 
 port one's self. Will you not then, by now 
 acquiring the power of self-support, free your- 
 selves from this trying and dangerous feeling 
 of dependence upon the charities and conse- 
 quently upon the whims of others? 
 
 Finally this very ^effort, . to prepare to sup- 
 port yourselves by your own -labors, will ex- 
 ert a moral influence over your characters, of 
 the purest and most healthful kind. The 
 young, and especially young ladies, are apt to 
 be thoughtless in regard to the contingences 
 nd realities of life. And this is more panic-
 
 264 YOUNG LAUY'S AID. 
 
 ularly the case with those young ladies, who 
 are reared in the lap of wealth. I know not 
 why it is, hut it is true, that our most wealthy 
 men, will often train up their sons to labor, in 
 some way, for their own support. Do they 
 send their sons to college, it is that they may 
 prepare themselves, by their knowledge of 
 some profession, for self-support. If they do 
 not send them to college, they place them as 
 clerks in some mercantile house, that, in this 
 way, they may be prepared for self-support. 
 But it is not so with daughters. They seem 
 to be often regarded as useless incumbrances 
 upon the estate, to be fitted for the matrimo- 
 nial market. And this circumstance operates 
 to render them more thoughtless in regard to 
 the possible contingencies and sober realities 
 of life, than they otherwise would be. How 
 often do parents even in wealthy circumstan- 
 ces, ask "how shall we fit our son to get his 
 own living ?"- and how seldom is a question 
 like this asked in regard to daughters ? Now 
 if parents would pursue an opposite course of 
 Ireatment towards their daughters, would im-
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 265 
 
 -press upon them the uncertainty of earthly 
 riches, and the importance of preparing to 
 maintain themselves, what an effect would 
 their conduct have upon the characters of 
 ithose daughters, in allaying their vanity and 
 frivolity and thoughtlessnes-s, and in awaken- 
 ting them to a cairn contemplation of the pos- 
 sihle contingences, and a careful preparation 
 to meet -the sober realities of life ? But it is 
 sometimes the case, that young ladies are 
 called upon to be true to themselves, and to 
 remedy, in their self-cultivation, the defects 
 of parental training. Suppose then, that a 
 young lady resolves, that., notwithstanding the 
 wealth of her. parents, she will acquire the 
 power of sell-support, what will be the effect 
 of acting up to this resolution upon her char- 
 acter ? Will it not keep ever before her 
 mind the thought of the possible contingences 
 of life? Will she not feel that the continued 
 enjoyment of wealth is uncertain ? And will 
 not this thought check all pride or vanity, 
 which, under other circumstances, might 
 sprins; up in her heart, on account of the 
 23
 
 266 YOUNG LADY'S AID, . 
 
 wealth of her father ? Will it not cause her 
 lo see that worth of character individual en- 
 ergy and power of usefulness amiable dis- 
 ;pO5itions and unbending principles, constitute 
 the only real and lasting wealth ? Will not 
 this resolution cause her to look forward to 
 the future scenes of life, not merely as lo an 
 opportunity for display not merely as to 
 a scene of uninterrupted enjoyment, but as to 
 a field for the discharge of duty for doing 
 good and being useful? Will not such a res- 
 olution, if acted upon, infuse ne\v energy into 
 her soul, make her what, \\iihout it, she 
 could not have become, fill her \viih self-res- 
 pect, and secure for her the respect ol all 
 around ? Most surely such will tie its natu- 
 ral influence upon the character. I have 
 thus, my young friends, urged upon your at- 
 tention the importance of preparing no\v while 
 you are young, to support yourselves, to get 
 your own living, should circumstances ever 
 require it, by your own efforts. I have urged 
 this, on the ground of the liability ton change 
 of pecuniary circumstances in your father, or
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTLRS. 267 
 
 your future husband, should you be married ; 
 on the ground of the independence, which it 
 will give you in fact and in feeling, raising you 
 above a thousand unpleasant circumstances y 
 and keeping you from a thousand dangerous- 
 temptations; on the groui.d of the elevating 
 and ennobling moral influence, which such an- 
 effort will exert over your own characters. 
 And I would hope that which I have written, 
 will not be dismissed without thought as 
 merely an odd notion of one who knows no- 
 thing upon the subject. It is not so I do 
 know. I have seen moral weakness, mental 
 imbecility and utter wretchedness, resulting 
 from the neglect to acquire the power of self- 
 support. 1 wish for your happiness I wish 
 to see you prepared for the possible, the pro- 
 bable contingencies of life. I wish to see 
 you forming characters marked by real worth 
 and true energy; exhibited, as these ever will 
 be, in connection with truefemenine delicacy 
 and propriety. It is for this reason that I 
 have written these pages God grant that 
 they may be instrumental of the good and
 
 YOUNG LADY S AID. 
 
 happiness of those to whom they are addressed.. 
 And now, perhaps, you ask, how you shall 
 best comply with the counsels which I have 
 here given ? You may ask, if I am about to 
 advise all young ladies, even the daughters 
 of the most wealthy, to learn some one of 
 the arts or trades, to which females usually 
 resort for support ? In answer, I would say, 
 that such is not my intention. Should you do 
 this, and then be reduced to poverty, it might 
 be the case, that you would not find employ- 
 ment in the particular pursuit which you had 
 learned. And this being your only means of 
 support, you would, under such circumstances, 
 be nearly as dependent as without such an 
 art. I have seen young ladies in tbis situa- 
 tion, with the knowledge of some one art, in 
 which they could not find employment, and not 
 being acquainted with the common routine of 
 female labors, they were useless to others and 
 unhappy themselves, still dependant, and in 
 the circumstances in which they were placed, 
 without the means of s-elf-support. I do not 
 recommend, as a general, as a universal thing r
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 269 
 
 the learning of any of the trades or arts, to 
 which females usually resort. And what,then, 
 you will ask, do I recommend? I answer, 
 that 1 recommend your making yourselves 
 thoroughly and practically acquainted with 
 the whole round of ordinary, domestic female 
 duties and labors. Let there be no part of do- 
 mestic female labor,with which you are not ac- 
 quainted. And in doing this, I mean some- 
 thing more than merely knowing and being 
 able to tell how it should be done. 1 mean 
 practical skill in doing it. It may be, that, 
 although the daughter of a man of wealth, you 
 do sometimes enter the kitchen to see how 
 things are done there, and learn how they 
 should he done. This is well, but it is not 
 enough; it is not the whole of what I mean. 
 I mean that you should take hold and do the 
 tilings which belong to that department of 
 household duties, until you acquire a practical 
 skill in doing them so that withoutthe direc- 
 tion of your mother, and withoutthe assistance 
 of domestics, you would of yourself be qual- 
 ified to keep your father's house. And so 
 23*
 
 270 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 too, in regard to the use of the needle, and 
 the knitting needles, learn all their various 
 uses, and make yourself skilful in these va- 
 rious uses. I would have you not only learn 
 to do fine work, although I would urge you to 
 make yourself thoroughly skilled in that, but 
 I would have you equally well skilled in the 
 coarser use of the needle. I would have you 
 understand how to darn and patch neatly, as 
 well as how to work in the best possible man- 
 ner, a cape or a collar. These are both im- 
 portant parts of female labor, and ought both 
 to be learned, as they may both become, in 
 an emergency, the means of her support. 
 The only way to become skilled in any part of 
 female labor, is to practice, and to continue to 
 practice doing it. This is the only way in 
 which you make yourself practically skilled in 
 any accomplishment. You do not think it 
 enough to be told merely by your music mas- 
 ter, how to touch the keys of your piano, 
 you practice, over and over again, until 
 you become skilled. You do not think it 
 enough to have your dancing master show
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 271 
 
 you, in his own performance, how you should 
 dance. This might, perhaps, make you a 
 critic, upon the dancing of others. But to be 
 yourself a good dancer, you must practice, 
 over and over again. So you should not think 
 k sufficient to be told by your mother, how 
 the domestic and household labors should be 
 performed, nor yet that it is sufficient to see 
 them performed by domestics. You must 
 perform them yourself, over and over again, 
 if you would be skilled in their performance. 
 The importance of this kind of preparation, 
 for self-support, you will perceive, upon a 
 moment's reflection. Should your mother 
 be taken from you. should your father be re- 
 duced and compelled to dismiss his domestics, 
 you can, if you have health, lighten his bur- 
 thens. For you can not only preside and di- 
 rect, but you can actually perform. And so 
 too, should you, in the married state, find a 
 difficulty, as many married ladies do, in pro- 
 curing good domestics, you will not feel de- 
 pendent upon them. You can perform the 
 labors of your own family. Should you have
 
 272 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 domestics, you can not only direct, but you 
 can shew, by example, how things should be 
 done. And then, too, having actually per- 
 formed these duties and labors yourself, you 
 know all the difficulty of their performance, 
 and will, on that account, look more kindly 
 upon your domestics. Should your husband 
 be reduced, you can, if you have health, dis- 
 miss your domestics, for you are yourself 
 skilled in the performance of domestic duties, 
 and household labors. 
 
 And then, too, should it happen to you as 
 it sometimes does to young ladies, reared in 
 the lap of wealth and indulgence, that your 
 father's estate, at his death, is insolvent, and 
 you are left wholly to your own resources, 
 you will find a welcome in almost every 
 family you may enter. Your knowledge is 
 not confined to one branch of labor. You can 
 turn your hand to any labor usually needed in 
 a family. You can make yourself use- 
 ful, wherever you are, and consequently 
 you will never want a home or friends. And 
 you will feel, too, wherever you are, that you
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 27S' 
 
 ate not a burthen, that you render an equiva- 
 lent for what you receive. Such, then, is 
 my advice, in regard to the work of the hands. 
 Make yourselves, my young friends, thorough- 
 ly and practically acquainted, with the whole 
 round of female household labors, and then 
 if you cannot find employment in one way, 
 you can in another. Then will you always 
 find a welcome and a home then may you 
 under all ordinary circumstances, feel inde- 
 pendent. 
 
 But I have other advice, in regard to em- 
 ployments of the mind. In acquiring your 
 education, usually so called, that is, in your 
 attendance at school, and upon the various 
 studies of school, keep this object of future 
 self-support in view. To whatever branch 
 of study your attention may be directed, be, 
 thorough in that study, and especially in the 
 elementary principles of that branch. You 
 may not perhaps pass over many branches of 
 study. Yet if you are thorough in the ele- 
 mentary principles of the branches you do- 
 study, you will be prepared to teach in them*.
 
 274 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 Suppose for example you have an opportunity 
 of attending only to reading, spelling ana* 
 writing. Make yourself thoroughly acquaint- 
 ed with the elementary principles of these 
 branches. Endeavor to understand trie ap- 
 plication of these principles. Endeavor to 
 understand the best modes of communi- 
 cating and impressing them. And then, 
 if you go no farther, you will be qualified for 
 profitable employment in teaching. You will 
 be qualified to do much of that part of teach- 
 ing, which ordinarily devolves upon females. 
 Now I am fully satisfied, from what I have 
 seen, that many young ladies, who have had 
 great advantages who have received what is 
 fashionably termed a finished education, are 
 not qualified to teach reading and spelling, as 
 they should be taught. I have named the 
 very lowest and simplest branches. Suppose 
 you go farther and study Arithmetic, Geog- 
 raphy, Grammar, Philosophy, Astronomy, 
 French. Still I say he thorough in the ele- 
 mentary principles of these studies, and tbet> 
 should your reduced circumstances ever here-
 
 ADDITIONAL, LETTERS. 275 
 
 after render it necessary, you will be qualified 
 to teach them, and thus to support yourself in 
 an honorable, and independent manner. 
 
 And the same advice would 1 give in re- 
 gard to accomplishments. Should you have 
 aii opportunity to attend to Music or Paint- 
 ing, and find that you have a taste for them, 
 be thorough and make yourself acquainted 
 with the science, the principles of these arts. 
 Then you will be qualified to give instruction 
 in them. If in all your course of education 
 you will comply with the advice, which I 
 have here given, you may fit yourselves for 
 many pleasant and useful employments, which 
 will, if you should hereafter need, be the 
 means of an honorable self-support. And 
 what adds importance to this advice, is that 
 this is the only mode of acquiring a knowl- 
 edge of the several branches of education, 
 which will render them as useful to you as 
 they are capable of being made. The thorough 
 study of the elements of different branches of 
 education, is the only mode of pleasant and 
 profitable study even without any regard to
 
 2,16 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 the use which is to be made of them in after 
 life by way of teaching. 
 
 Let me then, my young friends, urge this 
 subject upon your attention, as one of the 
 utmost importance to your present best im- 
 provement, and to your future highest happi- 
 ness. Examine the different points of my 
 advice again and again., and :isk if they be not 
 in accordance with fact, with truth and with 
 reason. And if they appear to your minds to 
 be so, then let no difficulty in the way deter 
 you from making the effort to acquire, now 
 while you are young, the power of future self-
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTER. 
 No. II. 
 
 The practice of joking upon the subject of courtship 
 and marriage very common among ladies It de- 
 grades the character of those who indulge in it 
 It destroys or mars the pleasure and profit of social 
 intercourse It exerts a deleterious influence upon 
 the young It destroys the solemnity and impor- 
 tance which ought always to be attached to the 
 subject of marriage This joking prevails some- 
 times among gentlemen ; but it has its rise with 
 ladies if they will break up the practice among 
 themselves it Avill not prevail in the community. 
 
 MY YOUNG FRIENDS : 
 
 In my last letter, I directed your attention 
 to the importance of securing, now while you 
 are young, the power and the means of future 
 self-support. I wish, in this, to say a few 
 words in regard to a practice, in which young 
 ladies, and indeed ladies of all ages, are prone 
 to indulge. I refer to the practice of ever 
 joking upon (he subject of courtship and mar- 
 24
 
 273 YOUNG LADY'S AI. 
 
 riage. It is a fact, that among ladies, and 
 even among young ladies, there is a propensi- 
 ty to be continually joking upon this subject. 
 A young gentleman and a young lady can 
 scarcely treat each other with common cour- 
 tesy and politeness, but ihe lady is at once, 
 tormented by the stale jokes, the hackneyed 
 witticisms, the oft repeated and sometimes 
 even indelicate allusions of her female acquain- 
 tances. Is a lady free in her social inter- 
 course with a gentleman? The report is 
 quickly started, and \videly spread, ft) at she is 
 seeking- attentions, has fallen in love, or is 
 actually engaged. This I say is the fact, and 
 in saying this, I speak only of what I have seen 
 and known. The practice may prevail to a 
 greater degr-e-e in some places t,han in others. 
 But it prevails to some extent, I am satisfied 
 in all places. I have known parents continu- 
 ally joking upon this subject, and that too in a 
 very improper .nwnner, before their children. 
 Nay more, I have known them continually 
 joking their daughters even, from early youth, 
 seeming to eo,nv.ey, in .their jokes, the idea that
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTKKS. 
 
 the great object of every young lady should 
 be to get ma/ried, and that a female can be 
 subjected to no greater disgrace, than that 
 consequent upon living single. And I have 
 felt and have said to rnyself r as I have witness- 
 ed this, should these parents be cursed by the 
 imprudent and unhappy marriages of their 
 daughters, they must regard themselves as- 
 the procuring cause of their sufferings. When 
 this practice becomes an inveterate habit, as it 
 often does, it destroys all delicate regard for 
 the feelings of others, and even the sacred 
 precints of hallowed grief are not free from its 
 intrusions. How often is it the case, when 
 the husband or the wife are taken away by 
 death, that the whole neighborhood and village 
 gossrp is employed in discussing a suitable 
 match for the surviving partner ? How often 
 b it the case, that the broken heart of some 
 mourning widow is pierced by these unfeel- 
 ing and indelicate jokes of female acquaintan- 
 ces ? 
 
 Such my friends are facts. Shall I tell you 
 how all this appears to the eye of an observ-
 
 280 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 er ? It seems as if the one engrossing and all- 
 absorbing object of thought and desire with 
 such minds, related to the subject of mar- 
 riage. They may be well informed and may 
 engage in conversation upon some intellectu- 
 al topic. But how readily is the conversa- 
 tion broken off, when the subject of courtship 
 and marriage, of love affairs, and matrimonial 
 engagements is introduced, and how much 
 more freely do tongues now move how much 
 brighter do eyes now sparkle and how much 
 greater earnestness in listening is there now, 
 than there was before. You conclude that 
 conversation upon other subjects is forced, 
 while this is only the flowing forth,in words, of 
 the spontaneous emotions of the heart. 
 
 Does one given to this practice of joking, 
 see a lady and a gentleman conversing freely 
 and socially ? You would suppose, from her 
 jokes and remarks, that it had never entered 
 her conceptions that they could possibly con- 
 verse upon other subjects than love, court- 
 ship or marriage. And even ii assured that 
 the conversation was upon an altogether dif-
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 281 
 
 ferent subject, still you would suppose, from 
 her hints and insinuations, that she could not 
 believe it possible, that, though conversing 
 upon other subjects, their thoughts could be 
 upon any other than these. Such is the ap- 
 pearance of this practice in the eye of an ob- 
 server. I can assure you that with the intelli- 
 gent and noble, and pure, it has a tendency to 
 degrade the character of those who indulge in 
 it to destroy that deep and heartfelt respect, 
 which it is important should ever be cherish- 
 ed for female character. 
 
 But this is a practice, which not only de- 
 grades you in the eyes of intelligent observers, 
 it is productive of evil consequences. It either 
 utterly destroys or greatly mars the pleasure 
 of social intercourse. We are created for the 
 society of each other. We are so constituted 
 that we love each others society, our happi- 
 ness is increased if we can share it with anoth- 
 er our griefs are diminished if we can enjoy 
 the sympathy of others in the midst of them. 
 And we are not so created, that our social in- 
 tercourse is not to be confined to persons of the 
 24*
 
 282 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 same sex with ourselves. Gentlemen and 
 ladies enjoy each others society, even in those 
 cases where there is, and can be, no thought 
 of love, technically so called, courtship or 
 marriage and they are improved by each 
 other's society. They are probably more im- 
 proved than they could be, were they to con- 
 fine all their social intercourse to members of 
 their own sexes respectively. The softness 
 and delicacy and refinement of woman's con- 
 versation exerts a salutary influence upon the 
 character of man. Without it, men would be 
 in danger of becoming bears in their manners 
 and in theirintercourse with each other. And 
 on the other hand, the conversation of man 
 exerts a favorable influence upon the charac- 
 ter of woman, preventing that sickly effemi- 
 nacy which would otherwise prevail. Gen- 
 tlemen and ladies then are made for society, 
 for social intercourse with each other. But 
 what is social intercourse ? the mere pro- 
 nouncing of words by two persons in the form 
 of a dialogue? Most surely not. Have you 
 never witnessed a fashionable morning call of
 
 ADDITIONAL, LETTERS*. 
 
 one lady upon another, made because the ac- 
 quaintance must be kept up, and not because 
 the ladies feel at all interested in each other ? 
 There w,ere words uttered by both, and that 
 with fluency too. But has there been social 
 intercourse ? Most surely not. To consti- 
 tute social intercourse there must be a free 
 interchange of thought and feeling. At least 
 this interchange of thought and feeling must 
 be free from all restraints, but such as good 
 sense and true delicacy would impose. When 
 two persons meet together, if they would en- 
 joy the highest and purest pleasures of social 
 intercourse, they should be able to express to 
 each other their thoughts and their feelings, 
 their doubts and their enquiries upon the vari- 
 ous topics, which ni:iy be the subjects of their 
 conversation, without the feeling that their 
 freedom will subject them to remark, or cause 
 them to be tormented with constant and an- 
 noying jokes. Still further, they should not 
 feel that the one or the other of them may 
 draw inferences from this freedom in conver- 
 sation of an improper character. There may
 
 284 YOU.NO LADY'S AW. 
 
 be there sometimes is intercourse of this 
 character. It is truly pleasant, truly profitably. 
 But the practice of which I am speaking de- 
 stroys, in a great degree, all this pleasure, and 
 prevents all this profit. When young ladies and 
 gentlemen feel that in their social intercourse 
 they are watched, when they feel that any 
 freedom in conversation with each other, will 
 subject them to reproaches and remarks, they 
 will be under an unpleasant restraint, their 
 conversation will degenerate into stiff and cold 
 and distant formality. Or, if this be not tho 
 result, the gentleman, having heard so much 
 of this joking, and not knowing but the lady 
 he converses with may feel, as those, who in- 
 dulge in this practice of joking, seem to feel, 
 that all freedom in conversation on the part of 
 a gentleman with a lady, must mean some- 
 thing in particular, will fear that she may 
 draw improper inferences from his unrestrain- 
 ed manner. In these ways, you perceive, 
 the practice of which I am speaking, either 
 entirely destroys or greatly mars,|all the pleas- 
 ure and profit of social intercourse,
 
 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 285 
 
 Again; this practice exerts an injurious in- 
 fluence upon the young. We sometimes 
 wonder that boys and girls begin, at so early 
 an age, to manifest their feelings upon this 
 subject, to be thinking and speaking of beaux 
 and sweat hearts. But why should they not? 
 They hear this from those older than them- 
 selves, even from their earliest childhood. 
 They hear it from the young gentlemen and 
 ladies they may be acquainted with, from 
 their older brothers and sisters, and it may be 
 even from their parents. They see, for ex- 
 ample, that if an older sister seems to enjoy 
 the society of any young gentleman, as a 
 friend, she is at once joked upon the subject, 
 and he is called her beau. Why, then, when 
 in childish simplicity, they enjoy each other's 
 society, boys and girls together, should not 
 the example which has been set before them, 
 be followed why should not they think and 
 speak of their beaux and sweethearts. Nay, 
 more; it does not appear to me, a whit more 
 ridiculous in this latter case, than in the case of 
 older persons. But its absurdity in either
 
 286 rOL'NG LADV'S AlO. 
 
 ease is not its vrorst feature; it exerts, I am 
 satisfied, and especially over the young, a del- 
 eterious moral influence. 
 
 Still further, it gives rise to improper feel- 
 ings in regard to the relation of marriage. It 
 destroys, in- the mind, the solemnity a.nd se- 
 riousness with which this subject should ever 
 be viewed, and causes it to be entered upon 
 in the most thoughtless and inconsiderate 
 manner. The marriage relation is one of the 
 most important in society. It is fraught with 
 consequences, which come nearer to the heart 
 and more deeply affect the character and 
 happiness, than the consequences of any oth- 
 er relation. Just look at it. Two individu- 
 als, of different tastes, in many things, of dif- 
 ferent habits^ and of different feelings, are 
 brought together as husband and wife, sustain- 
 ing to each other a relation more intimate than 
 any other which exists on earth, a relation in 
 which the whole happiness of the one party 
 may be destroyed, by some slight indiscretion 
 or by some infelicity of temper and disposition 
 in the other; a relation in which one's success
 
 ADDITIONAL LKTTKItS. 587 
 
 and usefulness; may be either much promo- 
 led or much retarded by the influence of the 
 oilier; a relation in which one's religious im- 
 provement and preparation for heavenly hap- 
 piness, may depend, in some degree, upon 
 t'he partner; and a relation, too, it is, which 
 is formed for life. Its misery, if misery be 
 the rosu'lt, is not the misery of a day, or y 
 week, ; but the misery of a life. Its influence 
 for good or for evil, will bo felt, not merely 
 for a few months, or for a few years, but for 
 life; nay, more; its influence will produce re- 
 sults upon the character that shall outlast 
 time, and ha experienced in eternity. Now 
 is such a relation, the relation of all others, to- 
 be made the subject of light and trifling, and 
 it may be, of vulgar joking ? Is such a rela- 
 tion to be ever 'held up 'be-fore the young, as 
 one of the plays of life; of no more importance 
 than the choosing of partners for a cotillion? 
 Oh, no. When you reflect, young ladies, 
 you cannot, one would think, longer indulge 
 in this practice of joking upon the subject. 
 The grand reason why the practice, is socofj*
 
 288 YOUNG LADY'S AID. 
 
 mon, is, that you do not reflect, do not con- 
 sider how unbecoming the practice is, and 
 how great the evil consequences that result 
 from it. 
 
 But why, you may ask, do I speak to ladies, 
 so particularly, upon this subject? is it not 
 a practice, in which gentlemen sometimes in- 
 dulge ? It is true, I answer, that this prac- 
 tice does prevail, sometimes and to some ex- 
 tent, among gentlemen. But it does not pre- 
 vail to the same extent, in the one case as in 
 the other. And it usually originates with la- 
 dies. At least, if some weak minded gentle- 
 man should in any case introduced such sub- 
 jects, the conversation upon them will not be 
 kept up without the assistance of the ladies. I 
 would than entreat you,that, as you value your 
 own characters, as you regard the happiness of 
 those with whom you may associate and as 
 you would elevate and improve the social in- 
 tercourse of the community you would care- 
 fully avoid this unbecoming practice. 
 
 END.
 
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