irksome,

the irksome drudgery of that weary season even where nature has been most bountiful; but peculiarly harassing, where she has been sparing of her gifts. And then, in sickness, in all the various diseases incident to youth, who to sustain the heavy head, to administer the healing medicine, to watch the feverish slumber, to bear with all the untoward peevishness of youthful suffering — who, but that same unwearied friend, that kindest gift of Heaven - the Christian Mother?

Fully, therefore, am I convinced, that in the commencement of education, which gives direction to the whole of coming life, mothers have by far the more difficult and more important duties to perform. No young person (and I would to God that I could imprint this sentiment indelibly upon every youthful mind) can ever be sufficiently grateful to a good and a prudent mother; nor sufficiently thankful to a benignant Providence, if he have been blessed with such a parent. But, if such be the inestimable advantage of maternal affection regulated by prudence, and of maternal gentleness tempered by firmness, the evil accruing to children from a weak, a careless, or a wicked mother, is equally incalculable. Of all the calamities which could befal an unfortunate family, that of an indiscreet, negligent, criminal, irreligious mother, would seem to me the greatest. Hence, Solomon so emphatically observes - A child left to himself bringeth' (not his father but) his mother to shame.' His misconduct reflects peculiar disgrace upon that parent, who, from her situation and duty, has been placed by nature, to watch over his early years; to train him up in the paths of religion, of virtue, and of peace. An unceasing anxiety with regard to the interests of the young, a little

reading of biography, some observation of characters, and a great deal of conversation with wise and experienced men have led me to this conclusion, that in almost every case, the children of a prudent, intelligent, faithful, virtuous and religious mother become prosperous, happy, and honored in the world; whilst those of a negligent, ignorant, or sinful mother, rarely attain common respectability, and much less eminence or distinction. Doubtless, some exceptions to this general principle might be easily pointed out, but they could not invalidate the testimony of the cloud of witnesses,' which might be adduced upon the opposite side of the question. Every person who has carefully looked into the world, with a view of tracing the formation of human character, must be convinced, that the influence of fathers is neither so great nor so extensive. The unhallowed example of many a worthless father has been rendered totally innoxious, by the wisdom and vigilance of a virtuous mother; whilst the most judicious arrangements and the most indefatigable exertions of the best of fathers have been entirely defeated by the perverse and sinful indulgence of weakly, affectionate and imprudent mothers.

Might not this very plain statement enforce a most salutary lesson, with regard to the education of females? From the cradle to the grave, they are the ornament, the solace, and the blessing of man. Our first smile is drawn forth by their tenderness, our returning cares are soothed by their sympathy, and, when sterner natures flee from the chamber of suffering, our latest sigh is answered by their affection. It is principally, however, as being the chief agents in forming the dispositions and characters of the rising generation, that their influence is powerful and

extensive, beyond all calculation. True, they sit not in the senate, but they form the legislators who are to guide the destinies of our country; they preside not upon the bench, and they enter not the jury box, yet the balance and the sword of justice are under their control; they do not ascend the pulpit, but the principles and usefulness of the divine are chiefly of their formation; they engage not in the toils of a profession, or the affairs of trade, but they mould the characters of those, upon whose integrity and talents the happiness of individuals and the prosperity of the nation so materially depend.

I do, then, seriously ask every good and every thinking man, if any education could be too extensive and too solid for human beings engaged in the discharge of such important duties; whose influence pervades the entire frame of society, reaching from the cottage to the palace, and extending in its results from time even to eternity? I know it is urged by many, that the sole business of woman is to regulate her domestic concerns, to promote the comfort of her husband, and to attend to the management of her children; and that, for such purposes, only a small share of learning or knowledge is required. Now the error here, lies not in a mistaken estimate of what are really the principal concerns of woman, (for undoubtedly the domestic circle is the proper sphere both of her usefulness and honor,) but in underrating the qualifications necessary for the faithful and efficient discharge of her important duties. The very regulation of the ordinary affairs of a household must be defective, where there is a want of order, and energy, and information, in the presiding intellect; and it is not easy to conceive how the rational enjoyments of an enlightened husband

can possibly be promoted by the society of a wife, in whose tastes and acquirements he can neither find sympathy nor edification. With regard to the management of children, no talents, no endowments can be too high for so important a task. Even in the lowest mechanical employment, the artisan requires to understand the proper use of his implements, and the nature of the materials upon which he is to operate; and surely, a christian mother, whose own mind is either a waste or a wilderness, must be totally unfitted for enlarging the understandings, cultivating the dispositions, regulating the principles, and forming the habits of her offspring. In truth, such a mother is doubly unfitted for her station; first, by incapacity; and again, in being unable to secure that filial reverence and respect, which are essential to the due efficacy of all parental instruction.

Let it not be supposed, however, that I am an enemy to what are termed 'female accomplishments.' On the contrary, I consider them, when moderately and rationally pursued, as eminently calculated to refine the taste and harmonize the feelings of those who possess them, whilst they powerfully tend to sweeten the intercourse of the domestic and friendly circle, to augment the enjoyments of general society, and to cast a sunshine over the gloomy realities of life. Amidst the ten thousand pursuits and cares of the world, the mind and the spirits require relaxation, as well as the body; and the tastes and circumstances of women peculiarly fit them for the acquisition of those accomplishments, which interest the understanding, whilst they soothe the heart. Many a father have I seen, after a toilsome and anxious day, relaxing his brow of care, and considering all his exertions

as more than repaid, whilst, with parental pride, he noted the improvement, or joined in the innocent amusements of his children, and cast a look of gratified affection upon the faithful companion of his life! I know nothing in philosophy, I know nothing in religion, which forbids such feelings and such enjoyments. Yet, I am persuaded, that accomplishments should only be the adjuncts of education, and not its principal business, or its chief end; and, in my mind, there is nothing incompatible between elegance and solidity. On the contrary, I am convinced, that the mind which is most enlarged by the possession of substantial knowledge, is the best calculated to appreciate and to enjoy those less serious branches of education, which tend to cheer and to ornament society. I do not despair of seeing the time, when young females shall consider themselves infinitely better employed in reading the real history of nations, than in perusing volumes of unnatural fiction, which only fills the mind with false ideas, and the heart with injurious feelings when they shall be no more ashamed of learning ancient than modern languages, or of attending instructions in philosophy which would enlarge their understandings, than of frequenting the gaudy circles of fashion and amusement when they shall think it more honorable to possess such a knowledge of moral science and the principles of human action and duty, as would render them useful mothers, than to imitate, after years of labor, the wing of a butterfly, or the hue of a rose.'

It may be inquired, however, would I educate every woman for a governess? Yes, most assuredly. Every mother is, or at least ought to be, a teacher of the holiest and most interesting kind. Various avocations may pre