Had the young lady been content with Kidderminster carpets, and
tasteful vases of her own making, she might have put _one_ thousand
dollars at interest; and had she obtained six per cent., it would have
clothed her as well as the wife of any man, who depends merely upon
his own industry, ought to be clothed. This would have saved much
domestic disquiet; for, after all, human nature is human nature; and a
wife is never better beloved, because she teases for money.
* * * * *
EDUCATION OF DAUGHTERS.
There is no subject so much connected with individual happiness and
national prosperity as the education of daughters. It is a true, and
therefore an old remark, that the situation and prospects of a country
may be justly estimated by the character of its women; and we all
know how hard it is to engraft upon a woman's character habits and
principles to which she was unaccustomed in her girlish days. It is
always extremely difficult, and sometimes utterly impossible. Is the
present education of young ladies likely to contribute to their own
ultimate happiness, or to the welfare of the country? There are many
honorable exceptions; but we do think the general tone of female
education is bad. The greatest and most universal error is, teaching
girls to exaggerate the importance of getting married; and of course
to place an undue importance upon the polite attentions of gentlemen.
It was but a few days since, I heard a pretty and sensible girl say,
'Did you ever see a man so ridiculously fond of his daughters as Mr.
----? He is all the time with them. The other night, at the party,
I went and took Anna away by mere force; for I knew she must feel
dreadfully to have her father waiting upon her all the time, while the
other girls were talking with the beaux.' And another young friend of
mine said, with an air most laughably serious, 'I don't think Harriet
and Julia enjoyed themselves at all last night. Don't you think,
nobody but their _brother_ offered to hand them to the supper-room?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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