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Zi)t WLatoit#* VOL. 3. HARPERS-fERRY, VIRGINIA, SEPTEMBER 9, 1826. NO. 31. I>CBMSIIEI> ! VT'.RY slTnill.lt ttf.MKIl, liV JOHN S. UAI.I.AIIKK, •it the Office nf the Virginia Free Press. FEMALE EDUCATION. fhefollow mg is one of the Essays forwarded to the editor for the premium awarded In him : roll tui oiii i o i.. So much lms been written on female educa tion, from the period when school education usually commences, by Mrs. Chapone, Hcnnctt, < larnett. and others, that to have any thin- new to say on the subject. [ am constrained, in mv remarks, to so back to the period of infanev ; which I do the more willingly, from a conviction that in fiat peinaithc most inddihle impres -o n it•- made a the mind—Impressions which. uhli the > vth. and sti'cujjthcning w :'h tile ; in ny-h.' la come in time, a pa it of the -ery nature. Aiant :i ltif.il motiici has lamenteu to see the vanity. I; !\ uhly. :t;i. 1 inconstancy of her duilgh te:'. without considering that perhaps --he her --oil implanted the 111>t seeds of those propensi ties in her im'int mind, by the inconsiderate ■ ' which. i;i monwrits of fondness, she has iovidied on the persona! beauty of her darling I; and. on other neeasions. without any <■ ui • being known to the child, I>v her pettish m ss. iii humour. and general inconsistency of conduct. Anotii- r highly injudicious custom most mothers not only tolerate, in nurses, hut practice themselves, i- that of t'didur infants sto nes ol witches, ghosts, \e. A certain autlioi has -aid. that • women are the most cowardly part of the creation.’ Any thinfr, therefore, that has a tendency to increase their natural tiniidi tv. is certainly eeu.-utable;and that such a prac tice has that effect to an astonishing degree, there is nut the least doubt. Several young la flies ,,f my acquaintance have confessed to me, that such was the force of those early lessons over their minds, that after night, if they hap pencil to pass by suspicious places, or were left alone in rooms where the marvellous adventures they had listened to in infancy were said to have taken place, that their fears were intolerable— though they protested they did not believe in apparitions, or any tiling of the kind: such is the strange inconsistency of human nature. As there is not a greater ornament to a cha racter, either male.’or female, than a strict ad herence. to truth, mothers Arnold infuse this principle into the minds of their infants not only by precept, but example. They should never he led by the cries or importunities of their children to make a promise they ca: net perform; and when a promise is made, they should he equally careful not to break it. .Much more might he said on this interesting subject, which my limits forbid. However,if mothers can be brought, by the foregoing remarks, to properly consider the importance ot the lirst Idas given to the infant mind, their tender solicitude for the future character of their daughters will suggest whatever 1 may have omitted, j It is supposed, by some, that the female mind . is not capable of making any proficiency in the higher branches of learning ; hut from this opinion I must beg leave to dissent; and I think any one possessed of candor will he of my opinion, upon reflecting on the vast difference of opportunity the different sexes usually have of progressing in literature. Hut as the general custom of the world, if not the law of nature, has placed the most important business in the hands of the men, it is doubly necessary (hat their minds should be improved as much as pos sible ; yet the education of females should not • he neglected, and many instances might be men tioned where the learning bestowed on the fair sex has not been misapplied: for one instance, queen Elizabeth, though she had many of the frailties of women, was certainly (if not the greatest) as great as any sovereign that ever tilled the throne of England. And our own country has produced several female scholars : The name of-Mrs. Ferguson must be familiar to the most of your readers ; and Mrs. S'"''‘ . now living in H*******t assisted by her native genius, has profited more by a liberal education than must of the young men of the present day ; she has translated several valuable hooks on law from the Latin; and every person of taste is charmed by her poetry. Hut as few fortunes in our country will justify parent' in giving every child a classical educa tion. the male part, for the before mentioned reasons, should certainly have the preference. | And 1 think a young lady may fill her station in society with credit, who can speak and write her own language correctly, keep accounts, an swer any question in geography without hesita lion, and who has a correct knowledge of histo i v, both modern and ancient, including the lii hie and Belles Lettres. Those who have much leisure, will find both pleasure and instruction in studying botany, chemistry, and astronomy, as these sciences tend to display the wonderful operations of nature, and increase the admira tion for that Power who is seen in all his work' 1 The accomplishments of painting and instru mental music require so much time, to make any proficiency in them, and the latter accomplish ment is so expensive, that they are only suitable for people, of fortune, unless young ladies with out fortunes learn them as professions bv which to maintain themselves, in which rase, they are ol course advantageous Though dancing oi itsi ll appears to 1»«* a harmless amusement, vol ui cities, and other places, \\here there are mane opportunities ot iinlul^nio- in it, it generally leads to had consequences, unless the inexpen once and too often thoughtlessness of youth is properly governed by the experience and relive tion of more advanced age. Vocal music is vv h.. • anv one, who has a good ear and voice, can at tain; and in mv opinion, though the cheapest, it is by no means the least ol female accomplish ments. I have sometimes listened to a favorite song, in the sweet voice of native melody, with more pleasure than the most fashionable Italian air on the piano could possibly have given me It may not he improper here to give Ur. Rush's opinion on ladies learning vocal music, which is, that4 the exercise ol the organs ol the breast. by singing, contributes veiy much to defend them from those diseases to which our climate and otlicn causes have of late exposed them.’— Some people are under the impression that novel' give young ladies a taste for general reading hut 1 think the reverse is the fact; and so far from acquiring a taste lor useful hooks, an imlis criminate novel-reader generally loses the relish for all other kinds of composition, if she ever had any—and in other respects, the eft cel they usually have ufi the yvii'hfu! female mind is mo^t mischievous. 1 here arc, it is true, many novels well worth the. attention of persons ni every age anil condition ; and perhaps now more so, than the late works of that kind, m some of which, the most interesting portions oi history, and descriptions of distinguished indi vidu.ds, are given in a masterly style, and in others, are the best lessons of morality and reh gion. .Such novels may be read to advantag- . at certain intervals, as a relaxation from mart important study. I shall conclude h\ transerd ing the following description of a female i h i actor by Mrs. Barbauld, hoping my young i.. ■. ers will imitate it as closely as possible : “ Of getitle manm is and of hot- i' ' ' \\ ith all ttic graces of a polish''! mitt i (dear sense and truth still shone malt • 1 . And from her lips no idle sentence Kach nicer elegance of ait ki. .. Correctly fair, and regularly tiue . tier rtuld) fingers ph’d with equal •: The pencil’s task, the ; c ite, or th' . , So pois’d her feelings, so ce:i ;e -’ll Ilf So subject all to reason's i aim < utr ’, One only passion, strong anu 1 • .ruin'd, Disturb’d the equal haiaw .. i t lr r mi 1 One passion rul’d deM, Te :n her hr .st. In everv word and look and t!r r.pit nn.a ' Hut that was love, an 1 lo\ ‘ d. .gilts to hi I'Ue "rn’roux trun-inr: J • / .. ! Tli ■ pusta ■■ ..|i all h’Urr-. a . . on busine- inu-t be p ile., < r it with the so’isc!.P’ion ‘in' 111: III!