Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-05-05
MISCELLANIES s.
FEMALE INTELLECT.


Of Mr.. Jeffery, contains the following in
gcnious observations on the power Of fe-
male intellect
4 Woman we fear, cannot do everything,
nor every thing they attempt But what
they can do, they do, for the most part,
excelently, and much more frequently
with an absolute and perfect success
than the aspirants of our rougher and
more ambitious sex. They cannot, we think,
represent naturally the fierce and sullen
passions of men--nor their coarser vices
nor even scenes of actual business
and contention, and the mixed motives,
and strong and faulty characters, by
which affairs Of moment are usually con-
Quoted on the theatre ofthc world. For
much of this they are disqualified by the
delicacy of their training and habits, and
the still more disabling delicacy which
| pcrvades their conceptions and feelings;
and from much they are excluded by
their actual experience of the realities
they might wish to describe by their sub
stantial and incurable ignorance of busi-
ness, ofthe way of which serious affairs
are actually managed, and the true ma
ture of the agents and impulses that give
movement and direction to the stronger
currents of ordinary life. Perhaps they
are also incapable Of long moral or polit-
ical Investigations, where many complex
and interminate elements are to be taken
into account, and variety of opposite
probabilities to be weighed before COM
ing to conclusion. They are gen.
orally too inpatient to get at the ultimate
results, to 60 well through with such dis
cussions, and either stop short at some
view Of the truth, or turn aside
to reposc in the shadow of some plausible
error. This however, we are persuad-
ed, arises entirely from their being sell
dom set on such tedious tasks. Their
proper and natural business is the prac-
hcal regulation of private life, in all its
bearings, affections, and concerns and
the questions with which they have to
deal in that most important, though often
of the utmost difficulty and nicely, in
volve, for the most part, but few ele-
ments, and may generally be better de-
scribed as delicate than intricate, requir-
| ing tor ther solutiun ialiIv, a quicle tact
and fine percestion than "A patient & Ia
borious examination. For the same rea,
son they rarely succeed in long works
even on subjects the best suited tc
their genius, their natural training
rendering them equally averse to long
doubt and long labor. For all other in
tellectual efforts, however, either of the
understanding or the fancy, and requir
| ing a thorough knowledge either of man'
strength or his weakness, we apprehent
them to be- lin all respects, as well quail
fed as their brethren of the strong sex
when in the perception of grace, propri
ETY., ridicule, their power of detecting ar
tifice, hypocricy and affection, the force
and promptitude of their sympathy ant
their capacity of noble and devoted
attachment and of the efforts and sacri
fees it may require, they are, beyont
all doubt, our superiors. Their business
being, as we have said, with actual o
social life, and the color it receives from
the conduct and disposition of individ
uals, they unconsciously acquire, at ;
very early age, the finest perception o
character and manners, and are almos
as soon instinctively schooled in thu
deep and dangerous learning of feeling s
emotion; while the very minuteness will
which they make and mediate on these
interesting observations, and the fine
shades and variations Of sentiment whicI
are thus treasured and recorded, trair
their whole faculties to nicely and pre-.
cision of operation, which oaen disclos.
es itselfto advantage in their application
to studies of a very different character
When women, accordingly, have turned
thar minds as they have done but toe
seldom, to the exposition or arrangement
of any branch of knowledge, they have
commonly exhibited, we think, q more
beautiful accuracy, and more uniform