The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1830-07-31
From the .Ne,c York ConstellatioM.
RRouGHr UP IApY.n


From the .New York Consteliai;oA.
BROUGHT UP LADY"
One of the severest misfortunes, which
happens to female in moderate circum-
stances, Is, the being Brought up q Ia.
dy," to use the fond but mistaken express
ion ofinjudicious patehts.
Madalena Muddleford was brought up
a lady; Her parents belonged to the class
of middling farmers, who think themselves
fortunate, ifthey are as rich this year as
they were the last-or to use their own,
language, if they can make both ends Of
the year meet. She was the youhgest of
three daughters, all ofwhom were brought
up ladies'. But Madalena being emphati-
cally the lady of the family, we shall take
for specimen Of that mistaken education,
which too many parents are fond Of be-
slowing on taelr daughters:
To be brought up lady, they stppose
means neither more nor less than to grow
up untaught in the useful branches of
learning, to be half taught in those which
are nearly orfiamental: and not instructed
nor allowed, to do any kind of work.
Such was the case with Madaleha Mud
alefotd. Instead Of being taught to knit,
to sew, to wash, to cook, and do the ordi-
nary kind of house work; she was bred up
In total idleiiess, except &kefi attending
the neigbboring school which was not
tii5re than one third of the year. Her
mother WIS all the while toiling like 4
slave to purchase the indulgence for her
daughter in hopes seeing her one day d
lady.
With this end In view, and to give the
finishing stroke to her design Madalena
was Gent at the age of sixteen to one
of those scminaries called boarding
school; where, In the short period of on9.
year, she went through more branches of
scieice and learning, than the most studi-'
, ous gentleman could cotnpass in whole
, life Of close application. AT least she tho't
SHE had gone through; and her parents
f boasted of the many extraordinary things
their daughter had learned in " finishing
, hef education" But their igndfafice and
, paren fondness deceived them, and the
daughters ignorance and childish vanity
deceived her. She had in fact learned
nothing, or but little more than the i,Ame5
of those branches, which make 30 great 1
, show on the LONG list Of studies &t d board
ing school. She did not understand sim
gle thing which she had professed to learn.
, And Fair Reader, do not imagine hers
singular case. Yours perhaps, and 4
thousand others, is fact simile. The
fault is not in you, but in the system, ana
in those who encourage H: 1t is impossi.
BILE to learn twenty or thirty branches in
( the shoft space Of one year. On the con-
trary, with ordinary talents and industry;
one or two of those branches is quite O.
: nough TO employ the whole of that period
! And the time diff'used among So many, il
utterly thrown away because the girl is
] deceived into the belief that she knows d
4 variety Of things when in fact she knows
a nothing at all, as she ought.
$ So it was with Madalena.. She went
n from homo spoiled child, and returned
f more wrong headed than she went. She
o now fancleb herself superior to the young
n Misses of the neighbourhood, and took up
h on herself airs accordingly. They had
q been learning Of their jHdicious mothers
Il the useftil arts Of domestic life; while she
/. had been acquiring set Of hard words,
c without knowing their meaning; and learn
e ing to thumb on the piano, without a par
n ticle oftcste for music. But she 7fnagin-
e cd she had been brought up a lady, and
,f felt DESTROYS of Supporting the character.
d Madaleria Muddlsford was now seven
It teen; she had finished her education, and
c was at liberty to think Of a settlement fol
). life. She was pretty, and many d young
r. fellow looked upon her with an eye Of con
il placency, If not tendef regard. But thi
e was ALL She %as jassly Considered as
y III match for nobody, while she though
J. hersclfa match for the best. She was to,
4 ignorant and too wrong headed for msI
m OF educ stionj whilst she imagined hsrssl