State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-29
WASHINGTON'S ADVICE TO A
VOTING LADY

Harriet Washington, his orphan niece, VINO
had resided for some time in his family,
and to whom he continued to extend his
care and aid. She then resided with some
of her other relatives at Fredericksburg 1t
is dated Philadelphia, Both Oct, l19l: /
Dear Harriet: received your letter OF the
DIST instant, and shall always he glad TO
hear from you. When my business VIII
permit, inclination will not be wanting in
me to acknowledge the receipt of your let
tiers and this shall do the more cheeriully
as it will afford me opportunities at those
times, of giving you such occasional advice,
rs your situation may require.
At present could plead better excuse
for curtaing my letter to you, than you
had for shortening yours TO me, having Il
multitude of occupations before me- whlle
you have nothing to do; consequently you
might with as much convenience to your
/ self have sat down to write your letter an
hour or two or even day sooner as have
DELAYED it until your cousin was on the
point of sending 10 the post office. l make
! this remark for mo other reason, than to
show it is better to offer no excuse than
bad one, if at any time you should happen
to fall into an error.
| Occupied as my time now is, and must
be during the sitting of Congress, never
theless will erdeavor TO inculcate upon your
mind the delicacy and danger of that period
to which you are now arrived under pecu-
liar circumstances. You are just entering
into the state of womanhood, without the
watchful eye Of a mother to admonIsb, or
the protecting aid of father to advise and
defend you; you may not be sensible, that
YOU are at this moment about to be stamped
with that character, which will adhere 10
you through life; the consequences OF
which you have not perhaps attended TO-,
but be assured it is of the utmost impor-
lance that you should. Your cousins,
with whom youslive, are well qualified to
give you advice ; and am sure they viii 1t
you are disposed to receive it. But if yon
f are disobiging, self willed, and untowardly
it is hardly to be expected that they will
engage themselves in unpleasant disputes
with you, especially Fanny whose mild and
placid temper will not permit her to exceed
the limits of wholesome admonition or gen.
| tic rebuke.
Think then, to what dangers giddy girl
| of fifteen or sixteen must ho exposed in
, circumstances like these. TO be under
/ little or no contol may be pleasing to a
mind that does not reflect, but this pleasure
5 cannot be of long duration, and reason, too
, late perhaps, many convince you of the
5 folly of mispendng time. You are not to
5 learn, am certain, that your fortune is
1 small Supply the want of it, then with a
= well cultivated mind, with dispositions to
. industry and frugality, with gentleness Of
/, manners, an obliging temper, and such
: qualifications as will attract notice, and rec
D ommend you to happy establishment foi
= life.
G You might, instead of associating with
s those from whom you can derive nothing
j that is good, but may have observed every
J thing that is deceitful, lying, and bad, be-
come the intimate companion of and aid
to your cousin in the domestic concerns OF
the family. Many girls, before they have
arrived at your age, have been found SC
Trustworthy as to take the whole charge Of
the family from their mothers; but it is by
steady and rigid attention TO the rules Of
proprietv, that such confidence is obtained
and nothing would give me more pleasure
then TO hear that you had acquired it. The
merits and benefits of it would rebound
more to your advantage in your progress
through life, and to the person with whom
you may in due time form n matrimonial
connexion, than any other; but to none
real satisfaction, than to Won affectionate
uncle. GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Singular h,cident.-Dr. Flint in his lee.
ture last week on the anatomy of the brain
illustrated the astonishing influence which
the nervous system exercises over the whole
corporal and mental functions by wei
authenticated nnecdote, which is too re-
markable to be lost. He stated that in Der
lin, (Prussia,) an individual, during vioen
dispute with his wife, in the course o
which both parties became much enraged
undertook to administer little salularl
chastisement He struck her, with his hanC
light blow on the back of the neck. The
woman instantly fell, and became at once
apparently deprived of al sensation. Va
rc.s methods having been tried withou
success to reanimale her, she was pronoun
ced to be dead /; grave clothes were provided
and some persons commenced stripping the
body of its apparel, in order to array it pre-
paratory TO interment. On removing
handkerchief from her shoulders, the wo
r man, to the great CONSERVATION of all pres
ent, started up, assumed a menacing atti
tude, and proceeded to finish an approbriu
term which she was applying to her hus
band when he struck her the blow that ap
peared TO have produced such serious re
suits
1t was asertained, on subsequent invest
cation, that pin, which confined portion
of her dress about the neck, was, by tn,
force of the blow, driven through the integ
n uments and spineuntil it reached the spina
~ marrow, and was the cause of this nstanta
n neous suspension of all the functions of tn
~ body and mind. She was restored to con
- seriousness, and TO the full possession of al
NC her faculties, so soon as it was removed
- NJ Y Journal,