Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-03-15

lltemaindcr next week.
VIVA. constitutes an accomplished Young
Lady.-lhere Is perhaps no term which
has become more perverted from the orig-
nal meaning than the word ACCOMPLISH
MENT. 1t signifies completeness, Terfec-
ton" and implies FINISH of character to
which nothing can be added and which
leaves nothing TO be desired. Milton calls
his heroine accomplished Eve Now it
is morally certain that she could neither
dance, (that is by systcm,) or play, or draw,
or converse in any other language than her
own. Where then were her accomplish.
mcntsl True she is, in her state of limo.
cence, one Of the most beautiful modes Of
grace, propriety, dignity and humility ever
exhibited and therefore we must suppose
that the author of Paradise Lot had in view
far different standard of female excellence
than the fashionable one of our own times.
What then constitutes an accomplished
female? We answer, "a fitness for the
sphere she is TO occupy whatever it may
be, and faithful and conscientious dis.
charge ofthe duties belonging to that sphere.
She may not as q wife and mother, have
an occasion for those fashionable acquisi-
tons which in some situations of life are
both useful and ornamental but she may
and will have higher opportunities for blcs-
sing and being blessed. She may be the
suitable companion of a sensible man; the
judicious mother of a raising family the
neat, orderly and frugal mistress of an ex-
tensive household. She may be qualified
TO counsel her husband in the intrcacics of
life; soothe him in bis troubles tighten
his heart of half its load and render his
home the spot of all most delightful. She
may train up her children III the path of pi-
ETY. form them to habits of virtue; and
thus bequeath blessing TO society, when
she has gone to her rest in Heaven. If
this is low station and fit for nothing but
vulgar qualifications, where on earth shall
we find one that is higher or more useful ?
We would not be understood to Sc no value
on what are usually called accomplishn eats.
Many of them are elegant, and in certain
stations in life, and where there is decid-
ed taste for them may be highly useful.
But we do deprecate the phrenzy of ac-
complishment which RACES among all class
es, and induces them to sacrifice time and
money, which, if properly laid out, might
have made them ornaments to society, in
pursuits worse than useless. The young
lady who can spend but six months per.
haps, at a boarding school, must, in confor-
nifty to custom, throw away two thirds of
the whole of that precious time in forcing a
taste for music, or dancing, or learning
French, when it is understood that at mar.
riage these hardly learned acquisitions arc
to be laid aside never 10 be resumed.
There is something wrong here, and ii
will never be remedied, until parents have
good sense and independence enough TO
adopt the means in the education of their
daughters TO the end in view. If they de-
sire them to be anything more than mere
puppets trained for display, whose only aim
is dress and be admired, they must teach
them by precept and example that what is
useful is infinitely to be preferred TO what
is dazzling, and that virtuous excellence is
70 be more ardently coveted than fashiona-
Bile accomplishments. If Solomon's beau.
tiiul description of virtuous woman were
to be adopted as the model of female excel
lence, what change would be at once pro-
duced in the moral aspect of the world -
Some of the most powerful temptations to
sin, would lose their alluring charms, and
modesty, industry and chastity, be once
more what they should always have been:
the safeguards and the highest ornaments
| of woman.--N. Y. Adp.