The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-09-19

tty. No error has existed which q wise
| adjustment of means, and profitable use
| of time might not have annihilated- mo
barrier over which the innate energies Of
your character may not enable you to
pass-no influence is now allowed which
may not be elevated and sanctifed to high
and holy ends. The public mind by Ii.
.beral concessions is seeking to make atone
ment for the arrogant assumptions of tle
past. The sphere of woman is constant
| ly enlarging as education fits her for lof.
tier duties, and Christian philanthrophy
multiplies her means Of doing good. In.
deed all that has ever been asked has been
granted. What chivalry once surrender.
ed in courtesy, conviction, purified by
1.-THE action Of Christianity, ack1oWed
as right. Privileges once wrang from
the reluctant hands Of power, grown OBJ
stinate and naughty with les supremacy;
will be cheerfllly enlarged by the eii-..
|Gghtened opiniohlof all who have the IN
1uence to help, or the wisdom to discriini-
nate. If every successive year do not
witness the augmentation of female in
fluence upon the best interests Of mar,-
kind-if the dawning glories of the day.
that science and commerce and religion
are rolling onward to the zenith, do not
awake most generous ambition if the
stimulants to enterprise that are now STIR
ring to electric melton the thoughts, long
laggard, do not stir the desire Of coequal
progress if all the elements of power
lodged by the wisdom of Heaven IN wo-
mans hands are not reused, combined,
directed in accordance with the enlightsn-
ed views of improvement that now pre-
vail, then will the guilt Of a most cuipable.
neglect lie at your door.
| Lest you should make an accession to
the number already too large, who eva.
porate thought in dreams, and bury ener-
Icy in listless reverie, waste talents in idle
ness, relieved only by attendance on the
calls of pleasure, or agitated by the ftful
excitement of ignoble rivalries, ] would
remind you that the popular notion Of q
finished education dates from the begin
ming, and not from the goal. in the tecil-,
nical senseof the word, it is not essentist
that you should be scholars. They are
rare inevery land. Your course has been
too brief and your minds are too immature
for you to have attained this high diainc-
ton. The knowledge of the actual world
must be ancumulated by experiences ., ]
School books have but little to do with
practical life, yet they are indispensable.
They prepare the way--teach us how to-
learn---supply the materials for combiha-
ton; but much, much remains to be done;
1t is unfortunate that the idea ever obtain
ed in the world, that Improvement was at.
an end, when the days Of scholastic study
were over and that pleasure, in the abused
sense of the word, was the only legitimate,
expectation and exercise of the emanci-,
pated pupil. Past acquisitions contrasted
with the possible attainments Of the fil-
ture, are, as a trickling rill to the sweep
and volume of the Father of waters--
With proper decision of purpose and cons
centration of force, the amount Of know
ledge that may be accumulated, not only
without wearisome labor, but actual enc
joyment, would stagger the creduEty Of
those who live only for amusement. But
custom coverts the school girl Of yeaer-
day into the lady of to-day, and so cheats
her with the illusion, that she feels devotion
to books, to be forfeiture of rights, and
aconfession ofstupidfy. Many, conscious
of intellectual poverty, and YET resolved
to remain poor, assume the garb Of wis
dom and evince the pride Of superiority
when they ought to feel the humiliation
of ignorance. Young ladies should rad
more than they do, and with more te-i
ference to knowledge, and less to enter.
tainment. Taste is invited to feast and
granted the chief place of honor and at
tention, while judgment is left to CLEAN
scanty subsistence from the fragments Of
former acquisitions. The feelings are
nourished, pampered upon fantastic exo- :
tic viands, while the principles are suffer-
ed to sleep, well nigh useless either as
guides or supports. .
History ought to be read with care
with notes to awake attention-to cult
vate the habit of writing-to improve the
facnItv of memory. One fact is worth q