Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-05-21

| oughly master of every part Of his bust
| ness-books and learning cannot supply
the wan: of labor and experience. Far
mers and artizans cannot be made in the
school house or college. Most Of the
studies cultivated in our seminaries OF
learning, however useful to professional
men, are not applicable TO all the common
occupations of life. This the writer knows
by experience.
It is with females as with males; they
desire to live without labor, aud thousands
of them fail of obtaining good settlement
in life, by aiming at what cannot be obtain
ed, hence the high schools often becomes
the nurseries Of old maids. The daugh>
ters of wealthy men, who are sure of the
means of living without labor, and such as
are fortunate enough to marry men of in
Auence, may be justified IN devo,ing ma
ny years to languages and sciences they
are never to use; but how small, ccmpar-
atively, is this number.
Most of the people of this country pos
sess small estates, which, when divided,
will not support their children. hence it
often happens that children, whom the
father can support in genteel style, fail. at
his death, of the means Of subsistence
Hence, probably, no country presents SO
many instances of young persons of both
sexes, educated above their condition, as
the United States. Many persons and
families, within the Enowled &c OF the wri-
ter, have been ruined or doomed to strug-
gle with adversely all their lives from this
mistake. They begin wrong-tlley expect
to he gentlemen and ladies without the
means of supporting themselves in such
style.
Equally mistaken are many of the daugh-
tiers of poor families. Some Of them en-
ter manufactures, where they get good
wages, and dress in rich attire: neglect to
gain thorough knowledge of housekeep'
ing. the very knowledg e they mos! want
to insure them a good settlement
Young men Of industry want wives that
are good housekeepers. They do not
seek females for their dexterity in tending
| spools, but for those who are accustomed
to do all the work for a family, and to
make an economical use of money. Such
| wives are useful auxiliaries in supporting
family: whereas such as are not accus-
toned to homework often check or pre-
vent the prosperity of their husbands
sometimes they ruin them.
Much less do men in the ordinary oc-
crpations Of life, seek for females who
have studied geometry, algebra, rhetoric,
zoology, and the higher mathematics
Such sciences are of no use to them in
| discharging their duties, as wives, mothers
or housekeepers they are soon forgotten,
and if not, never used; nor do they ever
become subjects Of conversation. In the
course of thirty;years observation, the wri.
| ter has never known female thus educa.
ted to make the least use of such sciences,
not even in the families of the affluent.-
Books on such subjects, read in after life,
for the purpose of gratifying curiosity or
charging the knowledge of the works of
nature, may be useful for these purposes
among those who have leisure, but not be-
ing necessary TO qualify females for these
duties, should not be part of school ed
ucation.
In no particular is the folly Of females
more remarked than in their estimate of
labor. They seem to think it disgracing to
labor in family as domestics when they
will labor in manufactures without objec-
ton. They do not consider that the prop
er sphere of females is in the family, and
that they cannot fill that sphere without
serving an apprenticeship, and they should
no more disdain it, than the young mep
should disdain to be apprentices to me-
chanics. The young of both sexes mus.
be subordinate to those who are older, for
i, is from experience and knowledge of
older persons that they are to qualify
themselves to be respectable masters and
mistresses. Girls who have no property
should seek to be domes,ics for two or
three years in respectable, well-ordered
families, for it is in these they are to learn,
not only to do all kinds Of work, but to
improve their minds and their manners.
1t is the best if not the only chance which
many of them can have, thus 10 improve
and become respectable mistresses of fam
lilies.
All young persons should have CONS
petent English education. and for this pur-
pose, they should have access, not only
to the Bible, but to the best writings of
Watts, Addison, Cowper and Mr.. Moore.
In wealthy and well conducted families
the poorest girls may have this advantage.
BY avoiding domestic service they de-
prive themselves Disadvantages which can
never have in any other business. The
pride of females often condemn them to
poverty and single life. Many and many
female fails to gain comfortable settle
ment in life, merely because she is too
proud to submit to the apprenticeship of