Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-14
FEMALE TRAINING.

correspondent of the New Y ork Commercial
Advertiser offers some valuable suggestions, point
ing out the errors which prevail in our system Of
Female Education, and the treatment and habits
proper to give vigor of constitution to those whose
health and happiness are so dear to every family,
and so important. We extract from the article the
following passages:
am not partial 10 large schools They merge the eccen.
tcies of individual character much in the They
mould all intellect too frequently upon model They
cramp and restrain and force and bind the mind, until it be-
what the hrubbey said to have been in the garden
OF Louis AlV-une raade perfection de FpGuStre Ma
tWe. have in my minds eye school, containing little
short of hundred pupils where the laws Of Draco would be
mecul, compared with those which in operation. The
principal himself told that he regarded the happiness Of
girls at school incompatible with thorough mental training
have doubt of his sincerity for have SET of
girls miserable all with whom conyersed in his
school, Every emotion which springs spontaneously in the
mind of pupil especially if il be OF gladstone nature he
regard sown by the enemy which he and
his coadjuors most diligently to weed out The life and
spirit Of ghood is crushed its buoyancy and mithuness
he believes arise from sinful nature, and subdued
its social affections but many incentives temptation, and
they parayzed with fear Tie culture ofhe mind is the
great all prevailing and all absorbing object Of the inst
tuition To this every thing must bend-every law, every
tom every thought every effort every energy of body and
soul and this they do bend those toing girls, through
the cold days OF winter and the long hot hours of
the morning and in the night in their rising up and their y
down, until the freshness of youth has been lost in study
and the character becomes auomaon, performing its part
in learning, the body does in their casthencs the
| thoritatIve command of MASTER
ttThs end of oil this is easily Brilliant semi-annual
examinations at which governors and judges and doctors
divinity sing paans to the glory of female education annual
reports paraded in newspapers before the world in which the
great of the land testify the wonders which thorough
training evolve from the female mind public addresses,
auded conscientious, advertised religious excitemen sch
dulles OF distinguished patrons pictorial views Of buildings hd
grounds and beautiful scenery around forever bind
the parents of the rising generation to the terrible evils of such
system OF education Leaning indeed attained brilliant
scholars undoubtedly graduated but what becomes of the
character which ought have been moulded DUNG these
years OF study What OF the social affections which should
have been developed and cultivated and trained r the hap
piness Of others what of the heart with the stream which
to flow from it, identifying and gIadiening home; what Of
se-respec and setreance and above ALL of thought
necessary the future mother of the family nay whatof the
healthhe foundation of all usefulness in le- it is be
sacrificed in the outset not sacrificed made at all times
subordinate to the great purpose of educating the mind
emo who has been abroad fail notice the ply
steal ieebeness OF American in the higher classes,
| comparison with the women of England the continent
With equal intellect sprghiness and health in childhood
and early YOUTH and with of beauty, the very time
when the health should be firm, the intellect brightest
and beauty i'll the ascendant he has other lands
the observer remarks the American have failed An
intelligent physician said the other day that evey fourth
kept her good health till she forty every four hun
dredth woman her good b0ks Without insisting upon the
truth of SO broad assertion the fact is universally admitted
that American become pematuely old Allowing all
that is said about the influence Of climate Diet Dress early
cares, &c in producing this, there is still much wanting
much that unsoved, bringing about universal and dis
asrous result believe this will be found be in njudi-
clous early education, and in this almost alone The child
hood OF English and French women spent in play Their
ghood physical and mental exercise combined the former
always taking the precedence and always insisted upon
if it be to the entire neglect of the other
"The English girl spends than one-haf Of her wax
ing hours in physical amusements, that is
% IpyIrO he b1tiiy
powers She rides walks drives upon the water runs,
dances, plays swings jumps the rope throws the ball. hurs
The quo draws the bow keeps up the shutecock, and all
this without having forever impressed upon her mind that
she thereby wasting her time She does this every day.
until 1t becomes habit, which she will follow up through life
Her ame necessary consequence larger, her muscu
lar system better developed her system suborna
ton TO the physical, her strength enduring, and the
whole OF her mind healther. may know
much at the age of does the American girl
general thing she does not but the growth of her intellect
has been stimulated by dollhouse culture, and though
tunty later it will last proportonaby longer. Eight
hours each day Of mental application for girls between the
ages Of ten and nineteen years. hours each day.
required the school of which have spoken with two
for meals for religious duties and the remainder for sleep
ing and physical exercise, enough break down the
strongest constitution.
tmu may enable the physical energies to supply what
needed until the end Of the coursehe stimuli compe-
ton ambition, praise, reward, and constantly aroused
thusasm-but where then is the stock of health which should
have been laid up during these years for whole life Ex-
hausted-gone The frame not half developed, the muscu
lar powers feeble the strength nfante the vital system i'm
paired the shattered, with what prospects for wife
or mother does the girl enter upon life ;"