American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-11-01

! Excel in some useful art or science. Do not
| stop at mediocrity; but excel Aim at some
thing attainable, and accomplish it. Then If
you marry mechanic you may be able to in
sure his success by keeping his accounts and
assisting him in his calculations If you marry
clerk, whose salary is twenty dollars week,
you may earn as much, or half as much, by
painting, by authorship, by translating, or what
ever is your favorite pursuit. Or should you
marry man of wealth, your profession will
prove delightful as recreation.
"Oh, but if | marry, my husband must main
tain me" - exclaim our fair young readers
That is all very good, and will meet with the
approval of most husbands. They support their
wives, and are willing to do SO but how many
wives enjoy life without encountering its cares
and labors? Very few, indeed. They are, be-
fore marriage, ambitious to be ladies'; and so
they are, and very helpless ones, too. After
marriage however, necessity compels them to
labor. The income they thought ample proves
meagre when housekeeping expenses must be
met; and they wish to live well, and are willing
to labor in order to do so. But what labor can
they perform? None that a servant at six dol
lars month cannot excel them in doing. Yet
the work is hard, and they must 60 through
with it. Would it not be better for them to
earn, at lighter and pleasanter employment,
fifty, twenty, or even ten dollars, with which to
pay the hire of servants for the coarser work?
If the Woman's Rights Convention were to
urge this course with energy, we think good
would be effected. This is the means by which
woman's emancipation is to be effected, and
this only. Declarations of independence will
not do while women are helpless; and women
always will be helpless until educated for use
fulness in pursuits that comport with their deli
cate nature. Hard labor should be performed
by man, who is made for it but women who
would be delicate and fair, toll at washing,
cooking, baking, scrubbing, and all such duties,
and would ridicule the idea of mans performing
such tasks for them. This is not rational. It
matters not what is to be done, if physical
energy is requisite, man should perform it. To
see strong man copying manuscripts at
writing table, while his delicate wife is per-
forming the severest labor of housekeeping,
should, indeed, be'regarded with derision.
There is a great deal of talk about female
education; and lady who talks finely-of whom
can be said what was said of Desdemona, that
!" she sings, plays, and dances well"-is gen.
orally voted intelligent; but the standard is
false, and belittles ladies most sadly. Knowl-
edge Of any kind that does not make people
useful makes them contemplate. This is true
Of women as well as of men, and until they be-
come convinced of it they can never be indie
pendent, in any sense of the word, nor will
" womans rights" be acknowledged to any
greater extent than ut present
Womans rights! Why, how many women
ever continue to practise five years after mar
riage any of the accomplishments they pass
their youth in learning? And how many ex-
tend the limits of their education after mar
riage? Few indeed! To be bellies in early
womanhood, and faded, careworn, and dowdy
matrons, is what they seem to bargain for, and
is therefore the full measure of their rights. If
they turn out as reformers, their first essay
must be to reform themselves.