Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-07-06


the soil of religion fructifed by the dews o.
Zion and the smile God The one chains its
votary to earth-the slave of appetite, passion
and lust the other bids him upward TO the
skies, to wear the crown of Immortality
Both are consistent with the highest attain
ments in knowledge. The daughter may ac-
quire splendid book education, and yet be Ut
terly untaught, in such view Of herself and
the claims of others, as prompts to humility on
4 the one hand, and disinterested kindness on the
other She may still look with contempt up
/ the poor aud humble, sIfeer IL the unfortunate
and withhold her gushing sympathes from the
afflicted and sorrowful she may feel, that her
own comfort is paramount 10 every other con-
sideration that in the throng of fashion and
| gaYety she is the central point of attraction for
| thousand admiring eyes-her costume the
most elegant, her motions the most graceful,
and her smiles tie most bewitchng. In a
word, she may have compassed all science, and
yet be vain, proud, naughty, deceitfnl, and
selfish With all this, she can only enjoy
pleasure; but can she possibly be happy1 Ii
we would have our daughters experience the
luxury Of inward joy, in connection with schol-
astic learning, they must be taught selfdenial,
patience, humility, sincerity, Difference, chari-
~, and the fear of God Such an education
is like apples of gold, in pictures Of silver
Pleasure and happiness, are not necessarily
Incompatible. Pleasure is legitimate as a
means Of happiness. 1t ought not, if it could,
be excluded from cultivated society. 1t is to
the mind, what recreation is TO the body II
relaxes it from the tension of severe thought,
and gives play to the social feelings, thus diff
fusing cheerfuness over the heart and strength
ening the bonds of mutual friendship. 1t is,
therefore, proper in its place and lis place is
always that Of subordnation to conscience and
duty. This must be the rule, by which to de-
fine the boundary between innocent and sinful
pleasures.
The relation Of wife and mother is the con-
sequence of marriage, which is at once, the
foundation OF the social state, and the image of
heaven reflected to earth. Hence lis true ma
ture and lis resulting duties should constitute
leading feature in female education. Parents
expect their daughters TO marry; and the
young ladies would plead guilty to the soft
impeachment, if were TO insinuate, that they
indulge in the same expectation. But, if we
allowed TO judge from observation, it must
be admitted that few parents, aud stlll fewer
daughters, seem to comprehend the true char
acter and responsibilities of the conjugal bond.
The highest notion of marriage that generally
obtains, at the present day, is, that it is a con-
tract between the parties, profeSSedty founded
upon the consideration of mutual love, and sol
emnized by the priest or magistrate. Thus
regarded, it is mere personal union, formed
to promote natural and temporal pleasures,
raihe: than spiritual happiness and heavenly
bliss. Thus regarded, it cuntemplates the dis
Iinctons of sex, as founded alone in difference
Of physical organization, and therefore, being
only for the accommodation Of such distinctions
and their consequent dependencies, has refer
ence only TO the present life. Society and gov
ernment treat il as civil contract, ard we fall
far below its high claims if, by dignlfy1ng it,
as religious institution, we simply mean that
II is of Divine appointment True marriage
exists prior to and is independent of lis public
soemnzation. The hymenial vow, the cere-
mony of the nuptial feast are but the outward
forms OF an inward union. The distinctions of
sex do not consist in differences of natural or
ganizalion only, but they are the results of
real pre-existing distinctions Of mind. They
are spiritual as well as natural psychical as
well as physical The body is but the form
and incarnation of the spirit-the body of
man, that of male, and the body Of woman,
that Of a female spirit True marriage is the
conjunction of two such spirits, brought togeth-
er by the attraction Of that heavenly affinity