The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-07-22

more general or more perncious than IN The
education of woman. II is the destiny OF
woman, we carelessly say, 10 preside over
household as wife and mother; and so il is
the destiny of most women, but by no means
of all. 1t is right that all should be educated
10 fulfil noby the duties Of matronage; but
it is not we'll that any should be educated SO
as 10 fit her for no other sphere but this, so
as 10 render her life as maiden necessarily
defeat and failure. Choice with some,
disappointment with others, necessity perhaps
with more;-these consign thousands 10 sim
gle life. All must fill this sphere at least for
season. Why then should uet all be fitted
10 exalt and adorn n? The position and
sphere of woman is one of the themes
which The thought of our age is pondering;
and its medilalions will not be fruitless.-
Greater freedom ard wider opportunities for
usefulness in maidenhood, iuster and more
equal union in married life, these are the
essential demands OF the clear-sighled, and
they cannot always be answered by misrep-
resentation nor silenced by sneers. Pecuni-
AIRY independence and self-support in single
life are essential 10 woman, that she may
spurn the degrading idea of marrying for
home and livelihood. For, however prop
er the marriage state may be, surely an i'll.
assorted union is worse than none.
To this end, woman must be taught and
encouraged to do many things she now
| sLuns;-mus be called out into Gods sun
shine; and made a free producer of those
fruits which arc its noblest em5odimen,s.-
The fine arts in all their phases, gardening,
the vineyards, the manufactures, all must be
annexed 10 her industrial domain, until it
should be impossible, as we'll as shameful,
10 exact of her teaching and other service
at half The price which man receives for
equal ability and equal efficiency. This is
among the achievements Immediately before
us, and it is 10 be attained through wiser
and more practical education.
But in thus basing education upon industry,
activity, efficiency, do not of course mean
10 confine it 10 material ends. It's feet are
planted firmly on the earth, only that It's head
|
Gated youth be first capable, skilfu, efficient,
independent workers, in order that they may
develop and evince nober manhood, a
iruer and sweeter womanhood, than we,
'h"'r lass fortunate predecessors and pro9eni.
tors have been aided or able TO attain. Let
them be armed at all points for the grea
battle of life, that they may carry thence
srander testimonies than our feeble and un.
mailed arms were ever able 10 achieve
Let them be skilled in all forms of muscular
exerion, SO that they shall work out for
themselves genuine leisure for conquesls
| in the dominion OF mind. Let them be in
ventors, thinkers, philosophers, poets, not
merely that they may coin their braln-swoat
into bread, but that, having secured ample
bread, they shall now be ready 10 labor in
lellectually for The good Of their race.
But would you have every one mere
deliver? you ask. Yes, let every one delve
till a way shall open before him TO do some
thing better. Let men be called 10 intellect
ual work, because needed there, not because
|
Literature 10 life be placed on a Iuer, more
earnest basis. Now we hear young man,
trained in the prevailing system o! educa.
ton, cry, "Why may not be an author, and
thus earn my bread" And 20 he makes an
earnest efTor, 10 enter the realms of Author
ship, as Novelist, Essayist, even as Poet
But alas no Post ever deliberately sat down
TO write poem for either bread or fame
Poetry, 10 be real, is the overflow Of life, not
its mean quantity. True Poets only write
because they must; and Jenny Lind's BIRD in
her beautiful song, that cries, 81 must |
must be singing" Only 10 think Of Homer
or Dante going about with, "Please, sir, buy
my poem, that my wife and my children
may have breadw often think with pleas
ure of an anecdole of Uehler, the great Ger
man Poet When friend visited him, at a
time when he had published nothing for
many months, and asked him, "Have you
anything ir hand now, any great poelical
effort not yet finished, that you continue so
long Withdrawn from the public eye1" he
| dueWcIeu NU, i udfo HUI iclt 'tio hoeoeoity
of writing lately" A true Poet must be ST.
lent when he does not feel the necessity OF
writing. But 10 write because you have no
other means OF support, because you cannot
live without il, this is 10 debase your faculty.
Yet the world is full of appeals for patronage
and employment, which amount 10 just this,
Now the world is not bettered by the book
that is written for money; nor by any INTEL
leclual lobor of which hunger is the inspira-
ton And all education which m axes man
necessarily lawyer, physician, clergy
man or an author, is degrading 10 literature
and intellect. The writer ought to be always
the perfected worker.
The curse of our time, as | suppose OF all
times, is inordinate self.seekng. We ac.
quire that We may serve, not mankind, bu'
ourselves. We seek not 10 keep step in the
even march of life, but 10 steal ride on the
baggage wagon. The spirit OF the NEW AGE
on which we are entering is different; ii
speaks only of, and seeks for, the equal
| r;<xh,, of ,u 7, .,us IA ihe Teoelator MN.