The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-30
Home Education.

prove her manners, and that yoG know, can
never be done at home."
"Have you got any good schools here!" |
asked.
"TOlerably good. I suppose she learns
as much from books at home as anywhere,
but she will never be lady or fit for gen.
teel society till she goes somewhere. But
her father won't hear word about it, says
he cant afford it, and that it won't be any
kind of use to her, and all that. Strange
how little a man knows about such things !"
Mrs. c., who thus gave expression to her
sentiments, was an old friend of mine,
whom l was visiting, and this conversation
occurred on the evening Of my arrival, after
her husband and children were in bed, and
we were having little confidential chat.
/ had not seen Della Ann for some FIVE
years but remembered her we'll, ns pretty,
lively, rather self-wil!ed young lady Of
twelve, who was great favorite in the fami-
ly, and bade fair TO grow up into handsome,
attractive woman; and it was with no small
interest looked forward to meeting her.
The next morning We sat down to break
fast at un early hour, but Miss Della Ann
did not make her appearance till we were
nearly through--I was surprised to see
what a tall young lady she had shot up into,
and how pretty she had become. Her pure,
brilliant complexion, her soft blue eyes, and
curling brown hair would have made quite a
belle OF hef in some circles; but, alas, with
the conviction of extreme prettiness came
another equally strong, that her manners
really did need Improvement, and that a
change in many of her habits would be most
desirable. She was dressed in flying
morning wrapper Of gay colored chintS, with
brilliant red border, so for from clean that
my eye turned away from its greasy spots
with disgust; her hair had frizzly, uncomb-
ed look, her teeth and nails had been shock
iDgly neglected, and were now actually
filthy, though seVetal costly rings were en-
cittling her ilngefs ut that early hour. She
sat down at the table without so much as
saying, "Good morning" to her parents or
brothers, and looked at everything before
her with very dissatisfied turn.up of her
pretty nose, found fault with the coffee,
which she supped with loud noise, and fin
ally, after swallowing a few mouthfuls,
pushed away her chair without saying a
word, and left the room, loudly slamming
the door after her.
"a boarding school to teach you manners,
young lady ' mentally exclaimed. "What
you want is good home training, one which
should have taught you to rise curly, wash
your face and comb your hair properly, and
clean your teeth and nails; to dispense with
red borders, and finger rings, and dress your.
self in clean calico; to greet your family
with pleasant smile, and a cheerful 'good
morning;' to drink your coffee and hold your
knife and fork properly, and partake of what
was set before you without any disparagng
comments this would have done infinitely
more than any boarding school ever can, to.
ward making you lady,"
Alas, what can boarding schools do when
building on such foundation ! What, but
add o few superficial airs and graces, little
smattering of French and music, little
more fohdness for dress and outside show,
which will make the innate vulgarity all
the more conspicuous.
1t is sad to see the false ideas of refine.
nent and gentility which exist in many New
England homes. To make lady of the
daughter is often the great end and aim for
which great sacrifices afe made, and yet they
so train her, as to make her totally unrefined
and vulgar in dress, manners and feelings.
To be lady, seems to mean in their vocabu-
larry an expensively, fashionably dressed fe-
male, who looks with contempt on the USE
full home occupations, and dawdles tound the
house with q piece Of soiled embroidery in
her hands; who plays few tunes on the
piano or guitar, and who has been taught q
few conventional phrases, and affects Ger.
tain style and air, which imply vast supe-
riority over those around her. A lady
"Good heavens and ministers of grace de.
fend us' from all such A lady! Oh, i,
is downright desecration thus to apply Q
word SO significant of all that is gentle and
kind and modest-a word, that first of all, il
synonymous with neatness and amiability
and thoughtfulness Of those about US:
II mothers, ambitious for their daughters
success in life, would only understand tina
to make them refined and lady.like, they
must educate them fot 1t alone, instead o
relying on the tinsel ornaments of board
| ing school education; that underlying al
external graces of manner, there must be
foundation of modest, refnd thoughts, ant
womanly feelings to make them such al
shall please the higher classes Of society