The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-17
For the National Era.
MEN AND W0ME N.
The Discourse Being on Illusions and
Realities.
By GAIL. HAMILTON,

Il
But unhappiness cannot be prevented or ex.
terminated by "whereas--be il resolved ~
alone. Action is not more the chief part Of an
orator than of every other human being. II is
the necessity of every noble nature Change is
the essence Of life, and action is continuous
change-wise action, continuous advancement.
Whether grief be real or imaginary-and i'm
| aginary grief is unemployment is an excel
lent specific. All that is the very thing YOU
want-something definite to do. Well, there is
the school-house, which ninety-nine girls in
hundred enter-not because they feel that
| they have any particular call that way, but be.
cause it seems to open the only loop-hole Of
escape from inanity. That you have no taste
for the work, is the smallest possible objection.
Good, honest people, reasoning priori, affirm
that no one can be good teacher unless he
loves teaching. Educational conventions and
professional periodicals reiterate the statement,
till they perhaps come to believe it them
selves, but it is only popular fallacy. In all
my life, have known but one woman who
really loved teaching for its own sake Some
of the best teachers-the most respected and
the most beloved-have adopted it, because it
was the only work that offered and, hating it
most heartily, have accomplished it most sue
cessfuly. But it is far more probable that,
being young and inexperienced, you fancy
teaching will be the "Open sesame" to Para
dise-or triple coat of mail against all the ills
that flesh is heir to-but you may as we'll unde.
ceive yourself at once. You think it will give
you the great esideratum-employment occu-
| patton, something to think about Yes, it WILL
indeed SO much, that if you do all that YOU
see standing in need of doing, you will require
the strength of Hercules, and the days of the
planet Jupiter. If yop are strong and healthy,
you will have the satisfaction of spending Ave
or six of the best years of your life in school,
and at the expiration of that time be allowed
to leave with, honor, pale face, disordered
nerves, tired brain, and shattered constitution.
The labor required in ordinary schools of the
higher class is such, that think a woman of
average physical strength cannot spend more
than four consecutive years in them without
breaking down. The draughts on the vital en-.
ergy are so unceasng, that the srcEiJ cannot
equal the demand ann ,..e fountain Is exhaust
ed. OF course, refer only to teachers of con-
science and character. An inefficient COM
monplace routinist can drone on i'm the same
rut, al ,nfnit"m, and perhaps give aomplete
satisfaction TO an astute pubic. So If you
have been tenderly nprsed and nprfured, if
you haye lndqiged an appetite fer sick head.
aches, If you have been trained in the belief
that rest should follow labor, and that the best
work can be performed by the best conditioned
animal, engage to "wash for the ladies" at
| sixpence an hour, or enter bookbindery and
&aIe ,a hs the s la b "a d din Saa CO
or hire yourself out as nursery maid to nine
small children, but don't enter public school
and private school is no better, and :, great
deal worse; since the forE:9. only devourS YOU
| piecemeSl, 5rt ne latter swallows you whole.
| But you think it vii be Sd delightful, 40 ~
renescent, to bp surrounded by happy joyous,
bounding children. You can quote reams Of
| poetry on the subject:
| "a beautiful, and happy girl "
| Child amid the flowers aiplsy,"
| 50 simple child,
| That lightly draws lis breath
"A baby il n5ssy @elgs spring ofpleasure," etc,
all OF which | am not prepared to contra
diet but a hundred and fifty babies in
house, together, representing every stage of
infancy, from the bread and molasseS of ynres
years old, to the nutg a;d sppse coquetry of
thirteen, VII, make larger draughts on your
patience than on your poetry-and exercise
your Judgment more than your imagination.
There will be plenty of spring, but am not so
sure about the ,reH You must divest yourself,
as soon as possible, of the idea :hat all chill
dren are little white Winged angels, with golden
curls and rosebud lips Yon must prepare
yourself for diamonds in the rough, and s6,ae-
times for the rough YitsQat tue diamond. Even
where there IS diamond, you must not expect
to polish it in the twinkling of an eye Per
haps it will not fash its full lustre till the hand
that first made way for its cleaning ras
crumbled into dust. We hare all read any
number of :;,Ssiss about hordes of ferocious
boys, who have organized successful and sue
cessive rebellions, and elected long line Of
male dynasties from the profess SjoASl 9lasr, out
who have suddenly Lsap D4oNght TO roar you
as sanity as any sucking dove, by the appari-
ton of a sweet-faced, low-voced woman. Now,
l know that calmness, and gentleness, and
frmness will work wonders, where rsssop,
and violence and storm -cf peep only abPots
of re, .,,s-spa of tie whole circle Of things
that may happen to you, this may bappep bat
| would not advise you t9 sc. Your heart upon
not theological belief that the children of men
are deceitful and desperately wicked, prone to
evil as the sparks are to fly upward, you Will
be happily disappointed, if you are Disappointed
at ALL Expect to meet yormWood, SIENNA, and
Epson salts and if you do find the land over
flowing with milk and honey, you will be doubly
delighted, Be prepared to employ sternness
of tone, severity of manner, and anything else
that may be necessary; and if a fair trial con-
vince you that music has charms enough to
soothe the savages, why, then, all you win have
to do, will be to sing vita all yopF might and
main.
/ hope you wont be shocked, and think
recommend you to turn into kind Of ogress,
with the appetite of the Wantley dragon, whose
ordinary dessert was
| "Poor children three,
That could with him grapple.
But at ore sup he ate them up,
As would eat an apple: "
nor into mcdaia Medasa, with power to trans.
forgt. me trembling urchins to stone by look
only wish to give you hint Of unpleasant
possibilities, SO that, if your Spanish castle
should fall, it may not bury you in the ruins.
AS the Cat observed to the Ugly Duckhng,
g. say disagreeaSie things, but i is for your
hearts will teach you enough Of hove, and tao
spirit Of meekness tina, yoas womans nature
makes 4 incambent on one to exhort you to let
Justice temper mercy, rather than mercy temper
justice.
There are other stones Of stumbling, aJs,ps.
which You may as well be fptevsIfne1, 4Sssry
community tth;st mas snefgea from state Of
aarnarism' is infested With excellent and ex-
emplary indiyiduaIs, leaning Va the "goody-
good" accgstsisea 70 take things on trust, who
VII embrace every opportunity to speak word
In season, and out Of season, especially out OF
season, on the fearful and weighty responsible