The Van Buren press., 1859-08-10
Female Education.
BY SYDNEY SMITH.


brilliancy but mind full of ideas, and
with that elastic spring which the love OF
knowledge only can convey, is perpetual
source of exhilaration and amusement to all
that come within It's reach, not collecting
its force into single and insulated achieve
ments, like the efforts made in the fine arts.
but diffnsine, equally over the whole of ex
isteaae, calm pleasure, better loved it
is longer felt, and suitable TO every variety
| and every period of life. Therefore, in
stead of hanging the understanding of "a
woman upon walls or hearing it vibrate
upon strings--instead of seeing it in clouds,
| or hearing it in the wind, we would make it
the first spring and ornament of society by
Ienriching,it with attainments upon which
alone such power depends,
| III the education of women were iInrrov-
Ell, the education of men would be improv-
ed also. Let any one consider Tin order to
bring the matter more home by an indiyid-
ual instance) of what immense importance
to society it is whether nobleman of nrst-
rate fortune and distinction is well or i'll
| brought up--what taste and fashion he
may inspire for private and for political
vice !--aud what misery and mischief be
NAV produce to the thousand human beings
who are dependent on himI A country
contains no such curses within its bosom
| y outh, wealth. high rank, and vice, forln
combination which battles ali remonstrance
and beats down all opposition. A man of
high rank. who combines these qnalifica-
lions for corruption, is almost the master Of
the manners OF the age and has the public
happiness within his grasp. But the most
beautiful possession which q country can
havefs noble and rich man who loves
virtue and knowledge; who, without being
feeble or fanaticai. is pious; who, without
being facetious, is frln and independent ;;
who, in his political lie, is an equitable
mediator between king and people end, III
his civil life, firm promoter of all whic =
can she'd luster upon his country, or pro-
mote the peace and order of the world
But, if these objects are Of the importance
which We attribute to them, the elucation
Of women must be important, as the forna
ton Of character Tor the first seven or eight
! years OF life seems to depend almost entire
| ly upon them.
II is certainly in the power of a sensible
aud well educated mother 10 inspire, within
that period, such tastes and propeusities as
shall nearly decide the destiny Of the future
man and this Is done not only by the in
tentional exertions of the mother, but by
The gradual and insensible imitation of the
child for there is something extremely
contagious In greatness and rectitule Of
thinking, even At that age and the charac-
Ger OF the mother, with whom he passoj his
earliest infancy.sis always an event OF the
utmost Importance TO the child. A merely
accomplished woman cannot infrse her
tastes into the minds OF her sons and, if
she could. nothing could be more unfortu-
nate than her success.
Besides, when her accomplishments are
given up, she has nothing left for it but to
amusc herself IN the best way she can and
becoming entirely frivolous, either declines
altogether the fatigue of attending to her
children, or attending to them, has neither
talents nor knowledge to succeed and
therefore, here is a plain and fair answer TO
those who ask SO triumphantly Why
should a woman dedicate herself to this
branch of knowledge? or, why should she
be attached to such science? Because, by
having gained information on these points,
she may inspire her son with valuable tastes,
which may abide by him through life, and
carry him up to all the sublimities of knowl-
edge: because she cannot Law the founda-
ton of great character if she is absorbed
in frivolous amusements, nor inspire her
child with noble desires when long course
of trihing has destroyed the little talents
which were left by bad education
1t is of great. importance to country
that there should be as many understand
ings as possible actively employed within
it. Mankind are much happier for the dis
covery OF barometers, thermometers, steam
engines, and all the innumerable inventions
in the arts and sciences. We are every day
and every hour reaping the benefit of such
talent and ingenuity. The same observa-
ton is true of such works as those of Dry
den, Pope. Milton and Shakespeare Man
kind are made happier that such individuals
have lived and written; they add every day
to the stock of public enjoyment, and per-
petually gladden. and embellish life. Now
the number OF those who exercise their un-
I derstandings to any good purpose is exactly
in proportionAo those who exercise at all
but as the matter stands at present, half the
talent in the universe runs to waste, and is
totally Improbable.
1t would have been almost as we'll for the
world, hitherto, that women, instead of
possessing the capacities they do at present,
should have been born wholly destitute of
wit, genius and every other attribute OF
nina of which men make so eminent a use;
and the ideas of use and possession are SO
united together that, because it has been the
custom in almost all countries to give wo-
men a different and worse education than
to men, the notion has obtained that they
do not possess faculties which they do not
cultivate, just as, in breaking up a com
mon, it is sometimes very difficult to make
the poor believe it will carry corn, merely
because they have been hitherto accustomed
to see it produce nothing but weeds and
grass-they very naturally mistake presen;
condition for general nature. So complete
ly have the talents Of women been kept
down, that there is scarcely single work
either Of reason or imagination, written by
a woman, which is in general circulation
either in the French, or Italian literature
scarcely one that Las crept even into the
ranks of our minor poets.
If the possession of excellent talents is
; not as Aonclusive reason why they should
be improved, it at least amounts to a very
) strong presumption and If it can he shown