Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-05-24
For the Yorkville Enquirer.

LETTERS FROM A FATHER.---No.s.
Kesssrs. Editors: In my last two letters,
have attempted to specialize first the condition
of my whole family and then that Of my daugh-
ters simply, from the impaired state Of my affairs
and their uniupaired folly and extravaganza.
said that my family had continual struggle,
now, to Keep up appearances on my slender in
come, and that my daughters, having neither the
industrious habits suited to the poor man nor the
gold to sell them into marriage, were acceptable
to no class of beau1 that could conceive Of.
said farther, that honestly thought all girls,
rich or poor, ought to know something about do
mestic affairs; and promised to speak of this
matter again. The richest girl may be reduced
to circumstances in which, without these domes-
tic qualities, she would be an insupportable
burden, instead of helpmeet, to her husband;
and, though her riches remain and she be sur.
rounded with every luxury all her life, these
qualities will contribute immensely to the order
arrangement of herhousehold, and consequent :.
ly to her family's happiness. They serve as a
good background for the liveiier display Of all
the higher decorations Of the intellect and heart
Besides all this, no girl can know the condition
Of her future spouse, nor the sphere Of life in
which she will be called to move; and she ought
therefore, to be prepared for any and every e.
mergency. One Of the great follies Of the times
..-ca Loxl IL o,I
education. 1t is this the young are prepared
for only one sphere Of life, and that sphere of
prosperity and even luxury. The golden haired,
blue eyed goddess of hope beckons them on to
Aowery fields of ease, and rosy bowers of bliss );
and they 60 dancing and tripping along the path
of life without thought of the evil days to come
Such mere bubbles of human nature soon break;
such butterflies soon futter out their summer
day and expire. This false aud oue-sided system
of education brings the young at length to the
marriage altar without an Offering to lay on it.
They float down the stream Of youth as gaily as
Cleopatra along the Cydnus-their boat, love
their pilot, hope; their sails spread to breezes
from the "Mountains of Delectation" n"-utterly
helpless to weather the storm, when they reach
the rough seas of real life,
In what striking contrast to these are the rosy,
healthful, active, business girls who, like our
proud Palmetto State, are "animis opibusque
parate" for the battle of life; girls who are Wig
large hearted, strong bodied; who
know the duties of wife and mother, and know.
ing will be proud and glad to perform them II
The women who are prepared to adorn the par
lor and the kitchen alike; to nurse sick ne
gro, or entertain their husbands friend from
Congress to cook cabbage, or analyze crys-
to roast beef or theorize with Prof.
P. on the interplanetary spaces, or the habit
ableness of the moon; to direct and assist in the
entire routine of the house, kitchen and garden
as we'll as talk sensbly about the sciences,
history and poetry these are the
women for the times, the women to make nome
4 paradise, to make husbands proud Of them'
70 bear and train priucely and queenlY off,
spring. and thus to bless posterity.
Perhaps still stronger argument for what l
nav term domestic education-one that will,
ind ought to, go very far with girls-is that the
chances Of marrying are increased precisely in
he ratio of their ability to fulfill and adorn the
marriage relation. The girl that has one house.
vfe quality, has one prospect of marrying; the
me with two has two prospects, and so on. Now
he girl that has the greater number of offers,
tands the better chance of being pleased with her
husband for she has the more freedom in choice,
nd the greater room for the exercise Of her
Judgment and the qualification of her affection.
Besides this, the girl who is prepared to make
cod wife will receive proposals, generally speak
ug from that class of men who make good hus-
lands. Thus the probabilities of happy and
ortunats marriage are very greatly increased By
be possession of many and attractive qualifca- I
ions fol, this position in life. ''@ .'...~.
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