Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-07
LECTURE by erace Greenwood.

Every seat and considerable standing room
in Mechanics Hall, was occupied last night,
on the occa sion of the second lecture of the
Mechanics course, by Mrs. Sara j. Lipin-
colt.
She first alluded, with poetic enthusiasm,
10 the glorious themes she had been tempted
to lecture upon; such as the mountains, for
baldi 1t had been suggested that her dis
course should be on woman, but she concluded
there was no need of that while many eo-
quent men were speaking in behalf of her
sex. She would leave these great themes and
deal with every day experiences, hoping to
send her audience home with a renewed rev.
erence and love for the simple beauty of
home.
Home, she said, was pre-emiuently an An
glo-Saxon institution. In England home is
what it was in the days of Queen Elizabeth,
but in America it is whispered that homes
will aeon be as scarce as the homespun of the
revolution is now. The cause of this domestic
decadence is in some degree to be attributed to
household duties. This fault lies to some ex
tent in the character and habits of American
women, and it is to be cured by giving them
a tairer swing in life.
Part of the growing contempt for domestic
affairs was because of sewing machines and
other like inventions, and she soon expected
to see babies trotted, washed and dressed, and
put to bed by machinery. Women would
love home better if allowed larger liberty.
They had been tutored and lectured upon their
duties by the fathers of the church, and ridi-
culed and lampooned by every class OF writers,
but only now and then were they addressed
| by a heart and intellect that gave satisfaction.
| The majority of the books for women, which
W ere rained upon them, were impertinent and
| impious.
She alluded to the happiness OF a young
wife, in the beginning of her housekeeping,
and said that much Of the cause for the
breaking of of this happiness was the eXclu
siveness Of the newly welded pair, which
leads the young wife to turn a cold shoulder
to her husbands old friends. The FIRST among
the essential elements for a happy household
is, that love which is slow TO take offence,
swift to forgive, capable of silence, and willing
to forego the last word
The making of home cheerful and attractive
was next dwelt upon Music has been power,
full in the affairs of nations presidents have
been lifted into power upon the breath OF song,
and "God save the Queen" is one of the chief
instruments in unfolding the British crown.
In lesser degree, music is to the household
what it is to the state Genius has a divine
right to develop itself in its own way. The
employment which it offers are the great safe
guards for young and attractive women. The
step from luxurious and purposeless life, to
profgacy, is very short. Economy is one OF
the chief guardian angels of home, while ex
travance is one of its chief destroyers. 1t is
as difficult to think of perfect home without
children, as it is TO conceive of Eden without
flowers. They bring TO it its dearest duties
and they are its GROWING beauty and grace.
We now and then meet with a wife and a
mother made, by some mistake of nature, with
out domestic or natural affections. She seems
like monster. Better a marble woman, for
that would seem what it is better a woman OF
snow, for that would melt and run away. The
speaker then alluded very eloquently to the
sanctify.ng influence of the death of children.
In conclusion, she spoke very severely of
clearinghouse life, and contrasted with it a
perfect and happy home. The lecture through
out commanded close attention.