Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-18
ALLAROUT NYOnEN.

Women, as a general rule, are not useful
ly educated in this country. They are chief
~ taught those accomplishments which the
experience Of their mothers has proven to be
best calculated to attract young men, and
consequently TO insure husbands Music,
dancing, French, and Italian, are considered
indispensable to the "linishS Of any Young
lady, in these degenerate days, but the more
solid qualities which, in the olden time, were
esteemed so necessary IN the female cata-
logue Of charms in the good old times" are
out Of date, IN sooth, they are pronounced
in elegant society, de 6op, and stigmatized
as vulgar. The woman who, not many
years ago, was a non-profcient in The cult
nary art, and inexpert with her needle, was
deemed an unfit candidate for matrimony.
lfshe could not make rare pie, dish up a
meal in peculiarly attractive style, turn out
a superior loaf Of bread, knit a pair of stock
ings with taste, and sew up garments with
exemplary celebrity, she was Stunned by
the male sex, and pitied by her own, as sad
ly defective. But now, tout celia est chanqel
The woman dextrOus in such performances
demonstrates her own unhtness for position
in the world Of fashion. Husbands are sup
posed to live upon the sound Of piano, and
10 be ready, in the most distressing moments,
20 60 of into harmonious ecstacies at the first
intimation Of a brilliant duet. They are
presumed 10 be totally Indifferent in respect
20 what they eat or weaf-to have a noble
contempt for such vulgar things as shirt but
tons-to contemplate woman too imagina-
lively to suspect her culpable Of a know
ledge Of anything but the toilette and bellies
lettres.
With this ideal conception Of the charac-
snNa n -. l.
dies necessarily aim only at the acquisition
Of corresponding qualifications They aim
at sentimentality and romance, instead Of
substantial common sense, and permanent
informationl The result is an exuberance
Of satisfaction during the halcyOn DAYS Of
courtship, and the saccharine honrs Of the
honeymoon; but when the angel Of a wife
subsides, in time, into the incapable domes-
tic partner, and the love Of husband de-
generates into the satiated master Of the
house, then CONES a season Of remorse, Of
melancholy, of mutual reeimination and mu-
tual animosity. Should fate make such
helpless wife q widow, and necessity throw
her upon her own resources for the support
Of herself and family, unhappy indeed must
she be IN her destitution. Her expensive ac-
complishments will neither provide bread
for her children nor consolation for herself
Music will not silence the cry Of hunger;
dancing will not exercise the gaunt fend we
call Want. Sorrow refuses to submit to the
siren song Of an affected mirth. Seldom can
one Of these wasted talents be turned, in such
dilemma, 10 available account; and all the
precious years invested in the accumulation
Of those snowy nothings, present themselves
like 30 many ghosts Of rnis-spent moments,
but 10 chide the past for its extravaganza,
and gil the future with apprehensiOns.
Who has not seen instances of Just such
calamity Whose experience is not fraught
with some such scenes Of anguish? And yet,
how slight am element Of hope would alter
the picture-how small a knowledge Of the
business relations Of life-how little an &C
quaintance ofthose homely arts which ena-
bic the feeblest by their industry, spirit,
taste, or remunerative enterprise, to com
pietely change the view, cheer up the de-
spondent, add a silver lining to the cloud Of
grief, and produce vision Of comfort, ifnot
of independence. Why not, then, o mothers
Of Amerieal educate your daughters to a ia
miliarity With things useful as well as orna-
mentalY Why not-ohl why not-make
them practical, as well as interesting mem
bers Of society,"