The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-21
"Home ThrHsts, or Marrying and
Giving in Marriage,
LECTUBE BY MSS ANA pIcKTysoy

"Home Thrusts, or Marrying and
Giving in Marriage"
LECTURE BY MISS ANNA DICKSON.
II there was ever ? need of testimo-
ny, It Is in regard to this matter of the
training and education of young girls.
looking forward to what IS popularity
denominated a settlement in life. This
expression has been so universally
used that 1t has now become q by-Word,
and people use it without seeing that
1t Is an insult and outrage to women
everywhere. Women cannot be settled
liked and established until She can dis
cover the man to whom she can tie
fast and anchor. From the earliest
time upward, the woman of the pres
ent day is taught that the one end OF
her life Is marriage-the one happiness
and ambition of her life, marriage-the
only opportunity to be OF do anything.
marriage-and the only sphere in
which she can develop her powers or
be Of service to herself or others, mar
riage-everywhere by and everybody
Is 3 advised to get q husband. Tne
boy on the other hand is educated for
manhood; he is to 20 through his
~schoollife, through the university and
college; he is to choose his trade, bust
mesa, profession, or calling; he is 10 earn
money and make for himself a home.
And then, having educated himself,
and having got a home, society says
TO him: "rake a vile TO help spend
the money, and TO be + useul
and ornamental appendage of that
home The MAJ is educated, not for
husbandhOod, but for manhood and
why is the woman not educated for
~womanhood There are many evils
that arise to both sexes from this diff
ference IN their education. 1t in the
first place makes the girls deceitful
Perhaps they are not themselves con-
scious Of II, but a woman cannot now
be simple and unaffected with an un-
married nan about her. This breaks
up the right and rational intercourse of
the young men and women. There are
many cases in which good might ensue
to both exc by simple friendship with
out love; but as things now stand, sim.
pie friendship between them is impos-
sible The women, therefore, become
indifferent TO everything else but mar
riage-indilferent 70 books, 10 mental
culture, 10 the cultivation of their own
nobler aspirations, 10 everything but
marriage. But some will say, there is
no necessity 10 become learned and
philosophers let them wash and scrub,
and bake and iron Well, these are ali
v.rv 40. fhsnru avI an, nulv oorrv
that they are not more thought of but
1 believe that ali these things could be
done SIS well, aye, and better, if the
girls possessed a thorough and lib.
eral education. As TO the accom-
plishments which were now taught
them, they were not education-they
were only bestowed 10 enhance her
10 be OF any great value after the bar
gain had been concluded. But some
will say that women has been made by
the Great Artihcer, smaller and weaker,
and shaIiower iE brain, and mind, and
intellect than man, and that il would
be absurd TO attempt TO teseb Der in
two or three years what men only im-
perfectly learn in eight OF ten. Well,
II tocietv. &c the world, were only
| pleased with the resglt Of the work of
ia own hands If it liked and compi-
| mented these same ome sc il makes
them. ], as a woman, might put my
finger on my lips and keep silence.
! But il Is not so. SOciety sneers, and
taunts, and insults the woman 10
/ whom il has refused the means OF I'M
/ movement Every day ] shrink and
/ shudder. and cover at the insults
/ heaped upon my ~sez--+rsts m what so
| aiety makes them; and secondly in the
taunts, and insults thrown upon tneE2
| do. indeed, believe that God Al
mighty made women weak and shall
low, and frivolous and vain; but it was
only TO match tho men. IL, indeed,
women are inferior 20 men, still ask
that q chanCs be given them TO decide
the point. and to enable them to stand
as God aud nature intended them TO
stand. We have neyer YET been per
mitted TO hsye the same opportunity
as our brothers.
Mics Dickinson then proceeded 90 re
view the various other pleas advanced
against the equal education Of the sex
Is. She said that il was not necessary
that the woman should be able TO stand
side by side with nan ia any avenue OF
life: bat il was necessary for the int
rest and well-being of both that she
might be able 10 sympathIze with the
labor and work Of the man. But al
present they took the souls and intel
iect and inspiration Of a woman, and
treated them as you treat sn acorn, 10y
putting it in a flower pot and prevent
Ing it's growth by every possible ccntri
Vtucc. lest il should break the flower
not Women were consequently driven
1, sin by their thus being united fOI
the higher spheres Of being. Probably
the chief reason Of the hardness and
Injustice and cruelty of women, thf
one TO the other, might be found
in the fact that they were taught &c
regard marriage as the great aim OF
their life They were brought to an
oyercrowded market, npd we're forced
10 sell their own wares by underwriting
those Of their neiEhbors. Mise Dick
ipson then adverted at some length &C
the proposed female immigration Of .0t
women TO Washington Territory, and
stated that she seriously ~apprehended
that evil only would eosue from the
expedition. On the Western o
there were no mile or cities, or any
other sphere Of employment for Tomen.
and the only chance, She feared, on
reaching their destination, would be to
get married in forty-eight hours after
their arrival. She concluded her leo
tura by an eloquent appeal TO society,
TO ali men and women Of influence and
power. 10 unite ia extending an equal
punishment in respect 10 tue social
evil 20 both men and womer, A.
thinrs stood, by one ofense the woman
removed herself from sll hope Of again
treading iR the paths OF purity ano
happiness She EEa aB outcast ana
abandoned, and no repentance could
atone for her fault The nan vac.
however, in 40 way preiudiced by hav.
ing committed fes sGqiscreuons. In.
deed, by some, even 10y some women, he
was thought sll the more eligible and
desirable IS q husband on that very
account She called upon all gust ami
righteous 10 change this cruel and
wicked difference ip Judgment
SCoyGl.
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