Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-09-11
All About Women.

Women, as general rule, are not usefully
educated in this country. They are chiefly
taught those accomplishments which the expe-
rience Of their mothers has proven to be best
calculated to attract young men, and, conse-
quently, to insure husbands. Music, dancing,
French and Italian, are considered indispensa-
BILE to the finish 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 catalogue of charms in
the 'good old times,' are out Of date In
sooth, they are pronounced in elegant society,
de trop, and stigmatised as vulgar. The wo-
man who, not many years ago, was non-prof-
Gent in the culinary art, and ineXpert with her
| needle, was deemed an unfit candidate for mat
rimony If she could not make rare Die, dish
up meal in peculiarly attractive style, turn out
a superior loaf of Bread knit a pair of stockings
with taste, and sew up garments with exemplary
celebrity, she was Stunned by the male sex, and
pltled by her own, as sadly defective. But
now, tout celia est changed The woman dex-
ferrous in such performances demonstrates her
own unftness for position in the world of fash
ion. Husbands are supposed to live upon the
sound OF piano, and to be ready, In the most
distressing moments to go off into harmonic
ecstases at the first intimation of a brilliant
duet. They are presumed to be totally indif-
ferent in respect to what they eat or wear-to
have a noble contempt for such vulgar things
as shirt or button-to contemplate woman too
imaginatively to suspect her culpable of a
knowledge Of anything but the toilette and
bellies lettres
With this ideal conception Of the character
of husband in their minds, young ladies nee
essarily aim only at the acquisition of cores
ponding qualifications. They aim at sentiment
tally and romance instead of substantial COM
,Y,cr nd inf,
result is an eXuberance of satisfaction during
the halcyon days of courtship, and the saccha-
rlne hours OF the honeymoon but, when the
'angel OF wife" subsidies, in time, into the
incapable domestic partner, and the love Of a
husband degenerates into the satiated master
OF the house, then comes a season Of remorse
of melancholy, of mutual recrimination and mu-
tual animosity. Should fate make such help
less wife a widow, and necessity throw her up
on her own resources for the support Of herself
and family, unhappy indeed must she be in her
restitution. Her expensive accomplishments
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 syren song Of an affected mirth.
Seldom can one Of the wasted talents be turned,
In such dilemma, to available account; and
all the precious years invested in the accumu-
lation Of those snowy nothings, present them
selves like so many ghosts of misspent moments,
but to chide the past for its extravaganza, and
fill the future with apprehensions.
Who has not seen instances of just such ca
lamity? Whose experience is not fraught with
some such scenes of anguish? And yet, how
slight an element Of hope would alter the pic
ture-how small a knowledge of the business of
relations of life-how little an acquaintance of
those homely arts which enable the feeblest by
their industry, spirit, taste, or enterprise re-
cheer up the respondent, add silver lining to
the cloud Of grief, and produce vision of COM
fort, if not of independence! Why not, then,
0 mothers ofAmerica educate your daughters
to a familiarity with things useful as well as Or
namental? Why notch! why not-make
them practical, as well as interesting members
Of society?