The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1885-06-06

with her into company no misplaced grav-
ity, but danced, sung, played cards and
laughed like any other young girl" And
young ladies will pardon me for adding
that shs practiced needlework for her FAM
lily to the last, and while translating Epic
tetus and corresponding with learned
scholars about him she mode G. dozen shirts
for her brother, whom she had prepared for
the Un;uersity, on his setting out for Cam
bridge.
"But among her studies." says her biog-
rapher, 'there was one which she never.
neglected, one which was always dear to her
from her earliest infancy to the latest pc
riod Of her life, and in which she made
continual improvement. 1t was that Of Re-
ligion, which was her constant care and
greatest delight. Her acquaintance with
the Bible, some part of which she never
feiled to read every day, was as complete
as her belief in it was sincere, and no per-
son ever endeavored more, and few with
greater success, to regulate the whole of
their conduct by that unerring guide.
As her piety began early, SO it Travelled with
her through life. It was at all times the
most distinguishing feature of her charac-
ter 1t was indeed the very piety of the
Gospel, shown not by enthusiasm or by de-
preciating that of others, but by a calm,
rational and constant devotion and the
most unwearied attention to acquire the
temper and practice the duties of Chris
tian life.o
would prolong my discourse to tedious
length were to go into an equally ex-
tended account Of Mrs. Mary Somerville.
But her reputation is too widely known to
render it necessary for me to detail her
wonderful attainments and achievements
in the realms of science. She certainly
was great mathematical genius. None
buta mathematical genius could have made
summary of Laplace's "Mechanique Ce-
leste." Her Connection of the Physical
Sciences y and her 'sPhysical Geography"
have placed her in the foremost rank of
modern physicists and scientists. And she,
equally with Mrs. Carter, may be said to
have been self taught. In a notice Of her
' Personal Recollection" in BlaehTcood's
Magazine it is we'll said: "Of all women
who have ventured into the world of letters
Mrs. Somerville is perhaps the one who
had least occasion to recall the disabilities
Of her sex. She has been universally al
lowed to be great and admitted within the
circle of the immort;.ls without grudging
| or modification of applause" This is high
but not exaggerated praise.
Iwould like to quote further from this ap-
preeiative and interesting notice, but my
space forbids. But in pursuance Of my de-,
sign, desire to call your attention to those
traits and qualifications in this remarkable
woman that tend to confirm my view as to
the sort of education for women that I
| would advocate. When. as girl, she was
poring over her books through the night,
| (until her mother cut off her supply of can
dies, and then she would rise at daylight
and wrap herself in blanket until the fire
was made,) teaching herself to read Keno
phon and Heroditus, and mastering Euclid
SO thoroughly that she "could nearly go
| through" the six first books by heart, we
are told that it was after all the household
affairs we're over and her se,ving got through
| And as she made her own clothes, including
| her ball dresses, for she. too, was fond of
parties and dancing,) her sewing must
have been no small item. Twice married,
she was eminantly domestic, simple,
| ~, ol n
and the carefulest Of mothers, though re-
nowned sauant, and at the same time a
pretty woman, fond of society and enjoy
ing it fully" she lived to the extreme age
of So, and ended her calm and peaceful
and happy life sleeping. In her diary, a
few gears before her death, she writes: al
have lately entered my eighty ninth year,
grateful to God for the innumerable bless
ings He has bestowed upon me and my
children: at peace with all the earth, and
l trust may be at peace with my Maker
when my last hour comes, which cannot
now be far distant"
the extracts have given in my endeayor:to
bring before you the distinguished female
characters that have selected for the illus
tration of my theme. In no language of
my own could ] have SO wildly portrayed
them.
And now what is The lesson which ]
would desire you to draw from their lives!
First this: That in the training and cultiya-
ton of your intelIects and the acquisition
of learning and knowledge and accom-
plishments of all sorts,you should not lose
sight of the mportance-and, to US impov-
erished people, the necessity-of learning
and practicing those minor domestic arts
go essential to domestic comfort and hap
piness, aud which the great scholar, Mrs
Garter, and the great philosopher, Mrs
Somerville, showed were perfectly compat-
ible with the most exalted intellectual gifts
prodigious learning and continued and in
defatigable literary efforts.
And, secondly, but above all, this: That
the training of the heart and soul in the
knowledge and practice of the eternal truths
and Sublime precepts of our holy religion
is far more important, far more incumbent
upon you, and far more precious education
both for this world and the next, than the
storing of the mind with any amount o1
mere earthly knowledge and the acquire
ment of any number of so-called 50 elegan,
accomplishments"
And hope am not trencFing on theo
logical ground, in my lay sermon, if
would inculcate that broad and catholic
spirit of religious faith which would in
clude in enc great Christian family all the
trre children and followers of Christ