Year: 1866




Our daughters-what is to be their lot in
life This is question that thousands Of
parents are now asking with peculiar So
licitude In one respect we are far more
anxious for them than for our sons for.
while our sons are likely to he SO tempted
BY their passions and position as to he gull
ty Of misconduct, our daughters. from their
sensitivcness and dependence, are more
exposed to Misfortune. Oar misgivings
as to the future of our sons is mainly on
account of what they may be tempted to
10, while onr misgirin@s as to the future
of our daughters is mainly on account of
what mag happen TO them. BY nature and
associations 4 ei.i Is, in respectable society
far ore eflectually guarded from imr:or
aiity than IA hoy, yet by no means more cf-
feetua ly guarded from suffering. Her del
icate organization, that feels SO much more
quickly the play of heat and cold, as quick
Is feels the smiles and irowns. the warmth
and chilis, in the social sphere. A woman
as such is more in the passive tone than
man. and however gifted may be her intel
lect, she rather waits on fortune than COM
manas it. The great event i'll her social
lot is type of her whole destiny. In mar
riage she is the party to be sought, and
loses her prestige the moment she seems
to be the party seeking. In the Court Of
Fortune. too, her position is much the
same. and they are few, and by no means
the most winning of their sex, who can lay
aside the usual feminine de!icaey and re-
serve, and march with bold stride up the
heights of fame and fortune, without allow
ing the sweeping skirts to interfere with
the freedom of thei- step. We may Ia
ment that it is so, and that SO many noble
women wait. and apparently in vain, for a
lot worthy OF their mind and heart; yet so
il has been, and so it is likely to be until
some signal changes are made in our So
ci;d order. There is Il great deal of per-
manent truth in what Martin Luther said
to his wife Catharine when she was weep
ing conyulsively over the body of their
dear daughter: "Do not take on so dear
wife; remember this is n very hard world
for girls and say Gods will be done. -
For girls vino have their own way to make
this is a hard world in the most obvious
nse, for it is far from easy for them to
win 4 proper living. For girls, toa, whose
way.is made for them by the wealth and
care of parents, this is not always an easy
world, for the heart may be more exacting
as means more abound, and the affections
may be starved or tortured in home over
flowing with luxuries.


In our American life the natural depen-
dence of woman upon circumstances is in
creased by variety of causes. Here wo-
man has peculiar delicaey Of physical
constitution that makes her especially sem
sitive to external influences, even when in
tnlerable health, and renders it very diff
cult for her to keep herself in full health.


Whether it is the climate, or our way of
living. or whatever may be the cause, the
fact is certain that the American girl is a
very delicate plant; beautiful, indeed in
comparison with others; more exquisitely
organized than the English and German
girl. and more sclf-relying than the Italian
or French, yet not generally strong in
nerve and muscle, and too ready to fade
before her true mid. summer has come
Tho statistics given rs by such alarmists
as Miss Catharine Beecher. in her memo.
rable and important book on the health Of
American women. may be too partial in
their character. and deal too exclusively
With the dark side of the subject, yet the
facts stated cannot be questioned. and if
there be brighter side the dark side must
still be recognized. 4H-


We have heard persons who might be
expected TO know what they say, declare