Woman's mission.

Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Woman's mission. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of personal character as the source of influence? In-a word, have any means, direct or indirect, prepared her for her duties ? No! but she is a linguist, a pianist, graceful, admired. What is that to the purpose ? The grand evil of such an education is the mistaking means for ends: a common error, and the source of half the moral, confusion existing in the world. It is the substi- tution of the part for a whole. The time when young women enter upon life is the one point to which all plans of education tend, and at which they all terminate; and to prepare them for that point is the object of their training. Is it not cruel to lay up for them a store of future wretch- edness, by an education which has no period in view but one ; a very short one, and the most un- important and irresponsible of the whole of life ? Who that had the power of choice, would choose to buy the admiration of the world for a few short years with the happiness of a whole life ? the temporary power to dazzle and to charm, with the growing sense of duties undertaken only to be neglected, and responsibilities, the existence of which is discovered perhaps simultaneously with that of an utter inability to meet them! Even if the mischief stopped here, it would be sufficiently great; but the craving appetite for applause once roused is not so easily lulled again. The moral