The female instructor, or Young woman's companion : being a guide to all the accomplishments which adorn the female character, either as a useful member of society - a pleasing and instructive companion, or a respectable mother of a family. With many pleasing examples of illustrious females. To which are added, useful medicinal receipts, and a concise system of cookery, with other valuable information in the different branches of domestic economy.

Date:
[1812]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The female instructor, or Young woman's companion : being a guide to all the accomplishments which adorn the female character, either as a useful member of society - a pleasing and instructive companion, or a respectable mother of a family. With many pleasing examples of illustrious females. To which are added, useful medicinal receipts, and a concise system of cookery, with other valuable information in the different branches of domestic economy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    129/598 (page 119)
    ■which we have noticed, and against which the peculiar temper of the times requires young women should be guarded. There is an affectation of candour, which is almost as mischievous as calumny itself; nay, if it be less injurious in its individual application, it is, perhaps, more alarming in its general principle, as it lays waste the strong fences which separate good from evil. They know, as a general principle, (though they sometimes calumniate) that calumny is wrong ; but they have not been told that flattery is wrong also; and youth, being apt to fancy that the direct contrary to wrong must necessarily be right, are apt to be driven into violent extremes. The dread of being only suspected of one fault, makes them actually guilty of the opposite, and to avoid the charge of harshness, or of envy, they plunge into insincerity and falsehood. In this thdy are actuated either by an unsound judgment, which does not see what is right, or an unsound principle, which prefers what is wrong. Some also commend, to conceal envy; and others compassionate, to in- dulge superiority. In this age of high-minded independence, when our youth are set up for themselves, and every young man is too much disposed to be his own legislator, without looking to the established law of the land as his standard ; and to set up for his own divine, without looking to the revealed will of God as his rule; by a candour equally vicious with our vanity, we are also complaisantlv led to give the latitude we take; and it is become too frequent a practice in our tolerating young females, when speaking of their more erring and misled acquaintance, to offer for them this flimsy vindication, “ That what they do is right, if it appear right to them“ If they see the thing in that light, and act up to it with sincerity, they can- not be materially wrong.” 13ut the standard of truth, justice, and religion, must neither be elevated nor depressed, in order to ac- commodate it to actual circumstances; it must never be lowered to palliate error, to justify folly, or to vindicate vice. True Christian candour conceals faults, but it does not invent virtues. It tenderly forbears to expose the evil which may belong to a character, but it dares not ascribe to it the good which does not exist. To correct this propensity to false judgment and insincerity, it would be well to bear in mind, that while every good action, come from what source it may, and every good quality, be it found in whomsoever it will, deserves its fair proportion of distinct and willing commen- dation ; yet no character is cool), in the true sense of the word, which is not religious. In line, to recapitulate what has been said, with some additional hints :—Study to promote both intellectual and moral improve- ment in conversation; labour to bring into it a disposition to bear with others, and to be watchful over yourself; keep out of sight any prominent talent of your own, which, if indulged, might dis- courage or oppress the feeble-minded; and try to bring their modest virtues into notice. If you know any one present to possess any