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to　be　cultivated　by　all　women；　in　order　to　their　being　efficient

helpers　in　the　world's　daily　life　and　work。　　Furthermore；　to

direct　the　power　of　the　home　aright；　women；　as　the　nurses；

trainers；　and　educators　of　children；　need　all　the　help　and

strength　that　mental　culture　can　give　them。



Mere　instinctive　love　is　not　sufficient。　　Instinct；　which

preserves　the　lower　creatures；　needs　no　training；　but　human

intelligence；　which　is　in　constant　request　in　a　family；　needs　to

be　educated。　　The　physical　health　of　the　rising　generation　is

entrusted　to　woman　by　Providence；　and　it　is　in　the　physical　nature

that　the　moral　and　mental　nature　lies　enshrined。　　It　is　only　by

acting　in　accordance　with　the　natural　laws；　which　before　she　can

follow　woman　must　needs　understand；　that　the　blessings　of　health

of　body；　and　health　of　mind　and　morals；　can　be　secured　at　home。

Without　a　knowledge　of　such　laws；　the　mother's　love　too　often

finds　its　recompence　only　in　a　child's　coffin。　（19）



It　is　a　mere　truism　to　say　that　the　intellect　with　which　woman　as

well　as　man　is　endowed；　has　been　given　for　use　and　exercise；　and

not　〃to　fust　in　her　unused。〃　　Such　endowments　are　never　conferred

without　a　purpose。　　The　Creator　may　be　lavish　in　His　gifts；　but　he

is　never　wasteful。



Woman　was　not　meant　to　be　either　an　unthinking　drudge；　or　the

merely　pretty　ornament　of　man's　leisure。　　She　exists　for　herself；

as　well　as　for　others；　and　the　serious　and　responsible　duties　she

is　called　upon　to　perform　in　life；　require　the　cultivated　head　as

well　as　the　sympathising　heart。　　Her　highest　mission　is　not　to　be

fulfilled　by　the　mastery　of　fleeting　accomplishments；　on　which　so

much　useful　time　is　now　wasted；　for；　though　accomplishments　may

enhance　the　charms　of　youth　and　beauty；　of　themselves　sufficiently

charming；　they　will　be　found　of　very　little　use　in　the　affairs

of　real　life。



The　highest　praise　which　the　ancient　Romans　could　express　of　a

noble　matron　was　that　she　sat　at　home　and　span〃DOMUM　MANSIT；

LANAM　FECIT。〃　　In　our　own　time；　it　has　been　said　that　chemistry

enough　to　keep　the　pot　boiling；　and　geography　enough　to　know　the

different　rooms　in　her　house；　was　science　enough　for　any　woman；

whilst　Byron；　whose　sympathies　for　woman　were　of　a　very　imperfect

kind；　professed　that　he　would　limit　her　library　to　a　Bible　and　a

cookery…book。　　But　this　view　of　woman's　character　and　culture　is

as　absurdly　narrow　and　unintelligent；　on　the　one　hand；　as　the

opposite　view；　now　so　much　in　vogue；　is　extravagant　and　unnatural

on　the　otherthat　woman　ought　to　be　educated　so　as　to　be　as　much

as　possible　the　equal　of　man；　undistinguishable　from　him；　except

in　sex；　equal　to　him　in　rights　and　votes；　and　his　competitor　in

all　that　makes　life　a　fierce　and　selfish　struggle　for　place　and

power　and　money。



Speaking　generally；　the　training　and　discipline　that　are　most

suitable　for　the　one　sex　in　early　life；　are　also　the　most　suitable

for　the　other；　and　the　education　and　culture　that　fill　the　mind　of

the　man　will　prove　equally　wholesome　for　the　woman。　　Indeed；　all

the　arguments　which　have　yet　been　advanced　in　favour　of　the　higher

education　of　men；　plead　equally　strongly　in　favour　of　the　higher

education　of　women。　　In　all　the　departments　of　home；　intelligence

will　add　to　woman's　usefulness　and　efficiency。　　It　will　give　her

thought　and　forethought；　enable　her　to　anticipate　and　provide　for

the　contingencies　of　life；　suggest　improved　methods　of　management；

and　give　her　strength　in　every　way。　　In　disciplined　mental　power

she　will　find　a　stronger　and　safer　protection　against　deception

and　imposture　than　in　mere　innocent　and　unsuspecting　ignorance；　in

moral　and　religious　culture　she　will　secure　sources　of　influence

more　powerful　and　enduring　than　in　physical　attractions；　and　in

due　self…reliance　and　self…dependence　she　will　discover　the　truest

sources　of　domestic　comfort　and　happiness。



But　while　the　mind　and　character　of　women　ought　to　be　cultivated

with　a　view　to　their　own　wellbeing；　they　ought　not　the　less　to　be

educated　liberally　with　a　view　to　the　happiness　of　others。　　Men

themselves　cannot　be　sound　in　mind　or　morals　if　women　be　the

reverse；　and　if；　as　we　hold　to　be　the　case；　the　moral　condition　of

a　people　mainly　depends　upon　the　education　of　the　home；　then　the

education　of　women　is　to　be　regarded　as　a　matter　of　national

importance。　　Not　only　does　the　moral　character　but　the　mental

strength　of　man　find　their　best　safeguard　and　support　in　the　moral

purity　and　mental　cultivation　of　woman；　but　the　more　completely

the　powers　of　both　are　developed；　the　more　harmonious　and　well…

ordered　will　society　bethe　more　safe　and　certain　its　elevation

and　advancement。



When　about　fifty　years　since；　the　first　Napoleon　said　that　the

great　want　of　France　was　mothers；　he　meant；　in　other　words；　that

the　French　people　needed　the　education　of　homes；　provided　over　by

good；　virtuous；　intelligent　women。　　Indeed；　the　first　French

Revolution　presented　one　of　the　most　striking　illustrations　of　the

social　mischiefs　resulting　from　a　neglect　of　the　purifying

influence　of　women。　　When　that　great　national　outbreak　occurred；

society　was　impenetrated　with　vice　and　profligacy。　　Morals；

religion；　virtue；　were　swamped　by　sensualism。　　The　character　of

woman　had　become　depraved。　　Conjugal　fidelity　was　disregarded；

maternity　was　held　in　reproach；　family　and　home　were　alike

corrupted。　　Domestic　purity　no　longer　bound　society　together。

France　was　motherless；　the　children　broke　loose；　and　the

Revolution　burst　forth；　〃amidst　the　yells　and　the　fierce　violence

of　women。〃　（20）



But　the　terrible　lesson　was　disregarded；　and　again　and　again

France　has　grievously　suffered　from　the　want　of　that　discipline；

obedience；　self…control；　and　self…respect　which　can　only　be　truly

learnt　at　home。　　It　is　said　that　the　Third　Napoleon　attributed　the

recent　powerlessness　of　France；　which　left　her　helpless　and

bleeding　at　the　feet　of　her　conquerors；　to　the　frivolity　and　lack

of　principle　of　the　people；　as　well　as　to　their　love　of　pleasure

which；　however；　it　must　be　confessed；　he　himself　did　not　a　little

to　foster。　　It　would　thus　seem　that　the　discipline　which　France

still　needs　to　learn；　if　she　would　be　good　and　great；　is　that

indicated　by　the　First　Napoleonhome　education　by　good　mothers。



The　influence　of　woman　is　the　same　everywhere。　　Her　condition

influences　the　morals；　manners；　and　character　of　the　people　in　all

countries。　　Where　she　is　debased；　society　is　debased；　where　she　is

morally　pure　and　enlightened；　society　will　be　proportionately

elevated。



Hence；　to　instruct　woman　is　to　instruct　man；　to　elevate　her

character　is　to　raise　his　own；　to　enlarge　her　mental　freedom　is　to

extend　and　secure　that　of　the　whole　community。　　For　Nations　are

but　the　outcomes　of　Homes；　and　Peoples　of　Mothers。



But　while　it　is　certain　that　the　character　of　a　nation　will　be

elevated　by　the　enlightenment　and　refinement　of　woman；　it　is　much

more　than　doubtful　whether　any　advantage　is　to　be　derived　from　her

entering　into　competition　with　man　in　the　rough　work　of　business

and　polities。　　Women　can　no　more　do　men's　special　work　in　the

world　than　men　can　do　women's。　　And　wherever　woman　has　been

withdrawn　from　her　home　and　family　to　enter　upon　other　work；　the

result　has　been　socially　disastrous。　　Indeed；　the　efforts　of　some

of　the　best　philanthropists　have　of　late　years　been　devoted　to

withdrawing　women　from　toiling　alongside　of　men　in　coalpits；

factories；　nailshops；　and　brickyards。



It　is　still　not　uncommon　in　the　North　for　the　husbands　to　be　idle

at　home；　while　the　mothers　and　daughters　are　working　in　the

factory；　the　result　being；　in　many　cases；　an　entire　subversion　of

family　order；　of　domestic　discipline；　and　of　home　rule。　（21）　　And

for　many　years　past；　in　Paris；　that　state　of　things　has　been

reached　which　some　women　desire　to　effect　amongst　ourselves。　　The

women　there　mainly　attend　to　businessserving　the　BOUTIQUE；　or

presiding　at　the　COMPTOIRwhile　the　men　lounge　about　the

Boulevards。　　But　the　result　has　only　been　homelessness；

degeneracy；　and　family　and　social　decay。



Nor　is　there　any　reason　to　believe　that　the　elevation　and

improvement　of　women　are　to　be　secured　by　investing　them　with

political　power。　　There　are；　however；　in　these　days；　many

believers　in　the　potentiality　of　〃votes；〃　（22）　who　anticipate　some

indefinite　good　from　the　〃enfranchisement〃　of　women。　　It　is　not

necessary　here　to　enter　upon　the　discussion　of　this　question。　　But

it　may　be　sufficient　to　state　that　the　power　which　women　do　not

possess　politically　is　far　more　than　compensated　by　that　which

they　exercise　in　private　lifeby　their　training　in　the　home

those　who；　whether　as　men　or　as　women；　do　all　the　manly　as　well　as

womanly　work　of　the　world。　　The　Radical　Bentham　has　said　that　man；

even　if　he　would；　cannot　keep　power　from　woman；　for　that　she

already　governs　the　world　〃with　the　whole　power　of　a　despot；〃　（23）

though　the　power　that　she　mainly　governs　by　is　love。　　And　to　form

the　character　of　the　whole　human　race；　is　certainly　a　power　far

greater　than　that　which　women　could　ever　hope　to　exercise　as

voters　for　members　of　Parliament；　or　even　as　lawmakers。



There　is；　however；　one　special　department　of　woman's　work

demanding　the　earnest　attention　of　all　true　female　reformers；

though　it　is　one　which　has　hitherto　been　unaccountably　neglected。

We　mean　the　better　economizing　and　preparation　of　human　food；　the

waste　of　which　at　present；　for　want　of　the　most　ordinary　culinary

knowledge；　is　little　short　of　scandalous。　　If　that　man　is　to　be

regarded　as　a　benefactor　of　his　species　who　makes　two　stalks　of

corn　to　grow　where　only　one　grew　before；　not　less　is　she　to　be

regarded　as　a　public　benefactor　who　economizes　and　turns　to　the

best　practical　account　the　food…products　of　human　skill　and

labour。　　The　improved　use　of　even　our　existing　supply　would　be

equ