college or the school-room, in which the all-absorbing thoughts and interests which now present themselves were never so much as hinted at, still less prepared for as things which would have inevitably to be met,-as facts upon which so much of their future happiness or misery would hang. What can women, thus prepared —or rather, thus not prepared at all-do, but believe what is presented to them, with so many attestations to its truth? Especially are they disposed to believe what they see and hear; because the extreme preference evinced by men,-by the wise and the clever quite as much as the ignorant and the foolish,-the preference evinced in the drawing-room for beauty, grace, accomplishments, smiles, elegance, and prettiness of every kind, is, as already said, made clearly manifest to them at a time of life when impressions are most easily produced; when their own unformed characters are most facile and pliant; and when, owing to many combining causes, the admiration and the kind attentions of the other sex are perhaps more valued than at any other period. How, I would ask, is a young lady entering society with a predisposition to take the bias of her character from the stronger sex-how is she to suppose, from the general tone of her intercourse with gentlemen, that her sound good sense, her useful information, her knowledge of common things, with her capacity of understanding things higher and more remote,-above all, her truth, her sense of justice, her general benevolence, and her reverence for great and holy things, are in reality the qualities for which she will eventually be more valued than for the rose-tints of her complexion, the graceful bend of her figure, or the bright sparkle of her eye?

Even to an indifferent looker-on, it would sometimes be extremely difficult in general society to discover that men do really value women in proportion to their capability of fulfilling in the most efficient, the highest, and the noblest manner, all the duties of rational and responsible beings. And yet there comes a time when a man looks very differently upon the gentle being he has chosen as the companion of his life. There comes a time when he begins to want a judicious manager of his servants, and his household altogether, a well-informed, just, and rational trainer of his children; a skilful maintainer of his table; a prudent keeper of the household purse; an honourable and yet careful dispenser of benevolence, as well as hospitality. All these, and a thousand other offices requiring the utmost tact and judgment, are required; besides the never-tiring fireside companionship,—by no means the most easy thing to sustain with one who has perhaps been wearied, crossed, or disappointed in the business of the day. Beyond and above these are the more tender and the higher ministrations of untiring patience and affection, to be offered without officiousness and without offence and these have to be combined with qualities, both of head and heart, calculated to sustain under trial, to nerve for renewed action, and to strengthen for every fresh difficulty,-with unceasing self-government, as well as self-devotion; smiles that must be worn; hopes that must be kept alive; resources that must be husbanded; expedients devised; self all the while subdued; and, best and noblest and sweetest of all, cold looks passed over, and harsh words forgotten.

Now, if men would begin to be more honest with women in these respects-in fact, more honest with

themselves-it is not too much to believe that a vast and beneficial change would soon be brought about in the preparation of female character in general for that which it has really to be, in order to happiness as well as usefulness. Yes; though some of these offices may bear the stamp of self-sacrifice, yet is not that always woman's highest happiness, where it meets with its legitimate reward, and ensures the good for which the sacrifice is made? Even where these ends are not entirely ensured, sometimes where they are wholly denied, I still believe that woman is happier when she lives in a high moral element-when she breathes the atmosphere of an active, constant, and unselfish affection, let the reward be what it may-than when she only exists as as the centre of her own thoughts, with no higher purpose than to carry out her own desires.

By a fair and candid looking forward, then, into human life such as it is, with all its wants, necessities, and claims, aided by the rational and open dealing of man in his social intercourse with woman, I believe that a most important change would soon be wrought in female character,-that it would become wiser in decision, firmer in purpose, stronger in action; consequently happier in experience, and more capable of diffusing happiness. Not in individual instances alone would this great change be seen, but the very tone of society would be altered. Education would then become a system of general improvement to the whole character; and while no branch of learning, and no embellishment of life, would need to be neglected, there would be added to the cultivation of the intellect and the graces of the person a solid foundation of moral worth, such

as would serve for the basis of character during successive generations.

Regarding the subject in this point of view, it would not be easy to set limits to the extent of female influence, when employed on the side of the noble, the true, and the good. Nor would the difficulty of exercising the rightful prerogative of man, in this manner, and with such an end in view, be really so great as might at first seem likely, because of the natural pliancy of woman's nature, and her inherent desire to please, which ever renders her quick to perceive and to adopt whatever will recommend her to the esteem of those whose good. opinion she is anxious to obtain. Individual cases would still no doubt remain unaltered. But we are considering the good of the community; and there are perhaps few steps by which our social and moral progress could be more effectually advanced, than by men being more faithful to others, and more true to themselves, in the influence which they exercise over those who naturally look to them, and trust to them, for the bias of their own character.

After all, look where we will for help in the better adjustment of our social and moral system, the fact is undeniable that to women especially is committed the duty of imparting the earliest impress to human character; and that her influence here, whether for evil or for good, will be such as to extend not only to the utmost limit of human life, but even beyond the time when the hearts committed to her care shall have ceased to receive any farther bias from the lessons of maternal instruction, or the ministrations of human love.

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CHAP. X.

PRINCIPLES OF MORAL TRAINING.

WE hear, in the present day, a great deal about training systems, training establishments, and other exhibitions of the art of training; which, however, do not always make clear to the understanding what is meant by the word training, as distinct from teaching and governing. Distinct it must be, if we would form any correct idea of the word, but not separate; because, in order rightly to train, we must, on the one hand, teach, and, on the other, govern. All training for any practical purpose requires this: the pupil must be taught what he has to do, and he must for some time be so governed in the act of doing it, that he cannot perseveringly do wrong.

Training, while it requires that both these agencies should be put in force for the present, refers to something beyond-to a future, in which both shall be withdrawn, and when the pupil so taught and governed in the outset shall have thoroughly acquired his theoretic lesson, and, at the same time, have learned to govern himself. The nurse, however ignorant in other matters, knows this with regard to the art of walking, in which she has to train the infant under her care. She knows that a time is coming-and she is ambitious