62 



A PEW WOBDS TO THE WOMEN OF CANADA. 



A FEW WOEDS TO THE WOMEN OF CANADA. 



Thoucu the following remarks are addressed to the 

 women of Canada, we think that many things con- 

 tained in the conimunication are equally applicable 

 elsewhere, and commend them to our readers. 



" Her hu.sUand is known in the gates when he sitteth among the 

 •UliTS of the hmii. 



" She loolteth well to the wavB of her householJ, and eateth not 

 the bread of idlenes9."^jPro«. 31, xxUi.-xxvil. 



Thk education of the young females in a colony is 

 a matter of great importance to its prosperity, more, 

 too, perhaps, than it may at first appear to us; but 

 on reflection, the thinking mind will perceive that the 

 future greatness of the new country will be materi- 

 ally affected by the character of those who are des- 

 tined to be the wives and mothers of its colonists. 

 If our daughters are brought up to follow a hfe of 

 mere vanity and frivolity now, can they assist in 

 bringing up energetic, industrious and virtuous sons? 



If the tree be weak, so also will be the branches, 

 and the fruit that springs from them corrupt and in- 

 sipid. 



It was one of the glories of the matrons of ancient 

 Rome to be the mothers of great and good citizens. 

 To merit this honor they also must have labored to 

 train up their sons to be brave, useful and honorable 

 men. Had the daughters of Rome given their minds 

 «nly to idle vanity, where would have been the line 

 of heros, lawgivers or statesmen who have astonished 

 the world by their prowess, and enlightened barbar- 

 ous nations by the blessings of useful knowledge be- 

 stowed upon them in the arts and manufactures, left 

 as a lasting legacy by the conquerors to the con- 

 quered? Why should not the daughters of Canada 

 emulate the matrons of old Rome? Have they not 

 also the great and glorious privilege of being the 

 nurses of a nation which may in the course of time, 

 and that at not a distant period, equal or surpass any 

 upon the face of the globe? 



Wives and mothers, and you, young daughters of 

 Canada, the elements of a growing country's pros- 

 perity are in your hands. Your examples, your 

 teaching and moral training may make us a great, 

 and good, and noble-minded people — the pride and 

 glory of all lands. But will it be so? 



We have often heard strangers make the remark, 

 that the young women brought up in Canada, with 

 fxccllent natural talents, are, nevertheless, more friv- 

 olous in mind and manner than those of Britain, or 



in the other States of America. The justice ol 

 last part of the remark, I am incompetent to d( 

 upon, my acquaintance with the young females o 

 United States being very Umited. 



We hear continually young men who have em 

 ted from the old country object to taking wives 

 among the Canadians. They want cheerful sen 

 partners, who are able and willing to take an a 

 part in their houses, to guide and assist, if neces 

 not as a slave and mere drudge, but as a mistre 

 kindly, cheerfully and with that moral dignity w 

 commands at once respect, and inspires afiection 

 ■ji household. 



Mothers err greatly in imagining that to i 

 their daughters accomplished (and this they thinl 

 only be done by sending them to school in one c 

 larger towns) they are making them ladies, and 

 ing them in the scale of society. This is a , 

 error: the superficial acquirement of a little n 

 dancing, (as taught,) drawing, and the various 

 of embroidery in wool or cotton, is not to be at 

 plished. Still further off is the grace of mind 

 manners, and feeling, which alone constitute £ 

 gentlewoman. A sensible, graceful young wi 

 will adorn any station in Ufe, even if she posses: 

 one single accomplishment (commonly so ca 

 Such an one, though she may be plain in persor 

 be sought out as a companion for life, by men 

 will choose her in preference to the giddy, vain, 

 girl, whose only attraction consists in a pretty 

 and a display of accompUshments imperfectb 

 quired, and which, having been learned merely 

 task, are discontinued in a few years, because i 

 distasteful. 



There are natural gifts which should be cultiv 

 and which are sources of pleasure to the posse 

 as well as their friends. Among these may be rai 

 first, the possession of a musical voice and co 

 ear, which, even unassisted, will yet be a soun 

 enjoyment; nor would we shut our young Cana( 

 out from any rational and intellectual source 

 amusement for which they have a natural taste, 

 only object to those things being made the sole o 

 pation of early life to the exclusion of higher do 

 and all the necessary and useful employments w 

 are essentially requisite in her future station of 

 whether she be destined to play her part as the 

 of the agriculturist, the mechanic, or the merch 



To fit our younger females for a life of usefuh 

 it is highly essential that the early part of their 

 cation should be devoted exclusively to acquiring 

 plain elements of reading, writing, ciphermg 



