76 



THE NEW G E N E S E E F A R M E R, 



Vol. 1. 



Fanner's Daughters— Female Influence and 

 Education. 



Mr. Editor — I am truly groleful for the kind re- 

 ception which my lormer communication received; 

 ond the regard which you manifest for your female 

 readers, encturages me to ofl'er a few moie remarks 

 for the benefit of Farmers' Daughters. — In order to 

 excite them to nffort, and induce them to aim at a 

 higher standard of e.'scellence, it ia neceesary to im- 

 press them with a more elevated idea of themselves, 

 and remind them of the important influence which 

 they iiiuai exert upon the community. 



One of the greatest discoveries of modern times, is 

 the truth of the position, that females are capable of 

 high intellectual attainments, and that the good of 

 community requires that they should have great men- 

 tal culture as well as the other sex. The idea once 

 geneially prevailed, that female minds possessed so 

 lit le energy, and their influence in the world was so 

 email, that the education of daughters was a matter of 

 comparatively little importance, and it was only ne- 

 cessary to give them a superficial education, more 

 showy than substantial. Happily, however, this bar- 

 barian error is now exploded, and a host of living 

 proofs can be found to demonstrate the fact, that with 

 proper education, our sex are capable of acquiring ev- 

 ery branch of human knowledge which can improve 

 or adorn the mind; and men begin to fee that it is ne- 

 cessary for the improvement of mankind, and deman- 

 ded by the spirit of the age, that the intellectual stan- 

 dard of iae female sex should be greatly elevated. 



An eminent writer has said, "The females of Amer- 

 ica hold in their hands the destinies of this Republic; 

 nnd on their influence depends the happiness and 

 prosperity of the nation, as well as of every family." 

 Another remarks that "Nature has given woman an 

 influence over man more powerful, more perpetual 

 than his over her. From birth to death he takes 

 health and healing from her hands, under all the most 

 touching circumstances; her bosom succors him in 

 infancy, soothes him in manhood, supports him in 

 sickness and in age. Such influence aa this, begin- 

 ning at the spring time of life, and acting in all its 

 most trying moments, must improve or deteriorate 

 man's character, must increase or diminish his happi. 

 ncss, according to the moral and intellecutal grada- 

 tion of woman. This upon her improrcvicnt in par- 

 ticular, dipends human improTtmmt in general." 



I do not introduce these quotations for the sake of 

 complimenting my sex, but because I believe that 

 they contain important truths which ought to be 

 impressed on the minds of all. If such is the power 

 of female influence, what a mighty agent it can be 

 made for the improvement of the world, and how im- 

 portant it is that this influence should be rightly ex- 

 erted I Yet how generally has the subject been over- 

 looked by the majority of writers ! There are some, 

 however, who have most ably and eloquently advoca- 

 ted this cause, and whose labors have done much for 

 the improvement of our sex. The writings of Mf.s. 

 SioouR.NET, to mention no others, are exerting an in- 

 fluence upon the mothers and daughters of America, 

 which entitles her to a nation's gratitude. While on 

 thin eubjuct I cannot refrain from quoting a few re- 

 marks from her powerful a;ipeal to the guardians of 

 female education. 



"Ia it not important that the sex to whom nature 

 has intrusted the mouldmg of the whole mass of 

 mind in its first fornntion, should be acquainted with 

 the structure and developments of mind ? — that they 

 who are to nurture the future rulers of a prosperous 



of good or evil 1 that they who are commissioned to 1 be a blessing to all around them. It is a most ruinous 



light the lamp of the soul, should know how to feed u 

 with pure oil ? — that they in whose hands is the wel- 

 fare of beings never to die, shuuld be fitted to per- 

 form the work, and earn the plaudit of Heaven ? 



"That the vocation of females is U) teach, has been 

 laid down as a positiim which it is impossible to con- 

 trovert. In seminaries, acndemies, and schools, they 

 possess peculiar facilities for coming in contact with 

 the unfolding and unformed mind. It is true, that 

 only a small proportion are engaged in the departments 

 of public and systematic instruction. Yet the hearing 

 of recitations, and the routine of scholastic discipline, 

 are but parte of education. It is in tbe domestic 

 sphere, in her own native province, that woman is in- 

 evitably a teacher. There she modifies by her exam- 

 ple, her dependenis, her companions, every dweller 

 under her own roof. Is not the infant in its cradle, 

 her pupil I Does not her smile give the earliest les- 

 son to its soul ? Ia not her prayer the first messenger 

 for it in the court of Heaven ? Does she not en- 

 shrine her own image in the sanctuary of the 

 voung child's mind, so firmly that no revulsion 

 ' can displace, no idolatry can supplant it 1 Does she 

 not guide the daughter, until placing her hand in that 

 of her hubband, she reaches that pedestal, from 

 whence, in her turn, she imparts to others, the stamp 

 and coloring which she has herself received ? M.ght 

 she not. even upon her sons, engrave what they shall 

 take unchanged through all the temptations of time, 

 to the bar of the last judgment ? Docs not the influ- 

 ence of woman rest upon every member of her house- 

 hold, like the dew upon the tender herb, or the sun- 

 beam silently educating the young flower? or as the 

 shower, and the sleepless stream, cheer and invigorate 

 the proudest tree of the forest 1 



Admitting then, that whether she wills it or not, 

 whether she even knows it or not. she is still a teacher 

 — and perceiving that the mind iit its most plastic state 

 is yielded to her tutelage, it becomes a most momen- 

 tous inquiry what she shall be qualified to teach. — 

 Will she not of neceseily impart what she most prizes, 

 and best understands 1 Has she not power to im- 

 press her own lineaments on the next generation t If 

 wisdom and utility have been tlieobjectsof her choice, 

 society will surely reap the benefit. If folly and self- 

 indulgence are her prevailing characteristics, posterity 

 are in danger of inheriting the likeness. • • • 



"Of what unspeakable importance then, is her edu- 

 cation, who gives lessons before any other instructor 

 — who^ireoccupies the unwritten page of being — who 

 produces impressions which only death can obliterate 

 — and mingles with the cradle-drenm what shall be 

 read in Eternity. Well may stalesmcn and philoso- 

 phers debate how she may be best educated, who is to 

 educate all mankind." 



I am afraid, Mr. Editor, that you will think I have 

 forgotten the hint which you gave mo respecting your 

 journal; but, Sir, I believe this subject is most inti- 

 mately connected with the cause in which you are en- 

 gaged. Improve the taste and elevate the minds of 

 farmers' daughters, and you will soon remove one of 

 the greatest difBculties in the way of agriculture and 

 horticulture. The greatest obstacle to be overcome, I 

 imagine, is the want of an active, enquiring mind 

 among the mass of farmers. From want of early 

 training and proper example, the minds of the major- 

 ity have grown up in habits of thoughtlessness, or 

 become blinded by ignorance or prejudice, so that you 

 cannot arouse them to eflort or convince them that 

 improvement is desirable or possible. It is therefore 

 to the younger portion of the community that you 

 must look with the fulle.it hopes of success Let the 

 rising generation of farmers be properly educated — let 

 them have mothers and sisters who will early teach 

 Uiem to think — let their mmda be so trained, that they 

 will become intellectual, thinking, reading farmers, 

 and there will be little difBculty in the way of improve- 

 ments, or in reforming the evils which exist in onrland. 

 But first of all it is necessary, as we have seen, that 

 farmers, who consUtute three fourths of the commu- 



mistake for young persons to suppose that attending 

 school for a few years is getting an education. A ve- 

 ry important part of our education is obtained before 

 we enter school, and much more after we have left. — 

 The duty of the school teacher is only to unlock the 

 gates of knowledge and direct us a few steps in the 

 path where we may travel on, by our own efTorte, and 

 gather the flowers and fruits of wisdom with our own 

 hands. 



But I have already occupied too much space for thia 

 time, and will therefore close with a promise that in 

 my next I will endeavor to show that there are some 

 radical defects in the present system of educating far- 

 mer's daughters. Very Respectfully, &c., 



ANNETTE. 



Maple Grove, 1840. 



NATt.'RE. 



BY ROBERT C. WaTERSTOJI. 



I Love thee, Nature.— love thcc well- 

 In sunny nook and twilight dell, 

 Where birds, and heea, and l.lossoms dwelV 



And Icnves and flowers ; 

 And winds in low sweet voices tell 



Of happy hours. 



1 love thy clear and running streams. 

 Which mildly flash with silver gleams. 

 Or darkly lie, like shadow dreams, 



To bless the sight; 

 While every wave with tieauty teemt. 



And smiles delight. 



I love thy forest deep and lone, 



AVhere twilight shades arc ever thrown. 



And murmuring winds wilh solemn tonoi 



Go slowly by, 

 Sending a peal like ocean moan. 



Along the sky. 



I love to watch at close of day. 

 The heavens in splendor melt away. 

 From radiant gold to silver gray. 



As sinks the sun : 

 While stars upon their trackless way. 



Come one by one. 



I love, I know not which the best. 

 The little wood-bird in its nest, 

 The wave that mirrors in its breast. 



The landscape true, 

 Or the sweet flower by winds caressed. 



And bathed in dew. 



They all are to my bosom dear. 

 They all God's messengers appear — 

 Preludes to songs Ihat ansels hear — 



Mute prophecies — 

 Faint tyres of a resplendant sphere 

 Beyondthe skies I 



poople, should be able tn domonstrnte from the brond nity, ebould give their daughters a better education. — 

 ennnia of hietory. the value ol' jiist lavvd, and the duiv i By this I do not mean that all should have more school- 

 ofobaervaiion-'.he bleedings which they inherit, and ing, although that ia nocc6Bnry wilh mr.ny, but thai 



the danger uf their nbiipe 1 Is it not requisite, that 

 they on who^e bosom the infant heart must be chcriah- 

 e-i, should bo ^igiIantto watch its f-arlicst fulsaiion*" 



they should have such mental culture as wdl fit them to 

 fill thoir etntionfi in life with plesEurc to thpm8eI''Ci,A'. 



THE MOU.MNG OF SPRING. 

 Once more the genial sun appCRrs, 



His bright beams glance from hill and stream. 

 And all a chastenei radiance wears 



Where wlmcr in his path has been. 

 I love to see the first sweet smile 



That lightens up the joyous wood — 

 It hath a spell tliat can begui'o 



The spirit of its solitude. 

 And oh I to feel the southern breeze 



Fan from the brow the flush of care. 

 To list the music in the trees, 



W^hich its warm breath \s waking there. 

 Hath more to cheer the spirit's gloom, 



To check the all unbidden sigh, 

 Than all the pride of summer's bloom. 



Or radiance of its golden sky. 



A mystery is the human heart. 



A mystery arc its secret tones. 

 That waken only to ihe touch 



Of Naxl're's magic hand alone; 

 And then a Thrill of kindre i feeling 



Bursts o'er the soul with rapture's spell. 

 And sorrow flies its rich revealing. 



Yet whence it is we cannot tell, 

 But this we know, that lone nnd sad, 



AVc feel it— and our hearts are glad. 



ff^hitc Pi^on Repihliean. 



