
274 KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
box. Among others, there are several from 
well-educated,, sensible women. These 
quite agree with us in all our strictures upon 
female deformity, and the shallow “ minds ” 
of the sex called “ gentle.” They admit, 
frankly, that we are in the right. But they 
insist upon it, that the fault does not rest 
with mothers only. They assure us, and we 
acknowledge the justice of the observation, 
that many men themselves prefer women 
being brought up as they are. They want 
“accomplishment,” and care nothing for 
“mind.” ‘The latter is rather a disqualifica- 
tion than a recommendation. Instances, 
which it would not be fair to drag before 
the public, are given to prove this. 
Now, is it not sad that a fashionable mother 
must sacrifice the mind and happiness of her 
daughters to “expediency?’’ Full well she 
knows that virtue and innocence are mere 
secondary qualifications, and that dancing, 
singing, playing. visiting, making morning 
calls, sight-seeing, novel reading, &c., &c., 
are all that are looked-for, — therefore, 
she plays her cards accordingly. <A corres- 
pondent, residing near Cambridge, says :— 
“A clergyman remarked lately, in my 
hearing, that if he knew the young lady he 
was betrothed to had ever put her hand to 
any of the (so-called) domestic duties of a 
house, he would never let her become his wife.” 
He added,—* the ‘duties’ of life must be 
properly respected!” This silly clergyman 
8 one of a large class of individuals moving 
in what is called a high sphere. We have 
ourself been in houses, and still have occa- 
_ sion to visit, where the same principle of 
action, and the same Luciferian pride exists. 
No person in the family—and, of course, no 
visitor—is allowed to do any one thing that 
can by possibility attach to the prescribed 
duty of a domestic. If the fire were to 
require additional fuel, and the fuel were in 
the room,—no hand must be raised to assist 
in conveying a coal to the grate. The bell 
must be rung, for the. proper person to do 
this. J¢ would be unpardonable for any 
member of the family to interfere. If the 
fire, from want of attention, should go out, 
the bell must be again rung; and a fresh fire 
made. ‘This is “ one” only, of the thousand 
things in the way of helping oneself that “a 
well-educated’ person must not do. ‘To be 
“useful,” is to be accounted vulgar ; to assist 
oneself or one’s neighbor, proves a person 
to have been very badly educated; and to 
be “‘natural” is to be ranked among the 
brutes. ‘ What were servants made for?” 
asks my Lady Givithim. That settles it! 
Fortunately, what is here averred is too 
well known for any one to attempt to con 
tradict it. The only question is, are these 
things correct? At all events, we seek to 
reform the middle classes—who are so swayed 




by these foul examples. We would convince 
them, if possible, that the nearer we can keep 
to Nature the better. Equality we have 
never contended for—never shall contend 
for. It never did exist, and never will exist. 
{t never was designed that it should exist. 
Yet must it be borne in mind, that we are all 
so nearly related to each other, that we can- 
not be independent one of the other. This should 
teach us a lesson; which, if it needs to be 
more powerfully enforced, let us stroll 
through any one of our public cemeteries. 
There we see, commingled, the dust of the 
poor and the rich. The distance that sepa- 
rated them whilst living, is here reduced. 
One common lot awaits them—and who shall 
escape it ? 
One of our amiable correspondents—C. 
Goodwyn—complains of a remark we made 
(at page 190) about women’s minds being 
defiled by novel-reading. He maintains that 
some of our novels are good and instructive, 
and rather calculated to improve than to 
debase the mind. He attributes the bad 
taste prevailing among women to the want 
of a proper education; and argues, justly 
enough, that if girls were brought up well, 
their good taste would lead them to reject 
everything that was bad. 
But they are not brought up well. They 
are taught to despise all that is natural, and 
to shine in the superficial only. Thus are 
they simply—dolls, quite unfit ‘‘ companions” 
for a domestic, quiet man. 
To talk to a modern Miss about mind, or 
the finer emotions of the soul, would be ridi- 
culous. This forms no part of her education. 
On the contrary, she is taught to jinesse on 
all occasions, and is never really “ what she 
seems.’ We do not attempt to retract what 
we have already said about circulating 
libraries. We do consider it highly wrong 
for young ladies to have free permission to 
roam where so much moral filth abounds; 
for, to this undue licence weowe much of the 
domestic misery which so often meets the 
public eye. If our West End footmen were 
cross -questioned, what tales could they tell 
of their young—aye, and old mistresses! We 
had some conversation, not long since, witha 
West End librarian touching this matter. No 
wonder, then, if our remarks are rather strong 
to the point. 
We have said so much of late about fashion 
and its absurdities, that we really grow weary 
of the subject. It is forced upon us. 
Whether in male or female, there is little to 
choose. Our women have quite given up all 
pretensions to modesty. Everywhere their 
brazen frontispieces stand out, living records 
of theirshame. We expect next, to see them 
in a state of semi-nudity; and then (we will 
answer for it) nothing abashed. “ Fashion” 
will sanction it ! 

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