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vas had to the roof, where they found a lad
le,. and by the help of which they descend
e,l heroically, to the top of the adjoining
house, and thence to the earth—finally gain
er the front door of the University just in
dm? to walk comfortably hack to their rooms,
filing off towards the north cscalier. as the fo
lios of the Library diverged to the South!
\ paragraph about the new Art-Journal,
0 f Messrs. Goupil, Vibert & Cos., and I will
relieve your patience. This is a neat little
monthly periodical, of some forty pages, is
sued at the low price of seventy-five cents
per annum, or sixpence per number'. It is
devoted to matters connected with the fine
arts, containing portraits and biographies of
distinguished painters, items of current in
telligence of the doings of artists ; poems,
dramatic and musical news; catalogues of
the pictures exhibiting at the Gallery of the
International Art-Union, with lists of sub
scribers to that Institution, and every sort of
information about its operations and purpo
ses. In the present number, for February, is
a lithograph picture of the late Henry Inman,
illustrated by a sketch of his life and works,
with much other agreeable matter. The list
of members of the Institution had, on the 29th
of last month, reached one hundred and twen
ty, and the distribution of the pictures for
1849 is announced to take place on the 10th
of December next. The engraving for the
year is the beautiful mezzotint, by Allais, of
Paris, entitled “ The Prayer,” after the fine
original of Dubufe. * FLIT.
£l)c (Essayist.
Far the Southern Literary Gazette.
THE LISTENER-NO, 3.
NOT BY CAROLINE FRY.
SOMETHING ABOUT WOMAN S RIGHTS.
Good reader, do not put down this paper,
and say of me, that I have listened to little
purpose, if I suppose that I can prate about
•Woman’s Rights,” and hope to find sympa
thizing and appreciating readers, at this late
hour of the day. I know the world has al
ready been, for so long a time, beset with
claimants for woman’s prerogatives-—I should
rather say, with those who mistake woman’s
prerogative—and claim for her rights never
decreed to her, that it grows sick now at the
mention of the subject, and turns with loath
ing from such unfeminine usurpations.
Therefore, do not condemn me unheard,
for. knowing your sensitiveness, this shall
not be a repetition of the offensive prescrip
tion : but I hope it will prove a wholesome
and acceptable exhibition, doing you good
rather than evil. I have not prepared tor
you a theory culled from the many books,
good, bad, and indifferent, which have direct^
cd vour attention to the “mission,” the
\ l .. ■ ‘ ‘
“sphere,” or the condition of our sex. ‘I
wish simply to tell you what I have seen,
and heard, and thereby learned, since first as
a Listener I pondered in my heart our merits
and rewards. That I have never at some
time in my life, fallen in with the ultra no
tions of the day, and sighed over the injus
tice done to woman, I will not pretend to as
sert. When I passed from the age of senti
mentalism—when Lalla Rookli and Miss
Landon were my text-books, 1 verged rapid
ly towards another and more fatal error. I
r
began to use the cant of the day about the
equality, in mental capacity, of the sexes—
nbout man’s blindness to our superiority, and
his tyranny over us —and of the customs of
s ociety, which rendered woman a mere
drudge.
1 never desired for her. a place among
statesmen, or in the sacred desk, as some
•’lave ventured to do : but surelv, 1 said, her
pen inay tell the world what her magnani
tnous and patriotic soul conceives to be tor j
her country's good : and if she brings to the
study of the Scriptures, the clear intellect >
eiDUnfSMEj Ik fl If AIEII s£B Sir ITS.
| with which she is endowed, which discerns
new beauties and more evident and important
teachings, should not her duty to instruct in
these things be evident? I think when I en
tertained such notions, I had arrived at that
1 point in my progress towards knowledge,
where illusion is strongest, and where it may
be truly said of all, that *‘a little knowledge
is a dangerous thing.” Although the peril is
over. I look back to that period with alarm,
for l am startled when l think what follies I
j might have been tempted to commit, had I
not been restrained by the maturer judgment
of 01m who was striving to guide aright my
i bewildered mind.
It is past now-7-the delusion which made
j me rebel at the ordaiuings of God’s provi
dence, in placing me in a humbler sphere
than my brother was allowed to fill; and very
thankful am I, that my “rights” as a woman
1 suffer me to avoid the publicity, the contact
with life’s harsh realities, which I then desi
red. Do not think I have retreated, from
cowardice or selfish indolence. No : I have
learned what a woman’s duties are, and I see
how impossible ii would be for her to dis
charge them, when she assumes others, and,
i stepping out of her ranks, handles weapons
too heavy for her to wield, and of whose use
; she is but imperfectly informed.
The first mention of our race in the Book
of Truth, I now clearly see, defines woman’s
I position and her comparative abilities. She
was the weaker in intellect, and therefore to
I her the temptation in Eden was addressed;
her influence over man, through the affec
tions, was wonderful, and therefore Adam
was beguiled by her to sin in like manner.—
But to her who first sinned was the promise
given, that through her should be removed
the penalty of that transgression; and mean
while, living in the hope of the fulfilment of
that blessed promise, there have devolved upon
the daughters of Eve peculiar duties, by the
faithful discharge of which, they may do
much to alleviate the wretchedness her sin
has wrought. To woman is entrusted the
I endearing care and early training of the
young, who are formed with minds upon
which her winning and persuasive influence
may be most effective. To her is given the
office of counsellor, only when the softer
heart and milder judgment of woman may
proffer counsel; and the ready sympathy is
hers, which prompts her to soothe the suffer
ings and administer to the wants of him upon
whom falls life’s sterner tasks. Her influence
is mighty in its effects, but almost invisible
in its operations. Her heart is strong only in
its noble and self-denying affections, and in
its power of devotedness and endurance.
It is true that many ages passed, during
which, man, exulting in his superior strength,
degraded the being inferior to him in that
very strength which would have diminished
her loveliness. But Christianity- laid the
foundation for that change in her condition
at which we now rejoice. When honored
among women, Mary became the mother
of Jesus—and thus, through woman, hope
dawned brightly upon the world as formerly
through her the darkness of despair had fall
en upon it—then man, becoming imbued with
the spirit of the Christian Dispensation, was
enabled to perceive the peculiar dignity of
our sex conferred by the higher qualities of
the heart and their superior culture. The
precepts of Christ on this point may he con
sidered as comprehended in his dy-ing injunc
tion to his disciple, “ Behold thy mother.” —
Thus were his followers taught to regard wo
man under the interesting relations of mothers,
sisters, and daughters, thereby inspiring them
with the regard and affection which pertain
to such relationship, while it added another
claim to their consideration for them, inas
much as the beings thus tenderly committed
to their protection, were equal sharers with
them in the touching grace of redemption,
and in their high hopes of Immortality.
And what have been woman’s rights du
ring the many centuries which have inter
vened since the Savior established and con
firmed her position ? During the times of ‘
persecution which the purer followers of
( hrist underwent from the corrupt church,
see her enjoying the right ot suffering for
conscience’ sake, or exhibiting that Sympa
thy which prompted, and that courage which
enabled her to give asylum and protection to
the persecuted, even though she drew down
on her own head the vengeance from which
she sought to shield them.
Should woman be patriotic, she need not 1
assume sword and huckler : let her learn of
Lucy Hutchinson, the noble and devoted wife
of a true patriot, how to wield her influence
for the good of her country; of Lady Rachel
Russel, and the wives, mothers and daughters,
who did so much towards achieving the inde
pendence we boast as Americans.
It is woman’s right to win a name in the
bright constellations of genius, and yet be
able to preserve her beautiful feminine attri
butes. In Philosophy, see Mrs. Sommcrvillc;
in Morals, Hannah Moore ; in Poetry, Mrs,
Hemans ; in Romance, names almost innu
merable; and in History, we find her high
soul delighting, even as far back as the days
of Anna Comnena. In truth, a very galaxy
of bright names tell us she has a right to ge
nius, and its reward of fame, if she desires it.
She has a right to do good , even in the pris
ons of wretchedness; for, did not the pious
and philanthropic Elizabeth Fry deserve as
much as good John Howard ? She has a
right to forsake her country, and accompany
her husband, to aid and coirrfort him while
toiling for souls in heathen lands; and have
not Ann Judson and Harriet Newell won
crowns of glory in their pure devotion?
All this has woman a right to do, if her
O’ ‘ y
heart prompts it, and will sustain her in it:
but she has peculiar rights., which man may
not share with her, and these form her true
glory. It is the highest earthly privilege of
our sex, that each one of us may become the
tutelary genius of a household hearth, win
ning love and bringing happiness by endow
ments of well developed mind and intellectu
al sympathies. There is woman’s influence
(strongest, her power truest and greatest; and?
from the child, who wins the brother to obe
dience, or who becomes, in a moment of
\ doubt, the outward conscience of the parent,
to the mother, who beholds the son, whose
character she has moulded, swaying with
wisdom the will of nations, does she assert
and maintain her rights.
Is there a prouder name graven on marble,
than that of “Mary, the mother of Wash
ington?” She, who “taught her son to be
good 1” Women of America, it is your right
to do as much! How did she accomplish
the high mission to which she was called ?
She stepped not out of her proper sphere,
but her influence, communicated through her
j son, was felt throughout the length and
breadth of our land. Why is it, that in our
noble republic we have not more, whose glo
: ry, reflected through a son, a brother, or a
| husband, is as pure as that which encircles
the name of “the mother of Washington ?”
Because some are too indolent to exercise the j
right of influence they possess; others, again. !
arc ignorant of their prerogatives; and still
others there are, who fatally err, and, in
j their folly, look with contempt on their high |
and beautiful mission, while they arrogate to
themselves “ rights,” from whose exercise j
: the true-hearted woman would rather shrink •
in dismay.
•
Hasty Judgment.—Coleridge tells a story ;
of meeting a stranger whose silence during
dinner time, and his attention to what others
said, without interrupting them, gave him a
favorable impression of his understanding :
till, unfortunately on the appearance of some
apple dumplings towards the close of the re
past, the delusion was dissipated by the
stranger suddenly exclaiming—“ Them's the
jockeys for me!”
£l)c .family Circle.
INGUSH CHILDREN.
Pretty children one sees in abundance ev
ery where—hn Iso nicely kept! It seems to
us that nobody knows so well how- to care
for the physique of children as the english.
They feed them with the simplest possible
food, and are astonished when they hear that
our young folks share the rich, heavy, high
seasoned dishes of their parents. Oatmeal
porridge is considered a suitable breakfast
for infant royalty itself; and a simple dinner
at one o'clock, the proper thing for children,
whose parents dine sumptuously at seven.
Exercise is considered one of the necessaries
of life; and a daily walk or ride (not drive)
in the fresh air, the proper form of it. It
might he superfluous to notice anything sh
obvious, if it were not that so many people
in good circumstances, with us, neglect this,
and keep their children immured in nursery,
or cooped up in school-rooms, with no thought
of exercise in the open air as a daily requis
ite. We wish nothing so much for these be
nighted parents, as that they shorn! once be
come acquainted with the habits and princi
ples of a well-ordered English nursery. A
reform in that quaitev is much needed among
us, and we know of no people so well able
to be our instructors, as the Engish, who
have certainly brought the nursery system to
great perfection, both as respects the comfort
and advantage of parents and children.
DO NOT BOX THE CHILD’S EAiiS.
1 was about four years old. On a certain
occasion, a dear relative, who supplied the
place of my mother, and whose heart was
the seat of all womanly affection, was con
versing where I was, with some friends, while
my occupation, the while, was to amuse my •
self with toys.
Becoming weary of this important duty, l
commenced an extemporaneous amusement,
by rocking my little chair, or rather by poun
ding its pointed legs alternately upon the
floor. This was greatly in unison with my
sentiment or feeling of rhythm, as the noise
was accurately timed, and preceded with the
mpst perfect regularity; but it did not seem
to be to the taste or edification of my dear
aunt and her company.
I “ Make less noise! ” said aunty.
Accordingly, the child, intending a strictly
literal obediancc, made the less noise.
“Make less noise, I tell you!” repeated
! aunty a, little excited.
The noise was lessened still more.
“Make less noise, or I’ll box your cars! ”
said aunty, in rather an angry voice,
j “Ab,” said the child to himself, “ what
does aunty mean? Less noise? why I am
making less noise all the time. O, now I
know; she means, ‘do not make any noise.’ ”
! And instantly the noise ceased ; but I came
! very near having my ears boxed, and my
feelings wounded, because aunty did not use
i the English language definitely.
I Parents, remember, children seemingly dis
obedient, do not always mean to disobey; be
ware, lest you “provoke them to wrath, and
they be discouraged.” [American Messen
ger* )^>
IDLE DAUGHTERS.
“It is,” says Mrs. Ellis, “a most painful
spectacle in families where the mother is the
drudge, to see the daughters elegantly dress
ed, reclining at their ease, with their draw
ing, their music, their fancy work, and their
reading; beguiling themselves of the lapseof
hours, days and weeks, and never dreaming
of their responsibilities; but, as a necessary
consequence of the neglect of duty, growing
weary of their useless lives, laying hold of
every newly-invented stimulant to rouse their
drooping energies, and blaming their fate,
when they blame God for having placed them
where they are.
“These individuals will often tell you,
with an air of affected compassion, (for who
can believe it real ?) that poor, dear mamma,
is working herself to death. Yet no sooner
do you propose they should assist her, than
they declare she is quite in her element: in
short, that she would never be happy if she
had only half as much to do.”
The Hero wiio best Conquers.—Once
two goats met on a bridge which was too
narrow to allow them either to pass each
other or to return, in which difficulty one of
the goats lay down thai the other might pass
over him. That great and good man, Mr.
Cecil, has very justly pronounced the courte
ous and accommodating goat a much finer
gentleman than Lord Chesterfield.— Magoan's
Proverbs for the People^
315