m?m [ ':. ' ■■■ ;■• 4 :■'"■■ .-'-,■ V : ' • ■:■■■:■ ; J&r* <&aUautret's &mttm ON FEMALE EDUCATION. / AN ADDRESS ON FEMALE EDUCATION, DELIVERED, NOV. 21ST, 1827, AT THE OPENING OF THE EDIFICE ERECTED FOR THE ACCOMMODATION ^vtCottr jFtttrale ^tnximvy>. n. BY T. H. GALLAUDET, PRINCIPAL OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. Published at the request of the Trustees. fltartfortr, H. & F. J. HUNTINGTON. MDCCCXXVIIT. w G* ^ PHILEMON CANFIFLD, PRINTEK. AN ADDRESS. It must be truly gratifying to the patrons and friends of the Hartford Female Seminary, to witness the success which has already crowned their efforts in *ts behalf, and to see the course of instruction com- mencing under such favourable auspices, in the new commodious building which they have erected for its use. ' The zeal with which they embarked in this enter- prise ; — the perseverance with which it has been prose- cuted ; — and the liberality of views with regard to its more extended operations ; — combined with the well- established reputation of those to whom is intrusted the culture of the minds, the morals, and the manners of the pupils; afford the most happy omen, under the blessing of God, of the future, increasing prosperity and usefulness of this interesting Institution. At the request of the Board of Trustees, 1 come here, this evening, to address this respectable assembly, on the occasion of now opening the edifice for the impor- tant object for which it was built, and to which it is ex- clusively devoted. 1 suppose it is expected of me to say something on the subject of Female Education. I enter upon the performance of this duty with no small degree of diffi- dence. The subject embraces, within its comprehen- sive scope, all that relates to the highest interests of man ; for what is there affecting his temporal welfare, or his eternal destiny, on which is not brought to bear, in one form or another, the influence of woman ; — an influence, which is to be cherished as one of our great- est blessings, or deprecated as the deepest calamity, according to the estimation in which she is held, the character which she sustains, and the treatment which she receives. Her education, therefore, comprising the principles on which it is conducted, and the results to which it leads, is a subject of most momentous import. Volumes have been written upon it, and still it is not exhausted. The labours of the most intelligent have been devoted to it, and still an almost boundless field of improvement lies before us. What can I say on such a subject, in so short a space of time ? I must abandon all attempts at doing it any thing like the justice which it deserves. 1 must confine myself to the consideration of a very few par- ticulars connected with it ; and in this way alone, if in any, may 1 hope to lay before my audience something worthy of their attention on account of its practical utility. Leaving, then, many other important and interesting topics relating to this subject of Female Education, my simple object is ; to point out some prevailing defects in the manner in which it is conducted, and to offer a few suggestions with regard to the remedies. In doing this, my aim is rather to lead intelligent minds to reflect on the views which I propose, than to speak positively with regard to their correctness. I shall express myself however with frankness and freedom, trusting in the candour of my hearers, that my object will not be misunderstood, while, I expect, in some things, at least, to be thought singular, if not absolutely chimerical. 1 would premise, also, lest I should be accused of par- tiality to my own sex, that it would not be difficult to point out, as many, as great, and in most respects, simi- lar defects in the education of males. In the first place ; the various powers and faculties of the mind are not cultivated in a due proportion to the value of each. It is one important object of education to impart useful knowledge to the mind 5 but it is of even more importance, to develop, and to train up to healthful and vigorous exercise, all its powers and faculties, both intellectual and moral. These will never arrive to ma- turity without a special cultivation adapted to each. Now one may be cultivated at the expense of another; just as in the corporeal frame, one set of muscles may be invigorated by use, to an almost indefinite extent, while another set is left, by disuse, to become incapable of exertion. In the early stages of education it is of especial mo- ment to develop and strengthen, in their due propor- tion, all the mental powers ; for, if any of them are suf- fered, for any length of time, to lie dormant, it becomes the more difficult, afterwards, to excite them to activity. A child is a man in miniature ; all its faculties are sus- ceptible of improvement ; and there is no greater mis- take than to suppose that one is to be cultivated at one period of life, and another, at another. Can not a child discriminate, and reason, and exercise its judgment, as well as employ its memory ? The objects towards which its faculties are to be directed, it is true, must be suited to its capacity, but only let them be so, and every mental power in the child may be trained to increasing vigour, and prepared for future efforts. Now examine most of our modes of conducting edu- cation, and rather more peculiarly so, that, of females than of males, and you must be struck with the fact, that the memory is the one faculty on the cultivation of which, to an excessive degree, the attention and labour of the teacher are bestowed. Of what do most of the re- citations of the younger classes in schools consist ? Of the mere repeating of what has been committed to memory. 1 know where the memory is tenacious, and a mass of facts well lodged within its grasp, it has a very imposing effect, to hear a young Miss recite, with- out a mistake, what she has treasured up in such ample abundance. This, too, is all well, if, on investigation, it should appear, that the other equally important powers of her mind have been also as faithfully cultivated. But 1 fear this is sometimes, at least, not the case. And it ought ever to be remembered both by teacher and pupil, that something more is necessary than mere strength of memory, or abundance of facts, to constitute either a great or useful mind. Although less absolute knowledge might be daily ac- quired; still, if the judgment of the pupil was called into exercise, with regard to its studies, by pertinent and in- teresting questions, on the part of the teacher, who can doubt that a deeper foundation would be laid, on which to raise, in the progress of education, a more extensive and durable superstructure. There is one most wonderful power of the human mind, which discovers itself very early in childhood ; which is capable of cultivation to a very high degree ; and to the successful exercise of which, what we term genius, and also all true greatness of thought, or of ac- tion, are principally indebted for their existence ; — 1 mean the power of generalization ; and yet, especially in the early stages of education, it is almost wholly neg- lected. Permit me to illustrate my meaning by one or two familiar examples. One of the first, difficult efforts of the young mind, is to acquire language ; and indeed a 8 great part of the early stages of education is, of neces- sity, devoted to this object. Now take a word of which the child is ignorant ; suppose it to be, contain. 1 give her one example of its use, derived from some very familiar object. I say, " that basket contains your playthings ; thev are in it ; it holds them." 1 then, ask her " what does that vase contain /" She replies, " flowers." After thus inquir- ing with regard to two or three simple objects, I ad- vance a step higher; "what does this room contain ? that garden, that house, that city ?" and to each of these questions I receive the proper answer ; and you see how, by this process, the child is led gradually to enlarge her ideas till, by an induction of particulars, in the exercise of her own power of generalization, she arrives at what may be termed the generic meaning of the word, to contain. I may ask a young lady who is pursuing the study of Mathematics, what 3 and 1 are equal to, she replies, 4. What are 2 and 2 equal to, she replies, 4. Which is the most, 3 and 1, or 2 and 2 ; they are equal. How do you know it 1 Because they are both equal to 4. 1 go on stating various, particular cases of a similar kind, and receive similar answers. I observe, " here, you say that these two things are equal, because they are equal to the same thing ; and here, again you make a similar remark for the same reason. Cast your eye over all these particular cases, and what is the general truth 9 that you deduce from them ?" — She replies, " that things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other." " You have discovered," I observe, " an im- portant axiom in mathematics, and on which many useful results depend." Now I might have stated this general truth at the outset, and then illustrated it by particular instances ; — but not with half the same pleasure or benefit to the pupil. This mode of leading the youthful mind, in the exer- cise of its own powers, to arrive at general truths, not only produces a deeper interest, and a more fixed attention ; but begets habits of independent and inventive thought, and trains the pupil to more extensive and vigorous ef- forts in all her future researches. It requires, indeed, a considerable degree of labour, and withal not a little ingenuity, on the part of the teacher. It seems, too, at first, to be but making rath- er slow progress. It does not give the young pupil quite so much the appearance of knowing a great deal on a variety of subjects, as the usual mode of taking every thing on trust, on the authority of the books, and of the teacher, and almost constantly doing little else than commit to memory ; — but, if I mistake not, to whatever extent it is pursued, in the same degree, will be found an original, vigorous, active mind. I am aware, that the popular sentiment is, that in childhood, and during the earlier stages of education, it is the memory alone which can be cultivated to any considerable extent ; and that, as the judgment has not 10 acquired a sufficient degree of maturity, it is the better way for the young pupil to be laying up, as fast as possi- ble, an abundant stock of knowledge for future use. As well might the farmer say, that his boy must not attempt to wield the axe, until his arms and hands have attained their full growth. It is use, use, which invigorates all the mental, as well as the corporeal, powers. While the memory is strengthened by a just proportion of exercise, and the mind is treasuring up its resources, let its various powers and faculties, on the due development and vigour of which, its very capa- city to employ its knowledge to valuable purposes, de- pends, — all receive their equal share of cultivation, and education is then most effectually, and successfully, ac- complishing what should be one of its great objects, — qualifying the pupil to think for herself; to be able to pursue her studies alone ; to discover truths, and form conclusions, and establish opinions besides those with which her memory has been furnished, either by her books or her teacher. I will just add, that the mode of cultivating the memory, is if possible, more important than the mere fact of its being cultivated. The pupil should be led to do something more, than merely to re- collect that she has read such a fact, on such a page, in such an author. — She should be taught how to arrange and classify these facts, with reference to some general principles, and thus, to improve, at the same time, her powers of judgment, and of generalization. 11 In the second place ; a thorough and correct ac- quaintance with the Engfish Language, is not sufficient- ly cultivated in the early stages of female education. If, as has been attempted to be shown, it is of great importance to expand in their due proportion, and to invigorate for future effort, all the mental powers, then it is equally as important, that the means should, as speedily as possible, be obtained, by which this object is to be effected. Language, as furnishing the only medium of inter- course between the teacher and the pupil, and being the only instrument by which the former can operate upon the mind of the latter, should receive very early, and most assiduous, attention in the process of education. The artisan, when he designs to accomplish some elegant and useful workmanship, takes care, not only to provide himself with the choicest materials, but to see that his tools are ample, and in the very best order ; and if he wishes to teach his apprentice how to execute a similar piece of work, he is equally careful to furnish him with similar instruments, and to be sure also that he is familiar with their use. Language is the great instrument both of education and of thought. Without it, it would be impossible to cultivate the mental or moral powers. Without it, no instruction could be communicated. Without it, the human mind could make scarcely any advances in generalization ; arrive at very few abstract truths ; or carry on any extensive processes of reasoning, or useful trains of thought. Surely it would seem to be, then, of vital importance, that in the education of youth, no means should be spared to give them, in the most expeditious manner, a correct knowledge of their mother tongue. — This object is too much neglected in our primaiy schools, and so long as the evil exists there, it must be met and reme- died in our higher seminaries. — It will not do to say that the progress of our young ladies in other branches will thus be retarded. — What, studying Virgil, or the Greek Testament, and not acquainted with your own lan- guage ! Reading French and Italian, and unable to stand an examination as to the real import of the Eng- lish words used in a number of Addison's Spectator, and to show that you enter into the true spirit and mean- ing of the author !— Pursuing History, and Biography ; Chemistry ; Natural, Moral, and Intellectual Philoso- phy ; and having, all the while, to say the least, but imperfect and confused notions about what you are studying, because you are not yet thoroughly acquaint- ed with the language in which the works on these sub- jects are written ! Wherever this evil exists, no time should be lost in applying the remedy. For it appears to me capable, of demonstration, that no sure progress can be made in ed- ucation, or in the acquisition of other languages, (unless one lives among those who speak them,) or in the at- tainment of knowledge, only just so far and so fast, as a thorough and familiar acquaintance is formed with the mother-tongue. 13 1 am aware that there are difficulties attending this subject. It is much to be desired, that the evil of which I speak could be remedied in the very early sta- ges of education. But since it is not ; it is, I appre- hend, a great mistake to let it continue through the whole course of instruction. — In conducting the educa- tion of young ladies, therefore, whatever other langua- ges, or branches of study they may have time to attend to, secure, at least, their correct knowledge of the Eng- lish language ; and if a sacrifice of any language must be made, let all others be sacrificed rather than this. No department of education, I apprehend, is sus- ceptible of more improvement, than that which relates, to the instruction of our youth in their mother tongue ; the importance, too, of devoting great attention to this in all our schools and seminaries for females, is much enhanced by the consideration, that so much of their in- fluence and usefulness in society, depends upon their powers of conversation. In order both to cultivate and to employ these powers, a thorough acquaintance with the English language is absolutely indispensable. Besides, to whom, in the course of Providence, is entrusted the first development of the infant's mind ? On whose countenance does its little eye first gaze, with all that intense delight which the charms of its new existence afford ? Whose motions first arrest its at- tention ? Whose voice is the music which first en- chants its ear 1 From whom does it first learn lan- guage, the great instrument, as we have seen, of culti- 14 vating all its intellectual and moral powers ? And who goes on, during the first few years of its existence, to impress upon its soul, with something like the certainty of fate, the character of its future destiny ? It is the mother who does all this. Her influence upon the child, is inferior only to that of God ; and she is the in- strument whom He employs, in the wonderful workings of his Providence, for the accomplishment of such im- portant purposes. Now language is the medium through which alone the mother can have access to the mind of the child. The more accurate and thorough her acquaintance with it is, — the more successful will be the influence which she exerts in the early stages of education. With regard to the knowledge which youth of both sexes acquire of their mother tongue ; the propriety and force with which they speak it ; and the foundation which is thus laid of all their future im- provement ; who has not witnessed the wonderful ef- fects produced by a mother, herself well skilled in the power and use of language 1 It is quite a popular sentiment, that a knowledge of the Latin is very important, as enabling us to acquire a more thorough acquaintance with our own tongue ; and that for a similar reason, it is desirable, at least, in the course of education, to pay some attention to other languages. But how can a person become thoroughly acquainted with any other language, (unless he resides among the people who speak it,) until he has acquired his mother- tongue ? We study Latin by means of dictionaries and 15 translations. How is the meaning of Latin words to be understood, unless that of the corresponding English ones are ? Is it not demonstrable, that a pupil compre- hends the import of a passage in Virgil, only just so far as she comprehends the import of the English translation which she is able to give of it. To say, therefore, that the study of the Latin, or of any other language, is ne- cessary to a complete acquaintance with our own, is, I think, quite a mistake. If a young lady has time and opportunity to devote to them, they are certainly, espe- cially some of the modern ones, valuable accomplish- ments, and she may be placed in situations, where the attainment of them may be practically useful. But that she may make herself perfectly acquainted with the English language without understanding any other 1 am fully satisfied. The Deaf and Dumb are taught the English language, and some of them to use it with remarkable precision and accuracy, wtihout knowing any other written or printed language. How many in- telligent men and women speak and write English, the only language which they understand, with vastly more propriety, and elegance, and force, than many who are profound scholars in both the dead and living languages. How many other languages was an ancient Greek un- der the necessity of studying, before he could become master of his own almost unrivalled one ? From an experience of more than ten years in the instruction, as you know, of minds in a most peculiar state, in the import of English words, and the construe- 16 tion and use of our language, I cannot but entertain the opinion, that certain improvements might be adopt- ed in the education of children and youth in an ac- quaintance with their mother-tongue, which would ren- der their knowledge of it complete at a comparatively very early period of life, and render their acquisition, too, of other languages much more easy, sure, and ra- pid. As some of the results of this experience, permit me to make a few suggestions. The first important step, is to make the child perfect- ly understand the simple books which she is beginning to read, and the words which are contained in them ; and this is to be effected in the way of familiar conver- sation on the part of the instructer. But little benefit, if any, is derived from requiring young children to com- mit to memory, and to recite, the definitions in a dictiona- ry. Often the words used in the definition are as. unin- telligible to the pupil as the word itself that is defined, and have, too, only a general, and sometimes very vague, resemblance to it ; so as to lead to gross, and ludi- crous mistakes in employing them as substitutes for it. The only successful mode of teaching a child, and the best, too, let me add, of teaching a grown person, the import of a difficult word, is to adduce illustrative ex- amples of its use drawn from a variety of objects, pro- ceeding from the most simple and familiar to those of a higher and more generic kind. It is sometimes surpri- sing to see, after even a few of such examples are given 17 by an ingenious instructer, how the young and expand- ingintellect will discover similar ones, and in the delight- ful exercise of its own powers of invention, discrimina- tion, and generalization, seize, in the most rapid man- ner, the various meanings of the term to which it is at- tending. The continued explanation of the books which the pupil is reading or studying, by the oral illustrations of the teacher, and of the single words in most common use, by illustrative examples, constitute a most impor- tant part of the means of conveying to a child a know- ledge of her mother-tongue. I would pursue this course as a regular school exercise, devoting a portion of time to it daily, until the object was accomplished. The process might seem to be a slow and a tedious one ; but, I believe, it would lead to the desired result much sooner than any other ; and the pupil, in the early stages of her education, having once become thoroughly acquainted with the English language, by a discip'ine, too, which has been training her mental pow- ers for vigorous effort, you can easily conceive, how many embarrassments that now lie in the way of the instructress would be removed, and what immense fa- cilities would be afforded her, of carrying on the high- er and more difficult parts of education with sure and rapid success. It might be made, 1 should think, a very pleasant, and improving occasional exercise, even in one of the higher classes in a school, to select some twenty or thir- ty words from the dictionary, and to require, that on 18 the succeeding day, the pupils should come prepared to explain them, not by formal definitions, but by appro- priate illustrative examples. It would furnish great opportunity for the employment both of ingenuity and taste, and would lead to habits of accurate thought, with regard to the true import of words. Another important step to promote a correct know- ledge of the English language in youth, is to require them to write original composition at a much earlier pe- riod than they do. It is put off so long that young la- dies shrink from it with a kind of instinctive dread. — Its novelty, however, is its principal terror. Habit, can, and does, render it both easy and agreeable. Its advantages are immense. It induces, more than almost any other exercise, correct habits of thinking ; leads to an acquaintance with, and command of, language ; is the best mode of applying, and becoming familiar with, the principles of grammar ; develops the peculiar genius and taste of the writer, disclosing both her excellencies and her defects, and thus enabling the teacher to cor- rect the one, and improve the other. — It might be com- menced years before it is ; I would say, to a certain extent, as soon as the pupil is able to write a legible hand, only taking care to let the subjects be perfectly familiar, and level to the capacity of the child. If begun early, too, it would afford the teacher one of the very best opportunities to explain and apply some of the simple rules of grammar, — and the doing this with reference to the very composition of the pupil, and by means of it correcting its mistakes, would car- 19 ry with it a clearness, and an interest, and a durabili- ty of impression, which could be gained in no other way. Having alluded to the subject of grammar, I can- not refrain from observing, that in my opinion, too much importance is attached to it, as a certain, and al- most the only efficacious, mode of giving to a child the knowledge of its mother-tongue. A sort of magic influ- ence, especially, is attributed to that most rare attain- ment, parsing, as if it let the mind, all at once, into the true spirit and meaning of an author. The conse- quence is, that children are much too early obliged to attend to grammar with all its minute and perplexing difficulties ; without any modes of illustration suited to their capacities ; and with no distinct conceptions of the uses to which it may be applied ; and thus, in addi- tion to the dull employment of committing to memory, page after page, what they cannot understand, they ac- quire a disgust for a study, which if reserved to a little later period in education, and then taught, in a rational and philosophical way, would both afford employment for the exercise of all the acuteness of their improved intellect, and give an accuracy, and a finish, to that knowledge of the English language which they had al- ready acquired. Another unhappy consequence of attaching this un- due importance to the study of grammar as a means of imparting a thorough knowledge of our language is, that other and more efficacious means, some of which 1 have alluded to, are entirely neglected. — 20 Grammar is to accomplish every thing, and, therefore, other helps are useless. The fact is, a certain, and not inconsiderable, ac- quaintance with language, is necessary before the prin- ciples of grammar can be understood and applied. I wish not to decry its use. 1 would have every pupil ac- quainted with it ; but for the very purpose of doing this successfully, other means should be previously used to impart a knowledge, to a considerable extent, of the English language. In the early stages of instruction, it would be well to teach a few of the most simple and easy principles of grammar, by oral illustrations on the part of the teach- er, and in the most familiar way ; reserving it as a sys- tem, with all its abstruse and complicated difficulties, for the more advanced periods of education. Having thus acquired a knowledge of her own lan- guage and of grammar, in an intelligible and rational way, the pupil could engage in the study of other lan- guages, and of their grammars, also, with increased in- terest and profit. In the third place ; attention to the various states, opera- tions, and affections, of the mind, so as to enable the pupil accurately to notice, and clearly to distinguish between, them, is not sufficiently cultivated. The Philosophy of the mind, is truly a most engaging, and in its practical bearings, useful study. — What a charm has Dugald Stewart thrown around it. — Even could it all be proved to be a delusion, and like the fic- tions of poetry, gratifying only the fancy and the taste, 21 let me tread, sometimes, this portion of fairy land, and revel amid its intellectual delights, the more elevated in their character, because they all relate to that imperish- able something within me which is to live forever. — But this Philosophy is no chimera. It is connected with almost every thing that relates to our happiness in this, and a future life. — Shall we be forever employed in noticing the phenomena which present themselves to our senses in the various objects of the material world which surround us, and not turn the mind's eye within, upon the vastly more interesting phenomena which the soul exhibits. But to come to things practical. It is impossible, in the very nature of the case, for us to understand the im- port of numerous terms in language, only just so far as we have attended to the states, operations, and affec- tions of our own minds. Time will not permit me to do any thing more in de- fence of this position, than to illustrate it by a familiar example. The terms, "beautiful and sublime," occur, in a great number of instances, in almost all that we read, on almost all subjects. — It surely is important that the youthful mind should be led to attach definite ideas to these terms. How is this to be effected ? — We are so constituted by our Maker that, on beholding certain objects, we are conscious of certain emotions. The human countenance, a picture, a flower, a landscape, possessing certain characteristics in common, excite within us an emotion of a peculiar kind. — We call such 22 objects, beautiful. — Other objects, possessing also cer- tain other characteristics in common ; — a lofty moun- tain, a steep precipice, a roaring cataract, the vast ocean, the furious storm, excite within us a sameness of emotion, but of quite a different kind, from that produ- ced by the former class of objects, and we call these latter objects, sublime. Now it is evident, that the ac- curacy of the ideas which we attach to these two epi- thets must depend on the precision with which we have noticed the two different kinds of emotion that we have felt, and with which we have discriminated between them. I could pursue the same train of reasoning and show how it applies to all the words in our language which re- late to intellectual objects. Nay, is it not evident that we can form no correct conception of the Supreme Be- ing, only so far as we know our own spirits. — Revela- tion, it is true, discloses to us the most important ideas on this subject. But Revelation speaks to us in the language of man. If that Revelation speaks to us of immaterial, and intellectual, and spiritual objects, where are we to look for our primitive notions, in order to understand the terms used, but by referring to what we know of the immaterial, intellectual, and spiritual something which is within us. Novel as the sentiment may seem, then, an impor- tant part of the business of education, in my apprehen- sion, consists in leading the youthful mind, to turn its thoughts inward ; to notice its own states, operations, and affections ; to discriminate between them ; and 23 thus better to understand the language which is employed with reference to them, and the very important truths which are connected with them. In the fourth place ; another defect in the education of females is, that they are not sufficiently taught the practical uses to be made of the knowledge which they acquire ; and not sufficiently qualified, by the cultivation of their active powers, for the sober realities, and the actual business, of life. Many judicious mothers, I know, by their own excel- lent example, and valuable instructions, worth every praise which can be bestowed upon them, prepare their daughters to discharge well the duties that their various relations, domestic and social, may impose upon them. But most mothers have too many cares, to attend minute- ly to the progress which their daughters are making in their studies at school, and to show them in what way the knowledge which they are acquiring, and the mental hab- its which they are forming, may be brought to bear upon the various concerns and transactions of life. In this, the instructress should bear her part ; and a most responsible part it is. — Am I met with the objection, that the thing is impracticable, and that you cannot introduce into the school room those domestic scenes and occupations, amid which alone habits of business can be formed. I admit that you cannot, on this point, accomplish every thing ; — does it thence follow that you can do nothing ? But we will not argue about general principles. Let us descend to substantial matters of fact. A young lady has studied Arithmetic, Geometry, and Algebra, and is a 24 proficient in each ; but when she goes a shopping, she cannot tell how much the articles which she has bought come to, without a pencil and paper, and then she is some- what at a loss, about making the change. You smile, and think perhaps, that \ would fain ridicule the idea of a young lady's studying mathematics. Not at all. On the contrary, I would recommend, most strongly, to such as have leisure, the study, even in its highest branches, as one tending to invigorate, in an eminent degree, the pow- ers of the mind. — What I lament is, that she has not been taught, to make a practical use of this branch of her studies. — ft would be no difficult thing for the teacher, and her pupils to conceive, with the aid of a little imagin- ation, transactions taking place in the school-room, which would furnish the occasion for the pupils performing men- tally precisely those calculations which they may after- wards make when these imaginary transactions become real ones. Let the instructress be the merchant, and her pupils the customers. Let her sell her various articles, at, their various pri 'es, and receive in payment different kinds, and sums, of money, for which often change is to be made. — You can easily conceive what a multiplicity of questions in mental arithmetic would grow out of these fictitious transactions. You may think this exercise too humble a one for the instructress. No exercise is too humble, in the process of education, which will prepare the pupil for the pleas- ant, easy, and faithful discharge of those active duties, which she will have inevitably, and continually to perform in the course of her life. — Besides there is, some how 25 or other, a peculiar distinctness, vividness, and interest, imparted to questions of an arithmetical kind, when they relate to actual transactions. And 1 have no doubt that the exercise which I have suggested, simple as it may seem, would, if practised in all our schools, soon become exceedingly interesting to the pupils, and give them hab- its of mental calculation that they would retain, and af- terwards turn to the most important uses. The Arithmetical knowledge of a young lady, might also, in another respect, be made subservient to a very valuable attainment, that of her being able to keep ac- counts. 1 do not mean that an elaborate system of book- keeping, such as the man in business has to use, should be introduced into a school for females ; but that each young lady should be taught a plain, simple mode of keep- ing a regular account of such money transactions as usually occur in domestic life. The innumerable incon- veniences that arise from a want of this attainment, and the many advantages that would result from possessing it, I will not take up your time in describing. Again, I have recommended strongly, that original com- position should be attended to, at a very early period in the course of education, and I have listened to produc- tions of this kind, especially, permit me to say, in the Hartford Female Seminary, with a mixture of astonish- ment and delight •, — and I have thought that 1 have seen in them the buddings of a youthful genius, which if cher- ished and unfolded, and matured, would present blossoms as sweet, and fruits as fair, as were ever found adorning the walks of Female Literature. And yet are sufficient 26 MM pains taken to make this valuable attainment subserve an useful purpose in the actual concerns of life ? Many a young lady who has completed her education, much to her own honour and the reputation of her teacher, and who can write poetry that much older bards need not be ashamed of, and an essay as elegant as one of Addison's, — and many a student, too, (for 1 cannot forego the op- portunity of referring to my own sex also,) who has taken his degree at college, and ranked among the first in his class, and written compositions, and disputes, and ora- tions, and poems, — many such, if called upon an emer- gency, to write a plain business-letter on some of the com- mon transactions of life, are at a loss ; — hardly know how to set about it ; — and produce one, at last, vastly inlerior to thousands which are written by those who have had, compared with theirs, but very few advantages of educa- tion. Now is there not something wrong in all this ? Does it not show a defect somewhere, and one which ought to be remedied ? Does it not go to prove, most forcibly, the position which I have laid down, that females are not suf- ficiently taught the practical uses to be made of the knowledge which they acquire ? Is not the ability to write promptly, a perspicuous, concise, judicious, and neat letter on the practical, business concerns of life, a most valuable attainment for a female 1 How often, how very often, are ladies, both single and married, pla- ced in situations, where they cannot avoid the perform- ance of such a task, without either extreme inconven- ence or embarrassment ! 1 would give such an attain- 21 ■ merit a very high rank among those to which a young lady, in the course of her education, should aspire, let the sphere in which she may afterwards move, be ever so humble, or ever so elevated. But how is this important kind of composition, — this practical letter-writing, — to be taught in our female schools ? Without any difficulty. An instructress, taking a class of her pupils, could easily lead each of them to imagine herself placed in such and such circum- stances ; taking care to describe them with minuteness and accuracy ; and then state for what purpose the letter should be written ; and even, at first, point out the par- ticular topics of which it should consist. At the outset, the pupils should have some considerable time allowed them for writing such letters. But, after some practice, they should frequently be required to doit on the spot, in order to train them to despatch in cases which might de- mand it. It is interesting to see, how soon young persons, while the imagination is quick and lively, will enter into the spirit of such fictitious exercises ; and it is easy to con- ceive, how an ingenious teacher could multiply them, so as to adapt them to a great variety of the emergencies and occasions of real life. The letters thus composed should be minutely criticised and corrected, and then copied into a book to be kept by the pupil. In the fifth place ; elocution is not sufficiently attended to, in the course of female education. 1 know, great improvements have been made of late, in this respect, but much yet remains to be done. It is 28 not enough that a young lady should be taught to read with a correct pronunciation, and emphasis, and without any very palpable fault. She should be taught to enter into the feelings of the author; to place herself in the cir- cumstances in which he wrote ; and to make the hearers feel as if he was really addressing them. One very stri- king fault in the r< ading of many persons is, that they do not adapt their manner to the peculiar character of the composition, but always read in one, uniform style. Per- haps there are some reasons why young ladies are in dan- ger of doing this more than the other sex ; or rather, why it is more difficult, in their case, to remedy this defect. — Their reading is confined to the fire-side, and to the do- mestic circle ; and there seems to be, therefore, less of inducement for them to aim at the life, and variety, and force, so essential in public speaking. Still, these, and every other good quality of the most eloquent delivery, ought to hold a high rank among female accomplish- ments. J cannot understand, why it should be thought, as it sometimes is, a departure from female delicacy to read in a promiscuous, social circle, if called upon to do so from any peculiar circumstances, and to read, too, as w ell as Garrick himself would have done, if the young lady pos- sesses the power of doing it. Why may she not do this with as much genuine modesty ; and with as much of a desire to oblige her friends ; and with as little of ostenta- tion, as to set down, in the same circle, to the piano, and play, and sing, in the style of the fii st masters? If to do the former is making too much of a display of her talents-. 29 why should not the latter be so ? Nothing, but some strange freaks of fashion have made a difference. But at any rate, amid her family and friends, to how many otherwise tedious, or useless, hours of life, may a female impart both delight and improvement, by the charm of reading well. If a wife, she can solace many a season of a husband's weariness or sickness. If a mother, what an advantage to her offspring, to have before them, as they are growing up, a living model, in the person of one, whom they are led to reverence and love, of an accom- plishment, which our schools, and academies, and colle- ges, find it so difficult to impart. This latter considera- tion, in my view, has immense weight ; for our habits of pronunciation, speaking, and reading, are first formed, in childhood, and in the domestic circle ; and being once formed, it is a task of extreme difficulty to alter them. But 1 must bring my remarks to a close ; for I al- ready owe, perhaps, too much to the patience of my hearers. 1 ask their indulgence, however, for a few min- utes, while 1 allude to one other defect, and it appears to me, quite a prominent one in the education of females ; it is, that their powers of conversation' are not sufficiently cultivated. Woman cannot plead at the bar, or preach in the pul- pit, or thunder in the senate house. Yet hers is no tri- fling eloquence. Its power, though unostentatious in dis- play, is mighty in result. In the retirement of her own family, in the circle of her friends and acquaintances, in the various intercourse of society, what a charm can woman spread around her ; what a zest to every other en- 30 joyment she can impart ; what encouragement she can give to virtue, and what reproofs to vice ; what aids she can afford to the cause of religion; in short, what an amount of good she can accomplish, and what an im- mense influence exert, — by her mere conversation. — Is it not, then, of vast importance, that her powers of conver- sation, should be cultivated, as a part of the course of her education, and not left, as they too often are, to take their whole character from the adventitious circumstances of life in which she maybe placed ? But you will inquire how is this to be made matter of instruction ; must it not be the result, and the result only, of a young lady's inter- course with polished and intelligent society ? — I think not. I would allow to such intercourse all the efficacy which it deserves, and doubtless this efficacy is great. — But I would go deeper than this ; 1 would go farther back, even to that period of life, when females are not yet con- sidered old enough to mingle in promiscuous society, and especially to bear their part in the conversation of others, much their superiors in age and intelligence. 1 would have the mother, to all the extent in her power, and the instructress, as a part of her course of instruction, devote themselves to this great object. — This is the very way, too, in which all the knowledge that a young lady is ac- quiring at school may be made of practical use ; for it may all be introduced into her conversation, either for the en- tertainment or instruction of others. — But, after all, you will say, desirable as this object is, how is it to be accom- plished ? The mother, we know, if an intelligent woman, can do a great deal to promote it, at home, but what is 31 the instructress to do in school ? — Let me suggest a mode for your candid consideration. — I suppose that the time to be occupied, even if it has to be taken from some other studies, will not be an objection 5 for what time can be more profitably spent than in acquiring so valuable an ac- complishment ; — one by which a pious, intelligent, and judicious female, is to gain the power of accomplishing such an amount of good in the course of her life. Many a mother, by her own fire side, with her daugh- ters around her, has insensibly led on their conversation to useful and interesting topics; elicited their remarks ; encouraged their inquiries ; drawn out the resources of their minds, and corrected their errors in sentiment, in speech and in diction. — Suppose an instructress should spend some hours, every week, for the same object, with her pupils in classes formed for the purpose, consisting, perhaps, of twelve or fifteen. — She possesses their affection and esteem, and might make them feel under no re- straint. Like a parent she takes the lead, but endeav- ours to have all bear a part in the conversation. To give variety to such interviews, and to excite a deeper interest in them, she often selects, some days pre- vious, a topic to form the sole subject of conversation ; and thus the young ladies have the opportunity of pre- paration.— She invents fictitious scenes, and introduces herself, or some one of her pupils, as fictitious personages, corresponding, however, to similar ones in real life, and, then, requires that the conversation should be kept up, with ease and propriety, in strict accordance with the circumstances in which they are all thus imagined to be placed. 32 To cultivate in her pupils one most valuable talent in conversation, that of asking pertinent and judicious ques- tions, in a becoming manner, — a means by which many, in passing through life, gather a mass of information which could not be obtained in any other way, — she accus- toms them to ask her questions as if she were some cer- tain character whom they had met under such and such circumstances. All this may look like pastime, but youth is fond of pastime, and if it can be turned to such valuable account, why not make use of it. But fictions often repeated, soon begin to appear like realities. They have to be formed incessantly in the instruction of the deaf and dumb ; and it is often wonderful to see how both the teacher and the pupil almost, if not quite, forget that they are such. At these seasons of conversation, the instructress calls upon her pupils to relate incidents in a concise and inter- esting manner ; — she leads them to discuss topics of vari- ous kinds in the way of argument ; she talks with them about the studies which they are pursuing ; — in short, in a thousand different ways, which her own ingenuity will in- vent, she engages their attention to the object, and aims to form in them the habits of elevated, useful, and refined conversation. By such a course, she is able graduallv to discover the peculiar faults to which each is liable and to correct them ; she comes immediately into contact with her pupils ; ascertains their peculiarities both of mind and of disposition ; and is the better able to direct them in all their studies and pursuits. 1 have only glanced at a few topics, but must omit - 33 many others, and bring my subject to a close. In treat- ing it, I should very much regret to think that I had erred either from a spirit of censoriousness, on the one hand, or of dogmatism, on the other. I hardly knew what to say on such an occasion, and I have said what I thought might be of some practical utility ; at least, by leading others to think more deeply, and more accurately, on the subject. If I have found fault, it has been with long es- tablished usages, and not with individual teachers or schools. If I have recommended improvements, I have done it with the more freedom, because 1 knew the liberal spirit that exists in the minds of those who have the gen- eral management, and of those to whom is entrusted the more immediate care and instruction of the pupils, of the Seminary ; and that having already successfully adopted not a few improvements in the mode of education, and placed the reputation of the Institution on a permanent basis, they stand prepared to advance still farther, and, while drawing from the resources of their own experience and ingenuity, to regard with candour the suggestions of others. If I have not alluded to the cultivation of the man- ners and deportment of pupils, it was not that I would de- preciate this very essential part of female education ; but because I would not take up your time on a topic, in which so much interest is felt, that every teacher cannot but be sensible of its importance, and the deep responsi- bility that grows out of it. To conclude ; if I have not spoken of the moral and religious education of females, it was because the subject was of such moment, that to enter upon it at all would 5 34 have forced me to make it almost my only theme ; for too much could hardly be said, in so short a time, on the im- portance of making it the principal object of education, to train up its subjects, under the blessing of God, to a life of humble, earnest, and devoted piety.— May this be the crowning grace of all who resort to this Seminary ; shed- ding a lustre, conferring a dignity, and bestowing a value, upon all their other attainments.