,,address   ,,to ,,the   ,,first        
,,graduating ,,class   ,,of   ,rutgers  
,female ,college2    ,,delivered ,,in   
,,the ,,fourth ,,avenue ,,presbyterian  
,,church1   7,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,crosby',s71 
,,on    ,,sabbath ,,evening1 ,,june     
#b;,d1 #ahfg4    ,,by   ,,henry ,m4     
,,pierce1 ,,ll4,d41   ,,president ,,of  
,,the ,,college4    ,,published ,,by    
,,request ,,of ,,the ,,trustees4        
,illustration    ,new ,york3            
,,agathynian ,,press4   #ahfg           
,,president',s ,,address4   ,in the year
 #ahci1 with great labor1 care1 expense1
 and after long consultation1 was the   
,rutgers ,female ,institute founded4 ,it
 grew out of an increasing sense of the 
importance of the duties of women1 and  
of the need that her work should be well
 done4 ,hence the establishment of the  
school1 with its course of studies1 its 
libraries1 its apparatus1 its teachers4 
,a quarter of a century has witnessed a 
great change in the education of woman2 
and the position of ,rutgers ,institute 

to-day1 as a ,college1 marks the        
character and degree of that change4    
,it has been my custom1 to make a       
personal address to the members of each 
graduating class1 as they have gone     
forth from the quiet of the school to   
the busy walks of life4 ,my heart now   
impels me to follow this usage1 but the 
change that has taken place in this     
institution1 during the past year1 seems
 to make appropriate to the present     
occasion1 a few preliminary statements  
of my views as to what is the true      
position of woman1 and what should be   
her education4  ,these are questions    
that deeply agitate the public mind4    
,they are1 in fact1 the leading         
questions of the day2 but in regard to  
them1 ,i shall not shrink from the      
utterance of my opinions4 ,underlying   
the question of the education of woman1 
is the question of her equality with    
man2 for if woman be inferior to man1 so
 should be her education4  ,some might  
be disposed to reverse this proposition1

 and to say that just in proportion to  
her inferiority1 should her training be 
more careful and complete4 ,there might 
seem to be some truth in this idea2 but 
a little deeper thinking will convince  
us that to try to make up in this way   
for her supposed deficiency1 would be to
 attempt an impossibility4 ,the end     
could not be reached2 the bounds that   
nature had appointed could not be       
passed4  ,it is also clear that if woman
 be the equal of man1 she should receive
 as good an education as man1 a         
proposition too plain for argument4 ,so 
is also our third proposition--which    
exhausts this branch of the             
subject--that if woman be superior to   
man1 she should receive a better        
education than man3 for it is a first   
principle in morals1 that every power   
which ,god gave1 ,he meant should be    
unfolded to its fullest extent4  ,i am  
fully persuaded that the time is not far
 distant1 when it will be thought almost
 incredible that the question of the    

inferiority of woman should ever have   
been seriously debated4 ,for it is not  
without higher warrant than that of     
human reason1 that ,i would claim for   
woman an equal place by the side of man4
 ,when in the beginning ,god created the
 heavens1 the earth1 the sea1 and all   
that in them is1 even as ,he then made  
laws for the stars and the seas1 so did 
,he then fix and determine forever the  
sphere and the destiny of man and of    
woman4 ,driven out of ,paradise into the
 world on account of sin1 neither man   
nor woman took their place at once2 and 
in the nature of the case1 woman's      
sphere was the last of the two to be    
understood4  ,the ,old ,testament       
contains the germs of the great truths  
of all time2 but over four thousand     
years were needed to prepare the human  
mind for the coming of ,christ2 and it  
was reserved for ,christ fully to       
declare what place the ,creator had     
designed for woman4 ,i am fully         
persuaded that upon all great questions 

touching humanity1 the human mind will  
at length accept the teachings of       
,christ as final2 and the question      
whether or not woman is the equal of    
man1 ,i conceive to be authoritatively  
settled by ,him1 when he pronounces     
marriage such a union as excludes the   
idea that there can be essential        
inferiority in one of the parties4 ,his 
ideal of marriage1 unknown alike to the 
classical nations and to the ,hebrews1  
is incompatible with the inequality of  
the sexes4 ,nor do we find a trace in   
,his life or teachings1 or in those of  
,his ,apostles1 which tends in the least
 to countenance such an idea4 ,the few  
apparent exceptions to this statement   
grow out of ,oriental usage1 or are     
explained by the truth that             
subordination is consistent with        
equality4 ,not even superficial         
reasoners should have been misled by    
these exceptions1 when1 generally       
speaking1 there is no distinction in the
 moral duties enjoined on each1 none in 

the warnings and promises addressed to  
each1 none at the cross1 none in the day
 of judgment4  ,equality1 though it     
excludes the idea of inferiority1 is    
consistent with diversity4 ,there is a  
difference between the sexes1 that at   
once raises the question whether there  
should not be a difference in their     
education4  ,after the most careful     
thought that ,i could give to the       
subject1 ,i am of the opinion that it   
should be the same to a much greater    
extent than most persons are willing to 
concede4 ,up to a certain point1 the    
education of men is much the same3      
beyond that point comes in a special    
training4 ,thus1 on leaving college1 the
 young man who is to pursue law1        
receives a legal training4 ,but the     
great fact here to be noticed is1 that  
up to a certain point1 all liberally    
educated men are trained much in the    
same manner4 ,for a long time1 a liberal
 education seems to take no note of the 
specific ends1 which finally it may be  

desirable to aim at4 ,it contents itself
 with enlarging and strengthening the   
mental powers4 ,it unrolls before the   
young man the ample page of knowledge1  
confident that this is the best         
preparation for any path that he may    
finally choose4  ,if1 then1 it is best  
for the young man that by a liberal     
education1 his memory should be         
strengthened1 his reasoning powers      
disciplined1 his judgment matured1 his  
mind enlarged--why is it not best for   
the young woman also8 ,this is a        
question for those who differ with us to
 answer4 ,it is a question that none    
would seriously ask1 were it not that   
the minds of many are unconsciously     
swayed by a belief in the essential     
inferiority of woman4 ,it can only arise
 from this pernicious error1 or from    
some doubt as to the real advantage of a
 liberal education2--an error and a     
doubt1 both of which should be remanded 
to the ,dark ,ages4  ,generally1 then1  
we would say1 that there is no reason   

why woman should be debarred from any   
part of the studies common to all       
liberally educated men4  ,i say1 common 
to all liberally educated men4 ,i do not
 wish you to infer that ,i consider the 
course of instruction in our colleges   
for young men in every particular the   
wisest and the best4 ,on the contrary1  
early in my college life ,i thought1 and
 the years of maturer life have         
strengthened the idea1 that in the      
curriculum of colleges1 too little      
importance attaches to the science of   
nature1 and to the study of the human   
soul1--not the study of the abstract    
metaphysics which the schoolmen         
bequeathed to us1 but of man as he      
is1--and too little importance attaches 
to the study of the ,hebrew and the     
,christian ,scriptures1--the fountain   
whence the ever-enlarging river of our  
civilization flows4 ,neither did ,i then
 think1 nor do ,i now think1 that a     
familiarity with the classics alone1 is 
either a sufficient1 or altogether the  

best1 preparation for life in our own   
day--for a life in which shall pulsate  
all the great emotions of our time1--for
 a life in complete sympathy with       
nature1 with man1 and with ,god4  ,in   
the ,united ,states1 the college course 
for young men was modeled after that of 
the ,european ,universities1 which were 
founded when the ,greek and the ,latin  
were the only fully developed tongues2  
when the languages of modern ,europe    
were in a formative process2 when works 
on science1 philosophy1 medicine1       
jurisprudence1 and theology1 and all    
legal documents1 state papers1 and      
treaties1 were done in ,latin2 when all 
discussions and correspondence were     
carried on in ,latin2 and when modern   
science yet waited for the thoughts of  
,bacon1 the intuitions of ,kepler1 and  
the discoveries of ,galileo4  ,now1 on  
the other hand1 the ,italian1 ,french1  
,german1 and other languages1 have been 
brought to a high state of perfection1  
and almost every work on art1 science1  

literature1 or philosophy1 is composed  
in the author's vernacular4 ,yet our    
colleges1 with unfortunate fidelity1    
have hitherto adhered much too closely  
to the course of study marked out by    
their ancient models4  ,but nothing     
should gratify the friends of education 
more than the changes that are now      
beginning to take place1 not only in our
 own institutions of learning1 but even 
in the ,english ,universities of ,oxford
 and ,cambridge4 ,the ,novum ,organum of
 ,bacon has triumphed1 and is leading us
 from the study of a dead ,past to the  
study of living and eternal truth4 ,the 
establishment of scientific departments 
and schools of mines1 in connection with
 some of our noble and time-honored     
colleges and universities1 is a virtual 
acknowledgment that not the ancient     
classics1 but the modern classics1      
should rank first in the studies of     
youth2 not the classics of the ,greeks  
and ,romans1 but the classics of        
,nature4  ,i would not be misunderstood 

in this matter4 ,the grand classics are 
grand indeed6 ,greece and ,rome were    
grand2 but their grandeur grew out of   
high aspirations1 tending to a grand    
life4 ,they turned neither to the right 
nor to the left1 they looked not        
backward1 they went right straight on1  
and thus became truly great4  ,we1 too1 
have a greatness1 as a nation1 to       
attain3 and we must attain it1 if at    
all1 in the same way4 ,we need not fear 
that the truth developed by different   
nations1 will or can be lost4 ,truth    
once known can never be hidden4 ,the    
results of each generation and century1 
pass on into the future1 and are        
interwoven into the woof of our         
ever-growing civilization4  ,the ,greek 
and ,roman energy1 thought1 and         
character1 permeate the life and soul of
 modern ,europe4 ,the arts1 the         
sciences1 the literature1 the           
civilization1 of ,greece and ,rome we   
have to-day4 ,they are out on the air2  
they are incorporated in our social and 

intellectual life2 they are not afar    
off1 they are here to-night--here in our
 streets1 here in our homes and in our  
hearts4 ,they are living1 and speak with
 living tongues3--that part of them     
found in books alone may truly be called
 dead4  ,in our opinion1 a college      
founded to-day1 should conform its      
curriculum to the growth of the world1  
in letters1 and thought1 and science1   
and civilization1 and                   
,christianity2--while the ,greek and    
,latin languages should be studied only 
for specific ends4  ,if we had the years
 required for a thorough study of the   
classics1 and an equal time to give to  
the natural sciences1 then both might be
 pursued to advantage4 ,but as we have  
not time to pursue to any considerable  
extent more than one of these           
departments1 ,i would give a rudimentary
 training in the classics1 and devote   
the best energies of the young to those 
studies which have for their objects1   
life and its pursuits1 man and his      

destiny1 ,god and ,his works4  ,the     
sphere of woman differs widely from that
 of man2 but this is neither the time   
nor the place to unfold our views upon  
the question in what way1 and to what   
extent1 this fact should modify the     
course of study in a college for women2 
a question which all must recognize as  
one of great practical difficulty1 as   
well as of great practical importance4  
,the conclusions at which we have       
arrived on these subjects--the results  
in part of experience1 and in part of   
the cordial aid of a large number of    
distinguished educators--will soon be   
laid before the public in the curriculum
 of the college4  ,we therefore here    
content ourselves with repeating1 that  
generally the studies pursued by women  
should be those that are pursued by men2
 and that they should be pursued much to
 the same extent4 ,surely1 there is     
nothing which the under-graduate learns 
in his college course1 which he should  
not be glad that his wife should know as

 well as himself4 ,surely a liberal     
education has miserably failed of its   
aim1 when a man desires in a wife1 not  
an equal1 but a toy or a slave4  ,the   
idea of woman as a slave is a barbarian 
idea4 ,the savage has it to perfection1 
and because he has it he is a savage4   
,the savage makes woman do the work of a
 beast of burden2 the half-civilized    
,chinese puts on her all the drudgery of
 hard work2--the wife drags the plough1 
the husband sows the grain4  ,to the    
savage1 woman is a slave4 ,the          
half-civilized man combines with this   
the idea of woman as a toy4 ,this is an 
unchristian idea2 unhappily it is too   
common even with us2 yet1 with some     
other degrading ideas1 it is a relic of 
heathenism4 ,the whole difference       
between civilized ,europe1              
half-civilized ,asia1 and savage        
,africa1 can be accurately measured by  
the idea of woman2 the best test of     
civilization1 in either a nation or an  
individual4  ,the question1 then1       

whether our civilization is to advance  
or to retrograde--stand still it        
cannot--depends on the place hereafter  
to be given to woman4 ,as to this       
question1 the present seems to be a sort
 of crisis4 ,the signs point both ways2 
on the whole1 the prospect is hopeful   
and cheering3 but we must either go back
 or go on2 we must become either more   
,asiatic or more ,christian4  ,the      
hopeful indications are general in their
 character1 and embrace all that is     
cheering in the signs of the times4     
,those that forebode evil are more      
specific in their relations to women2   
and1 though differing among themselves1 
they all point to one common end1 viz41 
the destruction of the family4  ,the    
,church1 the ,state1 and the ,family1   
are alike ordained of ,god4 ,the        
ordering of the ,family pertains to     
woman2 of the ,state1 to man2 of the    
,church1 to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4   
,each of these organizations exists by  
divine right1 and therefore1 within its 

own sphere1 is sovereign4 ,yet the      
preservation and perfection of all1     
depend on that of each4 ,in the words of
 a distinguished ,greek scholar3 ,each  
inculcating the same lesson1 although   
with sanctions continually ascending2   
each successively1 in the order of its  
rank1 supplying the defects of the      
lower2 yet each to be regarded as       
divinely appointed by the same eternal  
,source of all law and rightful         
authority1 in heaven and earth4  ,the   
family is destroyed when its unity is   
destroyed4 ,of various causes tending to
 this result1 we shall speak only of two
 particulars in our legislation4        
,according to the law of ,christ1 the   
husband and wife are one person3 to this
 fact1 the old common law in a good     
degree conformed2 but the tendency of   
recent statutes is to do away with this 
idea1 by making the property of the wife
 distinct from that of the husband1 and 
giving to her separately its            
management2--thus at once creating a    

diversity of interests4  ,we recognize  
the necessity1 in certain cases1 of such
 a distinction in the control of        
property3 but we deplore this necessity1
 we are fearful as to its tendency1 and 
we hope that the practice may never     
extend beyond rare and exceptional      
cases4  ,if each of the contracting     
parties1 as they might properly be      
called1 have large possessions1 so that 
the disposal of property does not often 
arise1 the evil is less4 ,but with the  
great majority of families that compose 
the body-politic1 the spending of a     
little of their very little money is a  
question of moment1 that comes up from  
day to day1 and almost from hour to     
hour3 and if a garment cannot be bought1
 or a meal provided1 without raising the
 question of separate pecuniary         
interests between the heads of the      
family1 and that too in the presence of 
the children1 the unity of the home1 its
 sacred peace1 and its hallowed lessons1
 are at an end2 and it may be that the  

strong passions so constantly appealed  
to1 will rend the family asunder4 ,we   
have heard of a legacy of seven hundred 
dollars to a wife1 that led to a        
divorce4  ,in accordance with the effect
 of such legislation1 made to cover     
exceptional cases1 but which is ominous 
of general corruption1 are those laws of
 divorce which1 in several of our       
,states1 practically tend to make       
marriage a contract dissoluble at the   
will of the parties2 thus encouraging   
persons foolishly to rush into it1 and  
madly to break from it4 ,it is said that
 in one ,new ,england ,state1 one       
marriage in ten is thus dissolved6 ,the 
,state thus presumes1 for causes that   
the ,church does not hold to be         
sufficient1 to put asunder those whom   
,god hath joined together4  ,our object 
is by no means to discuss these         
subjects1 but merely to glance at them  
as illustrations of a strong tendency to
 innovate without due regard to the     
sacred oneness of the family4 ,even     

education is an evil1 so far as it may  
tend to infringe upon this unity2 and it
 is of the highest value1 only as it may
 tend to secure it4 ,this is the true   
ground of the principle which we before 
laid down1 and which we would extend to 
every grade of society1 from the highest
 to the lowest1 viz41 that the wife     
should have as good an education as the 
husband2 and1 what is of equal          
importance1 the mother should have as   
good an education as the children4      
,whatever breaks in upon the oneness of 
the family1 brings with it evil for     
which it cannot furnish any sufficient  
compensation1 either to woman or to man4
 ,the destruction of the family is the  
destruction of woman3 it is that of man 
also4  ,the destruction of the family is
 likewise the destruction of the ,state4
 ,the family is the foundation stone on 
which the higher edifice rests2 and if  
this stone be removed out of its place1 
or ground to powder1 the more imposing  
fabric of government falls to ruin4 ,the

 no-family and no-government fallacies  
are the same in principle2 and they     
complete themselves when they add1 no   
,church1 and no ,god4  ,the profligacy  
of our cities1 like the poison of the   
cholera1 infecting the whole of the     
country2 the frenzy of fashion1         
bewildering the minds of women2 the lust
 of gold1 gnawing at the hearts of men2 
these things of themselves might lead us
 to fear that the family and the home   
might become things of the past2 and if 
so1 our civilization would vanish1 like 
the baseless fabric of a vision4 ,but we
 look for better things3 ,christ1 the   
,word of ,god1 by whom and for whom are 
all things1 laid the foundations of the 
family so deep1 that they cannot be     
removed4 ,we may disregard them1 to our 
destruction1 as did ,babylon and ,rome  
of old1 but whatsoever ,he hath decreed1
 ,he will finally bring it to pass4     
,that ideal of woman which we would fain
 behold realized1 is ,his ideal4 ,he    
ordained that the place of woman should 

be by the side of man1 as his equal2 and
 this ideal1 which ,he foreshadowed in  
the ,scriptures from the beginning1 ,he 
will accomplish4 ,his religion is a     
religion of far-continuing purposes2 it 
is one religion1 from the first promise 
that the seed of the woman should bruise
 the serpent's head1 to the end of the  
world4  ,it may be an appropriate close 
to these somewhat discursive1 yet       
related1 remarks1 to show that the idea 
of woman in the old ,hebrew ,scripture1 
was the germ that ,christianity is      
ripening to the flower4  ,one book of   
the ,scripture seems to have been       
written to place a ,hebrew youth in full
 possession of all the wisdom of age4   
,it states that its design is to give to
 the young knowledge and discretion4 ,i 
speak1 of course1 of the book of        
,proverbs4 ,this is an extended series  
of practical precepts2 of precepts      
everywhere marked by that religious     
sentiment which ever gives to practical 
truth its highest value2 of precepts    

embracing the whole life of man2 of     
precepts so profound and exhaustive1    
that the wisdom and the experience of   
all subsequent ages and nations have    
added to them but little4  ,from the    
difficulty of rendering axioms and pithy
 sayings into another language1 our     
translation of this book is somewhat    
defective4 ,it often misses the point of
 the saying which it aims to reproduce4 
,but there can be no mistake as to the  
leading ideas in the description before 
us4 ,the place that it holds in the book
 of all human wisdom1 is good evidence  
that a high place was meant to be given 
to woman in the ,hebrew ,scripture2 its 
opening and its closing words1 moreover1
 strengthen this impression4 ,the value 
of a perfect woman is far above rubies4 
,the heart of her husband doth safely   
trust in her2 he shall have no need of  
spoil4 ,precious gems--the favorite form
 of wealth among the ,orientals--are    
thus disparaged in comparison with her2 
and he that hath a true woman1 needs no 

other riches4  ,in the very spirit of   
the first divine word as to woman--,it  
is not good for man to be alone--it is  
here written2 ,she shall do him good and
 not evil all the days of her life4     
,again1 at the close of the description1
 it is written1 ,give her of the fruit  
of her hands--that is1 deal justly with 
her--yield not to the mean spirit1 that 
thinks that whatever is conceded to     
woman1 is so much taken from the        
birthright of man4 ,the writer goes     
beyond the proverb of the ,french3 ,a   
good wife is half the battle2 and1      
though the husband is known in the      
gates1 when he sitteth among the elders 
of the land1 his prosperity seems wholly
 attributed to her4 ,indeed1 he is      
reduced to such insignificance1 that all
 he can do is to stand still and praise 
her4 ,this he does with hearty good     
will2 saying1 as good husbands always   
say to good wives--common excellence in 
woman always affecting a man with       
uncommon surprise--,many daughters have 

done virtuously1 but thou excellest them
 all4  ,young ,ladies of the ,first     
,graduating ,class of ,rutgers ,female  
,college4  ,in this portraiture of a    
woman of another country and of a       
distant age1 to which1 for various      
reasons ,i have called the attention of 
the general audience1 there are         
inwrought characteristics1 the          
excellence of which ,i would1 in this   
hour of parting1 hold up to you for     
imitation4  ,she worketh willingly3--in 
her tongue is the law of kindness3--in  
her heart is the fear of the ,lord4  ,of
 the many things that ,i would gladly   
impress on your hearts1 as ,i address   
you1 as my pupils1 for the last time1 ,i
 can select but few1 and perhaps none   
more appropriate than the virtues and   
excellencies which this portrait        
suggests4  ,one characteristic of this  
woman is energy3 ,she riseth while it is
 yet night3--,she eateth not the bread  
of idleness4 ,she exemplifies the spirit
 of the truly ,scriptural precept3      

,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do  
it with thy might4 ,her example1 then1  
is one of habitual industry1 a habit    
which has much more to do with a truly  
virtuous life than is generally         
supposed4 ,labor strengthens all the    
virtues2 idleness weakens them          
all3--idleness is the fruitful source of
 vice4  ,in every sphere in which you   
may be placed1 there will be work to be 
done2--to be done religiously--that is1 
faithfully as unto ,god2--to be accepted
 by you as ,his manifest will1 and to be
 done willingly as unto ,him4  ,one of  
the chief ends of your education has    
been1 to give you the trained intellect1
 that you may quickly and correctly     
discern1 in each relation and           
circumstance of life--from day to day1  
and from hour to hour--what is the work 
that you are called upon to do4 ,another
 chief aim has been to give you that    
disciplined self-command that will      
enable you--not lazily putting it off   
till a more convenient season--to do it 

at once1 and to do it thoroughly and    
well4  ,if you have here gained or      
strengthened the habit of industry1     
preserve it to the end4 ,without labor1 
there is no excellence and no happiness4
 ,it is the most vulgar of all vulgar   
errors1 that a lady is a person who does
 nothing4 ,such a person would be good  
for nothing1 and miserable indeed4      
,work1 however1 is of many kinds2 work  
of the brain1 and work of the heart1 as 
well as work of the hands2 and the      
humblest kind is not the hardest4  ,it  
is another vulgar error1 that work is   
degrading4 ,labor was imposed on our    
fallen race1 because it was fallen2 but 
the decree went forth more in pity than 
in anger4 ,work was not imposed upon the
 angels1 for they needed no such        
compulsion4 ,angelic natures work       
willingly and cheerfully2 and how is the
 idea that to do nothing is a desirable 
thing1 reconciled with the sublime      
words1 ,my ,father worketh hitherto and 
,i work4  ,in the description of the    

woman of old1 it is said3 ,in her       
tongue1 is the law of kindness2 and this
 ,i would most earnestly entreat you to 
emulate1 believing that few things would
 conduce more to your usefulness and    
happiness4 ,saint ,james tells us that  
if any man seemeth to be religious1 and 
bridleth not his tongue1 this man's     
religion is vain4 ,elsewhere in his     
,epistle1 you may learn how difficult a 
thing he conceives this to be4 ,it      
requires a perfect control of one's     
self1 and a large charity4 ,of the      
former1 we hope that you have gained    
something here2 the other1 you can gain 
somewhat from experience1 but in        
perfection only from the grace of ,god4 
,i would have your conversation governed
 by the charity of which the ,apostle   
,paul saith1 that it suffereth long and 
is kind2 envieth not2 vaunteth not      
itself2 is not easily provoked2 thinketh
 no evil4 ,this kindness of spirit1 this
 charity1 is a high ,christian grace2   
but it might almost be taught by        

experience1 seeing how little we really 
know the motives that sway the human    
soul1 and how often the severe judgments
 which we pronounce on our              
fellow-mortals1 have to be reconsidered 
with much pain and self humiliation1    
when perhaps it is forever too late to  
right the wrong1 and to recompense the  
suffering that we have occasioned4      
,friendships broken1 causeless enmities1
 opportunities for doing good and       
getting good thrown away1 too often     
teach us--too late to prevent1 to       
ourselves and to others1 much lasting   
injury--the value of the law of kindness
 as the law of our words4 ,especially is
 this law of kindness needed in the     
speech of woman1 whose hasty1           
thoughtless words can influence to fury 
the pride and wrath of man1 and set on  
fire his heart with the fires of hell4  
,dissensions in families1 hatred between
 neighbors1 enmity between states and   
nations1 follow when woman's tongue     
embitters man's jealousy and passion4   

,if the sphere of woman is hereafter to 
be enlarged1 we all should more         
earnestly hope1 and more fervently pray1
 that she may everywhere carry with her 
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit1
 which is in the sight of ,god of great 
price4  ,what is the characteristic in  
woman that should most fasten the       
affections1 and secure the esteem1 of   
man8 ,is it the varying charm of manner1
 or beauty of person8 ,the ,scripture   
before us1 answers these questions in a 
few decisive words3 ,favor is           
deceitful1--that is1 an unsatisfying    
thing--and beauty is vain2 but a woman  
that feareth the ,lord1 she shall be    
praised4  ,i know few things1 even in   
the ,scripture1 so thoroughly justified 
by observation1 and at the same time so 
little known and regarded1 as this4 ,in 
the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 the fear of    
,god answers to the love of ,god in the 
,christian ,scriptures1 and so may be   
taken as equivalent to true piety3 and  
true piety in woman is that alone which 

really can draw from out the heart of   
man1 the sentiment of lasting           
veneration4  ,i cannot urge this as a   
motive for cultivating the spirit of    
piety2 but ,i surely should not conceal 
from you what this ,scripture so clearly
 reveals1 in this3 ,godliness hath the  
promise of the life that now is1 as well
 as of that which is to come4 ,but ,i   
would here enforce upon you the duty of 
piety1 from other considerations4 ,piety
 is not only the highest of duties1 but 
the greatest of privileges4  ,young     
,ladies1 life is so limited1 our        
responsibilities are so great1 the      
consequences of pursuing a wrong course 
are so terrible and destructive1--even  
so far as this life goes1--that you     
cannot afford to make a mistake at the  
outset4 ,experience is not always a sure
 guide--it cannot teach all the         
important truths that concern this life2
 nor can you trust implicitly to the    
wisdom of either parent or teacher1 nor 
commit yourselves to the guidance of    

passion1 or to the customs and opinions 
of the world4 ,to what1 then1 should you
 go1 to-night1 to-morrow1 and every day 
of your lives1 for safe guidance--for   
true wisdom8 ,need ,i say1 to the ,bible
 alone8--to the ,bible as opened to your
 minds1 and brought home to your hearts1
 by the ,holy ,spirit granted to you in 
answer to prayer4 ,by thus listening to 
its voice1 you listen to the voice of   
,god2 by taking hold on its truths1 you 
take hold upon eternity4 ,you are thus  
lifted above yourselves2--above your    
passions1 your littleness1 your         
ambition2--above the world4 ,you are    
thus brought into communion with the    
,father of your spirits2--with ,god1 who
 alone is sufficient to fill all the    
aspirations of the soul4 ,he alone is   
wise enough to be your sufficient       
counsellor2--,he alone is strong enough 
to give mortals strength4  ,of ,his     
glory and ,his beauty1 all the glory and
 the beauty of the things that ,he has  
made1 are but faint emblems and         

reflected lights4 ,he alone is worthy to
 be loved with all your heart1 and mind1
 and soul1 and strength4  ,remember1    
then1 your ,creator in the days of your 
youth4 ,the fashion of this world       
passeth away3--lay up for yourselves    
treasures in heaven1 where neither moth 
nor rust doth corrupt4 ,set your        
affections on things above1 where       
,christ sitteth at the right hand of    
,god3 and the very ,god of peace        
sanctify you wholly2 and ,i pray ,god   
your whole spirit and soul and body be  
preserved blameless unto the coming of  
our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4