77 FEMALE EDUCATION. THE Science of female education in this country has become far too much the science of mere behaviour. Principles are inculcated, but not with earnestness-we look much more to manner. We do not educate the feelings, but we are carefully didactic as to the mode of their expression. We do not encourage independent thought, or love to draw out the earnest expression of natural emotion. Some natures there are so strong and so elastic, as to rebound from the pressure of education into the beautiful region of natural enthusiasm and innocent trueheartedness, but the many are so moulded that everything they do is but a trick of custom. And even this may be-nay, it is very oftenbeautiful, and graceful, and winning; and all that the habits of society demand is gone through with an air so delicately right, so exquisitely as it should be, that one is ready to exclaim, "If this be education merely, let her then be my goddess, for nature's self was never sure more lovely." But, alas! this feeling will not stand the wear and tear of life. There must be something fervent-something original-something created, or thrown into new shape, by that mind which would charm for ever, and cast upon the every-day occurrences of life the glow of feeling, and the interest of novelty. In mere behaviour there is a wearying sameness. The mind must expand into generous sentiment, or trace for us with delicate discernment new views of things, if it would hope to interest, and to prolong that delightful feeling of respectful admiration, which is so near akin to love, if it be not indeed the thing itself. But why all this preachment? Simply because there is too little regard shown to any thing but behaviour in education, and in after life we find there is too little heart. Shall I be thought too severe if I say that society abounds far too much with such persons as the Chloe of Mr. Pope? "With every pleasing-every prudent part, If there be many of this description, as I fear there are, I would have them, for the sake of their own happiness, as well as that of their neighbours, friends, and any other nearer connections they please, to cultivate something better than the best manner of doing what is to be done, though that, too, is of high importance. I would have them consider what it is reasonable to think, as well as what it is correct to say, and to revolve with deliberate thoughtfulness what they ought to do, as well as how they ought to do it. Thus will they soon surpass the yotaries of mere behaviour, and rear up for themselves an internal character, which, like a firm and enduring pillar, they may adorn with the external ornaments of graceful manners and beautiful accomplishments. But it is not to be forgotten that there arc occasions when such a guard as mere behaviour supplies, is of the very greatest efficacy, as checking, opposing, and controlling, the working of sincere, temporary emotion. This is especially the case in regard to quarrels, which are apt to begin among all sorts of people, but among the highly civilized and educated they rarely proceed to such storms of passion as are quite common among those who have less habituated themselves to the control of good behaviour. "Alas! how light a cause may move And sorrow but more closely tied ; That stood the storm when waves were rough, Yet in a sunny hour fall off, Like ships that have gone down at sea, 82 ACQUAINTANCES. RESERVED and "exclusive" as the English people are considered to be, there is nothing that they who live in the world seem more anxious about than acquaintances. As to friends, the very word has become rather oldfashioned-the thing it signifies has long been so. But people love to have acquaintances, and the way in which the business of acquaintanceship is carried on, is no doubt eminently curious, and particularly worthy of this age of distinguished enlightenment. He, or she, who would be miserable without acquaintances, would be equally so if it were necessary to meet and talk with those acquaintances in any thing like a familiar way. The intellectual felicity derived from intercourse with acquaintances lies in this-you have leave to knock at their doors, and they at yours, and you may deposit with their servants, or they with yours, certain morsels of smooth pasteboard, on which are engraven your name and address, or theirs, as the case may be. The bliss is heightened if, instead of using those bits of pasteboard, you are called upon to write your name in the porter's book, which you must by all means do yourself. If the porter were to save himself the trouble of walking out to your carriage, book and pen in hand, and to save you the trouble of writing, and the risk of inking your gloves, by performing the part of your amanuensis, at his own desk, the whole charm of the thing would be lost. Of course this is because your acquaintance, when he, she, or they, examines, or examine, the book, fall into raptures at your hand-writing, heave a sigh over the crossings of your "t's," and experience an effusion of sympathy as they contemplate the dottings of your "i's." This must be the true theory of the case, and the spectacle of the tall porter waiting beside your carriage, while you write your name, and the passing world sees what a great personage you are visiting, can have nothing to do with the matter. One of the curious and convenient things belonging to modern acquaintanceship in London is, that it is by no means necessary that you should have any the least knowledge of the persons of your acquaintances. Your soul-felt intercourse being managed by means of visiting tickets, porters' books, and cards of invitation; any such thing as visual knowledge is unnecessary, and might be inconvenient. Your acquaintance might be disagreeable to look at, although living in a very eligible house, associating, according to the newspapers, with other people who live in very eligible houses, and occasionally paying opera singers and confectioners, to entertain the acquaintances whose names are in the porter's book. |