Nor is it required of woman that she should limit her benevolent offices to scenes of visible and palpable suffering; she may do much, she ought to do much, in sustaining and advancing the interests of true Christianity. She is by no means to be considered as infringing the province of the other sex, or as recreant to the delicacy of her own nature, when she puts forth vigorous and combined efforts for extending the knowledge and influence of the Gospel. We have nothing to say against, but much to say in favor of, female societies in the different departments of evangelical charity: and it is to be devoutly hoped and confidently expected, that with the gradual progress of the spirit of benevolence in future years and ages, these societies will form a far more effective and extended agency than they now do, in the great work of renovating the world. There is yet another department in which female effort may very properly be encouraged, and in which many females have already labored in a manner worthy of all praise-namely, the department of authorship. There is no reason suggested by delicacy, or common sense, or public sentiment, why a lady who has fine thoughts on any subject of importance, and has the power of expressing them on paper in a fitting manner, should not give them to the world; and hence it has come to pass, especially in latter years, that many of the books which are fitted to exert the most benign influence on society are from female writers. It would be easy to make out a list of such works, not only from the dead but from the living, which have already acquired the character of standard productions, and the loss of which would make a chasm in our literature which it would be hard to realize, and still harder to supply. There are certain subjects upon which females write far more effectively than men; and that must be a dull book, indeed, written by a lady, which the men will not read. Let our gifted ladies, then, not be afraid to use the pen; but let them use it in such a manner that they shall never have occasion to blush for what they have written. It is an obvious deduction, from the preceding train of thought, that nothing is more important to the well being of society and the prospects of the race, than a high standard of female education; by which I mean, not merely great proficiency in what are commonly called accomplishments, nor even a thorough training of the intellect alone, but such a formation of the physical, intellectual, moral and social habits, as shall best subserve the great end of a happy and useful life. It scarcely need be said that such a result is not to be looked for, independently of the influence of Christianity; and hence anything that falls short of a Christian education, however it may furnish a passport to the favor of the world, leaves the greatest interests of the present, and all the interests of the future, utterly unprovided for. A female may undoubtedly be amiable in her disposition and attractive in her manners, and may be admired and loved by large circles of friends, while yet she has not the fear of God before her eyes, nor the love of God in her heart; but, in order to fulfil the great end of her existence on earth, and to be prepared for a nobler existence in heaven, she must draw her motives of action from the future and the invisible, and never lose sight of her relations to God and eternity. Whoever makes a discreet and well-directed effort to improve and elevate the character of woman, is certainly to be regarded as a benefactor to his race. On this ground, I hesitate not to say that the author of the following work has richly merited such a distinction. In a simple and beautiful commentary on Solomon's description of a virtuous woman, we find much light thrown upon the text, by a reference to ancient usages; a fine illustration of various points of difference between the Jewish and the Christian woman; and many of the soundest maxims of wisdom bearing upon the subject of female education. It is a work that will bear to be read more than once; and each successive reading will be likely to reveal some new gem of thought which in the general mass of excellence had been overlooked before. It is a book suitable for the husband to present to his wife, the mother to her daughter, and the brother to his sister; and the more widely it is circulated, the better for the country and the world. W. B. S. |