The Young Woman's Guide

William A. (William Andrus) Alcott

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• Publié par: cheyn
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 38
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Young
Woman's Guide, by William A. Alcott
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Title: The Young Woman's GuideAuthor: William A. Alcott
Release Date: October, 2005 [EBook #9054] [Yes,
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK THE YOUNG WOMAN'S GUIDE ***
Produced by Stan Goodman, Michelle Shephard,
and Project Gutenberg Distributed ProofreadersTHE YOUNG WOMAN'S GUIDE
by
William A. Alcott
[Illustration: Retirement, rural quiet, friendship,
books, Ease and alternate labour, useful life,
Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven!
Thomson]
PREFACE.
This work was begun, soon after the appearance
of the Young Man's Guide—and was partially
announced to the public. For reasons, however,
which I have not room to give in this place, it was
thought proper to defer its publication till the
appearance of several other volumes in the same
spirit, involving more particularly the relative duties.
I wish to have it distinctly understood, that I do not
propose to give a complete manual of the social
and moral duties of young women. Every one has
his own way of looking at things, and I have mine.
Some of the duties of young women have
appeared to me to receive from other writers less
attention than their comparative importance
demands; and others— especially those which areconnected with the great subject of "temperance in
all things"—I have believed to be treated, in several
respects, erroneously.
Permit me, however, to say, that while I have not
intended to follow the path, or repeat the ideas of
any other writer, I have not attempted to avoid
either the one or the other. If I have presented
here and there a thought which had already come
before the public from my own pen, I can only say
that I did not intend it, although I did not take
special pains to avoid it. The sum is this. I have
presented my thoughts, without so much reference
to what has already been said by myself or others,
as to what I have supposed to be the necessities
of those for whom I write. I have gone straight
forward, asking no questions; and I trust I shall be
dealt with in a manner equally direct.CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. EXPLANATION OF TERMS.
Defining terms. The word excellence here used as
nearly synonymous with holiness. What is meant
by calling the work a Guide. The term Woman—
why preferable, as a general term, to Lady. The
class to whom this work is best adapted.
CHAPTER II. FEMALE RESPONSIBILITIES.
Comparison of the responsibilities of young men
and young women. Saying of Dr. Rush. Its
application to young women. Definition of the term
education. Bad and good education. Opinions of
Solomon. Influence of a young woman in a family
—in a school. Anecdotes of female influence.
West, Alexander, Cæsar, Franklin. Story of a
domestic in Boston. The good she is doing. Special
influence of young women in families—and as
sisters. Female influence in the renovation of the
world.
CHAPTER III. SELF-EDUCATION.
Views of Agesilaus, king of Sparta—of Solomon,
king of Israel. Mistake corrected. What the wisest
and best parents cannot do. What, therefore,remains to the daughter. Necessity of self-
education. The work of self education the work of
life—a never-ending progress upward to the throne
of God.
CHAPTER IV. LOVE OF IMPROVEMENT.
Female capabilities. Doing every thing in the best
possible manner. Unending progress. Every person
and every occupation susceptible of improvement,
indefinitely. Doing well what is before us. Anecdote
illustrative of this principle. Personal duties. Two
great classes of persons described. Hopes of
reaching the ears of the selfish.
CHAPTER V. SELF-KNOWLEDGE.
Vast extent of the science of self-knowledge.
Spurious self-knowledge. Knowledge of our
physical frame—its laws and relations. Examples of
the need of this knowledge. Instruments of
obtaining it. The use of lectures. Study of our
peculiarities. Study of mental philosophy. The
Bible. How the Bible should be studied.
CHAPTER VI. CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
Is there any conscientiousness in the world? How
far conscientiousness should extend. Tendency
and power of habit. Evils of doing incessantly what
we know to be wrong. Why we do this. Errors ofearly education. False standard of right and wrong.
Bad method of family discipline. Palsy of the moral
sensibilities. Particular direction in regard to the
education of conscience. Results which may be
expected.
CHAPTER VII. SELF-GOVERNMENT.
What self-government includes. Cheerfulness a
duty. Discretion. Modesty. Diffidence. Courage.
Vigilance. Thoughts and feelings. The affections.
The temper. The appetites and passions.
CHAPTER VIII. SELF-COMMAND.
Presence of mind. Examples. Napoleon. Female
example. Mrs. Merrill. Use of the anecdote. Self-
command to be cultivated. In what manner.
Consult the experience of others. Consult your own
reason and good sense. Daily practice in the art of
self-command.
CHAPTER IX. DECISION OF CHARACTER.
Decision of character as important to young
women as to others. Why it is so. Illustration of the
subject by a Scripture anecdote. Misery and
danger of indecision. How to reform.
Perseverance. Errors of modern education.
CHAPTER X. SELF-DEPENDENCE.Fashionable education. Why there is so little self-
dependence in the world. Why orphans sometimes
make out well in the world. Error corrected. What
young women once were. What they are now. The
best character formed under difficulties. Cause of
the present helpless condition of females. Three or
four to get breakfast. Modes of breaking up these
habits. Anecdote of an independent young woman.
Appeal to the reader.
CHAPTER XI. REASONING AND ORIGINALITY.
Females not expected to be reasoners. Effects of
modern education on the reasoning powers.
Education of former days, illustrated by an
anecdote of an octogenarian. Extracts from her
correspondence. Difficulty in getting the ears of
mankind. The reasoning powers in man susceptible
of cultivation indefinitely. Reflections on the
importance of maternal effort and female
education.
CHAPTER XII. INVENTION.
Why woman has invented so few things. Abundant
room for the exercise of her inventive powers.
Hints. Particular need of a reform in cookery.
Appeal to young women on this subject.
CHAPTER XIII. OBSERVATION AND
REFLECTION.Advice of Dr. Dwight. Other counsels to the young.
Some persons of both sexes are always seeing,
but never reflecting. An object deserving of pity.
Zimmerman's views. Reading to get rid of
reflection. Worse things still.
CHAPTER XIV. DETRACTION AND SCANDAL.
Universal prevalence of detraction and slander.
Proofs. Shakspeare. Burns the poet. Self-
knowledge, how much to be desired. Reference to
the work of Mrs. Opie—to our own hearts—to the
Bible.
CHAPTER XV. THE RIGHT USE OF TIME.
Great value of moments. An old maxim. Wasting
shreds of time. Time more valuable than money.
What are the most useful charities. Doing good by
proxy. Value of time for reflection. Doing nothing.
Rendering an account of our time at the last
tribunal.
CHAPTER XVI. LOVE OF DOMESTIC
CONCERNS.
Reasons for loving domestic life. 1. Young women
should have some avocation. Labor regarded as
drudgery. 2. Domestic employment healthy. 3. It is
pleasant. 4. It affords leisure for intellectual