to
me to enjoin.

Such persons, whatever may be their other qualifications, I call upon
every young man to avoid, as he would a pestilence. If they are really
determined to live and act as mere drones in society, let them live
alone. Do not give them an opportunity to spread the infection of so
wretched a disease, if you can honestly help it.

The woman who does not actually prefer action to inaction--industry to
idleness--labor to ease--and who does not steadfastly resolve to labor
moderately as long as she lives, whatever may be her circumstances, is
unfit for life, social or domestic. It is not for me to say, in what
_form_ her labor shall be applied, except in rearing the young. But
labor she ought--all she is able--while life and health lasts, at
something or other; or she ought not to complain if she suffers the
_natural penalty_; and she ought to do it with cheerfulness.

I like much the quaint remark of a good old lady of ninety. She was
bred to labor, had labored through the whole of her long and eventful
life, and was still at her 'wheel.' 'Why,' said she, 'people ought to
strain _every nerve_ to get property, as a matter of Christian duty.'

I should choose to modify this old lady's remark, and say that, people
ought to do all they can _without straining_ their _muscles_ or
_nerves_; not to get property, but because it is at once, their duty
and their happiness.

The great object of life is to do good. The great object of society is
to increase the power to good. Both sexes should aim, in matrimony, at
a more extended sphere of usefulness. To increase an estate, merely, is
a low and unworthy aim, from which may God preserve the rising
generation. Still I must say, that I greatly prefer the avaricious
being--a monster though she might be--to the stupid soul who would not
lift a finger if she could help it, and who determines to fold her arms
whenever she has a convenient opportunity.

If a female be lazy, there will be lazy domestics, and, what is a great
deal worse, children will acquire this habit. Every thing, however
necessary to be done, will be put off to the last moment, and then it
will be done badly, and, in many cases, not at all. The dinner will be
too late; the journey or the visit will be tardy; inconveniences of all
sorts will be continually arising. There will always be a heavy arrear
of things unperformed; and this, even among the most wealthy, is a
great evil; for if they have no busin