o which I am wholly unequal, to believe that
beings who ever conceived, for one short moment, of the height to
which their natures may be elevated, should sink back" without a
single struggle, to a mere selfish, unsocial, animal life;--to lying
in bed ten or twelve hours daily, rising three or four hours later
than the sun, spending the morning in preparation at the glass, the
remainder of the time till dinner in unmeaning calls, the afternoon
in yawning over a novel, and the evening in the excitement of the
tea-table and the party, and the ball-room, to retire, perhaps at
midnight, with the mind and body and soul in a feverish state, to
toss away the night in vapid or distressing dreams.

"How beings endowed with immortal souls can be contented to while
away precious hours in a manner so useless, and withal so
displeasing to the God who gave them their time for the improvement
of themselves and others, is to me absolutely inconceivable! Yet it
is certainly done; and that not merely by a few solitary individuals
scattered up and down the land; but in some of our most populous
cities, by considerable numbers.

"Should the young man who is seeking an 'help meet,' chance to fall
in with such _beings_ as these--and some we fear there are in almost
every part of our land,--let him shun them as he would the 'choke
damp' of the cavern.

"Their society would extinguish, rather than fan the flame of every
generous or benevolent-feeling that might be kindling in his bosom.
_With_ the fond, the ardent, the never-failing desire to improve,
physically, intellectually, and morally, there are few females who
may not make tolerable companions for a man of sense;--_without_ it,
though a young lady were beautiful and otherwise lovely beyond
comparison, wealthy as the Indies, surrounded by thousands of the
most worthy friends, and even talented, let him beware! Better
remain in celibacy a thousand years (could life last so long) great
as the evil may be, than form a union with such an object. He
should pity, and seek her reformation, if not beyond the bounds
of possibility; but love her he should not! The penalty will be
absolutely insupportable.

"One point ought to be settled,--I think unalterably settled--before
matrimony. It ought indeed to be settled in early life, but it is
better late, perhaps, than never. Each of the parties should
consider themselves as sacredly pledged, in all cases, to yield to
conviction. I have no good