nor can I form an idea of, a more
unfortunate being than a girl with a mere boarding-school education,
and without a fortune to enable her to keep domestics, when married.
Of what _use_ are _her_ accomplishments? Of what use her music, her
drawing, and her romantic epistles? If she should chance to possess
a sweet disposition, and good nature, the first faint cry of her
first babe drives all the tunes and all the landscapes, and all the
imaginary beings out of her head forever.

"The farmer or the tradesman's wife has to _help earn_ a provision
for her children; or, at the least, to help to earn a store for
sickness or old age. She ought, therefore, to be qualified to begin,
at once, to assist her husband in his earnings. The way in which she
can most efficiently assist, is by taking care of his property; by
expending his money to the greatest advantage; by wasting nothing,
but by making the table sufficiently abundant with the least
expense.

"But how is she to do these things, unless she has been _brought up_
to understand domestic affairs? How is she to do these things, if
she has been taught to think these matters beneath her study? How is
the man to expect her to do these things, if she has been so bred,
as to make her habitually look upon them as worthy the attention of
none but low and ignorant women?

"_Ignorant_, indeed! Ignorance consists in a want of knowledge of
those things which your calling or state of life naturally supposes
you to understand. A ploughman is not an ignorant man because he
does not know how to read. If he knows how to plough, he is not
to be called an ignorant man; but a wife may be justly called an
ignorant woman, if she does not know how to provide a dinner for
her husband. It is cold comfort for a hungry man, to tell him how
delightfully his wife plays and sings. _Lovers_ may live on very
aerial diet, but husbands stand in need of something more solid; and
young women may take my word for it, that a constantly clean table,
well cooked victuals, a house in order, and a cheerful fire, will
do more towards preserving a husband's heart, than all the
'accomplishments' taught in all the 'establishments' in the world
without them."[13]

[Footnote 13: Young Man's Guide.]

Other considerations might be urged on the young of both sexes,
as prerequisites to a hopeful and a happy marriage. But if the
reflections already offered are duly heeded, they will enable those
who are influenced by