ot make peace with my own conscience without
doing something to elevate their aims and quicken their aspirations for
the good and pure in thought and life. Our female schools are but poor
apologies for the purposes of mind-culture and soul-development. The
idea of life they inspire is but a skeleton of custom-service and
fashion-worship. It is altogether subservient to what is, not what
should be. Society does little else than to teach its girls to be dolls
and drudges. The prevailing current of instruction and influence is
deplorably low. I feel confident that the best part of society is
longing for something better. To obtain it, each one has but to live
out, and express to the world his idea of a true life.

In regard to the book I may say, whatever it lacks it has the merit of
being in earnest. I hope those who see its deficiencies will make haste
to supply them in some form of instruction or encouragement to the class
the book addresses. Thinking fathers and mothers and teachers will not
complain of this humble effort to serve their daughters and pupils, but
will rather add more in a similar direction, and seek to complete what I
have endeavored to begin. While life is spared, I hope to work in this
field, that my own daughters, as well as those of others, may attain a
worthy womanhood.

G. S. W.
ST. LOUIS, 1855.

CONTENTS.

Lecture One.

GIRLHOOD.

Angels view Girlhood with Solicitude and Delight--Beauty no perpetual
Pledge of Safety--Nothing in Man or Things impels a Provident Regard for
it--Blossoming Womanhood an Object of Deep Interest and Pity--Girlhood's
first Work is to Form a Character--It should be _Pure_ and
_Energetic_--Woman only a Thing--Her Education progressing--Physical
Health should be Preserved--A Woman not Herself without Physical
Strength--Woman must be Independent, and Earn her own
Livelihood--Character must Embody Itself in an Outward Form to be of
Service to the World Page 9-21

Lecture Two.

BEAUTY.

God a Lover of Beauty--Every thing in the Universe Beautiful--The
Admirer of Beauty should Reverence its Author--The Love of Beauty
elevating in its Tendency--Its Abuses Fearful--Man a Part of Nature, and
God in all--Woman the most Perfect Type of Beauty--Youthful Woman
exposed to great Temptation--Beauty a Charming, but Dangerous Gift--The
most Beautiful should be the most Pious--Beauty of Person Worthless
without Lovelin