men--a virtue scarcely worthy the name--really no virtue at all--a
milk-and-water substitute--a hypocritical, hollow pretension to virtue
as unwomanly as it is disgraceful. This is not the virtue of true
womanhood. Do young women propose for themselves the strong virtue of
womanhood, which is an impregnable fortress of righteous principle? If
not, they should do it. It should be their first work to conceive the
idea of such a virtuous principle as an indwelling life, and when
conceived it should be sought as the richest wealth, as the grandest
human attainment--as that alone which confers upon woman a divine grace.

Nor is it enough that young women _love_ well. To be on fire of an
adulterous love or a blind passion, which is little better, is one
thing; and to love righteously, nobly, steadily, is another thing. Woman
naturally has great strength of affection. She loves by an irresistible
impulse. But that love is not worthy unless it be directed to worthy
objects and swayed by high moral principles. The love of a woman should
be as the love of an angel. It should swell in her bosom as a great tide
of moral life, binding her to beauty of soul, worth of character,
excellency of life. She should not waste her love on unworthy objects,
on impure and lecherous men or women. Her love, to be truly womanly,
must not be a love of person or outward charms, so much as a love of
principle, a love of magnanimity, integrity, wisdom, affection, piety; a
love of whatever may magnify and adorn a human soul. It is unwomanly to
waste the high energies of her love on the material charms of an elegant
person, or the brilliant accomplishments of cultured manners, unless
they are united with true worth of character. The love of womanhood is
the love of worth, the love of mental harmony and spiritual powers.
True, woman may pity corruption, may sympathize with all manner of
offenders; may give the force of her compassion to the erring and
unrighteous; so she may admire genius, culture, the beauty of person,
and the charms of manner; but her love is only for real worth, for that
which is enduring and Godlike. She may find pleasure in many things and
persons that she must not, can not love. Love is too precious to be
wasted on any thing but its legitimate objects, wealth of mind and worth
of character.

Nor yet is it enough that young women _behave_ well. Something more is
needed than a correct outward life. Many behave well who have but
litt