being a belle there, is the greatest interest in life; and the thoughts of many a married lady are all centred in her being the mistress of a fine establishment, or in making what the world calls “a great match" for her daughter, which, being interpreted, means one that will secure wealth and socalled position, irrespective of every thing essential to the promotion of the highest objects for which God established that sacred institution, marriage. Others, who have not the temptations of the gay world to encounter, are satisfied with a decent, respectable performance of a daily routine of homely duty. Far be it from me to under-value this; but I would have more life put into it, have it made compatible with something to enlarge its sphere, and to keep heart and mind and soul wideawake. Our Saviour was sent to give sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and to restore the halt and the lame to soundness and activity. Who so blind as they who do not discern the path of duty, who have no eye for the wonders of creation, none for the claims upon them of their fellow-men? Who so dumb as they whose lips have no utterance of praise to God, or sympathy for his sorrowing children-none of love, of wisdom, of counsel? Who so deaf as they who listen not to the voice of God that comes to them from his works and from his word-from his providence-from the depths of their own hearts,

and from all the experience of life, and on whose ear the cry of the suffering, the helpless, the ignorant, the wandering, the bewildered, the despairing, falls unheeded? Who so halt-so lame as they who lazily loiter on life's journey, with loins ungirded, never looking before them to the mark of the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus their Lord; whose feet never serve them in any errand undertaken in his cause?

After school-life, before marriage, which, because it is the usual God-appointed destiny of woman, I speak of, as in most instances, a matter of course, there commonly ensue some years, in regard to which, although they are devoted by many, without scruple, to idleness and frivolity, some are led to inquire, "How shall I spend this period of life; how make it useful, so that I can render my account of it with joy, and receive the blessed benediction, Well done'?" and I have sometimes been asked by conscientious girls to give them my advice upon this subject. In the next stage of life, marriage, a certain amount of duty and occupation becomes in the natural order of things imperative; whereas, now, it is voluntary, that is, not enforced by circumstances, so that there is an escape from it.

If some of you are among the inquirers, it would please me very much to be able to give you a satisfactory answer. A great mistake usu

ally made at this period, is that of considering that one's education has been mainly completed; that although it may be worth while to give a little time to some study or other, yet there is no longer occasion for any systematic culture of the mind. This, however, should be pursued as much as possible, under all circumstances, and several hours every day of a young lady's life, should be devoted to it. Think how many powers, how many faculties belong to you, which should have distinct, and, if possible, regular, constant cultivation.

Whether the science of phrenology be regarded as true or not, there can be no objection to its convenient nomenclature. Veneration should be cultivated by the study of God in his works, and in his word, and by devotional exercises; ideality, by the observation and study of the beautiful in some of its infinitely varied forms; causation by some mathematical or scientific pursuit; comparison, by some thing that requires careful analysis; language by means too obvious to mention; tune, if you have it, by practice with the voice or upon an instrument; conscientiousness, by fidelity to every duty, by strict justice in judgment and in action, and by freedom from passion and prejudice in all the intercourse of life; benevolence, by the perpetual diffusion of kindness and love in the family circle, as well as in

society at large, and by frequent attempts to put the fingers which the Pharisees refused, to some burden of sorrow or difficulty. Of course, a proper time must be allotted also for the exercise of the muscular system, and for the performance of every social duty. Think you that a life so ordered would be either tedious or unprofitable?

God cannot bestow on his creatures powers of any sort, without stamping them with value in the very act of conferring them; without intending that they should be cultivated to the utmost. Whosoever, therefore, condemns their cultivation, makes himself, as man is constantly prone to do, wiser than God; whose purpose in man's creation is best fulfilled by those who aim at their most complete development. Besides the time necessary for this self-culture, one who loves knowledge can never find enough for reading. For a young person to grow up without a love of nature, and a love of books, is a greater calamity than to be born minus one of the senses; for then, the others are sure to be roused to increased activity.

One reason why the boundary of a woman's life is generally so limited, is, that she takes little or no part in the interests that are not comprised within her own immediate circle. Now that it is so easy to know what of greatest moment is going on in every part of the world, as well as in

our own hemisphere, and that in the great human family, events, discoveries, inventions, changes, experiments of the most interesting nature are of constant occurrence, while questions that have a most important bearing upon the great interests of society, are perpetually coming up for discussion, it is sheer stolid stupidity to live as if one little section of this little globe were our universe. I strongly advise you, therefore, to pursue a different course in this respect, and especially to acquaint yourselves with topics that are intimately connected with the welfare and progress of our own country.