CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PART I.

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GENERAL VIEW OF THE POSITION AND INFLUENCE OF WOMEN

ence.

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Importance of woman's position. -Source of woman's influ-
Beneficial or pernicious, according to the moral and po-
litical condition of the period. - Responsibility entailed by such
influence. - What are the effects of female influence in our own
day. What causes tend to lower it. - Defective education, and
inactive life of women. - Mental activity a remedy to many evils
in woman's lot. Narrow views of life. Advantages of mar-
riage over-estimated as a social position. — Nature of true self-
dependence. Narrow views of duty. - Duties of the wife,
mother, single woman. What kind of preparation they require.

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PART II.

VIEWS OF LIFE, AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION

Higher view of life necessary to raise female education. - In-
fluence of belief in immortality. - Law of progress in our nature.
— Views of happiness. — Twofold purpose seen in God's moral
government as regards the individual and society. — Social duty
and self-improvement cannot be severed. - Higher views of life
will alone improve the tone of female education. - Early educa-
tion necessarily imperfect. - Mental education of women more
defective than the moral. - Defects arising from deficient mental
training. Objection to better female education answered.
Frivolity.-Importance of impressing these views upon young
girls. Youth the season for arduous exertions and noble aspi-

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rations.

CHAPTER II.

POWER AND INFLUENCE OF HABIT

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Nature and power of habit.
of habits. Theory of formation of habit. — Influence of atten-
tion on passive impressions.. Quotation from Dr. Butler.—
Practical consequences of Dr. Butler's theory.- Connection be-
tween our feelings as motives, and our acts. Correction of bad
habits. Bearing of the law of habit upon happiness.

- Education consists in formation

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CHAPTER III.

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76

ON METHOD

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Nature of method. System everywhere visible in nature.
Necessary to carry out any plan, above all, the general plan of
life. - Individual system of life must harmonize with the social
system we belong to. — - Absence of method in views of life and
education. Remedy lies in higher motives. - Influence of
method on study; preserves proportion and balance of the mind,
and teaches the real value of time. - Evil of breaking resolu-
tions. Difference between punctuality and method. · - Influence
on the occupations of women of unmethodical habits. - Econo-
my, its social influence. · Necessity of method in education of

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Conscience the moral governor of our being. - Natural rela-
tions of our several faculties and affections. Different offices of
conscience and reason. - Evil of conscience being unenlightened
by reason.- Use of revelation as a standard of right and wrong.
Importance of love of truth in inquiries concerning duty. — Pos-
itive and relative duty. - Moral evil of thoughtlessness. - Appli-
cation of general principles. - Imperative obligation of duty
sometimes opposed to desire of enjoyment. True nature of
happiness. Force of habit in training a sense of duty. — Dan-
ger of self-deception. - Error of wishing for a different sphere of
duty. Influence of method.

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Sect. 1.-Value of Truth.· Attainment of truth the highest
aim of man. - Society requires veracity and honesty; discour-
ages love of truth. — Truth alone constitutes real knowledge.
Our knowledge of it mostly relative.—Value of truth recognized
in physical science; why less fully on other questions. -- Influ-
ence of opinion, and consequent duty of forming sound opinions.
- Christians especially bound to love and seek truth. - Beauty
of truth.

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Sect. 2.- Use of Reason in the Pursuit of Truth. - All knowl-
edge not intuitive gained by reasoning. - Propositions. — Differ-
ence between facts and general laws.—Error of rejecting the use
of reason. Common sense. - Nature of proof. - Demonstra-
tive evidence; why not attainable in moral questions. — Proba-
bility. Different subjects require different kinds of proof.
Moral certainty the ground of principles. — Opinion rests on
lower evidence. — Difficulty in forming sound opinion.

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Sect. 3.

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- Moral Obstacles to Perception of Truth. — Influence
of passion. - Influence of prejudice. - Proper deference to au-
thority. Independence of opinion not presumption. - Incon-
sistency of borrowed opinions. — Defect of education with regard
to formation of opinion. — Impatience of doubt; doubt, a neces-
sary condition of our existence.. Narrowness of mind.. Moral
merit or demerit attached to opinions. — Right view of opinion
leads to toleration. - Objection and answer. - Intolerance injures
truth. Power of truth. - Freedom of inquiry not leading to
indifference. Caution in expressing opinions. - Deference to

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public opinions necessary in women.

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Sect. 4.-Practical Habits flowing from the Love of Truth.-
Veracity, honesty, and justice; honesty to be tested by the stand-
ard of our position and education. — Corrupting influence of
vanity. Dissimulation, plausibility. Bribery. Exaggera-
tion; inaccuracy common in writing and speaking. - Confusion
of facts and inférences. Women wanting in justice. — Parti-
sanship; its evils. - Justice between ourselves and others. -
Thoughtlessness one cause of injustice. Integrity the guar-
anty for right use of influence. - Excuse for want of justice in

women.

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CHAPTER VI.

LOVE OF MORAL EXCELLENCE

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Love of the Beautiful a distinctive attribute of man; its influ-
ence on intellect and character.
Humility. Reverence.
Defects of character produced by the want of it. - Evil of per-
sonal ridicule. Respect for children and inferiors. — Mirth. —
Reverence preserves from unworthy attachments.

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CHAPTER VII.

182

BENEVOLENCE

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Character of benevolence; the essential principle of Chris-
tianity, and bond of social intercourse. - Sympathy. - Want of
benevolence in social intercourse. - Commercial spirit of society.
Charity to the poor; more to be done by moral influence than
by money. - Want of benevolence in family intercourse. — Com-
passion to the erring. - Digression on Love and Friendship.-
Character of true friendship. - Love; false notions on the sub-
ject. Grounds of a right choice in marriage. - Happiness of
real conjugal affection. Comparison between married and sin-

gle life. Unrequited attachment.

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CHAPTER VIII.

INSTRUMENTS OF MORAL DISCIPLINE.

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Sect. 1.-Self-knowledge. The key to self-improvement; not

difficult to attain when honestly sought. Self-correction impos-

sible without it; causes of self-delusions. Self-examination

must be habitual. - Method of self-examination. — Errors to be

avoided.

Sect. 2.

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principles.

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Self-control. - Submission of the will to determinate
Power of choosing our guiding principles. — Means
of acquiring self-control. Self-command in danger. — Power
of the will over the intellect. Women deficient in self-control;

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why. - Management of temper. — Habitual cheerfulness the sign

of a well-regulated mind.

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