I Congratulate you, my dear Sir, upon the birth of your daughter; and I wish that some of the Fairies of ancient times were at hand to endow the damsel with health, wealth, wit, and beauty—Wit?——I should make a long pause before I accepted of this gift for a daughter—you would make none.

As I know it to be your opinion, that it is in the power of education, more certainly than it was ever believed to be in the power of Fairies, to bestow all mental gifts; and as I have heard you say that education should begin as early as possible, I am in haste to offer you my sentiments, lest my advice should come too late.

Your general ideas of the habits and virtues essential to the perfection of the female character nearly agree with mine; but we differ materially as to the cultivation, which it is necessary or expedient to bestow upon the understandings of women: you are a champion for the rights of woman, and insist upon the equality of the sexes. But since the days of chivalry are past, and since modern gallantry permits men to speak, at least to one another, in less fublime language of the fair, I may confess to you that I see neither in experience or analogy much reason to believe that, in the human species alone, there are no marks of inferiority in the female;—curious and admirable exceptions there may be, but many such have not fallen within my observation.

LETTER I.

JULIA TO CAROLINE.

IN vain, dear Caroline, you urge me to think, I profess only to feel.

“Reflect upon my own feelings! analyze “my notions of happiness! explain to “you my system!—” My system! But I have no system: that is the very difference between us. My notions of happiness cannot be resolved into simple, fixed, principles. Nor dare I even attempt to analyse them, the subtle essence would escape in the process: Just punifhment to the alchemist in morality!—You, Caroline are of a more sedate, contemplative character.

Philosophy becomes the rigid mistress of your life, enchanting enthusiasm the companion of mine. Suppose she lead me now and then in pursuit of a meteor; am not I happy in the chace? When one illusion vanishes, another shall appear, and still leading me forward towards an horizon that retreats as I advance, the happy prospect of futurity shall vanish only with my existence.

“Reflect upon my feelings!“—dear Caroline, is it not enough that I do Feel?—All that I dread is that apathy which philosophers call tranquillity. You tell me that by continually indulging I shall weaken my natural sensibility; are not all the faculties of the foul improved, refined by exercise, and why shall this be excepted from the general law?

ENDOWED, as the fair sex indisputably are, with a natural genius for the invaluable art of self-justification, it may not be displeafing to them to see its rising perfection evinced by an attempt to reduce it to a science. Possessed, as are all the fair daughters of Eve, of an hereditary propensity, transmitted to them undiminished through succeeding generations, to be “Soon moved with the slightest touch of blame;” very little precept and practice will confirm them in the habit, and instruct them in all the maxims of self-justification.

Candid pupil, you will readily accede to my first and fundamental axiom—

That a lady can do no wrong. But simple as this maxim may appear, and suited to the level of the meanest capacity, the talent of applying it on all the important, but more especially on all the most trivial, occurrences of domestic life, so as to secure private peace and public dominion, has hitherto been monopolized by the female adepts in the art.

Excuse me for infinuating by this expression, that there may yet be amongst you some novices. To these, if there be any such, I principally address myself.

Having formed a plan for a course of instruction peculiarly adapted to the children of the poor, and prepared several articles of it for publication, I thought it incumbent upon me to explain my motives for an undertaking, which to some may appear superfluous, and to others assuming, since the world already abounds with elementary books for Charity Schools, many of which were written by authors of the most eminent abilities, and highest reputation.

But first I shall beg leave to submit to the consideration of the benevolent a few hints which experience and observation have suggested to my mind, concerning those institutions which afford gratuitous instruction to the children of the poor, more particularly such as are distinguished from Sunday Schools and Schools of Industry, by the name of Charity Schools.

The important question, Whether it is consistent with sound policy to bestow education upon children in the lowest classes of life, has employed the pens of some of our best writers in the last and present centuries; and we may judge from the wonderful increase of schools supported by charitable contributions, that it is at length generally decided in the affirmative.

The objection against giving learning to the poor, lest it raise them above their situation, is completely obviated by making such learning as general as possible; for then it ceases to give pre-eminence, or to be a distinction, and must eventually qualify all better to fill their respective stations in society: and nothing could be thought of so well calculated to diffuse a moderate and useful share of learning among the lower orders of people, as these schools.