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THE YOUNG MAIDEN.

by

A. B. MUZZEY,

Author of The Young Man's Friend, Sunday School Guide, &C


"Young Men, and Maidens; *  *  *
Let them praise the name of the Lord."

Tenth Edition.







Boston
Wm. Crosby & H. P. Nichols,
111 Washington Street
1848.



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, by
A. B. Muzzey,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

Cambridge:
Metcalf and Company,
Printers to the University.



CONTENTS.

    Chapter I.--The Capacities of Woman,                      page 5
    Chapter II.--Female Influence,                                30
    Chapter III.--Female Education,                               53
    Chapter IV.--Home,                                            81
    Chapter V.--Society,                                         107
    Chapter VI.--Love,                                           136
    Chapter VII.--Single Life,                                   151
    Chapter VIII.--Reasons for Marriage,                         163
    Chapter IX.--Conditions of True Marriage,                    191
    Chapter X.--Society of Young Men,                            205
    Chapter XI.--First Love,                                     213
    Chapter XII.--Conduct during Engagement,                     222
    Chapter XIII.--Trials of Woman, and her Solace,              237
    Chapter XIV.--Encouragements,                                255



                               DEDICATION.

                    TO THE
                  YOUNG MAIDENS OF OUR FAVORED UNION,
                              THIS VOLUME
                      IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED,
                                BY THEIR FRIEND,
                                          THE AUTHOR.






THE YOUNG MAIDEN.

Chapter I.

THE CAPACITIES OF WOMAN.

  The appropriate sphere of woman--how ascertained. By considering
  her Intellectual, Moral, and Physical Constitution; by a view of
  the Scripture teachings on this point; by a reference to History,
  observation, and experience. The women of Babylon. Patriotism of
  Phoenician women. Grecians and Romans. Modern Pagan Women.
  Occupations and Habits of Christian females friendly to
  improvement. State of Society, especially in this country,
  favorable. Effect of Chivalry on woman. The division of Duties
  between the sexes, and their Mutual Influence demand separate
  spheres. Woman should not engage in severe Physical toil. Milton's
  opinion. Nor in Political life. Plato's theory. Nor in promiscuous
  public Discussions. Home one part of her sphere. Private
  Beneficence. The Statue of ivory better than that of brass.
  Society requires Woman's presence. Lord Halifax's a good view of
  Female capacities.


Before entering on any statement of duties, it is incumbent on us to
determine what power there is to perform them. An angel's task may not
be laid on a mere mortal. It is only where many talents have been given,
that great returns can justly be required. Nor should our requisitions
fall below the powers of those of whom they are made. We may not claim
simply a child's service, where the ability of a giant clearly exists.
Achilles would spurn the light offices of Adonis. So will that woman,
who regards her sex as co-equal in every part of their nature, with the
opposite sex, contemn the delicate tasks, usually termed feminine.

Much is said in our age and country of the appropriate sphere of woman.
The discussion of that point is too interesting and too important to be
passed over in this work, but the consideration of it involves another,
viz., What are her Natural Capacities? How does she compare with, and
wherein differ from man? This topic seems a fit introduction to what may
follow in our survey of the wide field now open before us.

The capacities of woman may be ascertained by the study of her Physical,
Intellectual, and Moral constitution; by the disclosures of the Sacred
Scriptures; and by a reference to History, observation and experience.

1. The Physical Constitution of woman is peculiar. In barbarous nations
she has often been subjected to the same manual exertions as man;
sometimes to those even more arduous. But the progress of refinement and
civilization always establishes a marked distinction between the two
sexes, in this respect. Nature revolts at the thought of the Amazon. A
Boadicea and a Joan of Arc, were they now to appear, would be almost
universally regarded as disloyal to their sex. A masculine woman and an
effeminate man are in equal disesteem. We instinctively pronounce her to
unsex herself, who arms for the battle-field, or engages in those
agricultural, mechanic, or other manual pursuits, which demand great
bodily vigor. God hath made the sexes herein to differ, and man, we
feel, ought not to confound them.

In respect also to Intellectual Powers, there is among most people a
conviction that severe reasoning, comprehensiveness, and logical
acuteness belong pre-eminently to man. I know there are illustrious
exceptions to the truth of this statement; but do we not rightly esteem
the Elizabeths and Somervilles that occasionally challenge our
admiration of their intellectual strength, as exceptions to the ordinary
female mind? Ascribe this difference, if you please, to the neglect of
their education, say that man is only the superior, because of his
higher advantages of culture, still must not the fact of his present
mental superiority be conceded?

Nor should I deem it to the discredit of woman, were it incontestibly
proved, that her Maker had given her less intellectual power