the female mind should be the same as that of the other sex, & that the
same mode of education will answer for either. With this opinion I
cannot entirely coincide: not because I have any doubts on the natural
equality of the female intellect, or any jealousy of their superior
mental attainments, or any prejudice against intellectual cultivation,
but my belief is that mental discipline must be accommodated to the
different stations, that man & woman are destined to occupy, & that many
studies & employments, proper in the education of man, will be useless
in that of woman. Still, the same general habits of intellectual
exertion, the same attention to the cultivation of the powers of the
mind are necessary to both. In both cases the memory is to be stored
with useful facts, but not crowded with the unnecessary furniture, that
a more technical knowledge of names would give; the imagination is to be
checked in its career, & placed subordinate to the reason; habits of
nice discrimination and deep research, of laborious & painful
investigation, of accurate classification are necessary to both.
Instructors are often asked by their pupils “of what use will the
knowledge of such a science be to us?” The answer should be always ready
“to discipline the mind,” & if it produce that effect, its aim is
gained, tho’ of no radical utility in after life. Even if some royal
road could be discovered to the acquisition of science, I still doubt
its use to the young mind which needs the patient investigation of a
difficult and abstruse study to strengthen its capacities, invigorate
its faculties, & prepare it for similar contests in after life.—Every
study, therefore, that will, in the education of man, produce this
mental discipline, may be employed with equal advantage, in giving the
same heathful tone & vigor to the female intellect. After this great
object is attained, the most important in education, aside from the
moral discipline of the heart, then the different employments & stations
of the different sexes must be taken into consideration. The difference
in their employments requires a diversity of personal qualifications,
but not a difference of intellectual exertions. The object of female
education is not to qualify woman to controul the councils of our
nation, to command armies for our defence, to move forward the wheels of
government, by their eloquence in the legislative hall, to regulate the
science & literature of our universities, or to direct from the pulpit
the immortal destinies of perishing sinners: no: the station of woman is
less exposed, but not less valued. Her hall of legislation is the quiet
home of her nursery, & her eloquence the power that moulds & forms the
rising hopes of our country, & of the church. The whole duty of early
education devolves upon her; & every thing, in her own discipline of
mind, should tend to that one great point. Her own amusements the desire
of shining & dazzling in the world, the desire, even of pleasing, should
be all held subordinate to the great destiny of the sex, their controul
over the infant intellect, & to a preparation for their fitness to
discharge this great, this all important duty. Intellectual habits, the
influence of science, & literature, & accomplishments; the formation of
the temper, all should be bent in a direction towards this one object.
With these views, my aim in life, has not been so much to form
scientific & literary ladies, as useful members of society, & to show to
my pupils that their greatest happiness should be found in the quiet
domestic circle, & their greatest exertion a preparation for all the
duties of forbearance, patience, and fortitude, which they are called
upon to exhibit in life. Hence I have always felt, that the moral
influence of their studies was of more importance than the intellectual,
& that the formation of character was superior in its value to the
cultivation of intellect—
PITTSFIELD MASS.
June 3^{rd} 1892
MY DEAR MRS. SKINNER
I was very much pleased to get your letter last week. I look back at
my school days with so much pleasure—and regret, and so much gratitude
to your father, that I am glad indeed to be remembered by you. I owe
to your father[76] the greater share of whatever power to write I
possess, and I have often wished I could see the notes he used in his
composition class lectures. I think they would make such a useful
book.
I should like to attend the reunion but I am not able....
I thank you much for your letter and am
Yours cordially
ROSE TERRY COOKE.
LITCHFIELD FEMALE SEMINARY.
The summer term of this Institution will commence on Wednesday May
15^{th}.
Terms of instruction in the highest department including Natural and
Moral Philosophy, Logic, Chemistry, Principles of Taste, Criticism and
Rhetoric ... $10.75
Second department, embracing History, Grammar, Arithmetic, and
Composition ... $8.75
[Illustration:
PL. LX.—LAST SCHOOL DIPLOMA, WHITE SATIN BOUND WITH BLUE RIBBON
Engraved by Pelton
]
The lowest department, including Writing, Reading, Spelling and
Geography ... $6.75
French per quarter 5.00
Drawing do 5.00
Music do 10.00
No pupil will be received for less than one term and no deduction made
except for sickness.
The morals and manners of the young ladies will receive particular
attention.
Board in respectable families may be obtained from $1.75 to $2.00 per
week exclusive of lights and washing.
Litchfield, April 25^{th} 1833.
LETTERS OF MISS SARAH PIERCE FROM 1802–1842.
Jan. 4. 1802
MY DEAR JAMES[77]
Another year has dawned upon us—May it prove more happy, & more to our
Eternal interest than the last.
Yesterday Mr. Huntington gave us an excellent sermon upon the New
Year. The Discourse tended to wean us from the world by shewing us
that we were not born for ourselves, but for God.
He mentioned that there had been but nine persons died out of his
Congregation, & those chiefly aged persons. I felt that _ten_ were
_gone_. The idea that our dear brother was one who tho’ he was no
more, was uncounted in his Native Village church struck me to the
heart.
“tho’ no weeping friends around thy tomb.
The unfading wreaths of virtue there shall bloom.
And when the last great Day shall wake thy dust.
Thou there wilt meet the honors of the just.
Ah, what is earthly pomp compared with this.
What the world’s glory or its present bliss.”
... I suppose Mary has left you before this. I am sorry Mamma can’t do
with out her. I should be glad to supply her place, but my family &
school are so large, I can hardly find time to run in & see her once
or twice in a week. Tell sister Pierce I hope she has not forgotten
the promise she made me of sending the copy of poetry, concluding
Parnell’s Hermit. Tell her I shan’t use my brains at spinning poetry
for her again if she serve me thus.
My love to all friends, adieu.
SALLY PIERCE.
[No date]
MY DEAR JAMES.
... I have found loaf sugar so amazingly dear that I wish you would
get a few loaves and send with Wadsworth’s goods. I am sorry that I am
not there to spend a little money, I have so many wants.
Yours affectionately.
M. PIERCE.
LITCHFIELD. Jan. 4th. 1819.
MY DEAR JAMES.
The first use I make of my pen this new year is to wish my _only_
brother a happy new year. May this year see you as ardently engaged in
the cause of your Maker & Redeemer, as you have hitherto been in the
walks of science & the cares of the world. Every new era of time
reminds me of the approach of Death. My days appear to me to be
numbered & nearly finished. May the evening of my life be as serene as
the meridian has been. How many mercies has our family to recount.
Fifteen years have elapsed since we have been called to weep over the
grave of a beloved friend, but how short that period appears. it seems
as but yesterday, & what have we done in that time to prepare us to
follow our relatives to that region of joy where we have reason to
hope they are gone. What a flood of knowledge & glory they must have
travelled through, since they were released from this prison of flesh.
With what pity they must cast a look on us, & wonder that the cares &
the silly trifles of time can so engross our thoughts & hearts as they
do. Could we but for one moment feel what blessed spirits feel, who
are purified from the infirmities of mortality, how we should long to
fly away, & be a partaker with them of the bliss of heaven. We had a
letter from Ann on Saturday, she & her husband were tolerably well,
though she complains of the high seasoned food, parties, as not
benefitting her appetite, or her husbands eyes. Our neighbors &
friends are generally well, except hard colds which are very common
though the season has been uncommonly fine. I have at last completed a
history in question & answer for the use of schools, beginning at the
creation & reaching to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. The
intention of the work, is to unite Sacred & Profane history with moral
instruction & designed for the use of schools. If you are acquainted
with any bookseller whom you think would like to take a number of them
to sell upon commission I wish you would speak to him about them & let
me know of it & I will forward them, by the first conveyance.
Mr. Diderrer wanted a set for Eliza, if there is any way of sending
them to him I would forward them. I thought that it was best to have
some deposited in N. York for those who wished to purchase. Should you
see any of my friends remember me to them & believe me as ever your
affectionate sister.
SARAH PIERCE.
LETTERS FROM MISS S. PIERCE TO MR. JOHN P. BRACE, HARTFORD, CONN.[78]
Dec. 7. 1832.
DEAR JOHN.
I hope you will keep your mind from despondency, even if you should
have a small school this winter. Should you not have sufficient
scholars to pay the salary of your Teachers I think you must call them
together, & state the case to them, & I am sure they will be
reasonable enough, either to accept a smaller compensation, or resign
their places. You will soon see who you can best spare, & by another
Term arrange your school to your own liking. I hope you will never
forget to love your native Village, but I should be sorry to have you
unhappy because you are obliged to quit it. And as for becoming rich,
if you are a child of God, as I trust you are, He will give you as
much wealth as is best for your eternal interest, and no more. Cast
therefore all your care upon God, for he careth for you. Do _good_, &
verily thou shalt be fed. We regret your absence as much as you regret
leaving us. “We miss you in our days of woe. We miss you in our
mirth,” but chiefly we miss you on Sabbath eve, at the Bible class....
I am glad to hear by your letter of last evening, that your school is
increasing, if you can get along with out lessening your Teachers for
this winter, it will be better for you, as every Teacher who is
dismissed will use her tongue to your disadvantage, if they have not
more grace than the generality of our race. I want you should always
remember that curious eyes are watching all your actions, & be careful
to take as much notice of the greatest dunce in school, as of the
finest intellect. Never forget the lessons of the last year, & let
prudence, not fancy guide your actions. What an evil world we live in,
our time, our talents, and even our affections must be devoted to
earning our daily bread, if it was only the sweat of the brow, I would
not care, but we must smile, and court those we do not care a pin
about, or be called partial, impolite, &c.—but it teaches us one
scripture lesson, to be patient towards all men. I would warn you
against walking up to L’d unless you accustom yourself to walk ten
miles every day, then you could do it with out making you sick. I do
not know but you might do it, if you accustom yourself to walk 5 or 6
miles a day, but one fit of sickness would be dreadful.
S. PIERCE.
Feb^y 1, 1833.
MY DEAR NEPHEW.
I have the pleasure to inform you that your daughter Mary begins to
repay us all, for the care we have bestowed upon her, she reads her
history to me in the morning, & is careful to correct every wrong
pronunciation when pointed out to her. She recites her lessons
perfectly, practises two hours every day with great care and
attention, & is never out of temper when any little fault is pointed
out to her. Mrs. H—— is much delighted with the manner & intelligence
displayed in Sabbath school. She is the joy of her mother’s heart, by
the respect & attention she shews her on all occasions—and has more
than repayed me for the many hours I have labored to help you to give
her a genteel education. I think you will be justly proud of such a
daughter, & she will, by her conduct in your present Seminary, be a
living recommendation to your skill in forming the female character.
July 1833.
MY DEAR JOHN.
Miss Sheddon told us yesterday, of some trouble you have had among
your Teachers. I had hoped that their places & employments were so
definitely arranged as to preserve harmony, but I find selfishness
will prevent happiness in this world, how glad I am that it cannot
enter Heaven. We are not without our trouble here the same spirit of
fault finding as prevailed last winter has begun to show itself. Miss
J is the sufferer, as she has the care of the older scholars, who are
ambitious, & there is one who has risen by her superior mind far above
her companions, & several have become jealous of her, & of Miss J, &
accuse her of partiality. Miss Landon says there never was a more
faithful & conscientious teacher, but she thinks the persecution she
suffers will drive her back to Geneva, where they are constantly
soliciting her return. I am afraid that the next generation of women,
instead of being improved by their superior advantages, will be a
poor, weak, inefficient & selfish race, as parents will listen to all
their whims & indulge them in sloth & petulance. They are not allowed
to endure any hardships any privations, to give up their own comforts
to accommodate others, or to be willing that others should be wiser,
more genteel, or handsomer than themselves. I am afraid that the next
generation instead of showing the hardy Roman virtues, will be mere
Italians, without energy, patriotism or humility—& all this originated
in the indulgence & overweening fondness of parents, & school Teachers
cannot overcome it, & therefore it is a most undesirous employment. I
am thankful I lived in an age of parental discipline, Or I would never
have discharged the duties of my office as many years as I have done.
& that in my old age I am not obliged to continue the employment, &
have only the trouble of sympathising with _all_ the Teachers in our
country. When are you and Mr. Van —— coming to L’d—or had you rather
come alone, we want to see you very much, & hope you will be able to
come up some Sunday, as the stage runs so conveniently for you. L’d
looks very handsome this summer, & is filled with company. Most of the
L’d boys have been here with their wives, & some are here now, the two
Child’s—James Seymour, John Adams, Mr. Clark, & E. Gould—I have not
become acquainted with any of their wives, but Mr. Gould, but am told
they are all _quite as good_ as their husbands. Did you know that S.
A. Vanderheysen and her husband were both dead—that the brother &
remaining sister were apparently on the decline, & that Jane is far
from well. How can that family value property when their lives are so
precarious.
S. P.
July. 10. 1833.
DEAR JOHN & LUCY
... We had a queer celebration here on the fourth. E. Ford commanded
the troops which consisted chiefly of the young mechanics, but he had
the art to draw in all our most respectable men to walk in the
procession. Mr. Hickok & Mr. Pallen, Col Tallmadge & Mr. Wolcott, Dr.
Buel, &c. Mr. H. was so much engaged in talking with Mr. P. when they
passed our house, we agreed he was making the first oration. The
procession reached up as far as the corner, & I suppose equally as far
in the South St. I think the exercise was rather fatigueing, in the
middle of such a hot day. The ladies had been invited to secure
themselves seats in the meeting house, where they waited two hours,
for the orator of the day, & lost sight of the best part of the
entertainment. The musick of the band, & the procession. The orator
was a young man from the West. I think Kentucky. He is very young, &
his oration discovered his age. Mary & Ann Landon were to have had a
party in the evening, & Mary Ann Wolcott asked Mr. Landon after the
oration was over, if his daughters would accept some flowers from
their garden to dress their room, Mr. Landon groaned out, you may send
one pink, not more, for I cannot bear any more flowers today. The two
Childs, & their brides are making a figure here, they have a grand
party tomorrow. The Dr. & Col. look very happy, & their wives appear
genteel. My love to all your family.
S. PIERCE.
Sept. 3. 1833
DEAR JOHN.
... I have given up the management of the school to them (the
trustees), & they desired me to write to a French Lady who had made
application for her daughter to come & teach musick, french & drawing.
The mother is a good house keeper, & wishes to take boarders. Should
they come, I expect they will take your house, perhaps for a number of
years, & will be profitable tenants....
When I go past your home, it looks so natural it seems as if I must
step in & see you all, & when I do go in it looks so lonesome I can’t
bear to stay. Mr. Hickok improves every day, & we hope the church is
beginning to awake.
Give my love to all the young ladies, & to all the children, & to Lucy
if she has not gone on to Boston. May the best of heavens blessings
rest upon you & yours, & may we all meet together in heaven, when the
toilsome day of life is past.
S. PIERCE.
LITCHFIELD. May 13. 1834
MY DEAR NEPHEW
... I should think Mary would prefer being at home, as both her
parents are there, and the money she would have spent in going to
Newark, will nearly bear her mother’s expenses to Boston, & as Mary is
young & healthy, & does not need a jaunt to set her up for the summer,
& her mother does, I hope she will rejoice to stay at home for the
present, & urge her mother to spend all the spare cash upon
herself....
[Illustration:
PL. LXI.—PATHWAY IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL
]
I am sorry that you have got that whim into your head, that you do not
appear well to strangers. When you take the trouble to please
strangers, they are always pleased with you, but as you are no beauty,
you must like a plain woman seek to please by your conversational
talents. I am afraid you have again remitted your exertions to please
acquaintances, & are sinking down into your old taciturn habits. You
don’t know how much the exertion you made last year to please, raised
you in the estimation of all who saw you, Miss L. Miner among the rest
came home from H— full of your praises. I don’t think it absolutely
necessary for you to take a journey every vacation, but I do think it
necessary for you to gain a great many acquaintances....
S. PIERCE.
June 1834.
MY DEAR NEPHEW.
... I think Mr. Strong has charged very high for the binding of my
book, I never gave but 17 cts, per vol—for binding the first & second
vols together—& he has charged me 3 Dol. for the dozen, which is the
price I set them at—as he has had the binding of so many, I think he
ought not to ask as much as the book is worth for the binding, I asked
to have a cheap binding, because I cannot sell them for much. I wish
you would see him, & ask him to reduce his price. I had a letter from
H R— last week, she is still employed in doing good, her sister
instructs a Sabbath school of black children & those who belong to
them are educated in the knowledge of the Bible. Love to Lucy & the
children.
S. PIERCE
LITCHFIELD, July 29. 1834.
DEAR JOHN.
Last evening we had the melancholy intelligence of the death of our
dear sister Pierce. (Col. John Pierce’s widow) she with her nephew &
niece Mr. & Mrs. Pendleton set out the latter part of June to visit
Green Pendleton.
They reached Cincinnati the 2nd of July, she bore the journey very
well, wrote a long & cheerful letter to Mrs. Muirson, the next day was
attacked with cholera murbus, which terminated in a dysentry, & she
died on the 10th, had her reason to the last, & died full of faith &
hope....
Mr. Kirk spent a day with us, I suppose Mary has written that he made
a strong impression upon the whole school, in six or seven instances
it appeared as if the feeling would be permanent—but like the wayside
hearers they do not appear to have root within, & are again laughing &
playing with the thoughtless & gay....
S. PIERCE
LITCHFIELD, Sep. 21 1835.
DEAR JOHN.
... Are there any little girls who want to learn the French language,
in or near Hartford—I want to procure Mrs. Gimbrede a few boarders, it
is an excellent place for young ladies from eight to fourteen, she
loves young girls, takes great pains with their manners, & it is the
only way to learn to speak French well to live in a French family. I
fear Mrs. G— will leave us this fall if she does not get boarders, & I
do not know as we should be able to let your house if she leaves
it....
S. PIERCE.
LITCHFIELD. Jan. 13. 1842.
MY DEAR EMMA
You must not expect that your old aunt will be able to write to you
very often, as her bodily weakness is great, & her eyes very poor. I
was glad to see your last letter written so handsomely & without any
mistakes in the spelling. I hope you will be careful to acquire a good
style, & a handsome mode of writing letters & notes, as they show a
womans education on more occasions than almost any thing else she is
called to perform.
I suppose Mary had troops of gentlemen on N. Year, the gentlemen made
calls here, which was quite a new thing, but there are so few of them,
they did not take up much of our time.
We had a very affecting death here on Christmas, Henrietta Beers,
cousin to Julia, & who had been adopted by Mr. Beers as a daughter
died on that morning, her funeral was attended on Monday morning. All
Miss Jones’ scholars walked in procession to the grave, she was very
handsome, & very much beloved. Her friends have hope that she was
prepared for death, if so she is now singing the praises of her
Redeemer. May you be prepared to meet your death, at whatever period
the king of terrors may summon you to depart. The Methodist church has
had a protracted meeting which has continued about three weeks, a
number of young people have become hopefully pious, & a few old.
The temperance cause seems to be gaining. Mr. Kirchon (?) from N.
Haven has been laboring here, & a number of drunkards have signed the
pledge, & we hope they may continue firm to their oath. Tell Mary I
will send Charles’ stocking the first opportunity, I have not finished
your Father’s stockings yet, while at C— I knit for your aunt Ruthy &
since that I have gone on slowly as there are but few evenings when I
can keep my eyes open, but they are nearly done.
Love to Mary, Charles & James, to Isabella also—& take a great deal
for your self—from your affectionate aunt
S. P.
LITCHFIELD. March. 14. 1842.
DEAR JOHN
I am sorry that your congregation have got into such a bad state, but
it seems to be the state of the present time to run into extremes, a
few years past, it was with difficulty that we could get a decent
house to worship in, & now people are for emulating Romanists, in
building, & decorating their churches, there is no religion in it, but
as Dinah used to say, “_needless pride_.” Satan was never more active
than at the present day, fomenting contention in churches, where he
has not as yet been able to introduce false principles. I think it a
great sin in these hard times to lay out money needlessly when so many
benevolent institutions are suffering for funds.
... I think you would not do wisely to buy a lot to build on, as it is
always expensive to build, & there is always in the course of every
year, houses to sell at a low rate. Love to the children, tell James
we hope to see him as soon as the mud is dried up, & the weather warm
enough to play out door.
S. P.
LITCHFIELD. June 23. 1842.
MY DEAR NEPHEW.
James was very homesick for a few days, but after the cold rain passed
off, & he became acquainted with a few boys, & could run about & play
in the street with them, he was quite happy, till yesterday, when he
received your letter, the disease broke out afresh. I set him to study
a geography lesson, & it cured him for the time, but if he is not
fully employed, either in play or study, he is unhappy. I am sorry
that the school I spoke of has broken up, but he recites good lessons
to me, & if we could get him interested in the garden, & hay making,
he would improve both in mind, & body very fast, but he does not as
yet take any pleasure in rural occupations. I want he should acquire a
taste for the garden, & other beauties of nature, & learn to depend on
himself for amusement, & hope yet he will be contented to remain with
us during the summer, as I have so much more time to attend to the
cultivation of his heart, & mind than you have. I expect to send on by
this conveyance the money we have received for the rent of your
house....
S. P.
June 24. 1842
MY DEAR EMMA.[79]
... Tomorrow I shall (if I live) be 75 years old. God has given me
long life, & many, very many blessings, that you may meet with as
many, is the sincere wish of your affectionate aunt,
S. P.
1852.
OBITUARY FROM KILBOURNE’S “HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD.”