WOMANHOOD.

Woman not an Adornment only--Civilization Elevates Woman--Woman not

what She should be--Woman's Influence Over-rated--Force of Character

Necessary--The Virtue of True Womanhood--Passion is not always

Love--True Love is only for Worth--Good Behavior and

Deportment--Spiritual Harmony Desirable--Importance of

Self-control--What shall Woman do--Strive to be a True Woman.

What is womanhood? Is there any more important question for young women

to consider than this? It should be the highest ambition of every young

woman to possess a true womanhood. Earth presents no higher object of

attainment. To be a woman, in the truest and highest sense of the word,

is to be the best thing beneath the skies. To be a woman is something

more than to live eighteen or twenty years; something more than to grow

to the physical stature of women; something more than to wear flounces,

exhibit dry-goods, sport jewelry, catch the gaze of lewd-eyed men;

something more than to be a belle, a wife, or a mother. Put all these

qualifications together, and they do but little toward making a true

woman. A true woman exists independent of outward attachments. It is not

wealth, or beauty of person, or connection, or station, or power of

mind, or literary attainments, or variety and richness of outward

accomplishments, that make the woman. These often adorn womanhood as the

ivy adorns the oak. But they should never be mistaken for the thing they

adorn. This is the grand error of womankind. They take the shadow for

the substance--the glitter for the gold--the heraldry and trappings of

the world for the priceless essence of womanly worth which exists within

the mind. Here is where almost the whole world has erred. Woman has been

regarded as an adornment. Because God has conferred upon her the charm

of a beauty not elsewhere found in earth, the world has vainly imagined

she was made to glory in its exhibition. Hence woman is too often a

vain, idle, useless thing. She stoops to be the plaything of man, the

idol of his vanity, the victim of his lust. In stooping, she lays off

her womanhood to pander to the low aims of a sensual life. In every

country and in all ages woman has been thus abased. The history of the

world is all darkened by the awful shadow of woman's debasement. While

man has admired and loved her, he has degraded her. Savage and civilized

man are not very dissimilar in this respect. They both woo, cajole, and

flatter woman to oppress and degrade her. They both load her with

honeyed titles and flattering compliments, as though to sweeten with

sugar-plum nonsense her bitter pressure of wrongs. It is the consent of

all historians that woman has been elevated in proportion as knowledge

and virtue have advanced among mankind. No one can read the history of

the world without seeing that woman is upward bound. No one can look at

woman's present estate, her devotion to vanity, her meagre knowledge,

her narrow culture, her circumscribed sphere of action, her monotonous

and aimless life, without feeling that she has many long steps yet to

take before she will attain to her true position, her full womanhood. I

would not intimate that man's love for woman is not sincere, nor that he

designs any harm to her. Nor would I intimate that woman purposely

stoops to degrade herself. The Indian loves his dusky maid with a deep

sincerity of heart; but that love does not prevent him from acquiescing

in the common custom of his people, and making her his drudge, and

regarding her as his inferior and his life-bound slave. So the civilized

man loves his wife with an ardency of devotion he feels for no other

object; but that does not prevent him from subjecting her to the common

lot of woman, or from believing it right that woman should be deprived

by custom and law of that culture, those stimulants, and privileges, and

rights which belong to her as an accountable being. Civilized men do not

demand that their women shall be trained to the highest culture--shall

be taught in the deepest wisdom--shall live for the broadest and

grandest purposes. No; they think it is enough if their women can have a

little smattering of knowledge so as to appear well in the drawing-room

parlor. Wisdom is for men. Man alone may draw from the _deep_ wells of

knowledge. Why have civilized men closed all their colleges and

universities against women? Why have they shut almost every avenue to

public usefulness, to honorable distinction, to virtuous endeavor,

against woman? Why have they deprived her of power, and compelled her to

submit to man in all the relations of life? It is not for the want of a

sincere love for her. No; it is rather for a want of an enlightened view

of what woman should be. Men, as well as women, have failed to

comprehend the true idea of womanhood. Both have been satisfied with too

little in woman. They have borne with the narrowness of woman's culture

and the aimlessness of her life, believing it all right. It is a fact--a

glaring, solemn, humiliating fact--that woman is not what she should be.

She is weak, thoughtless, heartless, compared with what she should be.

Look at the world. Woman is said to be mistress of her home. The mother

is called the maker of her children's characters. Is it so? See the

drunkards, tipplers, tobacco-mongers, libertines, gamblers, swearers,

brawlers, robbers, murderers. There is a great army of them. They all

constitute a large share of the men and some of the women of our world.

Where are the mothers who will acknowledge that they made the characters

of these people? Where are the mothers who teach their boys to chew, and

smoke, and swear? to drink, and brawl, and fight? to do those deeds of

darkness which the sun refuses to shine upon? Somebody has taught them

these things. If their mothers did not, who did? If their mothers had

been wise and forcible, as they should have been, would the children

have been so easily led astray? If women had that influence which some

attribute to them, would these things be so? If they had the influence

they ought to have, would they be so? Talk as we will about woman's

influence, it is not what it should be. We all know that if woman ruled

the world, she would have less low, drunken, rowdy, sensual men. It has

long been a hollow compliment which man has paid to woman to tell her

that she rules the world. But no man believes it when he says it. Every

woman should spurn the compliment as slanderous. Woman would rule the

world better if it was under her control. Why are so many young men

reckless, drunken, profane, and lawless? It is not because young women

would have them so. Far from it. Their female associates do not hold

half the control over them that they ought.

Young women ought to hold a steady moral sway over their male

associates, so strong as to prevent them from becoming such lawless

rowdies. Why do they not? Because they do not possess sufficient _force_

of character. They have not sufficient resolution and energy of purpose.

Their virtue is not vigorous. Their moral wills are not resolute. Their

influence is not armed with executive power. Their goodness is not felt

as an earnest force of benevolent purpose. Their moral convictions are

not regarded as solemn resolves to be true to God and duty, come what

may. Their opinions are not esteemed as the utterances of wisdom. Their

love is not accepted as the strong purpose of a devout soul to be true

to its highest ideas of affectionate life. In no particular do they make

impressions of strong moral force. They do not exert the deep,

resistless influence of full-grown womanhood. The great lack of young

women is a lack of _power_. They do not make themselves felt. They need

more force of character. It is not enough that they are _pure_. They

must be virtuous; that is, they must possess that virtue which wins

laurels in the face of temptation; which is backed by a mighty force of

moral principle; which frowns on evil with a rebuking authority; which

will not compromise its dignity, nor barter its prerogatives for the

gold or fame of the world, the very frown of which would annihilate him

who would attempt to seduce it; which claims as its right such virtue in

its associates. There is a virtue which commands respect; which awes by

its dignity and strength; a virtue exhibited in such commanding strength

of moral purpose as silences every vile wish to degrade it; a virtue

that knows why it hates evil, why it loves right, why it cleaves to

principle as to life; a virtue more mighty in its potency than any other

force--which gives a sublime grandeur to the soul in which it dwells and

the life it inspires. This is the virtue that belongs to womanhood. It

is the virtue every young woman should possess. It is not enough to have

an easy kind of virtue which more than half courts temptation; which is

pure more from a fear of society's rebuke than a love of right; which

rebukes sin so faintly that the sinner feels encouraged to proceed;

which smiles on small offenses, and kindly fondles the pet evils of

society out of which in the end grow the monsters. This is the virtue of

too many women. They would not have a drunkard for a husband, but they

would drink a glass of wine with a fast young man. They would not use

profane language, but they are not shocked by its incipient language,

and love the society of men whom they know are as profane as Lucifer out

of their presence. They would not be dishonest, but they will use a

thousand deceitful words and ways, and countenance the society of men

known as hawkers, sharpers, and deceivers. They would not be

irreligious, but they smile upon the most irreligious men, and even show

that they love to be wooed by them. They would not be licentious, but

they have no stunning rebuke for licentious men, and will even admit

them on parol into their society. This is the virtue of too many

women--a virtue scarcely worthy the name--really no virtue at all--a

milk-and-water substitute--a hypocritical, hollow pretension to virtue

as unwomanly as it is disgraceful. This is not the virtue of true

womanhood. Do young women propose for themselves the strong virtue of

womanhood, which is an impregnable fortress of righteous principle? If

not, they should do it. It should be their first work to conceive the

idea of such a virtuous principle as an indwelling life, and when

conceived it should be sought as the richest wealth, as the grandest

human attainment--as that alone which confers upon woman a divine grace.

Nor is it enough that young women _love_ well. To be on fire of an

adulterous love or a blind passion, which is little better, is one

thing; and to love righteously, nobly, steadily, is another thing. Woman

naturally has great strength of affection. She loves by an irresistible

impulse. But that love is not worthy unless it be directed to worthy

objects and swayed by high moral principles. The love of a woman should

be as the love of an angel. It should swell in her bosom as a great tide

of moral life, binding her to beauty of soul, worth of character,

excellency of life. She should not waste her love on unworthy objects,

on impure and lecherous men or women. Her love, to be truly womanly,

must not be a love of person or outward charms, so much as a love of

principle, a love of magnanimity, integrity, wisdom, affection, piety; a

love of whatever may magnify and adorn a human soul. It is unwomanly to

waste the high energies of her love on the material charms of an elegant

person, or the brilliant accomplishments of cultured manners, unless

they are united with true worth of character. The love of womanhood is

the love of worth, the love of mental harmony and spiritual powers.

True, woman may pity corruption, may sympathize with all manner of

offenders; may give the force of her compassion to the erring and

unrighteous; so she may admire genius, culture, the beauty of person,

and the charms of manner; but her love is only for real worth, for that

which is enduring and Godlike. She may find pleasure in many things and

persons that she must not, can not love. Love is too precious to be

wasted on any thing but its legitimate objects, wealth of mind and worth

of character.

Nor yet is it enough that young women _behave_ well. Something more is

needed than a correct outward life. Many behave well who have but

little worth of character. They behave well because it is best for their

social standing because society loves good behavior and pays it the

compliment of respect. It is well to behave well. There is no true life

without becoming behavior. We have all praise for good behavior. It

should be one great object in every young woman's life to study for a

becoming and womanly behavior. Her manners should be agreeable; her

conversation should be chaste and proper; her deportment should be

dignified and easy; her regard for propriety and fitness in all she says

and does should be made manifest; and in all respects her behavior

should be such as becomes womanhood. But while we recommend this as of

very great importance, we say it is not enough. Good behavior must

spring from a good heart. If it is studied as an outside fitness, a

cloak, or a fashionable attire, it will not answer the purpose for which

it is intended. A purely outside life is a sham, and sooner or later

defeats itself. There is no concealing a bad heart. It may be done for a

little while, but it can not be kept concealed. Like murder, it will

out. So a heart that is not particularly bad, but only lacks true

principle, will soon expose its hollowness. Its want of moral power will

be felt. But even if it would not expose itself, it would be infinitely

best to imbue it with righteous principle. For itself, for its own

happiness, it must be good.

Genuine good behavior springs from an inward harmony of character which

blends all inward essences of good. It does not come from any one, nor

a few great virtues. It is the mingled result of all. Young women, then,

must not be satisfied with possessing a few good traits of character.

They must strive for all; for it is only in the possession of all that

inward harmony can be enjoyed. The beauty of woman's life grows out of

this harmony. A mind jarred by inward discord can never ultimate a good

life. This discord will show itself in the life. Spiritual harmony is

the great attainment all should have in view. In this lies the charm of

womanhood. Out from this goes the sweet influences of the outward life.

The divine grace of womanly propriety is the fruit that grows from this

combination of all excellences.

To attain this, the first thing is self-control. How few women have any

thing like a respectable amount of self-control. The great majority are

nervous, excitable, fidgety. They frighten at a spider, laugh at a silly

joke, love at first sight, go into spasms at disappointment, cry about

trifles, have a fit of admiration at the sight of a pretty dress, have

as many moods in a day as the wind, and in all respects exhibit every

indication of the most disorderly, uncontrolled mind. Talk about harmony

in such a character! We may as well look for wisdom in the house of

folly. No mental habit is worse than that of giving the reins to our

impulses. They are sure to lead us into difficulty. There is scarcely a

more disgusting sight than a woman, well endowed, all given up to the

sway of her impulses. Trust her! Why, you may as well trust the wind.

Love her! You may as well fix your affections on the vanishing rainbow.

Hope for good at her hands! As well hope for stability among the clouds.

A useless, dangerous, troublesome, miserable thing is a woman of

impulse. And yet there are thousands of them. They keep themselves and

the world in a grand effervescence. If there is any evil to be avoided,

it is this. If there is any virtue to be sought, it is self-control. And

yet it is difficult of attainment in our order of society. Women are so

shut up from healthy air and exercise, so excluded from ennobling

avocations, so hemmed in by conventional rules, so compelled to have

waiters, assistants, beaux, somebody to lead them, advise them, do for

them, think for them--are so annoyed by petty cares and trifling

vexations, and so subjected to abuses, both of a private and public

nature, that self-control is a virtue harder of attainment than almost

any other. Yet none is needed more than this. And it must be attained,

or the glory of womanhood can never be put on. If the struggle is hard,

the victory will be all the grander. Let no young woman give up in

despair. The power is in her if she will but use it. She may be the

queen of her own soul if she will. All depends upon the force of her

will.

Young women have much to hope for, and the world much to hope for at

their hands. A better idea of womanhood is growing up in the minds of

men. Woman's wrong, difficulties, and trials are being felt. Her

aimless, hopeless life is being mourned over. The evils from a false

society preying upon all womankind are being felt; and almost every

woman is beginning to feel the approaching indications of a better time

coming. Women are asking, "What shall we do? We wish not to be idle. We

feel too much shut out from useful avocations. We feel too little

opportunity to work out for ourselves such characters as we know we

ought to possess. We must, we will do something for our own elevation."

Let every young woman determine to do something for the honor and

elevation of her sex. At least let her determine that she will possess

and always wear about her as her richest possession a true womanhood.

This is the most that she can do. Above all, let her not throw obstacles

in the way of her sisters, who are striving nobly to be useful, but

rather help them with the weight of her encouragement and counsel. Let

her determine that for herself she will do her own thinking; that she

will form her own opinions from her own investigations; that she will

persist in holding the highest principles of womanly morality and the

virtuous attainments which constitute a true womanhood. When she has

done this, let her call to her aid all the force of character she can

command to enable her to persist in being a woman of the true stamp. In

every class of society the young women should awake to their duty. They

have a great work to do. It is not enough that they should be what their

mothers were. They must be more. The spirit of the times calls on woman

for a higher order of character and life. Will young women heed the

call? Will they emancipate themselves from the fetters of custom and

fashion, and come up a glorious company to the possession of a vigorous,

virtuous, noble womanhood--a womanhood that shall shed new light upon

the world, and point the way to a divine life? We wait to hear the

answer in the coming order of women.

Lecture Fourteen.