for delay-at least, for a few days. Besides, it is not wholly lost time. You have a longer season for reflection on the nature of your undertaking, of strengthening your resolution to persevere, and of seeking counsel from above.

There is nothing more delightful than to see a young wife taking the lead in a work of this kind, and persevering. We have seen already that selfgovernment is no light affair. We have seen-at least, I hope it has been made plain-that on it depends, under God, much of the comfort and happiness of matrimonial life.

The sight is delightful, not only for its immediate, but for its prospective advantages. To be the means of conquering one's self, and of leading a husband to a similar victory, is high praise. But this is not all, nor indeed the most. It is but the prelude of a better day to coming generations. In proportion as parents can be induced to undertake the work of self-education, and to acquire the habit of completely governing themselves in all the relations, and circumstances, and conditions of life, in just the same proportion may we look forward with confidence to a reform, in this respect, in our whole system of modern education, both in the family and in the schools. It is next to impossible for parents to taste the joys and blessings

of such a conquest, and not be desirous of preventing, in their children, that which it has cost them so much pains to remove or correct.

If the work which has thus been proposed were beyond the capability of the young wife, or if it were within the reach or ability of a favored few only, I would insist upon it less strongly. But I regard it, on the contrary, as quite within the reach and means of all. And happy are they who, finding out the errors of their early education, begin and persevere in the work of educating and reforming themselves, before it is too late. It is, indeed, never too late, wholly so, while life lasts; but the earlier we begin, the better. We shall do comparatively little, if we do not commence before we are forty.

But happy is the woman who, by a favorable education, has been thoroughly established in good habits from the very first-whose meat and whose drink it is to take up her cross and govern herself daily. She enters upon the matrimonial state prepared to go forward at once with joy and hope, having escaped both the hindrance and the misery of a late repentance.

Anecdote of Mrs. H. Course of study after marriage. Much of it excellent. Cooperation of the husband and wife. Nature of education. Difficulties of studying in married life. They may be overcome. Importance of system. Evils of a want of it. Anecdote. Chemistry. Its importance illustrated by anecdotes and facts. Terrible consequences of ignorance in housewifery. Much poisoning in the community. Study of other sciences. Anatomy and physiology. A few books recommended. Collateral topics of study. Knowledge necessary to benevolent effort. Study of the subject of education. Errors. Theory and experience.

MRS. H. was early married to a person much older and better instructed than herself a lawyer by profession. He was one of those men, however, who place intellectual and moral improvement higher than all things earthly; and who will not forego the improvement of themselves and their own families, for the sake of distant and more uncertain advantages, however large in the prospect. Mrs. H., in short, became, in effect, her

husband's pupil. The following is her own account of the progress she made while under the instruction of her new teacher.

"Under his instruction and example, my prose style of writing, which the critics generally allow to be pure idiomatic English,' was formed. I acknowledge that my early predilection was for the pompous words and sounding periods of Johnson, and I had greatly admired the sublime flights and glittering fancies of Counsellor Phillips, the Irish orator, then in the meridian of his fame; but my husband convinced me, by analyzing his sentences, that they were, as he had called them, 'sublime nonsense.'

"We commenced, immediately after our marriage, a system of study, which we pursued together, with few interruptions, and these unavoidable, during his life. The hours we allotted were from eight o'clock in the evening till ten. In this manner we studied French and botany, (then almost a new science in this country, but for which my husband had an uncommon taste,) and obtained some knowledge of mineralogy, geology, &c., besides pursuing a long and instructive course of reading."

I had not intended to quote farther from this instructive autobiographical sketch of a young wife; but some of my readers may be interested

to know the results; and they are so truly instructive, that I venture to proceed.

"In all our mental pursuits, it seemed the aim of Mr. H. to enlighten my reason, strengthen my judgment, and give me confidence in my own powers of mind, which he estimated much higher than I did. I equalled him in imagination, but in no other faculty. Yet the approbation which he bestowed on my talents has been a great encouragement to me, in attempting the duties which were to be my portion.

"In short, had we known the future, the course pursued could not have been more judicious. But such a result seemed utterly improbable; for he enjoyed the most perfect health, while mine was very delicate. Still I was to be the survivor;-he died suddenly, as with a stroke-and with him seemed to expire every earthly hope. His business was large, for the country, but he had hardly reached that age when men of his profession begin to lay up property, and he had spared no indulgence to his family. We had lived in comfort; but I was left poor.

"For myself, the change added not one particle to my grief; but for my children, I was deeply distressed. I had five-the eldest only seven years of age: how were these to be supported and educated? I cared not that they should inherit