"If a finger is put out to touch a chain that is round your neck, or a breast-pin that you are wearing, draw back, and take it off for inspection. Accept not unnecessary assistance in putting on cloaks, shawls, over-shoes, or any thing of the sort. Be not lifted in and out of carriages, on or off a horse; sit not with another in a place that is too narrow; read not out of the same book; let not your eagerness to see any thing induce you to place your head close to another person's." Now any striking instances which might be quoted to prove that such rules as the above are necessary, that native modesty is not the safest guardian of woman's morals and manners, we contend are hopeless cases; they must be sought from that class of minds naturally so coarse and bold, so inattentive to the feelings of others," as to defy reform,-beings so unnatural and degraded, that even the "Young Lady's Friend" could not have regenerated them. The earliest and most indefatigable training would have only made of such characters genteel vulgar women, of whom it would always be said, "There goes Mrs. Roundabout-I mean the fat lady in the lustring trollopee. Between you and I, she is but a cutler's wife. See how she's dressed, as fine as hands and pins can make her; two marriageable daughters, like bunters in stuff gowns, are now taking six-pennyworth of tea at the White Conduit House. Odious puss! how she waddles along, with her train two yards behind her. She puts me in mind of my Lord Bantam's Indian sheep, which are obliged to have their monstrous tails trundled along in a go-cart.' By subjecting another class to the discipline of the " Young Lady's Friend," a class a little less vulgar by nature, you would make the most of your materials, if you succeeded in giving them the forms without the spirit of gentility-patterns of superhuman propriety in all matters of mere etiquette, "Miss Edgeworth's novels stepping from their covers." They would be like statues moved by machinery-ladies of buckram and whalebone-living contradictions, whose conversation would constantly belie their appearance. But perhaps we are too seriousthe bookhardly deserves it; we have seldom seen more commonplace remarks occupy a larger space-remarks, which every boardingschool Miss has had dinned into the unwilling ear from day to dayand which those who have not enjoyed that privilege, are all the better for not hearing. The sentiments in the chapter on "nursing the sick" are very suitable and proper; but pushed to a detail and minuteness which borders on the ridiculous. "The couch of sickness is the female throne," and how often, when tortured by the officiousness of some kind-hearted awkward nurse, of the masculine gender, have we longed for woman's smile to cheer, for woman's voice to soothe, and woman's hand to dash Cologne on our aching brow. Peruse then, ladies, these few pages with attention, and in the elegant words of our fair authoress you will avoid the mis * Goldsmith's Essays, page 73. ery "of using your delicate fingers like thumbs, and your thumbs like legs of mutton." Behold the all accomplished nurse! Is the patient nervous? She trippeth around the couch unclad in rustling silk; with ancient glove on hand, she places, piece by piece, the rattling anchracite on the glowing hearth-one hand holds shovel, tongs and poker, the other gently cleanseth the fire place!-pp. 61, 62. She cougheth not-sneezeth not-bloweth not her nose in such a manner as to disturb the feverish slumberer.—p. 62. She constantly abluteth the sick, And with a little rag, around a little stick, We have on page 68, a description of the delicate maneuver of changing the beds. "In shifting persons from one bed to another, an inconvenience often arises to the inexperienced, from attempting to lift the patient from the first bed to the second, with his head in the same direction after his removal as before. The persons lifting him, in this case, being between the patient and the second bed, are in their own way. The difficulty is obviated by placing the head of the second bed toward the foot of the first, leaving ample space between the two, that is, four or five feet, and lifting the body by two or three persons, who are then to wheel round, like a platoon of soldiers, and deposit the head of the patient toward the head of the second bed, which corresponds to the foot of the first." Here we have the forces drawn up in battle array-then "like a platoon of soldiers," (the nurse acting as corporal,) to the left, backward wheel, march! and presto, "the head of the patient is deposited on the head of the second bed." One other remark is worthy of remembrance-" be careful in watching to be clad sufficiently or you may take cold." In fact, the whole chapter is a treasure of new and striking thoughts, and winds up in a manner worthy of Dr. Kitchener, with various recipes, that alone would render the volume invaluable in our estimation. But the next chapter, devoted to the subject of "Dress," is the one from which we have derived the most instruction and amusement. Our authoress here displays a minuteness of knowledge which is of course natural, and for which we male scions of humanity, are bound to render our grateful thanks. Lady Mary Fleming would have envied her acquaintance with the chronology of fashion; the philosophy of dress is discussed with a metaphysical subtlety and logical acumen worthy of the subject. "Embroidered pelerines," "Scottish Queen's caps" "balloon sleeves" "Grecian head-dress" "assistant bishops," dance through her chapter in all the mazes of fashionable confusion. We doubt whether the younger part of the female creation, are as much edified with these lucubrations, as certain "antique ladies," who have outlived every thing, save the starchy primness of their maidenly robes. But this is not all the gaudy suns of Broadway, are not the only lumi naries with which our vision is dazzled. Sleeping beauty flits before our imagination, the minutest arrangements are not forgotten. Can we proceed? Let the book answer. "Some young ladies, who put their chambers in good order every morning, are content to go to bed at night leaving them in the utmost confusion. They do not consider how liable every one is to sudden indisposition, or to an alarm of fire, or to some contingency that would introduce their family and even strangers into the apartment, or how mortified they would feel to see a gentleman stumbling over their petticoats, dropped in a ring in the middle of the floor, or kicking a stray shoe or stocking before him! It is best to be always prepared for any exposure, by an undeviating practice of neatness and order. Every article taken off the person at night, should have an appropriate place; under-garments, especially, should be so arranged, near your bed, as to be well aired without exposure in full view, and to be easily seized and put on, in case of an alarm. Shoes should have a fixed place, where you can always find them in the dark. Stockings should be drawn one within the other, and include the garters, that they may not be missing when wanted in haste. Chairs should be set in their places, and all things so arranged as not to be stumbled over in the dark, should you have occasion to rise in the night. "Those who sleep in short cotton gowns, generally use the same article as a dressing gown, over which they comb and brush their hair; but this is untidy, as loose hairs and dandruff will lodge in the folds, and so be carried to bed with you. Have a separate gown for this purpose, or else pin a napkin round your neck that will cover your shoulders, and receive every thing that comes from your hair.” This is bad enough; but the same beautiful idea is pursued. The care of clothes is the sublime theme. We should not have ventured to quote what follows, if it had not been written by a lady to ladies. But as we presume that these sage remarks will affect the prices current of all saponaceous articles, and kindle the imaginations of our esteemed Yalensian contemporaries, we cannot exclude the following extract. "As a general rule those things which are injured by washing should never be worn next the skin. Such as woolen and silk shawls, the sleeves of silk dresses, &c. Be not shocked to be told that it will grease them, for the fairest and most delicately clean skin is so constituted, as to keep soft and healthy by a lubrication of oil, insensible to the eye, unless allowed to accumulate on something that will not bear washing, but sufficiently evident where this is the case. The slightest texture of muslin interposed, and frequently changed and washed, will prevent this unsightly accumulation. I have seen the back of a high necked dress that was not lined, so changed, where it came in contact with the skin, as to mark distinctly the outline between that and the part which had other clothing under it. This is a disgusting sight, and might subject a young lady to the imputation of having a peculiarly greasy skin, when that was not really the case." grave. Oh! delicacy, where is thy blush! Oh! sentiment, go seek thy What a picture-how forcibly does it recall the nursery idea we used to entertain of the exterior condition of Mrs. John Spratt, the wife of the celebrated Mr. John Spratt. "Jack Spratt could eat no fat, His wife could eat no lean.” Oh ye muslin weavers, what a glorious customer she must have been! If such indeed be the curious facts respecting airy woman, what a nice speculation would a view of the corporality of South Middle afford our philosophical authoress. Heaven shield our friends there, from the harpoon of the whale-fishermen! We can devote but a line to the next chapter, "on the preservation of health." Most of the statements contained in it, it may be proper for young ladies to know, but whether they should not come from their most intimate friends, rather than the public press, is a question easily decided. We have not yet cultivated such views of the structure of the body as (to use the authoress's expression) "to be equally willing to speak to a physician of the bowels, as of the brains," much less to see such willingness with satisfaction, in a work to which every class of readers has access. We are unwilling to dwell longer upon this chapter. We acknowledge ourselves to be of the sterner sex. We yield the palm of sensibility to woman. We have ever looked to her for lessons in modesty and refinement, yet while reading some passages of this work (we say it without affectation of delicacy) our rude sense of propriety has turned away in absolute disgust. We have blest our stars, that we were not taught modesty by the "Young Lady's Friend," nor by those who drew their refinement from that fountain; among the rules of decorum first imprinted upon our memories was this, "never to say or do any thing you would be unwilling to repeat before your mother and sisters." But there are passages in this work, which the most unrefined brother would hesitate ere he read to the circle which surrounds his hearthstone. We do not allude to that part of the work which, from the nature of the subject, involves details rather unsentimental, but in other passages where indelicacy might have been avoided, allusions are introduced, so gross, so unethereal, may our lips be blistered ere we breathe them in her presence, whose smile we value ! Our limits will permit us to dwell but a moment on what remains. And that we may not seem too harsh and ungenerous in our criticism, we take the occasion to say that the authoress of this book is, we doubt not, a lady-a lady too, capable of giving example to all within her influence. We entertain for her that respect which it is woman's to demand, and deserve. Of her book we have a different opinion, and we rebut the charge of ungallantry, by quoting our motto. "Licuit, semperque licebit Parcere personis dicere de vitiis.” It is with unaffected pleasure that we refer our readers to some passages we have read with approbation. From the chapter on the "relation of brother and sister," we quote: "Brothers and sisters may greatly aid each other in judging of their friends of the opposite sex. Brothers can throw important light upon the character and merits of young men, because they see them when acting out their natures before their comrades, and relieved from the restraints of the drawing-room; and you can in return, greatly assist your brothers in coming to wise and just conclusions concerning their female friends. Your brothers may be very much indebted to the quicker penetration of women into each others' characters, and saved by your discernment from being fascinated by qualities that are not of sterling value; but, in order to have the influence necessary to such important ends, you must be habitually free from a spirit of detraction, candid in all your judgments, and ever ready to admire what is lovely and good in your own sex. If, when you dissent from your brother's too favorable opinion of a lady, he can with any justice charge you with a prejudice against her family, or a capricious dislike of her, your judgment, however correct, will have no weight, and he will be very likely to become not only the lady's champion but her lover." "I have been told by men, who had passed unharmed through the temptations of youth, that they owed their escape from many dangers to the intimate companionship of affectionate and pure-minded sisters. They have been saved from a hazardous meeting with idle company by some home engagement, of which their sisters were the charm; they have refrained from mixing with the impure, because they would not bring home thoughts and feelings which they could not share with those trusting and loving friends; they have put aside the wine-cup and abstained from stronger potations, because they would not profane with their fumes the holy kiss, with which they were accustomed to bid their sisters good night." Read this: "A great deal has been said and written, by medical men, against the unhealthy practice of tight lacing; but, it is to be feared with very little effect. So long as gentlemen admire small waists, and praise those figures the most, which approach the nearest to the shape of a wasp, or an hour-glass, it is in vain to tell young ladies that the practice is destructive of health, and that there is no real beauty in the small dimensions at which they are aiming. The taste of the lords of creation must be rectified, and then the evil will correct itself. Let medical men, let painters and sculptors teach young men that all such unnatural compression of the body is deformity; let Grecian models of beauty be studied, till the shape of a modern belle shall no longer command admiration. Let mothers, too, make a stand against this general perversion of the uses of the body; let them keep their daughters without corsets, until they have attained their full development of figure, and then it would be impossible for half the mischief to be done that now is; for, by beginning whilst the bones are soft and pliable, the lower ribs can be compressed into half their natural dimensions. "I have been assured by a girl, shaped like an hour-glass, that she did not lace tight; and have been called to witness, that she was of the same size without, as with her corset. The case is plain, nature has been completely overruled, early tight lacing has produced a permanent deformity, and the space in which the lungs play has been reduced forever to those narrow bounds. "Few girls are aware of the force they employ when they lace their corsets; the mode of doing it deceives them; it is so easy to gain inch by inch of that treacherous silken cord, that they are not conscious of the effect they are producing; whereas if they were obliged to fasten their corsets by buttoning them in front, they would soon find out how tight they are. Let me beg my young friends to |