more powerful attractions, that an ignorant mind and a perverse disposition, arrayed in all the finery that ever was invented by that most fertile in expedients of all human soils, the imagination of a dress-maker. Never, therefore, dress with the expectation of being esteemed by community, or loved by any, or account of the texture, shape, color, or expense of your attire. All anticipations of this character, can be entertained but to end in disappointment and chagrin.

I would, by no means, influence young ladies to be negligent or indifferent in regard to dress. I would have them bestow upon it all the attention it properly deserves. It is the excess, the intemperance in dress, and a servile bondage to the caprices of fashion, against which I would caution you. And I again warn you that you can not be too particular in so dressing as not to injure health. You should remember that you have lungs, and that to insure health, the chest must be permitted to expand without opposition, that the lungs may have free and full play. If you dress in such manner as to prevent the expansion of the chest and the full inflation of the lungs, unavoidable disease ensues, and early death follows. Mothers should understand these facts, and should bear them in mind when superintending the attire of their daughters.

Let your dress always comport with neatness, propriety, and economy. Never swerve from the dictates of these standards. Neatness will pre

vent you from arraying yourself in gewgaws and tinsel, and running after all the absurdities of fashion, and will dictate an adaptation of dress to your form, complexion, age, and circumstances. it will allow of no extremes, either in extravagance or oddity. It will teach those who are fair, that "beauty unadorned, is adorned the most," and those who are plain, that simplicity will add far more to their attractions, than gaudy trappings. Dr. Johnson once remarked, that a certain lady was dressed the best of any he had ever seen; for but a moment after having conversed with her, he could not recollect what she had on. That is she had nothing odd, vain, or unbecoming in her attire. Propriety will forbid dressing in any manner that will violate that modesty which is the charm of your sex, or following any fashion that will undermine your constitution, or in the least degree injure your health. Economy will dictate the necessity of always dressing within your means; and it will also show you the impropriety and deep folly of involving yourself, or any with whom you are connected, in debt, to array your body in useless and silly finery !

CHAPTER VIII.

RECREATIONS.

Many of the remarks addressed to young men, in regard to amusements, will also apply to ladies--especially in respect to the excess into which human nature is liable to run. We love whatever is pleasing. This love induces a continuance in those recreations which afford pleasure; and unless reason is allowed to exercise due control, those practices will be persevered in, until they become sources of pain instead of happiness. It is highly important that young ladies should possess true views of the nature and design of the recreations proper for them; as an ignorance or want of precaution on this point, has been a fruitful source of degradation and ruin to countless multitudes of their sex.

What is recreation? It is not slumber, or stupor, or idleness; but it is simply a change of employment! Recreation to the student, is to go out to exercise in the open air. But to the man whose body calls for much bodily exercise, it is

a recreation to enter the student's library and peruse his books. The young lady who engages constantly in needle-work, or any sedentary employment, to find recreation, must enter upon some active occupation; but she who is habitually employed in the stirring duties of domestic life, will find equal amusement in occasionally plying the industrious needle. The design of recreation is, by a change of posture and employment, to call into exercise portions of the body, and faculties of the mind, that were in repose, and to give rest to those that were active—health and vigor are the fruits of this change. When the brain of the scholar becomes weary, he should relinquish his mental struggle, and call into action the muscular powers of his body. But when the body of the laborer is exhausted with toil, he should rest from his toil, and call his mental faculties into labor, by reading or instructive conversation. Both will experience enjoyment, and be benefited by the change. But mark and remember, it is the change only that causes the enjoyment. When recreation of any character, is continued beyond a certain degree or duration, plainly indicated by reason, its nature changes, and it becomes a labor, instead of an amusement. This is a plain hint from nature, that all recreations in order to be valuable and beneficial, must be engaged in moderately and temperately. And I will here repeat, that to enjoy any amusement, young people must prepare themselves for it, by

previous industry and deprivation, of a character different from the recreation to be engaged in.

From these remarks, it will be perceived that the gratification of the passions, is not the entire design and end of recreation. The healthy state; both of body and mind, depends upon proper relaxations and changes. Nature is rigid in her exactions in this respect; and whoever violates them, must suffer that penalty of pain and disease which she affixes. Moderate and judicious recreation, therefore, is not only proper, but is a duty which must be discharged, to insure health. But still there is danger, in a greater or less degree always attending amusements. It is evident that many practices called recreations, are not such, properly speaking. Some of those practices are plainly sinful, and should, consequently, be strictly avoided. Others are wrong, because they produce more injury than benefit—and others still, are dangerous, because although, perhaps, innocent in themselves, their tendency is.to induce that excess which is evil. Permit me to cite your attention to a few of the most dangerous of those practices to which young ladies frequently resort for recreation.

Dancing is one of the most fascinating amusements of youth. It may be called nature's recreation. The various species of beasts in the full tide of their happiness, gambol over the plain, and throw their bodies into fantastic shapes. Dancing is a recreation resorted to by all nations.