The new female instructor; or, Young woman's guide to domestic happiness : being an epitome of all the acquirements necessary to form the female character, in every class of life: with examples of illustrious women. To which are added, advice to servants; a complete art of cookery, and plain directions for carving: also, a great variety of medicinal and other useful receipts in domestic economy; and numerous interesting articles, forming a complete storehouse of valuable knowledge.

Date:
[1824]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The new female instructor; or, Young woman's guide to domestic happiness : being an epitome of all the acquirements necessary to form the female character, in every class of life: with examples of illustrious women. To which are added, advice to servants; a complete art of cookery, and plain directions for carving: also, a great variety of medicinal and other useful receipts in domestic economy; and numerous interesting articles, forming a complete storehouse of valuable knowledge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    36/562 (page 18)
    conveys the idea of a scold, and scolding is the strongest mark of low breeding. It has of late years been thought necessary to introduce young people early into what is called life, in order that this rustic and beautiful diffidence might not expose them to the observation and ridicule of the fashionable world. Mistaken notion ! cruel innovation on the sweet simplicity of youth and innocence ! What an opinion does it give a rational and think- ing mind of modern refinements, which have so dangerous a tendency ! In former ages, a modest and diffident woman was sure to meet with general respect, and appeared to have a just de- mand on every one for protection. Vice then fled, to conceal its ugliness and deformity from the penetrating eyes of the world; and the wily libertine, the unprincipled gambler, or the known votary of Bacchus, were shunned, as monsters formed to destroy; whilst the poor victims of their baseness, unable to support the humiliating distresses which their own weakness and the frailties of others had brought upon them, atoned, by years of penitence and voluntary obscurity, for a few hours of guilt, folly, and believing tenderness. But the countenance and indulgence which has for so long a period been extended to fashionable seduction, has rendered too many regardless of censure and fearless of consequences. 1 he unhappy daughters of frailty, by being often seen, seldom rob us of tears; and at the same time their miseries are beheld with contempt or indifference by their own sex, and are either en- couraged or insulted by the other; they are deprived of hope by cruelty, or bribed into a continuance in guilt, till they become too hardened for repentance 5 and often, after a hie ot misery , end their wretched existence—the victims of tolly, persecution, despair, and want. Hapless children of indiscretion ! Whilst the good, humane, and benevolent behold your sufferings with an eye of tendei compassion, and pray for your reformation, your own hearts will not be so indulgent to your failings; you will ever, at times, in the bitterness of anguish, lament your first deviation from the safe, serene, and pleasant paths of modest innocence; and in the serious moments of reflection (for such moments there will be found to steal upon you, could you even secure yourselves a constant residence in the houseol joy,)legiet the hcait-iending pangs of imprudence brought on your uniortunate paients . and till the cold hand of death, has closed those eyes which once sparkled with the soft emanation ol unsullied purity, lament your disregard of the divine precepts of religion, the basis ot every virtue.