Hints on Personal Appearance.

45

to other necessary concerns, to administer to the pleasure of others rather than their disgust, by slight yet habitual attention to her appearance. Should she not choose that her presence should enkindle a glow of pleasure in the hearts of her household, and the circle of her visitors and friends? Were it only a rose she had in charge, and it was daily to meet the eyes of the circle she loved, and still oftener to rise to their memories as they last viewed it, would she suffer it to lose all its flowers and fragrance, to bush out in dishevelled deformity, and rust in its leaves and branches, under the hand of neglect?

Not only the joy she administered to others but the pleasure she took in herself and in the discharge of her duties, he pleaded, would be enhanced by a return to her former habits. If she were not called to grace with dignity the head of a household, if she were not to pass before the gaze of others, yet she was to be present with herself and conscious of the fact whether she had honored or disgraced that person which the God of nature had polished with his skill, and formed to appear as an ornament in her various spheres of occupation. How, too, could she move with satisfaction in the paths of duty appointed her, if she entered them with those marks of indolence and want of order and disregard of the beautiful and pleasing, hung out as insignia on her person, which would proclaim to herself and to all around her that her most constant example belies her precepts. Not that he would have her disregard her household in her attentions at the toilette, as her question of disregarding herself for their sakes implies. Not at all. But those attentions to herself which diligence might easily accomplish and which are necessary to fit her to move with dignity before her household, are necessary, also, to prosecute the discipline and instruction of her household with the best effect.

This was his plea, in favor of the course he recommended; and what was hers, in justification of her neglect? The argument she used, was evidently dictated by feeling rather than judgment: because it allowed no medium to exist between the neglect of a principle, and its excess and abuse. As if to avoid disgusting others by her selfneglect, she must needs fly to the other extreme of setting up herself for admiration and show: and not rather attend to the decent civilities and proprieties of life; as if to avoid neglecting herself she must needs fly to the other extreme of bestowing all attention on herself and none on her household and not rather fit herself to move with mat. ronly dignity and grace in all her attentions to her household.

But, you will say, the parties were left in an unpleasant mood: how was the dispute settled? Why, I suppose, the judicious Mrs. Snowden, after the first excitement of being told unpleasant truths was over, yielded to the reasonable suggestions of her husband; and expressing a resolution to dismiss all negligence in future, sealed it with a kiss of reconciliation and love. Now, fair reader, if you have any such controversy with your husband or with your own conscience, I trust you will settle it just so too. A HUSBAND.

THE YOUNG MOTHER.

She stands, amidst the glittering crowd,
The same in form and face

As when at first her sweet cheek glowed,
Even in this very place.

The same bright tresses bind her brow,
The same rich pearls her hair,
Her lip is just as roseate now,
Her hand as soft and fair.

She looks the same young radiant bride
As when we saw her first,
When in her flash of happiest pride
Upon our eyes she burst.
And even now she leans, as then,
Upon her husband's arm :
Yes 'tis the very same again,
With every faultless charm.

Yet there's a change-her eyes are still
Most beautiful and bright;

But they seem, beneath their lids, to fill
With softer, tenderer light.

Her voice is sweet, and rich, and low,
And just as musical:

But 'tis grown more like a river's flow,
Than a fountain's laughing fall.

Still, still she smiles as radiantly
When friends are speaking near;
But in her smile there's less of glee,
And more of bliss sincere.
'Tis not the brilliant scene around

That her quiet heart beguiles;
In her pure spirit may be found
The fountain of her smiles.

Now, ever and anon, her eye

Is fixed on vacancy,

And she seems to listen earnestly;
For, 'midst the revelry,

In fancy comes an infant's wail,

Or its murmuring in its sleep;

And the splendid hall seems cold and pale, When such visions o'er her creep.

And though the scene is very fair,
She wearies for her home,

And thinks the hour to take her there

Will never, never come!

She, who once watched the time in pain,

That would too quickly flow,

Oh, sure she might be gayer then,

But she is happier now!

The Power of Habit.

[Selected for the Microcosm.]

THE POWER OF HABIT.

47

Ir can hardly be imagined, how much we are under the power of custom: it blinds and fixes our inclination in almost every direction. That which we are accustomed to, acquires our attachment, and we are uneasy without it. If our customary food has been plain, simple, or coarse, it is sweet to our taste: on the other hand, if we have been accustomed altogether to dainties, we shall feel a kind of loathing for ordinary provisions. The Black Broth of the Spartans, was, to them, delicious, though loathsome to every body else.

I once dined at an inn, in company with a lady who had "fared sumptuously every day." It was a plain dinner, and substantially good, but not such as she had been accustomed to; and the very sight of it threw her into tragical distress. She was not hectical, nor in any manner sickly. Her form was the index of nothing less than of habitudes of abstemiousness. But, alas! her stomach turned against every thing. She barely tasted of this, of that, and of the other morsel, and laying down her knife and fork, her visage could scarcely have been more rueful had she been under the hands of the executioner.

Man is said to be "a bundle of habits." And what is habit? Habit is the bias we acquire for what we are accustomed to; whether it relates to the body, or the mind, or both. As by frequency of repetition we become more ready and expert in whatever we have to do; so, also, by frequency of repetition, the appetite, the taste, the inclination, acquire a settled direction that way. Nay, if the thing we are accustomed to gives us little or no pleasure, its absence gives us pain.

"I remember," says the far-famed Burke, "to have frequented a certain place every day, for a long time together; and I may truly say, that so far from finding pleasure in it, I was affected with a sort of weariness and disgust; I came, I went, I returned, without pleasure; yet if by any means I passed by my usual time of going thither, I was remarkably uneasy, and was not quiet till I got into my old track." And he proceeds to say, "They who use snuff take it almost without being sensible that they take it, and the acute sense of smell is deadened so as to feel hardly any thing from so sharp a stimulus; yet, deprive the snuff-taker of his box, and he is the most uneasy mortal in the world."

It might indeed be shown, in a great variety of instances, some of an indifferent, and others of a moral nature, that being accustomed to a thing, induces, for the most part, such a settled habit as is aptly denominated a second nature. But my object is to apply the general principle to the all important concern of education.

Training up a child in the way he should go, consists not altogether in pointing out the way, but also, and chiefly, in accustoming him to walk therein. As the tree grows up straight, or crooked, according to the direction given it when a plant, so, in a great measure, it is with

animal nature. Of this truth we are deeply sensible, in its application to the inferior animals, and our practice accords with our way of thinking. In training up young animals for use, a colt, for instance, or one of the canine breed, much care is taken to break them of their faults, and to render them docile, and such as we wish them to be at mature age. Because experience teaches us, that if their faults are permitted to grow up with them, they will become inveterately fixed, and exceeding hard to cure. We know that if the one be suffered to kick, and the other to snarl and bite, at every body that comes near, or if any other mischievous trick be permitted to "grow with their growth;" it would be unreasonable to expect to fashion them aright when age shall have matured and confirmed their ill habits, and redoubled their obstinacy. Rightly judging on this point, we are practical, because, forsooth, it would be a pity the young animal should be spoiled for want of attention to his breeding.

How much less care in this respect, is ordinarily paid to the human offspring! Not that we are sparing of pains and expense for the purpose of imbuing the young mind with the rudiments of learning. But having done this, we unscrupulously leave undone a still more important part, namely, the care to settle those habits, without which the possession of learning can turn to no good account.

It is absurd to expect that children accustomed to do evil, will, in after-life, learn to do well; no less than to look for the growth of a fragrant flower in the spot where you had dropped only the seed of a thistle. For the generality of human beings are such, or nearly such, as early custom had fashioned them; no animal being more wilful, more obstinate in the wrong, or harder to be cured of the ill habits which early custom had riveted.

Consider it, ye, who are parents of young children. If it be your choice that they should be idle, rear them up in idleness. If you would render them helpless all their days, never compel nor permit them to help themselves. If you wish them to be fastidious and squeamish about their food, feed them daily with dainties.

If you would entail upon their mature age the ill-humors of sullenness, obstinacy and peeishness, indulge and foster these wayward propensities during their childhood. If you admire a quarrelsome, a vio lent, a revengeful spirit, permit their little hands to strike, and their little tongues to lisp out rage; it can do no harm, and is fine sport to see it! Again, if you would breed them up for cheats and liars, laugh at their cunning tricks, their artful falsehoods and equivocations; or, if you rebuke them, let them see withal that you are more pleased with their wit, than displeased at the inceptive marks of their depravity.

But if your desires and wishes be quite the reverse of all this; why then, take care against learning your children, what it will be necessary for them to unlearn at a riper age. Take care to make such impressions on their tender infancies as you would wish should be per. manent and lasting. Never let it be out of your memories, that “habits woven into the very principles of their nature are unspeakably better than mere rules and lessons, which they so easily forget."

THE MICROCOSM.

VOL. I.

JANUARY, 1835.

MANAGEMENT OF SERVANTS.

No. 4.

THERE is nothing more indispensable to the enjoyment of domestic peace and happiness, than the possession of faithful and well principled domestics. Those who are not independent enough to dispense with their services altogether, are entirely dependent on them for every comfort and necessity. It is therefore a very important branch of domestic economy, to learn how to make good servants, and how to retain them when they are good. The training of domestics in proper habits and principles, must be made equal to other relative duties, before the complaints and wants on every side shall cease to be heard among us:-or before we can train up our children in the way they should go. Our domestics form a component part of our families-are unavoidably brought into contact with our children, and influence them to a greater or less degree.

We are conscious that this subject demands great wisdom and experience. We venture on this occasion to express the result only of general observation, respecting the causes of failure and difficultywith a few hints for lessening and overcoming these evils, drawn from the experience of those who have been eminently successful in this department of influence.

There is no way of accounting for the success of a few against the many, but on the ground of a different course of management. Great error certainly exists somewhere; and a great reform is demanded, in the parlor as well as the kitchen. A lady on being asked if she would join a society for the improvement of servants, replied "No, but I will join one for the improvement of mistresses." We have often considered this answer, as aiming directly at the root of the evil.

The duty we owe to servants should be made the subject of serious consideration; and the best means of promoting their religious, moral and temporal interests carefully sought out. They should be made to see and feel that we are actuated by disinterested and not mercenary motives, in all our dealings with them. That we have their happiness and interest in view, as well as our own profit. The influence of kindness and sympathy is irresistible-and the results will be felt in the attachment and fidelity of those who receive it.

While we require of our domestics that they serve us well and faithfully, we should be willing to reward them well and faithfully.