Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 123 pages of information about Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life.

Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 123 pages of information about Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life.
well Bred People, to take the place of a Parent in governing their Children; and together with them such Servants and Teachers, as must peculiarly be employ’d about them; For the World does not necessarily abound with such Persons as these, and in such circumstances as not to pretend to more profitable employments than Men of one or two thousand Pounds a Year (and much less those great numbers who have smaller Estates) can often afford to make the care of governing their Children from their Infancy to be.  The procuring of such a Person as this may (by accident) sometimes be in such a ones Power; but to propose the ingaging for reward whenever there shall be need for them, vertuous, wife, and well-bred Men and Women, to spend their time in taking care of the Education of young Children, is what can be done but by a very few; since the doing this would not be found an easy charge to the greater part of almost any rank amongst us; unless they would be content for the sake hereof to abridge themselves of some of their extravagant Expences; which are usually the last that Men will deny themselves.

It is indeed wonderful (if we consider Men as rational Creatures) to see how much Mony they will often bestow, not upon their Vices only, (for this is not so unaccountable) but upon meerly fashionable Vanities, which give them more Trouble than Pleasure in the enjoyment:  Yet at the same time be as sparing, as is possible, of cost upon a Child’s Education; and it is certain, that for Rewards considerable enough to make it worth their while, those of a far different Character from such as for the most part undertake it, would be induc’d to accept even the early charge of Childrens Instruction.  But every Gentleman of a good Family, or good Estate also, is not in Circumstances to propound such sufficient Rewards; and for what the most can afford to give, very few capable of performing this matter well, will trouble themselves about it; at least with such Pupils as must be attended with Nurses or Maids.  Wherefore no other remedy, I believe, can be found but in returning still to our Conclusion, That this great concernment, on which no less than Peoples Temporal and Eternal Happiness does mightily depend, ought to be the Care and Business of Mothers.  Nor do Women seem less peculiarly adapted by Nature hereunto, than it can be imagin’d they should be, if the Author of Nature (as no doubt he did) design’d this to be their Province in that division of Cares of Humane Life, which ought to be made between a Man and his Wife.  For that softness, gentleness and tenderness, natural to the Female Sex, renders them much more capable than Men are of such an insinuating Condescention to the Capacities of young Children, as is necessary in the Instruction and Government of them, insensibly to form their early Inclinations.  And surely these distinguishing Qualities of the Sex were not given barely to delight, when they may, so manifestly, be profitable also, if

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.