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Catherine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe
applied, not to our
own interests but to those of others--The same courtesy to be extended
to all classes--Necessary distinctions arising from mutual relations to
be observed--The strong to defer to the weak--Precedence yielded by
men to women in America--Good manners must be cultivated in early
life--Mutual relations of husband and wife--Parents and children--The
rearing of children to courtesy--De Tocqueville on American manners.
XVI.
_GOOD TEMPER IN THE HOUSEKEEPER._
Easier for a household under the guidance of an equable temper in the
mistress---Dissatisfied looks and sharp tones destroy the comfort of
system, neatness, and economy--Considerations to aid the
housekeeper--Importance and dignity of her duties--Difficulties to be
overcome--Good policy to calculate beforehand upon the derangement
of well-arranged plans--Object of housekeeping, the comfort and
well-being of the family--The end should not be sacrificed to secure the
means--Possible to refrain from angry tones--Mild speech most
effective--Exemplification--Allowances to be made for servants and

children--Power of religion to impart dignity and importance to the
ordinary and petty details of domestic life.
XVII.
_HABITS OF SYSTEM AND ORDER._
Relative importance and difficulty of the duties a woman is called to
perform--Her duties not trivial--A habit of system and order
necessary--Right apportionment of time--General principles--
Christianity to be the foundation--Intellectual and social interests to be
preferred to gratification of taste or appetite--Neglect of health a sin in
the sight of God--Regular season of rest appointed by the
Creator--Divisions of time--Systematic arrangement of house articles
and other conveniences--Regular employment for each member of a
family--Children--Family work--Forming habits of system--Early
rising a very great aid--Due apportionment of time to the several duties.
XVIII.
_GIVING IN CHARITY._
No point of duty more difficult to fix by rule than charity--First
consideration--Object for which we are placed in this world--Self-
denying Benevolence.--Second consideration--Natural principles not to
be exterminated, but regulated and controlled.--Third
consideration--Superfluities sometimes proper, and sometimes
not--Fourth consideration--No rule of duty right for one and not for
all--The opposite of this principle tested--Some use of superfluities
necessary--Plan for keeping an account of necessities and
superfluities--Untoward results of our actions do not always prove that
we deserve blame--General principles to guide in deciding upon objects
of charity--Who are our neighbors--The most in need to be first
relieved--Not much need of charity for physical wants in this
country--Associated charities--Indiscriminate charity--Impropriety of
judging the charities of others.
XIX.
ECONOMY OF TIME AND EXPENSES Economy, value, and right
apportionment of time--Laws appointed by God for the
Jews--Christianity removes the restrictions laid on the Jews, but
demands all our time to be devoted to our own best interests and the
good of our fellow-men--Enjoyment connected with every
duty--Various modes of economizing time--System and order--Uniting

several objects in one employment--Odd intervals of time--Aiding
others in economizing time--Economy in expenses--Contradictory
notions--General principles in which all agree--Knowledge of income
and expenses--Evils of want of system and forethought--Young ladies
should early learn to be systematic and economical.
XX.
_HEALTH OF MIND._
Intimate connection between the body and mind--Brain excited by
improper stimulants taken into the stomach--Mental faculties then
affected--Causes of mental disease--Want of oxygenized blood--Fresh
air absolutely necessary--Excessive exercise of the intellect or
feelings--Such attention to religion as prevents the performance of
other duties, wrong--Unusual precocity in children usually the result of
a diseased brain--Idiocy often the result, or the precocious child sinks
below the average of mankind--This evil yet prevalent in colleges and
other seminaries--A medical man necessary in every seminary--Some
pupils always needing restraint in regard to study--A third cause of
mental disease, the want of appropriate exercise of the various faculties
of the mind--Extract from Dr. Combe--Beneficial results of active
intellectual employments--Indications of a diseased mind.
XXI.
_THE CARE OF INFANTS._
Herbert Spencer on the treatment of offspring--Absurdity of
undertaking to rear children without any knowledge of how to do
it--Foolish management of parents generally the cause of evils ascribed
to Providence--Errors of management during the first two years--Food
of child and of mother--Warning as to use of too much medicine--Fresh
air-- Care of the skin--Dress--Sleep--Bathing--Change of
air--Habits--Dangers of the teething
period--Constipation--Diarrhea--Teething--How to relieve its
dangers--Feverishness--Use of water.

XXII.
_THE MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN._
Physical education of children--Animal diet to be avoided for the very
young--Result of treatment at Albany Orphan Asylum--Good
ventilation of nurseries and schools--Moral training to consist in
forming habits of submission, self-denial, and benevolence-General
suggestions--Extremes of sternness and laxity to be
avoided--Appreciation of childish desires and
feelings--Sympathy--Partaking in games and employments--Inculcation
of principles preferable to multiplication of commands--Rewards rather
than penalties--Severe tones of voice--Children to be kept
happy--Sensitive children--Self-denial--Deceit and
honesty--Immodesty and delicacy--Dreadful penalties consequent upon
youthful impurities--Religious training.
XXIII.
_DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS AND SOCIAL DUTIES._
Children need more amusement than older persons--Its object, to afford
rest and recreation to the mind and body--Example of Christ--No
amusements to be introduced that will tempt the weak or over-excite
the young--Puritan customs--Work followed by play--Dramatic
exercises, dancing, and festivity
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