The Duty of American Women to Their Country

by Catharine Esther Beecher

Some, who are sisters, can superintend the education of younger brothers and sisters, and add to this class others of humbler means, whom they may thus prepare for missionary teachers in some of the destitute villages of our land.

Some, who are just returned from school, with all their knowledge fresh, and all their powers in active play, may collect a class around them in the vicinity of their homes, and impart the discipline of mind and treasures of knowledge given them by God, not to be laid up as in a napkin, but to be employed for the good of others. Thus they will be raising up, not only useful teachers, but valuable friends for the exigencies of future life.

Oh, how much happier, and more respectable, and more lovely, in such benevolent toils, than in the shopping, dressing, calling, gossiping round pursued by a large portion of the daughters of wealth!

Some, on completing their education, can interest themselves in the common schools in their vicinity, seeking the friendship of the teacher, and then contributing their time and labour to raise the school to higher intellectual and moral excellence.

Some, who have a missionary spirit, may go forth to the destitute portions of our land, and collect the future sovereigns and educators of this nation, and train them for their duties.

Some, who have wealth at their command, understanding that much is required from them to whom much is given—that wealth is bestowed, not for selfish enjoyment, but for the good of others—that education is conferred, not as the means of selfish distinction and advantage, but as the instrument for benefiting mankind—such may devote time, and service, and wealth to this noble enterprise. Such may aid in founding and superintending institutions for the education and location of female teachers, thus originating permanent fountains of knowledge and influence, that long shall send forth bounteous waters in all portions of our land.

Some, who cannot enter personally into such labours, may aid in furnishing means to send forth others into the field. There are hundreds and thousands of benevolent women in the land, who would rejoice to spend and be spent in this service, but who have neither the opportunity to qualify themselves, nor the assistance necessary in finding the proper location when prepared. Why is it not time to turn some of the charity of woman, which so long has clothed and educated young men for their benevolent ministries, to aiding their own sex in as important and more neglected service?

Some can interest themselves in the schools in their vicinity, and aid the teacher by sympathy, counsel, and lending suitable books. A woman who is well informed herself, may, in this way, do much to save both the body and minds of children from great evils. On such an errand, in some cases, she will find young children pent up in a tight room, heated by a close stove, poisoning the air with their breaths, without the least relief from the process of ventilation, so easily secured by a trap-door in the upper wall. Thus it is, that many children engender weak stomachs, headaches, feeble constitutions, and sometimes deformity and death. In other cases, she may rescue some little sufferers from the torture of supporting the body on high and hard benches, without any aid to the muscles from a support to the back. Thus it is that children sometimes are rendered feeble and distorted, especially those of delicate conformation. In other cases, she may ascertain, by her own inspection, the shameful neglect of cleanliness, comfort, modesty, and decency, too often to be found in our common schools. Nowhere else is the supervision of woman so much demanded. The preceding details of the situation of our common schools in these respects, found in reports made by the state officers of education in New-York, where great efforts have been made to remove such evils, are painful indications of the shocking abuses which are to be remedied. The poor in our almshouses, the criminals in our prisons, even the cattle in our stables, have more attention paid to their comfort than is given to thousands and thousands of the little children of our country. In other cases, she can inquire into the course of study, and the modes of giving moral and religious instruction, and into the character of the books used in school, and if any improvement or alteration is needed, by seeking the confidence and friendship of the teacher, and lending her books to read on the subject, or by influencing trustees and those who direct the school, she may remedy evils and secure improvement.

In some portions of the country where education is most prosperous, the mothers of a district have formed an association for the improvement of the school which their children attend. This is usually brought about by the teacher of the school. These mothers meet once a month, to consult, or to read books, or to visit the school, and their contributions of money are used to increase the school apparatus, or to buy the books needed by the teacher or themselves for this object.

Some can interest themselves for the domestics of their family, to whom the health, character, and happiness of little children is so extensively intrusted. By kind expressions of interest, by conversing with them on their pursuits and duties, by lending useful books adapted to their capacities, by reading to them, by inducing them to secure suitable religious privileges, and by using all practicable means to impart knowledge and moral principle, much may be done for this greatly neglected class, who not only have so much influence over the children of others, but are most of them, ere long, to rear children of their own. In no way can a mother so surely receive her reward as in faithful and benevolent efforts for her domestics.