reached　which　some　women　desire　to　effect　amongst　ourselves。　　The
  women　there　mainly　attend　to　businessserving　the　BOUTIQUE；　or
  presiding　at　the　COMPTOIRwhile　the　men　lounge　about　the
  Boulevards。　　But　the　result　has　only　been　homelessness；
  degeneracy；　and　family　and　social　decay。
  Nor　is　there　any　reason　to　believe　that　the　elevation　and
  improvement　of　women　are　to　be　secured　by　investing　them　with
  political　power。　　There　are；　however；　in　these　days；　many
  believers　in　the　potentiality　of　〃votes；〃　（22）　who　anticipate　some
  indefinite　good　from　the　〃enfranchisement〃　of　women。　　It　is　not
  necessary　here　to　enter　upon　the　discussion　of　this　question。　　But
  it　may　be　sufficient　to　state　that　the　power　which　women　do　not
  possess　politically　is　far　more　than　compensated　by　that　which
  they　exercise　in　private　lifeby　their　training　in　the　home
  those　who；　whether　as　men　or　as　women；　do　all　the　manly　as　well　as
  womanly　work　of　the　world。　　The　Radical　Bentham　has　said　that　man；
  even　if　he　would；　cannot　keep　power　from　woman；　for　that　she
  already　governs　the　world　〃with　the　whole　power　of　a　despot；〃　（23）
  though　the　power　that　she　mainly　governs　by　is　love。　　And　to　form
  the　character　of　the　whole　human　race；　is　certainly　a　power　far
  greater　than　that　which　women　could　ever　hope　to　exercise　as
  voters　for　members　of　Parliament；　or　even　as　lawmakers。
  There　is；　however；　one　special　department　of　woman's　work
  demanding　the　earnest　attention　of　all　true　female　reformers；
  though　it　is　one　which　has　hitherto　been　unaccountably　neglected。
  We　mean　the　better　economizing　and　preparation　of　human　food；　the
  waste　of　which　at　present；　for　want　of　the　most　ordinary　culinary
  knowledge；　is　little　short　of　scandalous。　　If　that　man　is　to　be
  regarded　as　a　benefactor　of　his　species　who　makes　two　stalks　of
  corn　to　grow　where　only　one　grew　before；　not　less　is　she　to　be
  regarded　as　a　public　benefactor　who　economizes　and　turns　to　the
  best　practical　account　the　food…products　of　human　skill　and
  labour。　　The　improved　use　of　even　our　existing　supply　would　be
  equivalent　to　an　immediate　extension　of　the　cultivable　acreage　of
  our　countrynot　to　speak　of　the　increase　in　health；　economy；　and
  domestic　comfort。　　Were　our　female　reformers　only　to　turn　their
  energies　in　this　direction　with　effect；　they　would　earn　the
  gratitude　of　all　households；　and　be　esteemed　as　among　the　greatest
  of　practical　philanthropists。
  NOTES
  （1）　Civic　virtues；　unless　they　have　their　origin　and　consecration　in
  private　and　domestic　virtues；　are　but　the　virtues　of　the　theatre。
  He　who　has　not　a　loving　heart　for　his　child；　cannot　pretend　to
  have　any　true　love　for　humanity。Jules　Simon's　LE　DEVOIR。
  （2）　'Levana；　or；　The　Doctrine　of　Education。'
  （3）　Speaking　of　the　force　of　habit；　St。　Augustine　says　in　his
  'Confessions'　〃My　will　the　enemy　held；　and　thence　had　made　a　chain
  for　me；　and　bound　me。　　For　of　a　froward　will　was　a　lust　made；　and
  a　lust　served　became　custom；　and　custom　not　resisted　became
  necessity。　　By　which　links；　as　it　were；　joined　together　（whence　I
  called　it　a　chain）　a　hard　bondage　held　me　enthralled。〃
  （4）　Mr。　Tufnell；　in　'Reports　of　Inspectors　of　Parochial　School　Unions
  in　England　and　Wales；'　1850。
  （5）　See　the　letters　（January　13th；　16th；　18th；　20th；　and　23rd；　1759）；
  written　by　Johnson　to　his　mother　when　she　was　ninety；　and　he
  himself　was　in　his　fiftieth　year。Crokers　BOSWELL；　8vo。　Ed。　pp。
  113；　114。
  （6）　Jared　Sparks'　'Life　of　Washington。'
  （7）　Forster's　'Eminent　British　Statesmen'　（Cabinet　Cyclop。）　vi。　8。
  （8）　The　Earl　of　Mornington；　composer　of　'Here　in　cool　grot；'　&c。
  （9）　Robert　Bell's　'Life　of　Canning；'　p。　37。
  （10）　'Life　of　Curran；'　by　his　son；　p。　4。
  （11）　The　father　of　the　Wesleys　had　even　determined　at　one　time　to
  abandon　his　wife　because　her　conscience　forbade　her　to　assent　to
  his　prayers　for　the　then　reigning　monarch；　and　he　was　only　saved
  from　the　consequences　of　his　rash　resolve　by　the　accidental　death
  of　William　III。　　He　displayed　the　same　overbearing　disposition　in
  dealing　with　his　children；　forcing　　his　daughter　Mehetabel　to
  marry；　against　her　will；　a　man　whom　she　did　not　love；　and　who
  proved　entirely　unworthy　of　her。
  （12）　Goethe　himself　says
  〃Vom　Vater　hab'　ich　die　Statur；
  Des　Lebens　ernstes　Fuhren；
  Von　Mutterchen　die　Frohnatur
  Und　Lust　zu　fabuliren。〃
  （13）　Mrs。　Grote's　'Life　of　Ary　Scheffer；'　p。　154。
  （14）　Michelet；　'On　Priests；　Women；　and　Families。'
  （15）　Mrs。　Byron　is　said　to　have　died　in　a　fit　of　passion；　brought　on　by
  reading　her　upholsterer's　bills。
  （16）　Sainte…Beuve；　'Causeries　du　Lundi；'　i。　23。
  （17）　Ibid。　i。　22。
  （18）　Ibid。　1。　23。
  （19）　That　about　one…third　of　all　the　children　born　in　this　country　die
  under　five　years　of　age；　can　only　he　attributable　to　ignorance　of
  the　natural　laws；　ignorance　of　the　human　constitution；　and
  ignorance　of　the　uses　of　pure　air；　pure　water；　and　of　the　art　of
  preparing　and　administering　wholesome　food。　　There　is　no　such
  mortality　amongst　the　lower　animals。
  （20）　Beaumarchais'　'Figaro；'　which　was　received　with　such　enthusiasm
  in　France　shortly　before　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　may　be
  regarded　as　a　typical　play；　it　represented　the　average　morality　of
  the　upper　as　well　as　the　lower　classes　with　respect　to　the
  relations　between　the　sexes。　　〃Label　men　how　you　please；〃　says
  Herbert　Spencer；　〃with　titles　of　'upper'　and　'middle'　and　'lower；'
  you　cannot　prevent　them　from　being　units　of　the　same　society；
  acted　upon　by　the　same　spirit　of　the　age；　moulded　after　the　same
  type　of　character。　　The　mechanical　law；　that　action　and　reaction
  are　equal；　has　its　moral　analogue。　　The　deed　of　one　man　to　another
  tends　ultimately　to　produce　a　like　effect　upon　both；　be　the　deed
  good　or　bad。　　Do　but　put　them　in　relationship；　and　no　division
  into　castes；　no　differences　of　wealth；　can　prevent　men　from
  assimilating。。。。　　The　same　influences　which　rapidly　adapt　the
  individual　to　his　society；　ensure；　though　by　a　slower　process；　the
  general　uniformity　of　a　national　character。。。。　　And　so　long　as　the
  assimilating　influences　productive　of　it　continue　at　work；　it　is
  folly　to　suppose　any　one　grade　of　a　community　can　be　morally
  different　from　the　rest。　　In　whichever　rank　you　see　corruption；　be
  assured　it　equally　pervades　all　ranksbe　assured　it　is　the
  symptom　of　a　bad　social　diathesis。　　Whilst　the　virus　of　depravity
  exists　in　one　part　of　　the　body…politic；　no　other　part　can　remain
  healthy。〃SOCIAL　STATICS；　chap。　xx。　7。
  （21）　Some　twenty…eight　years　since；　the　author　wrote　and　published　the
  following　passage；　not　without　practical　knowledge　of　the　subject；
  and　notwithstanding　the　great　amelioration　in　the　lot　of　factory…
  workers；　effected　mainly　through　the　noble　efforts　of　Lord
  Shaftesbury；　the　description　is　still　to　a　large　extent　true：
  〃The　factory　system；　however　much　it　may　have　added　to　the　wealth
  of　the　country；　has　had　a　most　deleterious　effect　on　the　domestic
  condition　of　the　people。　　It　has　invaded　the　sanctuary　of　home；
  and　broken　up　family　and　social　ties。　　It　has　taken　the　wife　from
  the　husband；　and　the　children　from　their　parents。　　Especially　has
  its　tendency　been　to　lower　the　character　of　woman。　　The
  performance　of　domestic　duties　is　her　proper　office；the
  management　of　her　household；　the　rearing　of　her　family；　the
  economizing　of　the　family　means；　the　supplying　of　the　family
  wants。　　But　the　factory　takes　her　from　all　these　duties。　　Homes
  become　no　longer　homes。　　Children　grow　up　uneducated　and
  neglected。　　The　finer　affections　become　blunted。　　Woman　is　no　more
  the　gentle　wife；　companion；　and　friend　of　man；　but　his　fellow…
  labourer　and　fellow…drudge。　　She　is　exposed　to　influences　which
  too　often　efface　that　modesty　of　thought　and　conduct　which　is　one
  of　the　best　safeguards　of　virtue。　　Without　judgment　or　sound
  principles　to　guide　them；　factory…girls　early　acquire　the　feeling
  of　independence。　　Ready　to　throw　off　the　constraint　imposed　on
  them　by　their　parents；　they　leave　their　homes；　and　speedily　become
  initiated　in　the　vices　of　their　associates。　　The　atmosphere；
  physical　as　well　as　moral；　in　which　they　live；　stimulates　their
  animal　appetites；　the　influence　of　bad　example　becomes　contagious
  among　them　and　mischief　is　propagated　far　and　wide。〃THE　UNION；
  January；　1843。
  （22）A　French　satirist；　pointing　to　the　repeated　PLEBISCITES　and
  perpetual　voting　of　late　years；　and　to　the　growing　want　of　faith
  in　anything　but　votes；　said；　in　1870；　that　we　seemed　to　be　rapidly
  approaching　the　period　when　the　only　prayer　of　man　and　woman　would
  be；　〃Give　us　this　day　our　daily　vote！〃
  （23）　〃Of　primeval　and　necessary　and　absolute　superiority；　the　relation
  of　the　mother　to　the　child　is　far　more　complete；　though　less
  seldom　quoted　as　an　example；　than　that　of　father　and　son。。。。　　By
  Sir　Robert　Filmer；　the　supposed　necessary　as　well　as　absolute
  power　of　the　father　over　his　childre