acknowledged fact, that almost every man of extensive influence, for
good or for evil, whom the world has produced, became what he was
through maternal influence? Caesar, and Caligula, and Talleyrand, and
Napoleon, became what they were in consequence of their mothers, no
less than Alfred, and Doddridge, and Howard, and Washington. For let it
not be forgotten that mothers and teachers, according to Dr. Rush--and,
in fact, according to common observation, too--plant the seeds of the
world of evil no less than of the world of good. How exceedingly
important, then, that _they_ should be well educated, "from whom,"
in the language of another writer, "our virtues are, and from whom our
vices may be"--we would add _must_ be--"derived;" at least in no
small proportion!

But I am using the term education without explaining it. Let me, then,
ere I proceed to say more on the subject of female responsibility,
explain what I mean by education, especially female education.

Mere instruction in the sciences is, indeed, education; it is, however,
but a very small part of it. To educate, is to train up. In this view,
all are of course educated; and every thing which has an influence in
developing mind or body, and in training up, either for good or for
evil, is entitled, justly, to the name of education.

But if the above definition be just--if whatever concerns our
development, or the formation of any part of our character, physical,
intellectual, social or moral, is education--then it must follow that
there are two kinds of education, bad and good. All persons, places and
things, which affect us (and what does not affect us?) and influence
us, for good or for evil, must educate us.