| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through the Internet Archive Children's Library. See http://www.archive.org/details/UF00002046 Images of pages 244-284 were kindly provided by Special Collections at the University of California Library (Davis) |
The work which forms the basis of the present volume is one of the mostoriginal and striking which has fallen under the notice of the editor.The advice which it gives shows a remarkable knowledge of humancharacter, and insists on a very high standard of female excellence.Instead of addressing herself indiscriminately to all young ladies, thewriter addresses herself to those whom she calls her "Unknown Friends,"that is to say, a class who, by natural disposition and education, areprepared to be benefited by the advice which she offers. "Unless apeculiarity of intellectual nature and habits constituted them friends,"she says in her preface, "though unknown ones, of the writer, most ofthe observations contained in the following pages would beuninteresting, many of them altogether unintelligible."
She continues: "That advice is useless which is not founded upon aknowledge of the character of those to whom it is addressed: even werethe attempt made to follow such advice, it could not be successful."
"The writer has therefore neither hope nor wish of exercising anyinfluence over the minds of those who are not her 'Unknown Friends.'There may, indeed, be a variety in the character of these friends; foralmost all the following Letters are addressed to different persons; butthe general intellectual features are always supposed to be the same,however the moral ones may differ."
"One word more must be added. All of the rules and systems recommendedin these Letters have borne the test of long-tried and extensiveexperience. There is nothing new about them but their publication."
The plan of the writer of the Letters enables her to give specific andpractical advice, applicable to particular cases, and entering intolively details; whereas, a more general work would have compelled her toconfine herself to vague generalities, as inoperative as they arecommonplace.
The intelligent reader will readily appreciate and cordially approve ofthe writer's plan, as well as the happy style in which it is executed.
To the "Letters to Unknown Friends" which are inserted entire, theeditor has added, as a suitable pendant, copious extracts from thatexcellent work, "Woman's Mission," and some able papers by Lord Jeffrey,the late accompl