in all benevolent movements? Without their sympathies all such causes languish, while with them. they flourish. Indeed, such is woman's influence, we may add, that she decides social morality. If her standard of excellence is high, the society in which she moves will be elevated. If otherwise, the morals of the community will be loose. Let her treat religion lightly, and the men will rail about · it as infidels of the lowest school. Let her speak contemptuously of temperance, and men will plunge madly into inebriation. So great is the power of her precepts and example! No community is ever better than its females. With them it rises or falls in the scale of moral character.

But we can scarcely find a more remarkable example of female influence than that of Mary Lyon. She never entertained such false ideas of the mission of her sex as the girl whose remark we quoted at the opening of this chapter. Even as early as fourteen years of age, she had exalted ideas of the influence of a teacher. As she advanced in years, this view acquired strength, and resolved itself into more definite form. It was a theme upon which she dwelt often in addressing her pupils. She taught them to guard against the idea that they must be ciphers in the world, and aim to make their mark upon society wherever they might live, and very few of her pupils left her without being

fully convinced that if their influence was not felt in the social circles it would be their own fault.

Look at her own Seminary at South Hadley as a living proof of her great influence. It was through her own agency entirely that such an institution exists; and the first thousand dollars which she collected for the work was given by femalesalmost three hundred dollars of it by the pupils of her own school at Ipswich, Mass., where she was then teaching. She was obliged to encounter apathy, popular prejudice, and even opposition, among the very class to whom she looked for sympathy; but every obstacle finally yielded before her influence.

Think, too, of her instructions to more than THREE THOUSAND young ladies; and these going forth to teach in this and other lands, and to fill places of influence as wives and mothers. Each one was prepared by her teacher's lessons to impress society, more or less, by her character. Her good influence was but that of her faithful teacher reduplicated. Take one case for illustration. young lady fitted herself for a teacher under Miss Lyon, and went to a distant territory of the West. She took up her abode with a married sister, who lived in very humble circumstances. "In a small room of their small house" she opened a school, and fifteen scholars attended, French, Dutch, and

A

Yankees, all together. The school increased in numbers, and finally the house became too strait for them. The result was, that a building was erected for the school, which soon after numbered more than a hundred. That territory has become a State, and some of its most prominent citizens were once the pupils of this female teacher. She is known in almost every town thereof, and thousands are ready to rise up and call her blessed. But her influence is only one of the many streams which Mary Lyon caused to flow in almost every State of the Union, as well as on heathen shores. If one of her pupils accomplished so much, then what would ten, one hundred, a thousand, do, at home and abroad? Suppose that one-third of the three thousand pupils whom she instructed became teachers, and that each one of these qualified only one hundred each, in their turn, to instruct; then the thousand young teachers whom she sent forth would have qualified one hundred thousand for the same office. IIow rapidly and wonderfully her own influence multiplies through these representatives!

Nor is this the best view of her influence. She labored for the salvation of her pupils, and every year but the first of her teaching at South Hadley witnessed a powerful revival in her school. Of sixty-six unconverted young ladies in the institution at one time, sixty were converted. Many

of her pious scholars became the wives of clergymen, and were thus introduced into fields of extensive usefulness. About forty of them became missionaries, many of whose names are now familiar and precious to the church. Who, then, can estimate the influence of this one woman? Through her scholars it is felt in nearly every land where the Gospel is proclaimed. Though she lies silent in the grave, her lessons of wisdom are still guiding and controlling the hearts of thousands. Where is the statesman or legislator who has accomplished more for his race than she? Does not her influence, though a woman, compare favorably with that of the ablest men, who have swayed senates, or sat on thrones of power?

She reminds us of Hannah More, who at one time had a thousand pupils under her care. Perhaps the latter reached more minds than Mary Lyon; we are quite sure, however, that she did not qualify so many for extensive usefulness. And yet we gladly refer to her as an eminent example of female influence.

So long as the life of Mary Lyon stands recorded, no girl can say that her own influence must be small. If the circumstances of any girl at sixteen authorize this plea, then this would have been the case with her. Was she not poor? Was she not of humble origin? Were not her privileges small? And yet her influence has been felt around the world.

CHAPTER V.

A GIRL'S MISSION.

FOR WHAT SPHERE SHALL A GIRL PREPARE?-GIRLS HAVE A MISSION AS REALLY AS BOYS-SHE IS QUALIFIED FOR ERRANDS OF MERCY-TESTIMONY OF LEDYARD-OF MUNGO PARK-OF A FUGITIVE FROM THE OLD JERSEY PRISON-SHIP-LABORS OF SARAH HOFFMAN, MISS DIX, MRS. FRY, AND COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON — OF MRS. JUDSON, HARRIET STEWART, ETC.-LINES OF MRS. SIGOURNEY—A SISTER'S POWER OVER AN INSANE BROTHER HER INFANT IN HIS ARMS THE OFFICE OF NURSE REMARKS OF MRS. OSSOLI- THE OFFICE OF TEACHER REMARKS OF DR. WAYLAND - SIXTY THOUSAND TEACHERS WANTEDREMARKS OF MARY LYON HER LIFE AS TEACHER-MRS. REBECCA MOTTE-MANUAL EMPLOYMENT-MISSIONARY WORKHOME DUTIES-PREPARATION FOR THESE QUALIFIES FOR OTHER SPHERES "WOMAN'S RIGHTS"— JOAN OF ARC AND ABBY KELLEY FOSTER-MARY LYON-POETRY.

"WELL," says the reader, suppose I have a purpose, and appreciate the power of female influence, what shall I be? I should not know for what sphere of labor to prepare." I answer, cultivate your mind and heart in due proportions, and make yourself familiar with domestic duties, and you will be prepared for any sphere. Then you can become teacher or nurse, seamstress or philanthropist, wife or mother, without much incon