Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/302

296 practice of thoe inferiour ones which form the man.

In this plan of education the contitution of boys would not be ruined by the early debaucheries, which now makes men o elfih, nor girls rendered weak and vain, by indolence, and frivolous puruits. But, I preuppoe, that uch a degree of equality hould be etablihed between the exes as would hut out gallantry and coquetry, yet allow friendhip and love to temper the heart for the dicharge of higher duties.

Thee would be chools of morality—and the happines of man, allowed to flow from the pure prings of duty and affection, what advances might not the human mind make? Society can only be happy and free in proportion as it is virtuous; but the preent ditinctions, etablihed in ociety, corrode all private, and blat all public virtue.

I have already inveighed againt the cutom of confining girls to their needle, and hutting them out from all political and civil employments; for by thus narrowing their minds they are rendered unfit to fulfil the peculiar duties which nature has aigned them.

Only employed about the little incidents of the day, they necearily grow up cunning. My very oul has often ickened at oberving the ly tricks practied by women to gain ome foolih thing on which their illy hearts were et. Not allowed to dipoe of money, or call any thing their own, they learn to turn the market penny; or, hould a huband offend, by taying from home, or give rie to ome emotions of jealouy—a new gown, or any pretty bawble, mooths Juno's angry brow. But&ensp;