A man speaks of what he knows, a
woman of what pleases her; the one requires knowledge, the other
taste; the principal object of a man's discourse should be what is
useful, that of a woman's what is agreeable. There ought to be nothing
in common between their different conversation but truth.
'We ought not, therefore, to restrain the prattle of girls, in the
same manner as we should that of boys, with that severe question; To
what purpose are you talking? but by another, which is no less
difficult to answer, How will your discourse be received? In
infancy, while they are as yet incapable to discern good from evil,
they ought to observe it, as a law, never to say any thing
disagreeable to those whom they are speaking to: what will render
the practice of this rule also the more difficult, is, that it must
ever be subordinate to the former, of never speaking falsely or
telling an untruth.' To govern the tongue in this manner must
require great address indeed; and it is too much practised both by men
and women.- Out of the abundance of the heart how few speak! So few,
that I, who love simplicity, would gladly give up politeness for a
quarter of the virtue that has been sacrificed to an equivocal quality
which at best should only be the polish of virtue.
But, to complete the sketch. 'It is easy to be conceived, that if
male children be not in a capacity to form any true notions of
religion, those ideas must be greatly above the conception of the
females: it is for this very reason, I would begin to speak to them
the earlier on this subject; for if we were to wait till they were
in a capacity to discuss methodically such profound questions, we
should run a risk of never speaking to them on this subject as long as
they lived.
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