WORKS.

Caius Gracchus: a Tragedy.
"Sophisms of the Protective Policy," from the French.
My Dreams, [poems].
Articles in Magazines.

WOMAN'S DUTY.

(_From Enfranchisement of Woman, in "Southern Quarterly Review,"
April, 1852._)

In every error there is its shadow of truth. Error is but truth turned
awry, or looked at through a wrong medium. As the straightest rod
will, in appearance, curve when one half of it is placed under water,
so God's truths, leaning down to earth, are often distorted to our
view. Woman's condition certainly admits of improvement, (but when
have the strong forgotten to oppress the weak?) . . . Here, as in all
other improvements, the good must be brought about by working with,
not against--by seconding, not opposing--Nature's laws. Woman, seeking
as a woman, may raise her position,--seeking as a man, we repeat, she
but degrades it. . . . . . .

Each can labour, each can strive, lovingly and earnestly, in her own
sphere. "Life is real! Life is earnest!" Not less for her than for
man. She has no right to bury her talent beneath silks or ribands,
frippery or flowers; nor yet has she the right, because she fancies
not her task, to grasp at another's, which is, or which she imagines
is, easier. This is baby play. "Life is real! Life is earnest!" Let
woman so read it--let woman so learn it--and she has no need to make
her influence felt by a stump speech, or a vote at the polls; she has
no need for the exercise of her intellect (and woman, we grant, may
have a great, a longing, a hungering intellect, equal to man's) to be
gratified with a seat in Congress, or a scuffle for the ambiguous
honour of the Presidency.

Even at her own fire-side, may she find duties enough, cares enough,
troubles enough, thought enough, wisdom enough, to fit a martyr for
the stake, a philosopher for life, or a saint for heaven.

There are, there have been, and there will be, in every age, great
hero-souls in woman's form, as well as man's. It imports little
whether history notes them. The hero-soul aims at its certain duty,
heroically meeting it, whether glory or shame, worship or contumely,
follow its accomplishment. Laud and merit is due to such performance.
_Fulfill_ thy destiny; _oppose_ it not. Herein lies thy track. Keep
it. Nature's sign-posts are within thee, and it were well for thee to
learn to read them. . . . .

Many women--even, we grant, the majority of women--throw themselves
away u