eye, no energy, or benevolence, or skill is ever lost, but all is husbanded and skilfully directed.

But among Protestants there is no system or organization instituted, thus to secure and employ the benevolent energies of the female sex in the cause of education. If a woman finds it in her heart to turn missionary and go away from her country to instruct the heathen, in most cases, every facility is provided, and public sentiment urges and encourages her efforts, and she knows to whom to apply for support and encouragement. But let a woman become interested in her own country, and earnestly desire to labour for destitute American children, and no such means, or facilities exist as make it suitable, or practicable to undertake. Among Catholics, let a woman of family and fortune talk of going to the West to teach, and she instantly is lauded as a saint; bishops, priests, and Jesuits are at her side to encourage and aid, and honour in life and canonization at death are her sure reward. But let a Protestant woman of wealth and high standing express a wish and intention to go to the West to teach, and it would be regarded by most of her friends and associates as a mark of oddity-a deficiency of good sense. Family friends would oppose, acquaintances would sneer, a few would faintly approve, no individual and no body of men could be found, whose appropriate business it is to aid, and so many obstacles would oppose, that, in most cases, it would really be Quixotic to encounter them. And women in humbler circumstances find almost

as insurmountable obstacles; they know of no place where they can go, it is the business of no one to aid them, they know of no one to whom to apply for assistance, and thus it is that hundreds and hundreds of women, abundantly competent to act as missionary teachers, are pining in secret over wasted energies, which they are longing to spend in the most appropriate duty of women, the training of young minds for usefulness and for Heaven. It may be replied, that in the Catholic Church women take vows of celibacy, which alone can enable them thus to act for the cause of education, and that no such efficient action for education can be anticipated from Protestant women, whose religious faith opposes rather than encourages this sequestration from domestic alliances. A few facts will serve to show the fallacy of this impression. A lady of NewEngland, who for a number of years conducted a large female institution, furnishes this as the result of her experience. During nine years, four hundred teachers went out from this institution. Of these, eighty-eight went to the West and South. At the end of these nine years, of the eighty-eight who went to the West and South, sixty-four (which is more than three fourths) continued as teachers. Twelve of these continued teachers after marriage. During three years of this time, a society connected with this institution was in operation to aid young women in educating themselves to be teachers. This assistance was in the form of a loan, which at no time was to exceed two hundred dollars to any one individual, and this loan was to be returned whenever it was practicable. The society remitted the debt in cases where it was not. Means were also provided for the appropriate protection and location of these teachers. The number who in three years received aid was forty-three, and the sum of $4340,00 was loaned for this purpose. Twenty-four of these, in the space of eight years from the first loans, refunded from their own earnings all that was loaned. Eight refunded in part. The remainder did not refund within the eight years, but all who were not sick or dead were expecting and aiming so to do.

A clergyman, who for a number of years was a travelling agent for one of our benevolent institutions, and who felt an interest in discovering the results of the above effort, stated it as his conviction, that no college in our country had, in the same period, done more for the cause of education and religion in our land than this institution had done by sending forth its female teachers. Many other similar facts could be stated, showing that there is even a greater chance of permanent results in employing a given sum for the education of female teachers, than for the education of young men for the ministry.

The lady who conducted this institution, and furnished these facts, also stated, that at all times the number of those desirous of qualifying themselves for teachers, and who would gladly have obtained loans for this end, was far beyond the means the society could command, while the demands sent on to this institution for teachers, from the South and West, was altogether more than could be supplied; thus showing that there were places demanding teachers, and teachers seeking for places, and no adequate instrumentality in existence for meeting these reciprocal demands. In the Eastern States, it is the testimony of school committees, and others employed in selecting teachers, that crowds of female applicants are constantly turned aside, not because they are not qualified, but because the number of applicants greatly exceeds that of the vacancies.

Another lady, who had conducted a large female institution in New-England, made an attempt to aid women of education and benevolence, who were anxious to act as teachers, and wished for aid in finding a proper location. The failure of health interrupted her efforts, yet, with a very limited inquiry, more than a hundred women of appropriate spirit and qualifications were immediately found, anxious to avail themselves of such aid; while the rumour of such an effort, for two or three years, brought letters to her from all parts of the country, asking assistance, some of them in the most moving terms.

By the census, it appears that the excess of female population in New-England over that of the other sex is more than 14,000. From extensive inquiries and consultation, the writer believes that one fourth of these women would gladly engage as teachers; that a large part are already qualified, and that the others could be fitted for these duties

at an average expense of two hundred dollars each.

Another fact will be mentioned to show the waste of female talent and benevolence for want of some organized agency which secures men whose business it is to attend to the interests of education.

A lady, who had conducted a large female institution in New-England, removed to one of the largest western cities, and, in connexion with several other ladies of experience and reputation, established an institution, which they designed, eventually, should become an institution for the preparation and location of female teachers, with a school connected with it, supported by the citizens, which should serve as a model school. It was hoped that, when the teachers had gained public confidence at the West, as they had done at the East, funds would be furnished, both at the East and West, which would enable these ladies to say to hundreds of their countrywomen interested in the effort, "Here is a resort for you, where you may qualify yourselves to be first-rate teachers, and be aided in finding a location in the many flourishing but destitute towns and villages of the West."

The school was abundantly patronised, and successfully conducted. The ladies then applied for a fund of some $30,000, given for purposes of education, by a gentleman of that city, and not specifically devoted to any particular object. The trustees of this fund voted to devote it to this enterprise, if the citizens would raise $15,000 for a building. The