women in health ſhould be more familiar with each other than men are, when they boaſt of their ſuperiour delicacy, is a ſoleciſm in manners which I could never ſolve.
In order to preſerve health and beauty, I ſhould
earneſtly recommend frequent ablutions, to
dignify my advice that it may not offend the faſtidious
ear; and, by example, girls ought to be taught
to waſh and dreſs alone, without, any diſtinction
of rank; and if cuſtom ſhould make them
require ſome little aſſiſtance, let them not require
it till that part of the buſineſs is over which
ought never to be done before a fellow-creature;
becauſe it is an inſult to the majeſty of
human nature. Not on the ſcore of modeſty,
but decency; for the care which ſome modeſt
women take, making at the ſame time a diſplay
of that care, not to let their legs be ſeen, is as
childiſh as immodeſt[1].
I could proceed ſtill further, till I animadverted on ſome ſtill more indelicate cuſtoms, which men never fall into. Secrets are told—where ſilence ought to reign; and that regard to cleanlineſs, which ſome religious ſects have, perhaps, carried too far, eſpecially the Eſſenes, amongſt the Jews, by making that an inſult to God which is only an inſult to humanity, is violated in a brutal manner. How can delicate women obtrude on notice that part of the animal economy, which is ſo very diſguſting? And is it not very rational to conclude, that the women who have
- ↑ I remember to have met with a ſentence, in a book of education, that made me ſmile. 'It would be needleſs to caution you againſt putting your hand, by chance, under your neck-handkerchief; for a modeſt woman never did ſo!'
