It is not, however, those alone who are bound by the ties of wife and mother, whose intellectual cultivation may exercise a powerful influence in their social relations:  each woman in proportion to her mental and moral qualifications possesses a useful influence over all those within her reach.  Moral excellence alone effects much:  the amiable, the loving, and the unselfish almost insensibly dissuade from evil, and persuade to good, those who have the good fortune to be within the reach of such soothing influences.  Their persuasions are, however, far more powerful when vivacity, sweetness, and affection are given weight to by strong natural powers of mind, united with high cultivation.  Of all the “talents” committed to our stewardship, none will require to be so strictly accounted for as those of intellect.  The influence that we might have acquired over our fellow-men, thus winning them over to think of and practise “all things lovely and of good report,” if it be neglected, is surely a sin of deeper dye than the misemployment of mere money.  The disregard of those intellectual helps which we might have bestowed on others, and thus have extensively benefited the cause of religion, one of whose most useful handmaids is mental cultivation, will surely be among the most serious of the sins of omission that will swell our account at the last day.  The intellectual Dives will not be punished only for the misuse of his riches, as in the case of a Byron or a Shelley; the neglect of their improvement, by employing them for the good of others, will equally disqualify him for hearing the final commendation of “Well done, good and faithful servant."[72] This, however, is not a point on which I need dwell at any length while writing to you:  you are aware, fully, I believe, of the responsibilities entailed upon you by the natural powers you possess.  It is from worldly motives of dissuasion, and not from any ignorance with regard to that which you know to be your duty, that you may be at times induced to slacken your exertions in the task of self-improvement.  You will not be easily persuaded that it is not your duty to educate yourself; the doubt that will be more easily instilled into your mind will be respecting the possible injury to your happiness or worldly advancement by the increase of your knowledge and the improvement of your mind.  Look, then, again around you, and see whether the want of employment confers happiness, carefully distinguishing, however, between that happiness which results from natural constitution and that which results from acquired habits.  It is true that many of the careless, thoughtless girls you are acquainted with enjoy more happiness, such as they are capable of, in mornings and evenings spent at their worsted-work, than the most diligent cultivation of the intellect can ever insure to you.  But the question is, not whether the butterfly can contentedly dispense with the higher instincts of the industrious, laborious, and useful