Godey's Lady's Book

But fashion so directs, and moderns raise
On fashion's mouldering base their transient praise.

FASHIONS in literature are quite as absolute and often as absurd as those in dress. D'Israeli says, that " after Spenser's ' Faery Queen' was published, the press overflowed with many mistaken imitations, in which fairies were the chief actors." The great personage who gave the fashion to this class of literature, was the courtly and romantic Elizabeth herself: her obsequious courtiers would not fail to flatter her taste. Whether they all felt the beauties, or languished over the tediousness, of the " Faery Queen" and the "Arcadia" of Sidney, at least her majesty gave a vogue to such sentimental and refined romance. And when Elizabeth chose the classical style, she easily introduced another literary fashion; having translated the Hercules CEtacus, she made it fashionable to translate Greek tragedies.

Such being the influence of fashion in literature, we would invoke its power to create a new model for St. Valentine's Day.

In the Lady's Book for February, 1849, we suggested that those who did not choose to write their own missives on the important fourteenth, would show their good taste by sending a beautiful book (with the sentiment or stanza they wished to make significant, underscored), rather than n fantastically flowered and printed sheet of paper, purporting to be a Valentine. The first-named gift would be more highly valued and much longer preserved. The hint was followed by many gentlemen, as we were informed, to the great satisfaction of the lady recipients; and we now invite all who prefer enduring Valentines, to unite in carrying out this new fashion.

We also suggested last year, and reiterate the counsel now, that any young gentleman who really wishes to keep his idea enshrined in the memory of a young lady, either as friend or lover, had better subscribe for a periodical (sending the January and February numbers on St. Valentine's Day), and continuing it through trio year to the lady of his choice. "The Lady's Book,," "The Ladies' National Magazine,» "Graham's" and "Sartain's" – either of these would be beautiful and appropriate Valentines for 1860.

WE brought to our Table, last month, some choice and rich intellectual viands, furnished by literary men, for sustaining woman's influence and encouraging her education. We will now give another course from the same generous and healthful store,

There is a beautiful parallelism between the condition of woman in her domestic life and the character of a nation. She is the mother of men, and the former of their minds, at that early age when every word distils upon the heart like the dew-drop upon the tender grass. There is to that young mind no truth or falsehood in the world but that whose words flow from the mother's lips. There is no beauty in character, nor glory in action, which has not been concentrated by her praise. There is, to that climbing child, no path where the mother's foot has not trod. Her mind is to his the supernatural pillar of fire which illumines his midnight ignorance, and the silvery cloud which, at midday, precedes him in every highway to the world. And when science has conducted her pupil through the highest walks of knowledge, or when art has polished him into the accomplished citizen, or when power has dignified him with the memorials of office, she still lives in his soul, which she has imbued, from her heart's

It is thus that society is formed in its social and moral ideas; and thus its condition must ever present, on a large scale, a parallelism in its moral life to the condition of woman. It is not n matter of fancy, but a great social fact.– Edward D. Mansfield.

FEMALE EDUCATION IN ENGLAND.– In the age of Elizabeth, English women studied the masterpieces of ancient genius. In the present day, they seldom bestow much attention on the dead languages; but they are familiar with the tongue of Pascal and Moliere, with the tongue of Dante and Tasso, with the tongue of Goethe and Schiller; nor is there any purer or more graceful English than that which accomplished women now speak.– T. B. Macaulay.

THE COMPARATIVE TALENTS OF MAN AND WOMAN.– We have had too many instances of women of talent and of genius, to doubt their ability to excel – we make no exception – in any branch of literature whatever. We give them, 'on the other hand, no monopoly of elegance or grace, or delicacy of touch, as some affect to do. These qualities they are very likely to display; but they will be superior in them to authors of the male sex, only just so far as they are superior to those authors in genius and talent. There is still s, practice, in many critics, to detect the style feminine from the style masculine. The sooner this is laid aside the better. There are styles which, speaking metaphorically, one may say have a feminine grace, or a feminine weakness. Such an observation has been made by Sir James Mackintosh, on the style of Addison. But to pretend to say of a given page of composition, whether a man or a woman has penned it, is absurd. We often hear it said, that none but a woman could have written the letters of Madame de Sevigne. If Cowper had been a woman, people would have said the same thing of his letters. They are unrivaled, at least in our own language, for grace and elegance, and wit and playfulness. No woman, we believe – and the epistolary style is supposed to belong, by especial right, to the female pen – has ever written such charming letters as those to Lady Hesketh, and his old friend, Thomas Hill. As to the letters of Madame de Sevigne, they so evidently come from a mother to a daughter, that it is impossible to forgot, for a moment, the sex of the writer. But if the qualities which have given them literary celebrity are to be pronounced feminine, half the literature of France is of the same gender. Still less can we tolerate the affectation that pretends to discern a certain weakness, a tremulousness of the hand when the pen is held by a woman. There is a grace and elegance, but, forsooth, a certain hesitation – a want of vigor and certainty of touch. Nonsense. Take Our Village, by Miss Mitford, and the Sketck-book, by Washington Irving; they are both of the graceful and elegant order of style; but the lady writes the English language with far more freedom, ease, and vigor, than the gentleman. The poetic element is mingled in her diction with far more taste end judgment. It glitters through her prose as the sunlight in the green tree – throwing its gold amongst the foliage, yet leaving it the same green, and simple, and refreshing object as before.– Blackwood's Magazine.

LINES BY A STRAY WAIF.

THE pearl lies hid beneath the sea;
In mines the diamond shuns the day;
And all pure things that rarest be,
From casual gaze are hid away.

The showy flowers the sweet outvie;
And tinsel shames the purer ore:
While glitt'ring gauds oft win the eye,
To pass unseen the richest store.

Thus souls with truest virtue crowned,
By common eyes unfound, aspire;
And vain pretence, while flaunting round,
Bids merit to the shade retire.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have been compelled to decline most of the articles sent us lately. Where the request of return, in case of non-acceptance, was made, the MSS. have been sent back. But we hope the writers will retain copies of their communications, as we cannot answer for the safe-keeping of the multitude of articles that reach us every week. The following are accepted: " Woman's Rights," "The First Katydid;" " L'Esprit!" " Loneliness,"" A Gem from the French."

The author of " Evaleen " had better try again. His letter evinces more talent than is displayed in his poem