The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1850-11-22
THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS.

The EDUCAllON VI ulnho'
A good deal has been said in the news
papers and from the desk about The educa-
tion of girls. Recently the Charleston
News has taken up the subject, and the
editor, like sensible man. rs he Is, talks
as follows, in his first article:
1--WE are altogether in favor Of radical re-
forms, in this branch of instruction. We
begin by announcing ourselves decidedly OF
opinion that women have souls, and possess
minds very capable of improvement in the
higher branches of knowledge. We hon
esty believe that they are not formed alone
s.To suckle fools and chronicle small beer"
On the contrary we think that they have
in'cIecls, entirely equal to the most labo-
rious iusks Of the most masculine scholar;
and as they necessarily have the c"re of
children, during that period when their
minds are taking impressions of good and
evil, we are positively the advocate OF their
instruction ia every thing which can the
better form their minds TO the duties OF
these Interesting tasks. 1t will be seen from
this beginning, that VIC .ukc it for granted
TINT women must have the care of children:
that is, we suppose they will be married
women, We would feel that we were IN
su'ting women to think any thing else. We
have no clarity for those provnkingly pru'
dish females who pretend that 1t is their
duty to live in state o, single b'essedness
+, is great violation of duty to q" any
such thing. The most mis- rab'e thng IN
nature, and the most to be sympnthiZed witt
--excput an old bachelor, who is most fer
ven,ly TO be despised--is an old maid.
women take our advice. they will get mar
ried rs soon as possible. 20 an honest, IN
dustrious man; aud this leads US to The con-
sd.ruion of the system best adapted fo
the education Of women.
| In the first place. we arow ourselves
s!crnly and inAexibly opposed to making !
| the business OF womun's life. to thump o.
piano, drnw pictures. or stick wooller
threads On perforated paper These th'ng'
may be very properly learned and practlced
as adjuncts to education; but they may no
be education itself. Nor would we have
women become masters in Greek Anthology
or Latin hexameters. In looking to a p!al
of education for her, We would select tha
! most cn pabe Of forming iier into WOMAN
in the largest sense ofthe term. We wou''
| look to her destiny, as n wife, and mother
as the companion of man. who might be
! Mt times, a hero or a child; of ore, who, il
the several phases Of life. may be called OF
to make her very miserable or very happy
ns the guardian of child, sometimes il
! laughter, sometimes in tears; of one wh'
would deligh, her in health, by chserfnIness
md rack her bosom with mental suffering
| in disease and death. Her education shoul'
fit her for these episodes in existence. Sh'
should have cherrfuIness, without frlvolity
for moments of pleasure; frmness and re-
s,gnatiun, for those Of misery. She shou't
be instructed in self denial, in times D
prosperity; in self.re'iance, in periods o
distress. In order. therefore. to nccuston
her TO these variations Of life, we would be-
yin nv nIacinu the foundations of her edu
cation in RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE"