Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-24
Education of Women.

A continued menta culture ought to be one
Of the leading occupants of human life, and
the plea that young even married ladies, Of
ten make. that they have not leisure, mostly
means that they have not the inclination
There are few women that could not find an
hour every day. for consulting authors, and
that would furnish food for thought, while
they were heating the teakettle or mending a
garment. 1t is not SO much the amount that
We read as it is the after reflection that strength
ems the mind. Incessant readers like incessant
eaters are only benefited by the quantity they
digest-a certain amount is essential too much
only clogs and deranges the system.
The elevation of women to their true and
position in society must be accomplished
Ipea,ure by their own active exer.
Severance. Could the current OF
IDS once be brught within the fascina:.
ing Influence of science. they would soon CON
vince themselves and the world of their capa-
blities. Any studyis arduous, while the mind
feels Indifferent. but let any woman once be-
come enamored with subject and she will APP
ply herself with igor that she was before
unconcious Of possessing, and he- advance
ment wonld establish none more than her
self.
She has no reason to shrink from the abstract
studies. not even mathematics, for in this a
woman has eXcelled the world and may do so
again. lcapnot believe that any person. man
or moman, who has without any extraordinary
effort ability sufficient to comprehend the arith-
metic,lack anything but application to become
aprofound astronomer and mathema tician-I
Men of rather weak intellects have become good
mathematicians, through untring devotion
that concentrated all the energies of their minds
on Il is subject
If the intellectual standard of women was
one raised. and the proper stimulus given to
them, they would just as easily reach it then
as they do now. They would no longer be
ridiculed for having minds only adapted to tea
table talk, and their elevation would act as a
powerful incentive to the opposite sex. Men
would be under the necessity of cultvating
their brains as much they do now their
beards,n order to do the agreeable. Woman's
influence might give to the world a host of sa-
ges as 1T now gives legion of shallow tops
but If her standard was lowered mans would
IN proportion be dragged down with it.
So faras the posterty is concerned, it Is of
more vital Importance that girls should receive
more thorough education than boys, so that
they may las intelligent mothers, inpart an i'm
pulse TO the minds of children, forestaliins
all counter seducements that they are destined
soon to be assaulted with child, when pla
ccd amid circumstances calculated to instruct.
a at md " T..
sports and his pastimes are of an intellectual
character. But place him among ignorant as
sociates, and as certain as he is a cial being
he will confom in Il great measure to their
standard. thereby impeding his own improve
ment and rendering his studies irksome
1t cannot be expected that children can be
made proficient, but they may be inspired with
thelovc of learning, and then the future schol-
lars are but natural growth. The only diff
Guilty in acquiring science in becoming en-.
amored with it; after that, studyis a pleasure
any other, may control the mind of her child
but she can never enanIor it with that ardent
desire for knowledge, without first possessing
the knowledge and TIE nfatuation herself
1t will be wei for the country when cor
Tcct notions of government are more generally
taught in the homes of childhood. A sense of
the sacredHcss OF justice ought to be inculca-
ted at the mothers knee, with every other senli
ment suited to the expa iding intellect, and
ennob ing to human pature. Every home
should be a government where the affections
preserve order; every fire-sidc should be a ly
ceum where the sciences are taught
If the acquisition of knowledge could be
converted into popular amusement to take
the place Of diversions that are useless or even
pernicious, nothing more would be wanted to
turn the country into one grand university and
the people into anation of scholars. Yet this
is very possible, for through chain of events
almost anything may become ruling passion.
This passion at time contentcd a people
with u sir druids, their barbaric amusements,
.an1 Il cs:::J & ads; at another it intimespir-