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 or even married ladies, Of
ten make, that they have not leisure, mostly
means that they have not the inclination.--
There arc 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 tea-kettle 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. Inccssant readers like ncessant
eaters are only benefited by the quantity they
digest--a certain amount is essential too much
only clogs and deranges the system.
n The elevation of women to their true and
kHostion in society must be accomplished
Ikpeasure by their own active exer
fseverance. 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-
bilities. Any study is arduous, while the mind
feels Indifferent, but let any woman once be-
come enamored with subject, and she will APP
ply herself with a vigor that she was before
Unconscious of possessing, and he advance
ment wonld establish none more than her
self
She has no reason to shrink FRONT the abstract
studies, not even mathematics, for in this a
woman has excelled the world, and may do so
again. cannot believe that any person, man
or moman. who has without any extraordinary
effort,abilty sufficient to comprehend the arith-
metic lacks anything but application to become
profound astronomer and mathema tician.-
Men of rather weak ntellects have become good
mathematicians, through an untiring 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 Men
would be under the necessity of cultivating
their brains much as they do now their
beaIds,in order to do the agreeable. Woman's
influence might give to the world host of sa-
gcs as it now gives a legion of shallow tops
bu, if her standard was lowered, mans would
in proportion be dragged down with it.
So far as the posterity is concerned, it is of
more vital Importance that girls should receive
a more thorough education than boys, so that
they may, las intelligent mothers. impart an i'm
pulse 10 the minds of children forestalling
all counter seducements that they are destined
soon to be assailed with. child, when pia-
ccd amid circumstances calculated to instruct
advances with natural and easy progress his
sports and his pastines are of an intellectual
character. But place him among ignorant as
sociates, and as certain as he is a so cial being
he will confom in 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 arc but natural growth. The only diff
Guilty in acquiring science,is in becoming en-,
amored with it; after that, studyis a pleasure
and no longer task The mother, more than
any other, may control the mind of her child
but she can never enamor it with that arden,
desire for knowledge, without first possessing
the knowledg, aud tie infatuation herself.
1t will be wei for the country when cor.
rccl notions of government are more generally
taught in the homes Of childhood. A sense OF
the sacfedsess Of justice ought 10 be inculca
ted at the mothers knee, with every other senti
ment suited to the expanding intellect, and
ennob ing to human nature. Every home
should be government where the affections
preserve order; every fire-sdc should be a ly
ceum where the sciences are taught.
If the acquisition of knowledge could DC
converted into popular amusement to tax,
the place of diversions that are useless or even
perncious, nothing more would be wanted t.
turn the country into one grand university ,and
the people into anston of scholars. Yet tits
is very possible, for through chain of events
almost anything may become a ruling passion.
This passion at one time contented people
with II sir druids, their barbaric amusements,
and Il cS::y :; ids; at another it intimespir-